What are common customs and etiquette I should know in Morocco?

Moroccan etiquette runs on warmth, formality and a deep sense of hospitality, and a handful of customs will carry you a long way. Greetings come first and they matter: people take time over them. A 'salaam alaikum' with a handshake (often followed by touching your hand to your heart) is the standard, and you greet the room rather than barging into business. Between the same sex, handshakes and even cheek-kisses among friends are common; with the opposite sex, let the other person extend a hand first, as some religious Moroccans prefer not to touch non-relatives — a hand on the heart and a smile is always a gracious alternative.

The right-hand rule is the one Westerners most often trip over. The left hand is traditionally considered unclean, so eat, pass food, hand over money and gesture with your right hand. Much traditional eating is communal from a shared dish, often with bread instead of cutlery, and you stick to the wedge of the dish in front of you rather than reaching across. If you are hosted in a home, expect to be fed generously and pressed to take seconds and thirds — a little reluctance then acceptance is the polite dance, and leaving a little food can signal you are satisfied. Remove your shoes when entering a home or a carpeted prayer area.

Then there is the famous mint tea, the 'Berber whisky'. Being offered tea is an act of hospitality and, in a shop, often part of doing business; accepting it, even just a glass, is courteous, and refusing outright can feel like a snub. Take it graciously, sip slowly, and do not assume the tea obliges you to buy. In the souks, bargaining is expected and should be friendly and good-humoured rather than aggressive — name a counter-offer, smile, be willing to walk, and never start haggling hard for something you have no intention of buying. Tipping (dirhams for waiters, guides, attendants, the man who watches the car) is woven into daily life.

A few final courtesies round it out. Dress modestly, keep public affection restrained, drink alcohol discreetly, and always ask before photographing people. During Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight. Receiving and giving with the right hand, accepting hospitality with grace, and treating elders with visible respect all read instantly as good manners. None of it is complicated, and Moroccans are endlessly forgiving of foreigners who slip up — but the traveller who gets the greetings, the tea and the right hand right is quietly marked as someone worth opening up to.