Where you could go
Most trips combine three or four of these. None of them are add-ons: each is worth the days it takes to see properly.
UNESCO 1985Northwest, at the foot of the High Atlas
Marrakech
The medina, the souks, the Jemaa el-Fna at dusk. Most trips start or end here.
UNESCO 1981Middle Atlas foothills
Fez
The best-preserved medieval city in the Arab world, and one of the largest car-free urban spaces anywhere.
Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga
Sahara Desert
The dunes at Erg Chebbi rise over 150 metres, reachable by road, then by camel or 4x4.
Rif Mountains, northern Morocco
Chefchaouen
A hillside town painted almost entirely in shades of blue, best explored slowly on foot.
High Atlas, south of Marrakech
Atlas Mountains
Berber villages, walnut groves, and walking trails an hour from Marrakech.
UNESCO 2001Atlantic coast
Essaouira
A walled port town on the Atlantic, known for its wind, its ramparts, and its seafood grills.
UNESCO 1987Ounila Valley, on the road to the Sahara
Ait Benhaddou
A fortified ksar of red earthen towers, still standing after eight centuries, and still lived in.
UNESCO 1997Near Meknes, Middle Atlas foothills
Volubilis
The best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, with mosaics still in place after 2,000 years.
UNESCO 1996Middle Atlas foothills, near Fez
Meknes
An imperial capital with fewer crowds than Fez, and gates built on the same scale.
UNESCO 2012Atlantic coast
Rabat
Morocco's capital, and one of its calmest historic cities.
Atlantic coast
Casablanca
Morocco's largest city and its economic engine, usually a stop, rarely the point of the trip.
Strait of Gibraltar, northern tip of Morocco
Tangier
Where Africa and Europe are close enough to see each other, and a city that's always sat between the two.
Middle Atlas
Ifrane
A mountain town of pitched roofs and cedar forest, cooler than anywhere else on most routes.
South of the High Atlas, on the desert road
Todra and Dades Gorges
Two river canyons cut into rose-coloured rock, on the road between the mountains and the dunes.
Gateway to the Sahara, south of the High Atlas
Ouarzazate
Morocco's film-industry town, and the last stop before the desert roads properly begin.
Atlantic coast, southern Morocco
Agadir
A modern beach city with 300 days of sun a year, more relaxed than dramatic.
Rif Mountains, near Chefchaouen
Akchour
A river gorge and waterfall walk an hour from Chefchaouen, the day trip most visitors skip.