Best Places to Visit in Morocco: Top Cities and Destinations

Morocco packs a great deal into a small distance. In one week you can walk through a medieval medina, cross the Atlas Mountains, sleep in a desert camp and eat fresh fish by the Atlantic. Many first-time visitors know only Marrakech and the Sahara, but the country has much more to offer.

This guide covers the places travellers enjoy most, what each one is good for, and how to combine them into a route that is not rushed.

For many visitors Marrakech is the first stop. Its old buildings are built in a warm red tone, which is why it is called the Red City. The centre of its life is Jemaa el-Fnaa, a large square where food stalls, musicians and storytellers fill the evening.

• Wander through the souks of the medina, where each street is given to a different craft.
• See the Bahia Palace and its painted ceilings and tiled courtyards.
• Walk in the Majorelle Garden, known for its blue villa and its cacti.
• Try a traditional hammam to relax after a day of walking.

Marrakech is also a convenient base for the Atlas Mountains and the road to the Sahara.

Fes is the place to go for history. Its old city, Fes el-Bali, is a maze of lanes closed to cars and is among the largest car-free urban areas in the world. Walking in it feels close to what travellers saw centuries ago.

• Al Quaraouiyine, founded in the ninth century and often described as one of the oldest universities still in operation.
• The leather tanneries, where hides are still dyed in stone vats by hand.
• Madrasas, mosques and fountains decorated with carved plaster, cedar wood and zellige tiles.
• Workshops of metalworkers, weavers and potters, many of them family businesses.

Chefchaouen sits in the Rif Mountains and is known for the blue colour of its lanes and houses. It is small and quiet, and it is a good place to slow down after the larger cities.

• Walk the blue lanes of the medina in the early morning, when it is calm.
• Take the path up to the Spanish Mosque for a view over the town and the valley.
• Stop at a cafe on the main square, or eat on a terrace in the old town.

It is popular with couples and with photographers.

For many travellers the desert is the high point of the trip. Merzouga is the usual starting point for the Erg Chebbi dunes, a sea of orange sand that changes colour through the day.

• A camel ride across the dunes towards sunset.
• A night in a desert camp.
• Music around the fire in the evening.
• A sky full of stars, far from any city light.

What stays with people is often the silence and the space more than the view itself. See our guide Before Your Sahara Trip for what to wear and bring.

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and its business centre. Many travellers only land there, but it deserves a few hours.

• The Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, with its minaret rising over the Atlantic.
• The Corniche, the seafront with its cafes and restaurants.
• Art Deco buildings in the centre, a legacy of the early twentieth century.

It is a good way to see modern Moroccan life before you head for the more traditional cities.

The Atlas shows another side of the country: green valleys, stone villages, waterfalls and high passes.

• Day walks from the village of Imlil.
• Visits to Amazigh (Berber) villages and a glass of tea with a local family.
• The Tizi n’Tichka pass, on the road between Marrakech and the south.
• Combining a mountain stop with the road to the desert.

The journey between the famous places matters as much as the places themselves.

If it is your first visit, do not try to see everything. A calmer route works better, and between seven and ten days is usually enough for the main highlights.

• MarrakechCulture, markets and food.
• The Atlas MountainsScenery and villages on the way south.
• Ait Ben HaddouSouthern Morocco’s earthen architecture.
• MerzougaThe dunes and a night in the desert.
• Fes or ChefchaouenTraditional Morocco, in the city or in the mountains.

Our private tours are built on routes like this one, and we adapt them to your dates and interests.

• Spring and autumn usually have the most comfortable temperatures. Our guide The Best Time to Visit Morocco goes into more detail.
• Wear comfortable shoes, as many old streets are uneven.
• Respect local customs, especially around religious sites.
• Book desert experiences with a reliable local operator.
• Leave extra time for the long drives between regions.
• Morocco is welcoming, but as anywhere, stay aware in crowded tourist areas.

Tell us how many days you have, who is travelling and what you want to see, and we will suggest a private route with a price for your dates.