Last updated: March 2026
Solo Morocco vs Morocco with a Friend: Which Is Better for a First Visit?
You’re going to Morocco, but you’re debating the most fundamental question: alone or with a friend?
Both are viable. Both are good. They’re just completely different experiences, and which one is “better” depends entirely on where you are in your independent travel journey.
Let’s break it down honestly.
Solo Morocco: The Hard Version That’s Also the Best Version
What solo travel is:
You make every decision. You move at your pace. You experience the country exactly as you want it. You also navigate every challenge alone.
Pros of Solo Travel
Maximum flexibility. You want to stay in Chefchaouen an extra day? Done. You want to skip Fes? No one will guilt you. You want to eat dinner at 9 PM instead of 7 PM? Perfectly fine.
You get deeper into the experience. When you’re alone, you interact more with locals, you join group tours where you meet other travellers, you have actual conversations. With a friend, you sometimes cocoon together and miss the actual country.
You develop real competence. By the end of a solo trip, you know how to navigate this place. You’ve handled a scam, you’ve gotten lost and found your way, you’ve managed vendor persistence. You leave stronger.
You meet other travellers. Solo female travellers in Morocco gravitate toward each other. You’ll meet people in your riad, on tours, in cafes. Some of your best stories will be with these strangers.
It’s genuinely empowering. There’s something about booking flights alone, navigating a foreign country alone, managing difficulties alone, and then arriving home having done all of that successfully. It changes how you see yourself.
Cons of Solo Travel
Harassment feels more intense. When you’re alone, vendor persistence, being followed, and catcalls feel directed at you specifically. When you’re a pair of women, you’re both being approached but the energy is different. You don’t absorb it as personally.
You can’t share experiences in real time. When something amazing happens, you want to turn to someone next to you and say “Did you see that?” Instead, you’re documenting it for a message later.
Decision fatigue is real. Every choice is yours. Where to eat, which guide to book, when to move on. There’s no “let’s decide together.” It’s all you.
Loneliness is possible. Travelling alone is romantic in the planning. In practice, some evenings are quiet. Some moments are tough. You process them alone rather than having someone to debrief with immediately.
You’re a more obvious target for touts. One woman alone = potential customer/victim. Two women together = less appealing target. It’s not dramatic, but it’s real.
Safety feels more precarious. Statistically you’re safe. Emotionally, being alone in an unfamiliar place at night feels more vulnerable than being with a friend.
Morocco with a Friend: The Easier Version That’s Also More Limited
What paired travel is:
You make decisions together. You’re never alone navigating difficult moments. You experience the country as a team.
Pros of Traveling with a Friend
Shared experience in real time. Every moment has a witness. Every story is immediate. You can turn to someone and react together.
You’re less of a target. Two women together are less appealing to touts and vendors. The persistent following happens less. The catcalling is less frequent. The overall harassment is reduced. It’s a real difference.
Emotional support is immediate. If you’re overwhelmed, exhausted, or unsettled, someone is there. You don’t process alone.
Logistics are easier. Single supplement at riads doesn’t exist. You split costs. You have someone to watch your stuff while you use the loo. Small things, but they add up.
Safety feels better. Whether statistically true or not, being with someone feels safer. You can handle threatening situations together. You can stick to the “never go out alone at night” rule more easily because you have a built-in buddy.
Riads are more social. You’re more likely to join group dinners, group tours, socialise with other guests. Shared experience makes you more social.
Cons of Traveling with a Friend
You’re tethered to another person’s preferences. If your friend wants to skip Fes and you don’t, compromise happens. If she wants to move on and you want to stay, you have to negotiate.
Decision paralysis. Sometimes it’s harder to decide together. Everything takes a consensus.
You might miss the depth. When you’re with a friend, you sometimes stay in your friendship bubble rather than engaging with the country. You speak English to each other rather than attempting French with locals.
You can’t fully disappear into the experience. Travelling alone, you surrender to the country and let it change you. With a friend, you’re partially anchored to that relationship. It’s protective but it’s also limiting.
You can’t move at your own pace. Your friend gets tired and wants to rest. You’re ready to go. Your friend is excited about something and you’re not. Compromise is constant.
It’s harder to push yourself. Navigating the medina alone on day three is a full-body experience of growth. With your friend, you check in, you feel supported, and you don’t push as hard.
The Honest Comparison
| Factor | Solo | With Friend |
|---|---|---|
| Harassment | More frequent, feels personal | Less frequent, shared |
| Decision-making | All yours, sometimes tiring | Negotiated, sometimes frustrating |
| Depth of experience | Deeper, more immersive | Shallower, more comfortable |
| Emotional support | You process alone | Immediate and shared |
| Flexibility | Complete | Limited by other person |
| Safety feeling | More vulnerable | More secure |
| Growth/transformation | Significant | Moderate |
| Fun/shared memories | Individual experience | Deeply shared |
My Recommendation: It Depends on Your Experience
Go solo if:
- You’ve travelled independently before (even in less challenging countries)
- You’re confident in your ability to handle getting lost, making mistakes, and managing difficulties
- You want the deepest possible Morocco experience
- You’re comfortable with solitude and can process emotions independently
- You’re genuinely excited about the challenge
Go with a friend if:
- This is your first time travelling independently (even if just your first time to a country like Morocco)
- You’re genuinely anxious about safety and harassment and knowing someone is with you would help that
- You don’t have independent travel experience but you want to do this trip
- You value shared experience over individual growth
- The idea of eating dinner alone makes you sad
The Best Advice: If You’re Choosing for a First Morocco Trip
If this is your first time travelling independently AND your first time to Morocco, go with a friend. Seriously.
Why? Because Morocco is a lot. The medinas are intense. The harassment is real. The cultural differences are significant. You’re managing a lot of newness at once. Having someone to debrief with, someone who has your back, someone to process the difficult moments with, changes the experience from “survival mode” to “adventure mode.”
You can always do Morocco solo next time, when you’ve already navigated it once and you know the rules. The first time, give yourself the gift of a travel companion.
But if you’ve already travelled solo in other challenging countries and you’re just new to Morocco specifically, solo is within reach.
For detailed guides on both solo and paired travel in Morocco, see our solo female travel guide.
FAQ
Is it weird to travel to Morocco alone as a woman?
Not at all. Solo female travel to Morocco is common and increasing. You’ll meet other solo women constantly in riads and on tours. It’s becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Will I feel lonely traveling alone?
Some evenings might feel quiet. But most of your time will be spent with other travellers, tour groups, or locals. And loneliness is different from being alone; you can be alone and not lonely, and you can be with people and feel lonely. Solo travel, for most people, means a lot of social interaction punctuated by quiet evenings.
Should my friend and I book a riad with a private room or share?
Share. You’re not there to hide from each other, and sharing a room saves money. Riads have lovely shared areas where you’ll socialise anyway. Only book separate rooms if you genuinely need that separation.
What if we disagree about the itinerary?
Sit down before you go and plan together. Agree on the cities you’re visiting and how long in each. Once you’re there, be flexible, but have a framework. It prevents daily negotiations.
Is it harder to get scammed if you’re two women rather than one?
Slightly. One woman is potentially alone and vulnerable. Two women are partners and less appealing to scam attempts. It’s not a huge difference but it’s real.
Will we have different experiences if we’re different personality types?
Probably. But shared experience is more important than individual experience in paired travel. You might have different reactions to the same moment, and that’s okay. Talk about it.