Shopping for souvenirs in Marrakech: what to buy, where to find it and how much to pay for it

If you’re planning a trip to Marrakech, get ready to lose yourself in its lively souks and amongst the countless stalls of the Medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa square. With vibrant colours, the scent of spices, and an endless array of handcrafted items, what is truly worth buying to take home an authentic Moroccan souvenir? In this post, I’ll tell you where to find the most interesting products, how much to pay, and how to haggle.

Be aware, this is just a general guideline written by a tourist who doesn’t speak Arabic or Berber, and actually, not much French either. A Moroccan or someone living in Marrakech will have a very different experience from a tourist. I’m simply giving some tips on where I’ve found the best quality or the lowest prices, and how much a tourist might be able to pay. If you have any further advice, especially on updated prices, let me know in the comments!

The game of Haggling

The first thing you need to know about shopping in Marrakech, as in many other African countries, is that the majority of Moroccan shops (not just the one selling souvenirs!) prices aren’t fixed. You’ll see that there are no price tags anywhere and you’ll need to negotiate every single time. Personally, I find it challenging mostly because it’s not part of my culture. Another major reason is that I might have no idea what a “fair” price should be. I don’t want to offend vendors by making an offer that’s far too low for the value of the item I’ want to buy’m interested in. I might not know how long it takes to craft, the quality of the materials or the level of skill required to make it. However, I know that the price they ask is always too high. At the end of the day, I’m exhausted by the continuous discussion. But that’s the wrong attitude, because haggling is a game and you’re supposed to have fun.

Haggling is also a skill that you learn day by day. It’s not easy because there are no rules, and everybody has his own technique. If you want to know more, I wrote a simple guide to the art of haggling (as a tourist) with some tips and a few personal examples.

Great souvenirs from Marrakech

Marrakech is a great place to shop for ethnic souvenirs. The souq is huge and you can (and should!) easily get lost in it while exploring the myriads of shops. Unlike other places, it’s not a tourist-made market, and you’ll find plenty of locals shopping besides you.

Let’s see what you could take home as a great souvenir from Marrakech, keeping in mind that the prices I’m referring to have been collected during my trip to Morocco in 2024.

Leather

Many towns in Morocco have entire neighbourhoods dedicated on leather tanning. These tanneries are fascinating places and sometimes be worth a visit. Close by the tanneries, there are plenty of leather shops selling all kinds of goods: bags, belts, wallets, pouffes, sandals, book covers, jackets… The same tanneries also supply the leather used for many handcrafted items sold throughout the city.

The prices can vary significantly depending on the size and the complexity of the item, but I’ve found the best bargains in the souk. When buying leather there, the key is to carefully inspect what you’re purchasing. Since every stall has piles of bags, pouffes and various items stacked up, they can easily get slightly damaged just from sitting there over time.

Babouches

For some reason, these slippers are extremely popular in Morocco. Personally, I didn’t even find them particularly comfortable. But they are definitely stylish, vibrant and pleasing to the eye. Venture deep into the souk and you’ll find plenty of shops specialised in babouches. Some merchants might claim they offer the finest leather quality, but who knows if that’s actually true? A fair price should be between 50 and 100dh, depending on the decoration and the type of leather used (or so I was told).

Spices and tea

Spice shop smell amazing and are incredibly colourful. Spices are usually sold in small plastic bags for about 10 dh each. Some spices cost more. And then there’s menthol, which is wonderful but also sold at next-level price. Or maybe I’ve been scammed.

After drinking mint tea at every opportunity for days, you might want to take some home. You can find mint tea pretty much everywhere in Marrakech. Every spice shop in the souk sells it by the pound, usually in two or three different grades. You can also mix the mint with actual tea, which is what they will offer you instead: mint leaves blended with green tea. The best quality mint tea is made of pure, dried leaves. Sellers will let you smell this one to tempt you into buying. Be careful though: they might swap what they originally showed you for a second type of mint, less refined, with some small stems mixed in. Since it’s not premium quality, it should cost a lot less. Here is one of my bad experiences: do not buy from this scammer’s shop.

If you’re not convinced by any shop in the souk, head to the northernmost corner of Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Here, during the day, you’ll find stalls selling plants and flowers. They have large bags of whole dried leaves that smell incredible. They also sell fresh mint, but that might be tricky to take home.

Carpets and cushions

Like Aladdin, you might decide to buy a magical carpet to take you home, or to fly you home! While I can’t vouch for their flying abilities, there’s certainly no shortage of carpets, cushions and other textiles in any Moroccan bazaar. Home textiles come in all size, making it relatively easy to ship them home without too much trouble.

Prices vary depending on the material, decorations and size. Since a small table cloth could cost you just a few euros, while a large living room carpet might reach several hundreds euros, my advice is to ask to multiple shops and get a sense of the rate for the size you’re after before settling on a specific item. Just keep in mind that the highest-quality textiles are those where the patter is visible on both sides (in reverse, of course). And as a rule, wool tends to be more expensive than cotton.

Lamps

This is a tricky one. I’m not sure how you’d manage to bring a chandelier home, but if you have the chance, don’t miss out on the stunning lamp shops. There are several lined up near one of the souk’s side entrance on Znikat Tahba. If you follow that passage, you’ll eventually reach one of the main arteries of the souk, where you’ll find more smaller lamp shops.

A stroll through this part of the souk is a soothing experience. Lamps sellers tend to be far more relaxed with tourists compared to most other vendors. I suppose not man visitors buy their fragile merchandise, so they don’t really try to catch your attention, being more focused on the local costumers instead.

Baklava, dates other sweets

The pedestrian street Prince Moulay Rachid is probably the most upmarket road in the old town. It’s definitely a touristy area, full of modern brands, cafés and souvenir shops. Here, you’ll find a couple of pastry shops selling boxes of freshly made sweets. If you buy them on your last day in Marrakech, you’ll be able to get them home in perfect conditions to gift some great souvenirs to family and friends.

The backavas sold at street food stalls are just as good. They are sold by the unit and served on a cute paper plate. Prices range from around 10-20dh, depending on the size.

Moroccan dates are another sweet gift you could take home. You can buy them either in boxes or by the pound. In Jemaa el-Fnaa Square there are many stalls that sell them, for once, at fixed prices without needing to haggle. I believe you can find boxes of dates in Prince Moulay Rachid street. To get better prices for dates sold by weight, you should look for food stalls around the Medina. There are so many varieties that it’s difficult to give a price range. Some cost as much as three times the cheaper ones.

Tajine and other ceramics

If you enjoy cooking (or eating!) tajine are great souvenirs to take home from Marrakech. A tajine, o tagine, is the ceramic pot used to cook the traditional Barber dish with the same name. Even if you don’t know how to use it, it’s a beautiful ethnic object to be show off in your kitchen! Tajine can be very simple or artistically decorated. For a practical cooking use, you definitely don’t need any complicated design, just the right size. Excessively small ones are destined to be left on a shelf.

Morocco also produces many other colourful vases, pots, plates and small ceramic items that can make a beautiful souvenir. Both tajine and other ceramic products can cost from as little as 10 dh to various hundreds, depending on size, design and details.

Henna tattoo

I’m not sure henna tatoo can technically be described as souvenirs, but going home from Marrakech with one of them on your hand or arm is definitely something to show off! At least for a week or two.

Every henna artist has a catalogue of design they can create. If there are no prices listed, make sure to agree on one before having the tattoo done. Prices depend on the size of the tattoo. The starting price is around 50dh for something pretty small, and it goes up to about 200 for larger areas, like a full arm. Mine, in the picture below, was 75dh.

The colour and intensity of the design left on your skin depend on various factors. Every person’s skin reacts uniquely, but different areas of the body absorb henna at varying rates. For instance, a henna tattoo on the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot will always look darker than one on the top of the hand or your forearm. The products used also influence the final shade of the tattoo.

There are plenty of henna artists in Jemaa el-Fnaa square, especially in the evening, but I found them a little too aggressive for my taste. I was also told many of them don’t use natural or high-quality quality products, and that might cause an unpleasant skin allergy. But of course, I cannot tell if that’s true or not. I went to Henna Art Cafè in the Medina, to combine the henna tattoo with a break from the long walk of the day. They guarantee natural henna and the artists are very quick at applying it.

Argan oil, black soap, perfumes other cosmetics

In Morocco, as in many other Arab countries, the hammam plays a central role in daily life and well-being. It’s considered a social and cultural ritual where people gather to relax in community, while cleansing and rejuvenating their skin. The hammam experience typically involves steam baths, exfoliation and massage.

All the products used in a Moroccan hammam, from soap to oil and perfumes, can obviously be purchased in Marrakech as wonderful souvenirs. Argan oil is probably the most iconic of all, and you’ll find all kind of soaps and creams made with it as a base. I’ve found some labelled as “bio” in Rue Riad Zitoun el Kdim. Another typical Moroccan product is the Black Soap, often used for exfoliation. It has a creamy consistency, butter-like texture, and a nearly black colour.

The classic souvenirs

In Jemaa el-Fnaa square and the central Rue Riad Zitoun el Kdim, just next to Marrakech Medina, you’ll find all the typical souvenirs available in most tourist destinations, such as postcards (4dh), magnets (10dh), T-shirts and mugs. These items are not easily found in the souk, so you’ll have to look for them in the more tourist-friendly areas.

You could also be interested in:
The art of haggling: tips and examples
Riad in Morocco

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