Morocco is a big country with an almost overwhelming number of things to see. If you’re visiting for the first time, focus here. These ten places represent the full range of what Morocco offers — and together, they make a journey that stays with you for the rest of your life.
1. Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech
The greatest public square in Africa. By day, it’s snake charmers, orange juice stalls and henna artists. After dark, it transforms into the world’s most spectacular open-air food market. Non-negotiable on any first visit.
2. Erg Chebbi Dunes, Merzouga
The Sahara desert at its most dramatic — 150-metre dunes turning red at sunset, absolute silence, and a sky at night that will change your relationship with the universe. Sleep at least one night in a desert camp.
3. Fès el-Bali Medina
The world’s largest car-free urban area and Morocco’s most intact medieval city. Get genuinely lost for a day. Hire a guide for at least half of it.
4. Chefchaouen
The blue city in the Rif Mountains. Every alley is painted in shades of cobalt, sky and indigo. Quieter, cooler and more relaxed than Marrakech.
5. Aït Benhaddou
The UNESCO-listed mud-brick ksar in the Drâa Valley — the most photographed ancient village in Morocco, and rightly so.
6. Todra Gorge
Three-hundred-metre walls of pink limestone, just metres apart. One of the great natural spectacles of North Africa.
7. Essaouira
The Atlantic port city with blue boats, whitewashed ramparts and the best grilled fish in Morocco. A mandatory day trip — or two-night stay — from Marrakech.
8. Volubilis Roman Ruins
The best-preserved Roman city in North Africa, near Meknès. Extraordinary mosaics, triumphal arches, and almost nobody there compared to European Roman sites.
9. Drâa Valley
Two hundred kilometres of oasis — palm groves, kasbahs and ancient villages stretching south from Ouarzazate toward the desert. The most beautiful road in Morocco.
10. Tangier Kasbah
Often overlooked, the kasbah of Tangier offers extraordinary views across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain. The city’s creative, cosmopolitan energy makes it a fascinating final destination before flying home.
