Couple questions: Couples practical
Can you wear shorts in Marrakech?
Shorts are tolerated in the tourist areas around Jemaa el-Fnaa and the main souk entrances, but they stand out in the quieter residential medina, in Atlas villages and near religious sites. Lightweight trousers or a long skirt are more comfortable in the heat, more useful through the day and remove any question about what is appropriate.
Answered by the Morocco Honeymoons team. Checked October 2026.
The short answer
Shorts are tolerated in the tourist areas around Jemaa el-Fnaa and the main souk entrances, but they stand out in the quieter residential medina, in Atlas villages and near religious sites. Lightweight trousers or a long skirt are more comfortable in the heat, more useful through the day and remove any question about what is appropriate.
In more detail
The medina has two faces. The busy tourist streets see visitors from all over the world, and merchants are used to every kind of dress. The quiet lanes where people live are more traditional, and shorts there read as a lack of awareness.
Practicality is on the side of trousers too. Sun, dust and long walks on cobbles all favour covered legs, and loose linen keeps you cooler than you might expect. For men, the same applies: shorts are increasingly common in tourist areas but better avoided in conservative quarters.
At your riad, the pool and the coast, shorts are fine. It is the street, the souk and the village where a little more coverage helps.
Good to know
- Choose loose linen trousers over shorts for medina days.
- Keep shorts for the riad, the pool and the beach.
- Cover knees for any visit near a mosque or shrine.
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