20 Moroccan Souvenirs To Look For In The Markets

Souvenirs shopping is a must on every vacation! But with so much to buy in Morocco, where do you even start!?

These are my top Moroccan souvenirs to look for while shopping in the city markets. I’ve included souvenirs that are practical, others that are just fun trinkets, and mouthwatering food to bring back for friends and family to try!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

Top 20 Morocco Souvenirs

1.Moroccan Tea Set

As a tea fanatic, a Moroccan teapot was obviously at the top of my list Moroccan souvenirs to buy.

In the end, I got a lot more than I bargained for… I went for a teapot, I left with an entire Moroccan tea set. But you know what, I love it!

An entire tea set involves a teapot, cups, and even a silver plate to be able to display your new beautiful tea set on.

25 silver moroccan teapots for sale sitting on a silver tray table. Most of an imprinted design, some rest on silver legs, and others have a tassel at the top of the teapot cover. They all vary in sizes

A Moroccan tea set it very unique. The teapot is tall, usually made of either brass, copper or silver compared to classic ceramic or glass teapots.

The cups are usually small glass cups, sometimes with a design or even different colours per cup.

The Moroccan teapot is used to serve Moroccan mint tea at a great height into those small glass cups.

I am very happy with the entire set as it looks very nice in my display case. And now I’m always ready to serve family and friends in style!

P.S. Are you also a tea fanatic like me? Print out my tea tasting journal to tea taste your way through Morocco (my readers get an extra discount with my code ATRLOVE at checkout)!

the best mint tea pour in marrakech at the marjorelles cafe. a man is holding train with two cups in one hand, extended below his waist. Then high above his head is his second hand hold the teapot pouring tea into the cups. You can count the droplets of tea as it falls into the cups, and you still see the steam leaving the hot tea

2. Mini Tagine – What To Buy From Morocco Marrakech

A tagine is a traditional Moroccan cookware, similar to a dutch oven, but made of clay instead of ceramic.

But instead of bringing back an entire huge tagine (that takes up a lot of space and can break in transit), pick up a mini tagine from the market.

I saw many mini tagines throughout the markets in Marrakech, especially in Jemaa El-Fnaa.

Not only are they gorgeous, painted with unique designs, but they’re also the perfect size to bring home. I often also saw them being sold as a bundle of three or five, making the perfect gift for friends and family!

Of course you can’t cook in them, but you can use them to serve nuts or small appetizers. And I also thought they could be used as pinch bowls, or even a jewellery dish.

2 levels of pink plastic open crates are photographed from above. Inside the top one are a lot of mini ceramic painted tagines - the perfect moroccan souvenir for friends and family

3. Zellige – Souvenirs From Morocco

Zellige is a Moroccan tile. It’s typically only one colour per tile, but then they’re fitted together with others to create a wonderful intricate Moroccan pattern.

I don’t actually recommend buying a Zellige, but buy Zellige inspired souvenirs from Morocco, like coasters or artwork.

This way, you’ll always be reminded of the beautiful Moroccan tile work!

You might be interested in: my Marrakech travel guide, complete with a Moroccan souvenir checklist!

an example of zellige coasters you could buy in Morocco as a souvenir. There are three different types of moroccan tile patterned coasters in a large display table

4. Babouche

A Babouche is a traditional hand stitched leather slipper from Morocco.

Although sometimes it looks like the heels have been pressed down inside the sole, this is how they’re meant to be.

They’re just simply, slip on leather shoes.

Buy some Babouche on your first day in Morocco to enjoy wearing them on your trip, but you can also wear them once your back home as well.

They’re gorgeous shoes for a night out in the summer, or keep them as indoor slippers at home!

three rows of babouche, traditional moroccan slippers to buy as a souvenir from morocco. Each one varies in size , colour and design. Although ost are brown, there are green and bright blue and yellow options too

5. Silver Moroccan Jewellery

Silver is another local material that’s popular in Morocco, and they even have their own style of Jewellery.

Most of the jewellery features a beautiful pattern design, stones or jewels, and they tend to be larger (rather than small and dainty jewellery).

A common symbol you can look to buy as jewellery is a Hamsa, or the hand of Fatima. It’s the palm of a hand with an eye on it.

Although it’s seen in many cultures, it is a Jewish-Moroccan symbol meant to ward off evil or negative energy.

Although you do have to be careful when buying silver jewellery in Morocco, If the price is too good to be true, that’s probably because it is… Moroccan jewellery can be a mix of silver, copper, and even lead…

6. Moroccan Lanterns

You’ll see Moroccan lanterns everywhere in Morocco, it’s so much more than just a way to light up the darkness, it’s a piece of art.

If you’re someone who likes picking up local artwork from your travels, a lantern is just that from Morocco. Hang it up in your house as you would any piece of art!

Moroccan lamps are traditional made from brass with holes cut into it creating unique patterns.

You’ll probably see some with coloured glass, that’s actually more Turkish lamp style than Moroccan.

a display of moroccan lanterns outisde at a market in marrakech. Two rows of lanterns sit on the floor, they are the same style but vary in size. Behind them on a raised platform sits smaller lantern options, these are different with glass and different lantern designs

7. Moroccan Rugs

This wouldn’t be a list of Moroccan souvenirs without mentioning Moroccan rugs.

Moroccan rugs come from the Berber tribes dating back to the 8th century! Today they are some of the finest and most luxurious rugs you can buy.

They’re woven from wool, often sporting a unique Moroccan geometric design with a desert colour palette of reds, browns, and yellows. This colour palette was because the dye used was all from natural plants in the mountains.

If you want to bring some moroccan style to your home, this is one of the best ways to do that!

The only problem is that sometime the rug can take up quite a bit of space in your luggage, depending on the size you want….

Which brings me to my next idea for what to buy in Morocco!

a narrow street in the middle of tall stucco pinkish coloured walls. Theres a small wooden doorway at the end. On the taller wall, there s an array of rugs hung up for display along with some purses and shoes for sale

8. Dyed Wool To Make Your Own Moroccan Souvenirs!

If you knit or crochet, buy your own Moroccan dyed wool as a souvenir and make your own Moroccan rug!

Or if the rug is too much of a project, make a nice scarf with the wool!

9. Straw Baskets To Carry All Your Souvenirs From Morocco

A straw bag is commonly used to shop at markets in Morocco. So why not buy yourself one to do all your souvenir shopping!?

Depending on the size, you can even use it as an additional hand bag at the airport for you trip home.

And once you’re home, use it for decorative storage for blankets in your house, so it’s never out of use!

a doorway where you can see straw bags and hats lining the wall, a man is trying to reach one of the bags that are higher up. The sun light is shining in beautifully creating a surreal ambiance to the picture, illuminating the straw bags as the perfect souvenir from morocco

10. Leather Goods (Poof, Wallet..etc.)

Another common material used in Morocco is leather. You already bought some Babouche slippers, but there are many other leather goods to look for.

Buy something as small as a little wallet, or as big as a leather poof.

At first I thought there was no way a leather poof was fitting in a suitcase, but they’ve thought of everything in Morocco.

All you buy is the leather and you fill it with any stuffing when you get home. This way it lies completely flat in your suitcase, taking up no space at all!

leather poofs sit on the floor outside a shop in a marrakech market. The poofs all have the same design, and are a creamy brown colour with a creamy white stitching. One of the poofs is completely flat, with no stuffing, there's a printed paper on it that says: I fit in you hand luggage flat, just ask

11. Beldi And Kees For A Hammam At Home

A Hammam is a historical Moroccan bath house that is still in use today as more of a spa experience.

But there are still two things that are brought to a Moroccan hammam: beldi and kees.

Beldi is a natural black soap… made from olives (well olive oil and olive paste!), and kees is a hand glove for scrubbing in the soap.

Pick up a set to recreate a Moroccan hammam at home!

The outside of hammam mouassine. You wouldn't know but there's a small hanging sign off the side of the wall that has the name and Depuis since 1562. Underneath it says Pour Femmes, for women. The sign hangs on an old pink painted wall that leads into an ever older ruined brick wall connected to it with an archway leading to a dark tunnel. The entrance to the hammam is a wood carved mosaic that's been painted white

Top Moroccan Souvenirs to Eat

Food is a huge part of a trip to Morocco, so it’s no wonder that there are quite a few food related Moroccan souvenirs to buy.

Pick these up for yourself, but they also make a great thing to bring back for friends and family to try.

P.S. Check out my complete Marrakech travel guide with a souvenirs and food to try checklist (and more!).

12. Moroccan Tea – Best Souvenirs From Morocco

Moroccan mint tea is typically a blend of fresh mint tea (Nannah) and gunpowder green tea.

I wasn’t going to even bother bringing back Moroccan mint tea because nowadays you can pretty much get this anywhere, plus it’s more about the fresh mint than anything…

a woman's hand is holding a small glass of moroccan mint tea, you can still see the fresh mint leaf floating in the tea, which is a yellow brew. Behind the tea is a blurred moroccan scene of a stream of water with gardens on either side, leading to a pavillion in the distance. The water is so still that you can see the reflections of the trees and the pavillion. Its a sunny day, casting a yellow hue on the photo.

But my family complained, and when I was left with some extra Dirham’s at the airport I picked up a box for them.

Let’s just say, my family was VERY happy that I bought Moroccan mint tea for them.

And as it turns out, Moroccan tea spans way beyond Moroccan mint. I found some new blends that haven’t gone global yet.

The brand Khamsa had delicious new tea blends I had never heard of before. My favourite was Zaatar, a black tea and oregano blend.

Plus, you’ll also need some tea for your new teapot!

P.S. Taste your way through Morocco with my digital tea tasting journal, my readers get an extra discount with my code ATRLOVE at checkout!

three shelves sit in front of a mirror, that is rounded at the top, with a patterned designed on the wall above it. On the three shelves are tins of Khamssa tea. There are seven different types of tea, each with a different colour tin and symbol on the front. Some of the symbols are babouches, a fez hat, a moroccan teapot, a Moroccan star and a hamsa

13. Culinary Argan Oil

There are two types of argan oil, culinary and cosmetic (I’ll go more into cosmetic Argan oil in a bit!).

Culinary argan oil is for cooking, and one of the best things to buy to bring Moroccan cooking home.

Depending on the quality you buy, you can simply use it as an oil to dip bread, or salad dressing. But you can also just use it for cooking instead of olive oil. I had an argan oil pasta in Morocco and it was mind blowing!

It’s adds a nutty flavour to everything, that you wouldn’t expect from oil.

a close up photo of three tall bottles that say on the label: fair trade Arganati, Huile d'argane Alimentaie (translates from french to culinary argan oil).

14. Amlou – What To Buy In Morocco

Amlou was not only the best thing I tried in Morocco, but might just be what I’ll miss the most. I had amlou every morning for breakfast!

That’s why you have to bring some home for friends and family to try, or just to prolong your vacation just a bit!

Amlou is Morocco’s peanut butter. It’s made with almonds though, and mixed with honey and argan oil.

You can eat it on bread, or use it as an addition in desserts to add a Moroccan twist (we had it in a tiramisu and it was the best tiramisu I’ve had… don’t tell Italy!).

15. Honey – Souvenirs From Morocco

I know what you’re thinking, why is honey one of the souvenirs to buy from Morocco?

But Morocco takes honey to a whole other level.

For starters, honey is always an interesting souvenir to buy because it actually tastes different depending where you are based on the flowers in the region.

But in Morocco, they also combine honey with so many different flavours to blow your mind even more.

So even though the base honey has a unique flavour to Morocco, they also add to it.

I tried orange honey, cinnamon honey, lemon honey and ginger honey!

a close up of three jars of honey, but they say miel (french for honey)

16. Preserved Lemon

Preserved lemons are a staple in any respectable Moroccan household.

This will kickstart your Moroccan cooking journey, it’s used as a base in popular Moroccan dishes like lemon chicken.

Of course, in Morocco they would never buy preserved lemons, but they would make it themselves. It’s easy to make, a quarter of the cost, and it lasts!

But I recommend picking up a pre-made jar first to see how you like it. And this also gives you a good baseline for what it’s supposed to taste and look like before you start making your own.

Then once you’re finished the jar, start making your own at home!

Two jars of preserved lemons are sitting on top of three more jars of preserved lemon at a store, the background is blurred

17. Moroccan Spices

Honestly, spices need it’s own Moroccan souvenirs blog post!

There are not only SO MANY spices used in Moroccan cooking, but they even have their own unique spice blends.

Everyone knows to buy saffron in Morocco. It’s expensive but it’ll be more affordable in Morocco.

But I also recommend looking for some of the delicious Moroccan spice blends, like Ras El Hanout. It’s a blend of 35 spices and the basis for any respectable Moroccan dish.

Another popular spice to look for is Zaatar, Moroccan oregano.

And they tend to even use a different variety of cinnamon in Morocco. Ceylon cinnamon is used instead of Cassia cinnamon that’s popular in North America (I actually like it better!).

a beautiful display of moroccan spices in Marrakech. There are four rows of three vats of spices that have been piled high and shaped like a pyramid with a peak at the tip. In between each spice pyramid is a bowl of either nuts, or dried petals. The spuces are varying shades of yellow, there's a bright red spice, and there's a bright vibrant blue powder as well creating a very colourful image

18. Local Walnuts / Almonds

Walnuts and almonds are actually local to Morocco. In fact, we saw walnut seeds growing on trees in the High Atlas Mountains.

But I also noticed they were different too. The walnuts were HUGE, they didn’t look as brainy and I liked the taste better.

And once you’re buying some local walnuts, why not pick up some local almonds at the same time (and make some fresh amlou at home!).

What To Buy In Morocco – City Specific Buys

There are a few popular souvenirs from Morocco that are actually from a specific city.

So although you can most likely find these throughout Morocco today, if you’re visiting that city, why not buy the souvenirs where it originates from!

outside of a shop is a two level bench with straw wide baskets, each are filled with walnuts or almonds

19. Thuya Wood Boxes From Essaouira

Carved thuya wood Moroccan souvenirs are from Essaouira, Morocco.

You can find anything from figurines, chess sets, to a box of beautifully carved dice.

But THE thing to buy is a box, but not just any box, but a magical box.

You have to know the secret to open these boxes. So they’re kind of a gimmick souvenir from Morocco, but they were really fun to have our friends try to open them without knowing the secret.

Plus they also make a perfect hiding spot for jewellery or keys.

P.S. If you see someone working with wood outside a shop as you walk by, this is most likely a show. We noticed someone started working only as we walk by and then would immediately stop when we were passed them. So just know this is very much a sales tactic!

the entire frame is filled with different hand crafted items made from thuya wood in essaouira. On a table sits four ros of boxes, and circular containers - there's no organization. there are two sets of nesting trays leaning on the wall shelf behind it. On the shelfs are even more boxes.

20. Blue & White Ceramics From Fez or Chefchouan

If you find yourself in Fez or Chefchouan, pick up some blue pottery.

Chefchouan is known as the blue city after all!

But blue pottery actually originates from Fez, the cobalt colours came from the rocks and stones from the nearby gorge. Today, it’s mostly imported, but you can still find beautifully crafted pottery.

Some Popular Moroccan Souvenirs To Avoid

And then there are the Moroccan souvenirs to completely avoid…

Be Weary Of Cosmetic Argan Oil

Argan oil just might be one of the best orchestrated scams that exist.

If you go on any organized tour in Morocco, they’ll most likely take you to a women cooperative and show you how they make argan oil.

six examples of morroccan pottery on display on a table against an old stone wall. There are two bowls that are cut off on either end of the photo. The middle has four vases with moroccan patterns, two of which are blue and white classics

You’ll then be the lucky audience for one of the best sales pitches ever, I should know, I sat through three of them!

They start describing all the use cases for argan oil and show you all their health products and everything it can cure.

I swear, it seemed like argan oil was the cure for everything, from acne, to psoriasis, to dry hair!

I’m not saying not to buy it, but be weary of it. One oil can’t solve everything. And if it were that magical, I think the world would know more about it.

On top of that, a lot of argan oil isn’t pure argan oil any more, so be sure of what you’re actually buying.

a sneak attack photo of a moroccan argan oil sales pitch. There's a table, where you see the bottom of an apron of someone standing behind it. The table is filled with all the argan oil products for sale, mostly in small spritz bottles, varying degrees of fullness as they gives these out as samples to try on your persons. — *The best sales pitch ever for souvenirs from Morocco… showing off all the argan oil products for sale*

Djellabas

A Djellabas is a traditional moroccan dress for men and women.

I’d seen this suggestion on several Moroccan souvenirs lists when I was looking for ideas, but when are you wearing this outside Morocco?

Even if you’re confident to wear it in Morocco, after that it’s pretty much just going to collect dust in your closet.

Related

What To Wear In Morocco? A Simple Packing Guide For Women

Where To Shop In Marrakech

Obviously, you’ll be shopping in the souk of Marrakech, which is pretty hectic.

djeballas hanging on an outside wall of a market. Each one is a vibrant different colour with some decals on the front. There's a hot pink, bright blue, yellow, baby pink, and green

I ended up buying my souvenirs from Marrakech during our guided tour of the city. They took us to select shops throughout the market, so I hoped it was somewhat reputable, and it saved me the hassle of trying to find one shop amongst thousands!

I can’t even tell you which ones they were, they don’t even exist on Google Maps, I’ve tried looking for them with zero luck.

But, I did walk by the Ensemble artisanal Marrakech, and saw it recommended a few times online. They are several local shops selling goods made in Morocco. Plus it’s a little nicer and less hectic than the souk!

I hate to admit it, but a good place to buy souvenirs from Morocco is actually at the airport as well. They had everything it seemed (definitely all the food staples!). Buying at the airport is easy to not have to pack it and carry anything around with you.

Plus it gave you an excuse to use up any extra dirhams you may be stuck with!

Related

10+ Tourist & Authentic Moroccan Marrakech Things To Do

a view of the outside of the ensemble artisinal perfect for souvenir shopping in marrakech morocco. It's golden hour, so the side of the building is completely golden and people walking by and the trees create a long shadows on the sidewalk.
There's a blue tiled mosaic with a bench on the left bottom of the photo. There's a bright green sidewalk sign opposite the door, it reads the Ensemble Artisinal. But the best part is that you can see the koutoubia mosque rising high above across the street in the distance — *Outside the Ensemble Artisinal Marrakech during golden hour*

Book A Place To Stay In Marrakech

I stayed at the Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie, and it was exactly what I was looking for – a mix of touring and relaxing without any of the stress that typical comes with travel.

But a more typical place to stay in Marrakech is in a Riad, a hotel with an open air courtyard in the middle. Sometimes there’s a pool, while other times it’s a lounge area.

Riad NayaNour has a few features that I appreciate compared to other Riads in Marrakech. For starters, the room and the courtyard pool are larger than most Riads I’ve looked at. Plus there’s also a rooftop for you to relax in the sun! If you’re a Booking.com Genius Level 2 member, you’ll also get breakfast included with your stay! See room rates and availability!

Riad Lyla is another good option in Marrakech, and it’s even more budget friendly! It offers a wonderful pool and rooftop for guests to enjoy and your booking even has a delicious breakfast included! See room rates and availability.

Or see more Riad and accommodation options on Booking.com.

the pool at the club med marrakech in morocco. It's large, and there are quite a few people in the pool and sitting on pool lounge chairs around it. There are open umbrellas on the other side of the pool in front of a large moroccan style tower. There are short palm trees all around the pool

8 pages layed out on top of each other each are a different page from the Marrakech travel guide

Complete Marrakech Travel Guide

Print out or check off on your phone as you travel through Marrakech! From the top things to do, to what food to try, and tips and advice for first time travellers all in one place!

See it on Etsy >>