Morocco Travel & Safety • SaharaTrek

Of Course We Think Morocco Is Safe. We’re Biased. Here’s What the Data Says.

Every Morocco tour operator — including us — will tell you Morocco is safe. You should be skeptical of that. We have a financial interest in you booking a trip. So instead of taking our word for it, let’s look at what independent researchers, a global safety index, and the U.S. government actually say.

Morocco Is the Safest Country in Africa for Travelers — According to a Global Index

In March 2026, HelloSafe, a European travel insurance research platform, published its annual Global Safety Index ranking 50 countries across five weighted criteria: public safety and crime (35%), political and social stability (25%), health security (15%), cybersecurity (15%), and environmental risks (10%).

Morocco ranked above Turkey, Malaysia, and Romania — in the same tier as Uruguay and Chile. The countries ahead of it are mostly Northern European nations and places like Singapore, Japan, Canada, and Australia. HelloSafe credited Morocco’s position to its relative political stability, growing tourism infrastructure, and low rates of homicide and armed violence.

What the U.S. State Department Actually Says

The U.S. Department of State rates Morocco at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, citing the general threat of terrorism. This sounds alarming until you see what else carries a Level 2:

All Level 2 — the standard advisory for most of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.

The State Department’s own security reporting acknowledges that Morocco’s police and security professionals have taken robust actions to guard against attacks and continue to disrupt threats before they materialize. There has not been a successful terrorist attack against tourists in Morocco since 2011. The most common risks — pickpocketing, petty theft, internet scams — are the same ones you manage in any major city.

Our advice: Read the advisory yourself at travel.state.gov. Form your own opinion.

Nearly 20 Million Visitors Can’t All Be Wrong

In 2025, Morocco welcomed 19.8 million international visitors — a 14% increase over the previous year and a record for the country. Tourism revenues reached approximately $12.4 billion USD, up 19% year-over-year. People vote with their feet. That’s not a marketing claim — that’s UN Tourism data.

A Reality Check: How Morocco Compares to Where You Live

Here’s a comparison that almost never gets made — because no one is selling tours to Chicago. The State Department issues advisories for foreign countries but not for American cities. Travelers heading to Morocco see a government warning; travelers heading to Chicago see nothing. That asymmetry creates a distorted picture of relative risk.

Homicide rates per 100,000 residents — 2024 FBI & city data

Morocco’s homicide rate is a fraction of even the best-performing major American cities. As one independent security analyst put it, the main mortal dangers for tourists in Morocco are “self-induced — smoking and bad driving.”

To be fair: crime in America has been falling sharply. The Council on Criminal Justice reports 25% fewer homicides in major cities in 2025 than in 2019 — Chicago dropped from 587 to 417 homicides, and New York City recorded its fewest shooting incidents in recorded history. These are genuine improvements.

“If you wouldn’t hesitate to book a trip to New York, you have no data-based reason to hesitate about Morocco.”

Nobody calls Chicago “dangerous for tourists” in the same breath they question Morocco. The Magnificent Mile and the Art Institute are perfectly reasonable places to visit — and so are the Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakech and the blue streets of Chefchaouen.

What This Means for Your Trip

Morocco is not a consequence-free destination. Like anywhere worth visiting, it requires common sense. Be aware of your surroundings in busy medinas. Don’t flash expensive gear or large amounts of cash. Take the same precautions you’d take in Paris, Rome, or New York.

What Morocco offers in return is extraordinary: ancient imperial cities, the sweeping silence of the Sahara, Atlas Mountain villages, world-class cuisine, and some of the most welcoming people you’ll encounter anywhere on earth. The 19.8 million visitors who came last year apparently thought the trade-off was worth it.

What We Do to Keep Our Clients Safe (Since You Asked)

We promised not to just tell you Morocco is safe and call it a day — but since you’ve read this far, you’ve earned the pitch. Here’s how SaharaTrek operates.

None of this makes Morocco risk-free. Nothing makes any destination risk-free. But it does mean that if something goes sideways — minor or otherwise — you’re not navigating it alone.

The Bottom Line

We could spend this entire post telling you how safe Morocco is — but of course we’d say that. What we’d rather do is point you to the sources. Read them. Compare them to other destinations you’re considering. Then decide.

SaharaTrek is a US-based, licensed, bonded, and insured Morocco tour operator with 25 years of experience. All tours are 100% private with dedicated guides and private vehicles.