How to shop the souks — what to buy and how to bargain

Every big Moroccan city has a souk worth losing an hour in — Marrakech around the Jemaa el-Fnaa, Fes around the tanneries, Essaouira and Casablanca each with their own. Bargaining puts a lot of people off, but it's a normal, friendly part of shopping here, not a confrontation. This is how we'd approach it.

What's worth buying, and where

• Carpets — the Beni Ourain style, woven by Berber communities in the Middle Atlas, is instantly recognisable: simple geometric black patterns on cream wool. Marrakech and Fes both have reputable dealers.
• Ceramics — Safi, on the Atlantic coast, is Morocco's pottery town, known for distinctive blue-and-white designs.
• Tilework and small zellige pieces — Fes is the centre of this craft; small tiled trays and mosaics travel home more easily than a full table.
• Leather — bags, poufs and babouche slippers, best bought in Fes near the tanneries or in Marrakech's leather souk.
• Argan oil — genuinely a Moroccan product, produced in the southwest around Essaouira and Agadir; look for cooperatives rather than roadside stalls for the real thing.

How to bargain

Start with a greeting — "Salam alaikum" goes a long way before any negotiating starts. From there, a fair opening offer is roughly half what's first asked, sometimes less, and you meet somewhere in the middle. It helps to know you can walk away; if the price isn't right, there's almost always a similar item a few stalls down. A few useful words: bzaf means "too much," qalil means "a little" (as in, come down a little), and mashi mzyan means "not good," useful for turning down quality as well as price.

A few practical tips

• Go early morning or early evening — the souks are cooler and calmer, and shopkeepers have more time to talk.
• Wear comfortable shoes; the cobbled lanes are uneven.
• Carry small notes — change for large bills isn't always easy to find.
• Keep bags and valuables zipped and in front of you in the busiest lanes, as in any crowded market.
• Buy what you actually like at a price you're happy with, rather than chasing the "best" deal — that's the only rule that actually matters.

Our Marrakech and Fes sightseeing day trips both build in proper time in the souks with a local guide, which makes the bargaining easier too. Tell us what you're hoping to find and we can point you toward the right stalls.