Are there hostels in Morocco for backpackers?

Yes, and the hostel scene is better than a lot of backpackers expect. The big tourist cities all have a real cluster — Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Tangier, Rabat — and the surf towns down the Atlantic coast like Taghazout and Tamraght have a thriving young, traveller-heavy scene built around the waves. The lovely Moroccan twist is that many hostels are converted riads or traditional houses, so even on a dorm budget you're sleeping around a tiled courtyard with a rooftop terrace, which beats the strip-lit bunk-barn experience elsewhere in the world.

Expect the usual hostel mechanics with local flavour. Mixed and female-only dorms with bunk beds and lockers, a handful of cheaper private rooms for those who want a door that closes, shared bathrooms, a communal kitchen sometimes, and that all-important rooftop where everyone gathers at sunset. The social side is the whole point: free or cheap group dinners, organised day trips to the desert or the waterfalls, family-style breakfasts, and staff who'll help you split a taxi or join others heading the same way. For solo travellers it's the fastest way to find people to share a Sahara trip with.

On price, hostels are the cheapest comfortable option in the country — a dorm bed is genuinely budget-friendly, and a basic private room in a hostel still undercuts most hotels while giving you privacy. Booking ahead through the usual platforms is easy and I'd recommend it for the well-reviewed ones in peak season and during festivals. Chefchaouen and Essaouira in particular have some charming, characterful hostels that get snapped up.

A few honest words for first-timers. Standards vary, so read recent reviews for cleanliness and, importantly, how secure the lockers and the location feel at night — most are fine, but you want a well-reviewed one, especially as a solo woman. Morocco is a conservative country, so dorm life is a touch more reserved than party-hostel destinations, and alcohol isn't a given on the premises. None of that is a drawback; it just means the vibe is more 'travellers swapping desert tips on the roof' than 'pub crawl.' For backpackers and budget solo travellers, hostels are a great, sociable way to see Morocco affordably.