What to wear in Morocco as a woman: a calm, practical guide by place and season

There is no dress code for women visiting Morocco, and nobody expects you to cover your hair. The rule that works almost everywhere is loose clothing that covers your shoulders, chest and knees, close to what the UK government suggests; villages are more conservative, while beaches, pools and your riad are relaxed. Under the Moroccan sun, loose and covering is also simply the most comfortable way to dress.

Below we go place by place and season by season, and finish with a short packing list. Travelling with a partner or friends? Our guide on what to wear in Morocco as a man covers the other half of the suitcase.

The short answer

• Medinas and towns: loose trousers, midi or maxi skirts and dresses, tops with sleeves. Shoulders, chest and knees covered.
• Villages in the Atlas and the desert: the same, a little more covered, nothing tight.
• New towns, rooftop bars, smart restaurants: more relaxed, much like a southern European city.
• Beaches and pools: swimsuits are fine; put something over them to walk into town. No topless sunbathing.
• Mosques and religious sites: shoulders, torso and knees covered, and a scarf in your bag.
• Headscarf: never required of visitors.

Is there a dress code for women in Morocco?

No: there is custom, not law. Moroccan women dress in every way you can imagine, from a djellaba and headscarf to jeans and a T-shirt, a business suit or a tracksuit. In Casablanca, Rabat or Marrakech's new town you will see women with and without a headscarf walking side by side. Covering the hair is a personal choice, and visitors are not expected to make it. A light scarf is still worth carrying, for the sun, the dust and any religious site you visit.

What is expected of a visitor is a level of modesty that puts everyone at ease, you included. The UK government's travel advice, updated in August 2026, simply suggests that women consider loose-fitting clothing that covers the arms, legs and chest. Our Morocco etiquette guide says the same, in the same spirit: Moroccans are patient with visitors who make an effort.

You may have read, in October 2024, that Marrakech was fining women up to 2,000 dirhams for "indecent" clothing. It was a social-media rumour. A source in Marrakech's local authorities told the news site Hespress that the claims were unfounded, and that local authorities have no power to make such rules. The penal code does punish public indecency, but that means nudity and obscene acts, not a T-shirt or a dress to the knee.

What to wear, place by place

The medinas of Marrakech and Fes

The old towns are where covering up matters most from day to day, because they are dense, traditional neighbourhoods where families live and work. Wide-leg or linen trousers, midi and maxi skirts or dresses, T-shirts or shirts with sleeves and a light scarf are all you need. Choose fabrics that don't cling and necklines that stay in place when you lean over a stall.

Shoes matter as much as clothes. Medina lanes are uneven and shared with mopeds, donkeys and handcarts, and in Fes they climb and drop steeply. Flat, closed or well-strapped shoes beat thin-soled sandals. On our private guided tour of Marrakech, most of the day is spent on foot in the pedestrian lanes, so comfortable shoes are the one thing we really insist on.

New towns, Casablanca and rooftop restaurants

Gueliz and Hivernage in Marrakech, and the centres of Casablanca and Rabat, feel much like a city in southern Europe. Jeans, knee-length dresses, fitted tops and short sleeves are everyday wear for many young Moroccan women there. For an evening on a rooftop or in a restaurant, a dress to the knee with a light cardigan works well, and it takes you back through the medina without a second glance.

Villages in the Atlas and the desert

Mountain and desert villages are the most traditional places you will visit. Keep shoulders and knees covered, avoid anything tight or see-through, and you will feel at ease when you are invited in for tea. Practical needs take over there: sturdy shoes and warm layers in the mountains, protection from sun and sand in the desert. Our guides to what to wear in the Atlas Mountains and what to wear in the Sahara desert go into the details, season by season.

Beach towns: Essaouira, Taghazout and Agadir

On the beach and at the pool, swimsuits are normal, bikinis included; on a quieter local beach, a one-piece draws fewer looks. When you leave the sand, put on a kaftan, a long shirt or a sarong to walk into town or through the medina. Topless sunbathing is not accepted on any public beach.

Essaouira is windy and noticeably cooler than Marrakech, so bring a light jacket even in summer if you join our day trip to Essaouira.

Riads and hotels

Inside your riad or hotel, and at its pool, wear what you like: staff are used to guests in shorts and swimsuits. Just slip something over your swimsuit to walk through the lobby or go to breakfast.

The hammam

A hammam has its own habits, quite different from the street. What to wear, what to bring and how a visit goes are explained in our guide to the Moroccan hammam.

Mosques and religious sites

Most active mosques in Morocco are open to Muslims only. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca welcomes visitors on guided tours, and its official rules ask for clothes that cover the shoulders and torso and come below the knee, with no shorts or sleeveless tops; they say nothing about covering your hair. The details, and what to wear at other religious sites, are in our Hassan II Mosque dress code guide.

What to wear by season

Most trips start in Marrakech, so here are its official averages (World Meteorological Organization, 1991–2020) and what works in each season.

Season	Marrakech, average max / min	What works
Winter (Dec–Feb)	January: 19.1 / 5.9 °C	Jeans or warm trousers, a jumper, a warm jacket for the evening, closed shoes
Spring (Mar–May)	March: 23.6 / 10.3 °C; May: 29.4 / 15.2 °C	Layers: T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, light jacket
Summer (Jun–Aug)	July: 37.7 / 20.6 °C	Loose linen or cotton, a sun hat, sandals for the evening
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	September: 32.5 / 18.6 °C; November: 23.1 / 10.7 °C	Light clothes by day, a layer for the evening

In winter, riads can be chilly at night: the open courtyard that keeps them cool in summer also lets the cold in, so pack something warm to wear indoors. Fes is cooler and wetter than Marrakech, with about 60 mm of rain in January, so add a rain jacket and shoes that don't mind puddles.

In summer it seems logical to wear as little as possible. In fact, loose clothes that cover you are cooler than tight or bare ones: they keep the sun off your skin and let the air move. That is why so many Moroccans dress that way in the heat. For the weather month by month, see our guide to the best time to visit Morocco.

A short packing list

For a week or ten days, this covers almost every situation:

• 2 or 3 pairs of loose trousers (linen, wide-leg)
• 1 or 2 midi or maxi skirts or dresses
• Tops with sleeves (T-shirts are fine) and a long-sleeved shirt for sun and religious sites
• A light scarf or pashmina
• A cardigan or denim jacket for the evenings
• A warm layer, such as a fleece or a light down jacket, from October to April
• Comfortable walking shoes, plus a pair of sandals
• A swimsuit and a cover-up
• A sun hat and sunglasses

Heading for the desert or the mountains? The two guides linked above list the extras.

Will covering up stop unwanted attention?

It helps, but it doesn't decide everything. Dressing this way helps you blend in, avoids stares and makes you more comfortable in the medina. Comments and over-insistent sellers can still happen whatever you wear, and the UK government notes that women may receive unwanted attention in Morocco, especially when travelling alone. A calm la, shukran ("no, thank you") and walking on is usually the best answer. What helps most in practice, from where to stay to how to get around, is in our guide to solo female travel in Morocco.

During Ramadan

During the month of fasting, expected from about 8 February to 9 March 2027, cover up a little more than usual in town: the UK government notes that clothing that doesn't meet local dress codes may cause more offence at this time. What else changes, from opening hours to meals, is in our guide to visiting Morocco during Ramadan.

Wearing Moroccan clothes

A light djellaba, the long hooded robe, or a simple kaftan is a welcome and practical choice: warm over your clothes in winter, cool and covering in summer. The souks sell them at every price, and our guide to traditional Moroccan clothing explains each garment and what to look for when you buy one.

FAQ

Can I wear shorts in Morocco as a woman?

Knee-length shorts are fine in beach towns, at pools and in resorts. In the medinas and in villages, long trousers or a long skirt are more comfortable, both for the looks and for the sun.

Can I wear leggings in Morocco?

Yes, with a tunic, long shirt or dress that covers your hips. On their own, leggings draw more looks than loose trousers.

Can I wear a sleeveless top or dress?

At the pool and in your riad, yes. In town, put a shirt, a cardigan or a scarf over your shoulders: it takes a second and makes a real difference.

Can I wear jeans in Morocco?

Yes. Jeans are everyday wear for many Moroccan women and comfortable from November to March. In summer they are hot, and linen or cotton is the better choice.

Not sure what your own route calls for? Ask us on WhatsApp before you pack: we will tell you what the weather and the places on your itinerary need.