What to buy in Morocco? — 17 Top Morocco souvenirs, gifts & best things to buy in Morocco

Traveling Morocco is a wonderful experience of a lifetime. Morocco is an attractive destination of North Africa, not only because of its unique and delicious food or mysterious tourist attractions, but also because of its talented artisans, diverse and long-standing traditional crafts, a shopping paradise for shopaholics with countless goods and items bearing bold Morrocan style. And of course, once you visit souks (traditional markets), how can anyone just buy things for themselves but not buy gifts for relatives and friends, right?! Morocco also has a lot of traditional products and most of them are handmade. If you are having a headache because you do not know what to buy in Morocco, the land of “One Thousand and One Nights”, please refer to our suggestions below! So, what to buy in Morocco and how much to pay? Let’s check it out our suggested top 17 meaningful Morocco souvenirs, Morocco gifts as well as best things to buy in Morocco, must buy in Morocco to help you choose the best gifts from Morocco and best souvenirs from Morocco to bring back for your loved ones, relatives and friends.

Best Morocco souvenirs & best things to buy in Morocco: Traditional handmade rugs

What to buy in Morocco? One of the best Morocco souvenirs, best gifts from Morocco, best souvenirs from Morocco, best things to buy in Morocco is Moroccan traditional rugs, handed down from mother to daughter by Berber tribes in remote villages. Moroccan rugs are usually made of wool and carefully knotted or woven by hand, it is ubiquitous and represents a very important part of the Moroccan art of living.

Have you ever seen the brilliant colorful rugs, the black and white rugs with colorful puzzle pieces? Those are the rugs woven by hand in Morocco. Here you can find them for a very cheap price and you can even see the process locals make them. Stores often have a wide range of rugs on display with colorful East African patterns.

If Iran has the world famous Persian rugs, Morocco is also a rug paradise, especially the carpets woven from the wool of the Berber people. To distinguish real or fake fleece rugs, you can ask the seller to burn the tassels of the rug. Real fleece won’t catch fire, while fake fleece will. However, it also comes in a variety of sizes and designs, so when buying a Moroccan rug you must do your research and think hard about whether such an item is right for your home. Furthermore, prices can vary greatly and you need to be prepared for a tough bargain.

However, there is a very good reason to add a Moroccan rug to your shopping list: Actually, a good quality rug will last a lifetime. In addition, when buying rug, you should pay about 2/3 of the original price, and a reasonable price can be 1/2 of the original price.

Best souvenirs from Morocco: Ceramics

Ceramics are the highlight of any shopping experience in Morocco with their bright colors and intricate designs and patterns, especially since Morocco has a long history and tradition of ceramics handed down over thousands of years. Even ceramic art had a strong influence from the Muslim and Spanish invaders.

Coming to Morocco you can be overwhelmed with the variety of styles, colors and shapes of ceramics that are ubiquitous, from Moroccan cooking utensils called tajine pot, Moroccan plates, jars, vases, ashtrays, mosaics, even bricks and boxes… You will find a lot of ceramics throughout Morocco and they are truly amazing. The pottery here is mostly made by hand. They come in all shapes, colors and sizes. They will be the perfect, best gifts from Morocco, best souvenirs from Morocco to give to your loved ones, as it is very suitable for decoration in your house, making the house more unique and colorful. You just need to make sure to pack them carefully, as they are quite fragile.

The special thing is that their designs are not the same, some have floral patterns, some have geometric shapes with beautiful details, deep colors, and others are intricately designed with clever color schemes, thereby demonstrating the ingenuity of the Moroccan craftsman.

Three famous cities for pottery here are Fez, Meknes and Safi. The decorative patterns on the pottery are influenced by Islam and Berber culture, reflected in the geometric shapes or motifs commonly found in the decoration of mosques.

Must buy in Morocco: Leather goods

It will be a huge omission if you do not include leather goods in your must have gift list after your Morocco trip. As leather is another symbol of traditional craftsmanship in Morocco, with a wide range of products such as: clothes, bags, shoes, wallets, belts and home appliances…

Fez and Marrakesh are two places where you can find leather products at a wide range of prices, good quality and a wide variety of items. However, Moroccan leather goods have a drawback that is quite smelly.

In a nutshell, in some Marrakesh’s luxury shops will have some very good leathers, but the best is in Fez due to a long tradition of tanning and dyeing dating back to the 13th century. Meanwhile, leather in the souks (markets) of Marrakesh and other cities often smell of leather.

If you are a lover of the medieval style, don’t forget to buy the leather goods here! Among the good places to buy leather items, do not forget to visit the largest tannery at Chouara Tannery in the city of Fez. The leather goods are made in the traditional way, so the leather is always in the best condition.

Best things to buy in Morocco: Spices

Morocco is also a spices paradise. Spices are sold in souks in every city in Morocco. In addition to traditional spices, there is a special condiment called Ras el Hanout which literally means “head of the shop”. The reason for the name is that the shop owner will mix his best spices for you. This mixed spices usually has cumin power, cinnamon powder, clove pepper powder, ginger powder and other spices.

Best souvenirs from Morocco: Argan Oil

Referring to best Morocco souvenirs, argan oil must definitely be mentioned. Argan oil can only be found near Essaouira – the only place on earth where the argan tree grows. Original argan oil is an extraordinary Moroccan success story. Oil is produced by pressing the seeds found in the fruit of the argan tree. Therefore, this is the place where you can bring back the best and highest quality bottles of Argan oil made in the traditional Berber style. It is also a product that is widely used in culinary and cosmetic and acne treatment for your skin.

Natural argan oil has a delicious taste and is quite expensive. In Morocco, edible argan oil is used for dipping bread, adding to stews and salads, and has a number of proven health benefits. In cosmetics there are also many uses of argan oil in skin, face, body and hair care products. All these products are widely sold in Morocco, but beware because there are many cheap brands that mix sunflower oil and some of them falsely advertise them, so before you want to “bring back”, please do research carefully.

Also because of its scarcity and reputation, argan oil is very easy to counterfeit, or buy poor quality oil at “sky-high” prices. Consult a local tour guide or searching on the internet to avoid buying fake or poor quality argan oil and get a “promotion” that adds a bit of frustration!

Best gifts from Morocco: Moroccan lamps, lanterns

If you take the time to wander around the nooks and crannies of the streets, especially in medina (old town) of Morocco, you will be surprised how many lamps, lanterns are here and become a street beauty, you will notice that the people are very fond of using them to decorate their homes, restaurants… They are embossed with hundreds of small holes and are often used to decorate homes and restaurants. Especially, if you go for a walk at night, you will be mesmerized by the shimmering and sparkling light emanating from these lamps and lanterns.

Morocco is a place filled with the breath of mystical stories, the image of the lantern appears in many fairy tales. Therefore, it is also attached to the lives of the people here. You will definitely want to get one as a gift because they are so beautiful.

You will easily find them in markets, roadside stores in all different sizes, colors and materials. The most attractive thing is the colorful patterns on the lamp. Wait until evening and light it up, the whole space will be covered with warmth, creating a relaxing-light feeling.

What to buy in Morocco: Housewares

Moroccan handicrafts are used very well in the design of household items, large and small… so if you are wondering what to buy in Morocco as a gift, you can also think of this suggestion.

Items that you can buy are transparent glass Moroccan tea set with colorful patterns, sophisticated Moroccan mirror, lovely plates, thick rubber high-soled babouche shoes, soft quality Moroccan slippers, brightly colored pillows and cushions, oversized wooden spoons and hand-woven rattan baskets or boxes made of Thuya – a precious and fragrant cypress …

Glass or porcelain products can be a bit difficult to transport, but they are all packaged very securely and properly by the seller, so you can rest assured.

Top Morocco souvenirs to buy: Moroccan brass items

As you may not know, Moroccan artisans have been crafting metal objects for centuries and this art has been especially popular since the 12th century with the technique of forging brass. Various metals are used including copper, silver, lead, tin, nickel and aluminum, however, the most common is brass.

A suggestion to buy as a gift is a Moroccan-style copper lantern in two cities specializing in crafting, Fes and Marrakech. Not only because they have a special design, guaranteed quality, but the light emitted is also very delicate, creating a highlight for your room.

Must buy in Morocco: Babouche Slippers

Babouche means slippers in French. Adorned with sequins, patterns and made of suede or Moroccan rugs, the Babouche slipper is also a traditional keepsake. Babouche has become an integral part of people’s lives here for centuries. Men, women and children all can wear babouche. They come in a wide variety of colors, materials, patterns and shapes.

Best Morocco gifts: Colorful tea cups

Tea, and mint tea in particular, is a traditional drink in Morocco, so you can imagine that anything tea-related has a special meaning – from the way the tea is made, to the pouring, enjoy tea and especially tea cups. They have many vivid colors, intricate patterns and textures are all handmade that will surely impress every visitor.

Originally these teacups were hand-blown in Casablanca with the traditional green glass teapots. For a time, the production of traditional tea cups was in danger of disappearing when the factory closed as demand fell due to increased foreign imports. However, thanks to the company Beldi Glass, the tradition continues and the colorful and patterned tea cups have followed travelers around the world.

What to buy in Morocco: Shopping basket

These baskets have been used by Moroccans for centuries, and you can take them anywhere. At first, women used to bring these baskets to go to the market because they could hold a lot of things. Nowadays, as tourism in Morocco develops, tourists are extremely fond of these bags and they are appeared everywhere on the street.

In response to the movement to say no to plastic bags, you can buy a brightly colored sedge baskets (several) with a sturdy leather strap as a gift. These baskets can be found at almost every souk in Morocco.

Breadbasket

These baskets originate from the desert Sahara, always hand-made in a variety of colors. Moroccans don’t use them much, but recently, they have started using  them in traditional decoration making them more trendy, and very eye catching to visitors.

Best things to buy in Morocco: Handmade soap

Made with herbs like lavender, rosemary and other ingredients like precious argan oil, handmade soap makes a lovely souvenir. Orange blossom water and even jasmine is added make the soap so wonderful with a cool fragrance. Some soap manufacturers add argan oil to provide extra moisturizing. Handmade soap is always a gift that many tourists very fond of, extremely popular because of its scent and benign herbal ingredients.

Must buy in Morocco: Paintings

Moroccan art is lively and highly sought after with contemporary artists highly regarded in the international art market. So when you come to Morocco, especially in Medina, you can find paintings that are much cheaper but have very high artistic value, with very poetic, small and simple scenes such as streets, houses, children or the vast sky… They will definitely be a nice souvenir during your trip to Morocco.

What to buy in Morocco: Textiles

Moroccan women produce some very good embroidery or textiles, especially in a world where fashion is mass-produced, a trip to Morocco will be an opportunity to find the beautifully handcrafted textiles in a rich variety of colors. If you are a crafty person, you can use it to create your own soft furniture.

Best things to buy in Morocco: Djellabas

Of course, you can’t leave Morocco without the djellaba, a traditional wearable costume for both men and women. For women, they often come in a variety of colors, materials, and patterns. To have a perfect djellaba, you can buy a piece of fabric with your favorite pattern and color, then bring it to the tailor shop to have your own djellabas. However men have limited choices. According to their preference, djellabas doesn’t need to fashion, in contrast to women, they love simplicity. Most of the time they buy ready-made djellabas from a store in very neutral colors: black, olive, or gray, for example.

Morocco souvenirs: Cosmetics

A trip to Morocco would not be complete without experiencing the rich scent of Morocco. If you don’t like the overpowering scents of industrial cosmetics, makeup products like creams, powders, lipsticks, etc. or body care like ghassoul and savon noir… are handcrafted with orange blossom scent, mint, rose, amber… very natural, they will definitely be a great souvenir during your trip to Morocco.

Morocco gifts: Olives, Dates & Candy

Food is definitely part of your Moroccan shopping experience. The local markets are full of stalls where you can buy olives, dates, peanuts, dried figs and a variety of cakes and pastries, sweets…

Olives are offered as an appetizer in most restaurants and there are many flavors available in the Medina… I recommend you try those snacks as everything is fresh. Sweets and candy are also some of the best gifts from Morocco, because of the blend of spices and floral flavors.

Some of the great bakeries to visit are Casablanca’s Habous (a new old medina) and also in the Gueliz district of Marrakech.

Morocco shopping guide: Where to buy?

The Marrakech Bazaar is located on the very famous Riad Laarous Road, and it also sells a variety of different items. Among them are mainly jewelry, silver items, beautiful and unique sparkling furniture…

Or you can also go to Jemaa el-Fnaa square located in the center of Marrakech city, to choose to buy Moroccan souvenirs. Such as uniquely designed handicrafts, or exquisitely crafted jewelry… Besides, you can also visit Marrakech market – the largest market in Morocco to find and buy lots of fancy items, more attractive as Morocco gifts.

Morocco, a beautiful kingdom in North Africa, a land of unique cultures and wonderful nature, with hundreds of years old charming Muslim old towns, romantic beaches, hot deserts or beautiful beaches, winding gorges, handicrafts with bold ethnic colors always make every visitor excited. A beautiful country is waiting for you to explore.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Morocco you can refer to

• 2D1N Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech
• Ourika Valley Day Tour from Marrakech
• Essaouira Day Trip from Marrakech
• Agadir Day Trip From Marrakech
• Moroccan Cooking Class in Marrakech
• Marrakech City Tour
• Quad Biking Experience in Marrakech

Are you looking for more top things to do in Morocco: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And here.