How do I bargain in the souks?

First, reframe it: haggling in the souk isn't conflict, it's a social ritual, almost a game, and it's meant to be enjoyable for both sides. The shopkeeper expects it; a price quoted to a tourist is an opening bid, not a fixed figure. Go in relaxed and good-humoured and you'll do far better than going in tense or aggressive. A smile is your most powerful negotiating tool — sour bargaining gets you a sour price.

Here's the rhythm I teach. When you're told a price, don't gasp or insult it — react with a friendly 'that's a bit much' and counter at roughly 30 to 50 percent. The seller will look wounded (theatre, all of it) and come down; you nudge up; back and forth you go over a glass of mint tea. Knowing the rough going rate helps enormously, so browse a few stalls for the same item first to calibrate before you commit to one.

Your single greatest weapon is the willingness to walk away. If you reach your limit and they won't meet it, thank them warmly and start to leave — astonishingly often you'll be called back with a better number as you reach the doorway. But here's the etiquette that matters: only ever start bargaining over something you'd actually buy. Pushing hard, agreeing a price, then walking is genuinely rude. Don't name a figure you're not prepared to honour.

Two practical notes. Bigger-ticket items like rugs deserve real time, several teas, and patience — never rush a rug. And fixed-price cooperatives and government artisan shops do exist (prices on tags, no haggling); these are useful for a sanity-check on what's fair and lovely if you simply don't enjoy the sport. Accept the tea, keep it light, and you'll come home with treasures and good stories instead of a sense of having been fleeced.