The short answer
Yes, there is no law against it, but shorts stand out in much of the medina. Around Jemaa el-Fnaa and the main souk entrances they barely register. In the quieter residential lanes, Atlas villages and near mosques they look out of place. Light trousers or a knee-length skirt are cooler in the sun and remove any doubt.
In more detail
Morocco has no legal dress code for visitors. What it has is a strong social habit of modesty, and in the old city the norm for both men and women is to keep shoulders and knees covered. Locals notice when visitors follow it, and it warms up every conversation, from haggling to asking the way.
How much it matters changes street by street. Merchants near the square deal with visitors all day and won't blink. Walk ten minutes into a quarter like Bab Doukkala, or pass the Koutoubia at prayer time, and the same outfit draws looks. In Gueliz cafés, at a hotel pool or on the beach in Essaouira, shorts are fine.
There is a practical reason too. Loose linen trousers keep the sun off your legs, and on a camel in Agafay or a mountain path above Imlil, covered legs are simply more comfortable.
Good to know
- Men: knee-length shorts in the tourist core, trousers for villages.
- Women: trousers or a long skirt in the medina.
- Carry a light layer if you are going from the pool to the souks.