Tipping in Morocco — baksheesh — is part of the social fabric, not a tax on tourists. When you base yourself in a city and head out on day excursions, you meet the same cast of people again and again: the driver who runs you to Ourika and back, the guide who walks you round a kasbah, the riad team you return to each evening. Done well a tip is discreet, sincere and small. Done badly it's loud and awkward for everyone. Here is what we tell our day-trip guests, with real amounts.
Day-trip guides and driver-guides
A licensed Moroccan guide goes through years of training and exams. For a full-day excursion with a private guide, the local norm is US$15–25 per guest per day, handed over at the end in an envelope or folded note. On day trips where one person both drives and guides — the usual setup for Ourika, Ouzoud or Essaouira runs — US$15–20 per guest is generous and well received for the day.
Day-trip drivers
For a one-off airport transfer, US$3–5 is enough. For a full-day excursion with a private driver, US$10–15 per group, and lean to the top of that on the long hauls — a return run over the Tizi n'Tichka to Ait Ben Haddou is seven or eight hours of driving in a day. Hand it over from the group as a whole at drop-off.
Riad & hotel staff at your city base
- Porters: US$1–2 per bag.
- Housekeeping: US$2–3 per night, left on the pillow.
- Riad manager / front of house: US$5–10 at the end of the stay if they booked your day trips, taxis, dinners and recommendations.
- Breakfast staff: round up the breakfast tab or leave 10 MAD.
Restaurants & cafés on the road
Service is usually included on the bill. Round up or leave 5–10% for good service. At the riverside and roadside places you'll stop at mid-excursion, leaving the coins is normal. In a proper restaurant back in town, 10% is generous.
Overnight camp crews & camel handlers
If a short excursion turns into a night under canvas in the dunes or an oasis, pool US$10–15 per guest at the end and hand it to the camp manager to share with cooks, musicians and tent staff. Camel handlers appreciate US$2–3 directly.
Hammam, cooking class & workshop hosts
For a hammam ritual squeezed in on a rest day, 50–100 MAD per therapist. For a half-day cooking class with a chef in a private home, US$10 per guest. For artisan workshop hosts you visit on an excursion (zellige, weaving, leather), US$5–10 per guest on top of the booking fee.
Cash, currency & etiquette
- Always tip in cash. Card tips do not reach the staff.
- Moroccan dirhams (MAD) are best, and stock up before you leave the city — withdraw small notes for the day ahead, as ATMs thin out on excursion routes. Small US dollar or euro notes are accepted; coins from outside the Eurozone cannot be exchanged.
- Hand notes folded or in an envelope. Don't count loudly in front of people.
- If service was poor, it's acceptable to leave nothing — Moroccan staff understand this.
- Don't tip in every interaction. Tipping unsolicited helpers in the medina encourages aggressive following.
A quick at-a-glance table
| Service | Suggested tip |
|---|---|
| Full-day excursion guide | US$15–25 / guest / day |
| Day-trip driver-guide (one person, both roles) | US$15–20 / guest / day |
| Airport transfer driver | US$3–5 |
| Riad housekeeping (city base) | US$2–3 / night |
| Riad manager (end of stay) | US$5–10 |
| Roadside / riverside restaurants | 5–10% on top |
| Overnight camp crew (per night) | US$10–15 / guest |
| Camel handler | US$2–3 |
| Hammam therapist | 50–100 MAD |
Frequently asked
How much do you tip a driver-guide on a full-day excursion in Morocco?
For a full day out with a private guide, US$15–25 per guest is the local norm, handed over at the end of the day. On a one-day excursion where the same person drives and guides — common on day trips to Ourika, Ouzoud or Essaouira — US$15–20 per guest covers both roles well.
How much do you tip a driver on a day trip?
For a one-off airport transfer, US$3–5 is enough. For a full-day excursion with a private driver — Agafay, Ourika, a long run out to Ait Ben Haddou — US$10–15 per group is standard, more if the day involved hours of mountain driving. Hand it over at drop-off.
Do you tip at your city-base riad or hotel?
Yes — small amounts go a long way at the base you return to each evening. US$1–2 per bag for porters, US$2–3 per night for housekeeping left on the pillow, and a US$5–10 thank-you at the end for the manager who booked your day trips and taxis.
How much do you tip in Moroccan restaurants?
Service is usually included on the bill. Round up or leave 5–10% on top for good service. At the casual roadside places you'll hit on a day excursion, leaving the coins is perfectly normal.
Should you tip in cash or by card?
Always cash, and ideally in Moroccan dirhams (MAD). Small US dollar or euro notes are accepted but harder for staff to change. Avoid coins from outside the Eurozone — they cannot be exchanged. Carry small notes when you head out for the day; ATMs are scarce once you leave the city.
Do you tip camp staff and camel handlers on an overnight from a day-trip base?
Yes. If your short excursion stretches to a desert or oasis overnight, pool around US$10–15 per guest at the end and hand it to the camp manager to share. Camel handlers appreciate US$2–3 directly.
Planning a string of day trips?
We'll handle the tipping etiquette for you.
Every Morocco Day Trips excursion comes with a one-page tipping cheatsheet, and your day-trip planner is on call throughout to take the awkwardness out of it.
Request an itinerary