The official religion in Morroco being Islam, it’s only fair to wonder if you can drink alcohol in Marrakech.
The short answer is yes. However there is a bit more to know about that. You will find everything below!
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1 – Is it offensive to drink alcohol in Marrakech?
No it is not, a lot of Morrocan themselves do drink alcohol and if you are European for example it won’t be an issue culturally speaking. However, please do not get too drunk and act like it. It is important to act in a respectful way, especially if you go to the Medina.
2 – Where can we drink alcohol in Marrakech?
This is a very good question! Not everywhere!
In the Medina, old town, there are only a couple of bars that will offer alcohol and they will be horrendously expensive (minimum 80 DH for a beer). Technically speaking, it is not allowed to drink within the walls of the Medina which is why you will only find alcohol in bars of fancy hotels. Regardless, it is just not the place you want to be for that.
If you want to have a drink, the place to be is the New Town, Guediz. Guediz is a suburb of the town created by the french, outside of the Medina’s walls. It’s about 10min by car and should cost you between 10 and 30 DH. If they ask you for more try to negotiate down to that. It won’t be surprising if they ask you for 100DH but just insist. Anything above 50 DH from the Medina would be a bit of a rip off.
In Guediz, you will find all kinds of bars and nightclubs including the Pacha, biggest nightclub in Morocco. You will be able to find some typical Morrocan bars with live music, shishas, Morrocan wine and beers. They generally are pretty colourful and a bit hidden without the typical European commercial front.
These bars are very good fun as it will show you what a typical morrocan night out is!
3 – How much does it cost?
In a typical morrocan bar, a beer should cost about 20 DH, a bottle of wine 150 DH and a shisha 70DH. If you go to a nightclub, drinks will cost anywhere between 80 and 150 DH.
4 – Can I find alcohol in supermarkets?
Here again it’s yes and no. You won’t be able to find alcohol in convenience stores in the Medina, however you should be able to find some in bigger supermarkets outside of the Medina.
5 – What about smoking?
A pack of cigarettes in Morocco cost about 30 DH (depending on brands). You are allowed to smoke everywhere outside and on rooftops. There will be ashtrays everywhere. Most bars also allow smoking inside. Generally if there is an ashtray that means it’s allowed otherwise it’s not.
I hope this article will answer all your questions about drinking alcohol in Marrakech!