Digital Nomad in Marrakech, Morocco: A Complete Guide

Being a digital nomad in Marrakech was a dream. It relit the travel-fire that had gotten a little dim after being on the road for over two years.

The culture is so different from anything we were used to and it reminded us why we fell in love with travel in the first place.

We realized travel is like a drug – after a while you get used to it and in order to get that high again, you have to keep upping the ante.

A Digital Nomad’s Guide to Marrakech, Morocco

Can you be a digital nomad in Morocco?

So many reasons make Marrakech the perfect digital nomad destination. There is tons to do catering to all types of people, from adventure seekers to history buffs. We spent one month in Marrakech specifically and another month traveling around Morocco, and we still didn’t see and do everything.

Marrakech is super affordable. If you are hoping to save money by working remote, this is your spot. From food and restaurants, to rent and Airbnb’s, your budget will be thanking you.

Even though Marrakech has a very low cost of living, there is still modern infrastructure, amazing restaurants, and cool vibes. The food in Morocco is amazing, one of my new favorite cuisines of all the places we’ve visited.

There are a lot of digital nomads and expats living in Marrakech, especially in Gueliz. The coworking spaces are bustling, making meeting like-minded laptop warriors effortless.

Although Morocco’s official language is Arabic, most Moroccans, especially in Marrakech, speak fluent French as well. If Arabic seems to daunting to try to learn, maybe French is a bit easier?

Outside of Marrakech in other parts of Morocco, Spanish is also spoken. Luckily English is very common as well among people interacting with tourists, so no need to panic about a huge language barrier.

Things to Do in Marrakech

The best part being a digital nomad in Marrakech: so much to do!

Whether you value high-adrenaline adventure, history and architecture, or just vibing at a coffee shop, you will not be bored. Marrakech is also a good home base to explore other parts of the country like Essaouira or the desert trek and glamping.

Here are my top recommendations:

Keep reading: The Ultimate Marrakech Bucket List (by Neighborhood)

How to Get to Marrakech

Of course flying directly into Marrakech is the easiest. However, check flights to Casablanca or Tangier as well as you might be able to score a better deal.

From Casablanca

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco, and therefore may have the best flight options. Although you will still need to travel to Marrakech, it’s actually quite easy.

1. Cheapest: take the train from Mohammed V airport to the Casa Voyageurs station, then catch the 2-3 hour train to Marrakech, for about $30.
2. Fastest: taxi from Mohammed V airport straight to Marrakech, if you’re with 3+ people, a taxi could actually cheaper than the train.
3. Combo: taxi part of the way to Casa Voyageurs station (30 minutes), then get on the train to Marrakech.
4. OR go the long way and make a desert trip out of it; take the train to Tangier, and read the rest below…

From Tangier

This is seemingly very inconvenient – but why not take the long way and explore Morocco? You can also do this in reverse, like we did, and end your trip in Tangier.

1. Fly into Tangier.
2. Bus to Chefchauoen, the Blue City ($7.50 USD).
3. Bus to Fes, about 5 hours ($11 USD).
4. Book a 3-day desert tour to Marrakech.
5. Travel through the desert stopping at Erg Chebbi sand dunes and the famous filming location, Aït Benhaddou.

Morocco’s public bus system is CTM. Its a reliable way to get between cities, and very easy to look up schedules and book tickets online.

Where to Stay in Marrakech as a Digital Nomad

Medina

If you plan to be a digital nomad in Marrakech, I recommend not staying in the Medina (the old part of the city). It’s cool for a short trip or to visit occasionally, but living there would be very stressful and exhausting.

Unless you look Moroccan, you get a lot of attention just walking around. Not to mention, you’ll be wading through hoards of tourists trying to get anywhere. When we lived in Marrakech for a month, I’m really glad we stayed just outside the Medina (keep reading) and only came in every few days to sightsee and walk around. And even that was a lot sometimes.

More practically, the only accommodations in the Medina are geared towards short-term travelers like hostels and hotels. So if you want to live somewhere more homey (like an Airbnb or rent an apartment), there are hardly any options, if at all.

Gueliz

Gueliz, sometimes referred to as the ‘new city’, is a more modern, French neighborhood. This is where we lived during our month in Marrakech and I loved it. You are still walking distance from the historic Medina, yet have the luxuries of a less-chaotic, modern city. It is brimming with authentic Moroccan eateries, trendy European restaurants and bars (that serve alcohol), as well as shopping and coworking spaces.

It is located just Northeast of the Medina, so you can easily walk to all the museums, souks, and tourist sights in the old city. Gueliz is also home to many of it’s own attractions, such as the Jardin Majorelle and YSL Museum.

If you plan to stay long-term in Marrakech, there are plenty of Airbnb’s and apartments for rent in Gueliz, averaging $800-1500 USD.

Read more about all the things to do in Gueliz.

Hivernage

Hivernage is an even more refined and modern neighborhood, known for its pulsating nightlife complete with mega clubs, casinos, and chic restaurants. The neighborhood is adjacent to the Medina and Gueliz, and you can find many well priced Airbnb’s. It’s almost too nice and new; so I would still choose Gueliz for the added French-meets-Moroccan charm.

Getting Around Marrakech

During our month in Marrakech, we pretty much walked everywhere. We stayed on the eastern side of Gueliz so grocery stores, restaurants, and historic sites were all easily accessible by foot. The two times we did need to go somewhere farther, we just hailed a taxi, and one time we hired a driver to take us out to the desert.

When you hail a taxi – negotiate the price before getting in and make sure the driver turns on their meter; if they refuse or say its broken, get out.

I really can’t speak to the local bus system, because we never needed to use it. There are many buses and a big bus station between Gueliz and the Medina, but it looked very chaotic whenever I would walk past.

Getting Around Morocco

There is a really nice train station in Gueliz, with high-speed trains to Casablanca. We took this once and had a great experience. We booked a first class ticket, since it was the same price as the regular ticket, and got a private 6-person area with a sliding door. If flying into Casablanca is much cheaper than flying into Marrakech, the 2-3 hours train is a nice option.

Besides Casablanca, its not so easy to get to other cities from Marrakech. There are buses to Essoueria and Agadir, but it may be faster and easier to take a taxi.

Where to Work as a Digital Nomad in Marrakech

Depending on what neighborhood you live in, will determine where makes the most sense to work remote. Gueliz is home to several coworking spaces, our favorite was L’BLASSA. Jack worked there almost every day and I started calling him, King of the Cowork.

The coworking spaces do close in the evenings around 7pm and are closed all day Sundays, and unfortunately there aren’t a ton of cafes that cater to working. I hate myself for saying this… But there is a pretty nice Starbucks with decent WiFi and lots of places to sit, if you get in a bind.

Cowork Spaces

L’BLASSA

Cowork in Marrakech

Go Working

What to Eat in Marrakech

The cuisine is Morocco was a highlight for me. The herbs and spices come together to create flavors that make my mouth water just thinking about it. And being a vegetarian or vegan is so easy here.

Tajine’s were by far our favorite dish, named for the ceramic tajine it is cooked it. I think at one point Jack was eating one a day. His favorite was tajine kefta, with meatballs, tomato sauce and eggs, and always served with bread; mine was vegetable tajine with potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, peas and carrots.

Other delicious things to try: couscous (traditionally eaten on Fridays), pastilla (meat or veggie pie), harira (soup), lamb tajine (with prunes), qaddid (cured meat), and msemen (a square bread / flakey pastry usually eaten for breakfast with honey or jam – one of my favs).

My favorite restaurant in the medina is Restaurant Regue Jamaa. Hands down the best tajines in the game.

And there’s nothing like washing it down with a fresh squeezed orange juice, or mint tea.

How Much Does it Cost to Digital Nomad in Marrakech?

Moroccan currency is called ‘dirhams‘ or dh. The exchange is pretty easy to remember as it is roughly 10dh = $1 USD.

Up to this point, Morocco was by far the least expensive city we’ve been digital nomads. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs from the medina were dollars, while the supermarket was only slightly more expensive.

Eating out was pretty cost effective as well. We ate out most dinners and occasional lunches, and still managed to spend around $10 a person, per day for all three meals.

As you can see from the chart below, we spent less than $3,000 all month total – as in Jack + me. And you could easily spend less; this includes several big ticket excursions.

Monthly Expenses	USD, Total *
Rent	$875
Transportation	$500
Food (Restaurants + Groceries)	$650
Fun	$500
Misc	$50
Approx. Total	< $2600

Safety in Marrakech

I’ve been pretty lucky in my years of traveling; nothing bad has happened to us and I’ve never really felt unsafe. But – Morocco is probably the closest I have come.

Its kind of hard to describe.

As a white American women in Morocco, I definitely stick out. I would get a lot of attention, both good and bad. When walking down the street, I would experience a lot of cat-calling, whistling, or guys asking me a bunch of questions. This mostly happened in the medina, but a bit in Gueliz as well.

Leaving the house alone was a bit stressful as I never knew what I was going to experience that day. Despite the light street harassment, there are only two ‘incidents’ that come to mind where I was a pretty shaken.

The Henna Incident

The first involved a forced-henna tattoo and two aggressive ladies bullying me to pay them. They were cornering me and luckily Jack was there to karate chop between them so I could get away. I will probably never be able to get a henna tattoo again. This happened in the main square, where tourists are often targeted and hassled for money. After this I was a lot more forceful when telling people to leave me alone.

UnFollow

The second incident was a little more serious. I was walking to meet Jack and some friends at a restaurant in Gueliz when I realized a guy was following me. I would slow down and he would slow down, I would walk fast and his pace would match mine.

Luckily, this was in broad daylight on a busy street that I knew well. There happened to be a shopping area up ahead so I knew I could lose him there.

As soon as we got to the mall I darted into a boutique and looked at every single clothing item before I peeped outside to see if he was around. I didn’t see him so I ran the rest of the way to the restaurant.

The cat-calling and whistling get tiresome. As well as the merchants in the Medina all vying for your attention so they can lure you into their stores. But as long as you’re smart and don’t fall for the typical ‘tourist tricks’, I overall felt safe.

Most Common Tourist Scams in Marrakech

Getting something for “free”

In Morocco, nothing is free. If someone hands you something as a ‘gift’ just politely refuse. As illustrated in the forced-henna debacle, she grabbed me and tried to give me a ‘free’ henna tattoo, but once I was finally able to free my arm, she demanded I pay her for it.

Tip: just say no – and sometimes you have to be forceful.

Someone offering to walk you somewhere

A lot of Moroccans are super helpful, kind people, so unfortunately this scam makes you distrusting of everyone. You know the saying… one bad apple spoils the bunch. It is most common in the Medina for tourists looking lost to be targeted and offered help to walk them where they need to go. Or offer to show them ‘something cool’ nearby. Once they ‘help’ you, it is expected you pay them.

If you are actually lost and need help, don’t be afraid to ask! Just know that you might need to provide a tip after.

This isn’t as much of an issue in Marrakech, but in Fes it is common for someone to lead you to a dead end and then rob you.

Tip: don’t walk and look down at your phone, and decline any ‘help’.

Taxi’s not using their meters

Some taxi drivers will try to take advantage of the naïve tourist by not using their meter during the ride, and then charging a lot more once you arrive at your destination. One easy way to combat this is to negotiate the price before getting in the car, and ask them to turn on the meter. It is technically illegal for their meters to be off or broken.

If the taxi driver refuses or claims it doesn’t work, simply get out and get another taxi. There are so many driving around you can hail another one easily; no need to get yourself in a sticky situation for no reason. We took several taxi’s during our stay and they were all pleasant experiences.

Tip: negotiate the price before getting in and make sure the driver turns on their meter; if they refuse or say its broken, get out.

Best Time to Visit Marrakech

The best time to visit Marrakech, IMO, is in the spring and fall when temperatures are mild.

Winter in Marrakech can actually be pretty chilly, with highs in the 60s (Fahrenheit) and lows in the 40s. The coldest months being January, February and December. It is also the wettest time of year, although the average is only a few rainy days a month.

Conversely, summer in Marrakech is straight out of hell. You absolutely do not want to be around from Late June to September. Average daytime temperatures are around 99 degrees, however, many days reach 110-120 degrees. We were in Marrakech the month of May, and even then, experienced a few 107 degree days.

Ramadan

Ramadan is another thing to keep in mind when planning your trip to Marrakech. Every year the dates change slightly, but it is usually around the month of April. In 2024, Ramadan will be March 10 – April 9 followed by the Eid al Fitr festival on April 10.

During this holy time, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking (even water) from sunrise to sunset.

If you are not Muslim, this will be a pretty boring time to visit Marrakech, as many restaurants and businesses will be closed, and most people aren’t out and about. Expat-owned businesses might not even sell alcohol during this time, and if they do, they will be checking passports to make sure you’re not Moroccan.

What is the best time to visit Marrakech?

Since I’d prefer to avoid Summer, Winter, and Ramadan, the only months left to visit Marrakech are: March, May, Early June, Late September, October, and November.

What to Pack for Marrakech

Long story short: whatever you want, there is no ‘Moroccan Dress Code’.

Most Moroccans dress conservative, no doubt about it. Some Muslim women wear full-body garments that only expose the eyes, while others do not observe any special dress rules. The majority of women wear something in between, like a hijab and full-length dress. Moroccan men mostly wear long pants and thobes (a long dress).

But Marrakech is a popular city that brings a lot of international visitors, and has a growing expat community, so it is not shocking to see people dressing any way they want. It has even been attracting and inspiring fashion icons, such as Yves Saint Laurent, for decades. Only a couple hours from Spain, there is also a Western European influence, unlike many other Arab nations.

Here are some examples of my lewks:

Since Morocco was just one stop on our tour around the world, I did not have the luxury of packing a suitcase of flowy skirts and dresses like you see all the influencers wearing. I still wore shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, dresses, and crop tops just like I would anywhere else.

I did go slightly more conservative than my usual beach bum vibe, but in May the weather can be in the 100s, so I was not about to walk around bundled up just to avoid the male gaze.

As for what to pack as a guy… Jack wore the same thing he wears everywhere, everyday: a t-shirt and Nike shorts.

Unlike places like Italy or Guatemala, there’s no required dress code for entering certain buildings when you are sightseeing. The mosques of course have very strict dress codes, but non-Muslims aren’t allowed inside anyway so it’s not an issue.

It comes down to personal preference and how comfortable you feel. Cat-calling is definitely more common than most places, but I found it happened regardless of how conservatively I dressed.

Make Marrakech Your Next Digital Nomad Destination

I know Morocco may sound intimidating, but with this knowledge I hope you add Marrakech to your list of digital nomad destinations! My favorite part of working remote is the opportunity to go out of my comfort zone and experience new cultures, and Morocco checked all the boxes.

Interested in being a digital nomad in Morocco? Read these:

5 Myths Every Digital Nomad Should Know About Marrakech

Your Ultimate Marrakech Bucket List

Best (and Worst) Cities to Digital Nomad in Morocco

Discover Dakhla, Western Sahara

I hope you enjoy being a digital nomad in Marrakech as much as we did! Drop a comment if you have any more questions!