Couple questions: Couples practical
How do you greet people in Morocco?
A warm "salam" and a handshake open most doors. Handshakes are usual between people of the same gender; across genders, follow the other person's lead and do not offer your hand first if you are unsure. Eat and pass things with your right hand. Accepting the mint tea you are offered is part of the welcome, not an optional politeness.
Answered by the Morocco Honeymoons team. Checked October 2026.
The short answer
A warm "salam" and a handshake open most doors. Handshakes are usual between people of the same gender; across genders, follow the other person's lead and do not offer your hand first if you are unsure. Eat and pass things with your right hand. Accepting the mint tea you are offered is part of the welcome, not an optional politeness.
In more detail
Greetings matter in Morocco, and opening with a few words of Darija almost always earns a warmer response. The attempt counts more than the accent, and people are generally delighted when visitors try.
Hospitality runs on time and tea. If a host or artisan welcomes you in, which a good guide can arrange, a small gift of fine pastries is a gracious gesture, and settling in for a glass of tea is part of the visit rather than a delay to it.
Ask before you photograph people. It is a basic courtesy, and many people will happily agree when asked, while others prefer not to be photographed at all.
Good to know
- Learn "salam" and "shukran", thank you, before you arrive.
- Use your right hand to eat, pass and receive things.
- Let a Moroccan woman offer her hand first, or not.
- Accept the mint tea; it is part of the welcome.
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