Smoking in Marrakech: rules, cigarettes and shisha, where you can smoke

Can you smoke in Marrakech? Yes, but not everywhere. Morocco has an anti-tobacco law (law no. 15-91) that bans smoking in places of collective use, yet in practice cigarettes are everywhere on café terraces and in the street. This guide explains what is really forbidden, where you can smoke a cigarette or a shisha, what changes during Ramadan and what to know about cannabis, which falls under a completely different law. Rules checked in October 2026.

The rule in short

Enclosed places of collective use (public offices, public transport, health and education buildings, theatres): smoking is banned by law.
Cafés and restaurants: the law provides for non-smoking areas, but enforcement is uneven. Many venues have a room or terrace where people smoke; if nobody around you is smoking, ask before lighting up.
In the street, on the square, in gardens: no general ban, but do not smoke inside a monument, a madrasa or a museum, or in a taxi without asking.
Minors: selling tobacco to minors is forbidden.

The fines the law sets for a smoker are low, but the manager of a public place risks more: that is why waiters will sometimes ask you to put it out.

Where you can smoke without trouble

A café terrace in the medina of Marrakech

The café terraces on Jemaa el-Fna square and in Guéliz: the easiest option, and the local norm.
Riad terraces and rooftops: ask first; most accept it on rooftops but not in the lounges.
Hotels: rooms are usually non-smoking; ask for a smoking room or a balcony when you book.

Shisha

Shisha (waterpipe) is smoked in some cafés and in lounges in Hivernage and Guéliz, mostly in the evening. It is served with flavoured tobacco. A few tips:

Ask for a personal mouthpiece (or a new one) and do not share the hose.
The price is on the menu: check it before ordering, as with any service in the medina.
It is out of the question in family restaurants and in religious places.

During Ramadan

Do not smoke in public during the day: it is felt as an offence to those who are fasting, and the British Foreign Office advises discretion. Smoke in your room or in a place meant for foreign visitors. Everything is detailed in our guide to Ramadan in Marrakech.

Cigarettes, vaping and customs

Local and international cigarettes are sold in tobacconists and grocery shops. On entry to Morocco, tobacco is subject to a limited allowance: do not exceed a reasonable personal quantity and check the limits on the Moroccan customs website before leaving. For an e-cigarette, also check the regulations before you travel.