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.
Where to go in Morocco
Where to go in Morocco depends less on what is worth seeing, which is nearly everything, than on how far apart it all is. The country is large, the best places are spread out, and the roads between them are part of the trip. The sensible way to choose is to pick a region, add the destinations that sit on the road between its stops, and leave out the rest for another visit.
The imperial cities are the cultural core. Fez has the largest car-free medina in the world, Marrakech is the livelier of the two, Meknes is quieter, and Rabat is the capital. Volubilis, the Roman site near Meknes, fits easily into a day. In the north, Chefchaouen and Tangier add the mountains and the Mediterranean, and in the west Essaouira, Casablanca and Agadir give you the Atlantic coast.
The south is where the landscape changes. From Marrakech the road crosses the High Atlas to Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, continues through the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorge, and ends at the Sahara dunes near Merzouga. It is a full day of driving from either Fez or Marrakech to reach the dunes, which is why we suggest at least four days for a desert trip.
Most trips combine three or four of the places below. A first visit often pairs Marrakech with the desert and Fez. A slower trip might stay in just two cities and add the Atlas Mountains. Under each destination we list the shortest private tours that stop there, and every route can be changed to suit your dates. If you are unsure where to begin, our Morocco itineraries by trip length are a good place to start.
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.
Tours that stop here: 3-day Marrakech route, 4-day Fez route
UNESCO 1981Middle Atlas foothills
Fez
The best-preserved medieval city in the Arab world, and one of the largest car-free urban spaces anywhere.
Tours that stop here: 4-day Fez route, 4-day Fez route
Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga
Sahara Desert
The dunes at Erg Chebbi rise over 150 metres, reachable by road, then by camel or 4x4.
Tours that stop here: 3-day Marrakech route, 4-day Fez route
Rif Mountains, northern Morocco
Chefchaouen
A hillside town painted almost entirely in shades of blue, best explored slowly on foot.
Tours that stop here: 4-day Fez route, 4-day Casablanca route
UNESCO 2001Atlantic coast
Essaouira
A walled port town on the Atlantic, known for its wind, its ramparts, and its seafood grills.
Tours that stop here: 6-day Casablanca route, 6-day Casablanca route
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.
Tours that stop here: 3-day Marrakech route, 4-day Fez route
UNESCO 1997Near Meknes, Middle Atlas foothills
Volubilis
The best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, with mosaics still in place after 2,000 years.
Tours that stop here: 6-day Marrakech route, 7-day Casablanca route
UNESCO 1996Middle Atlas foothills, near Fez
Meknes
An imperial capital with fewer crowds than Fez, and gates built on the same scale.
Tours that stop here: 6-day Marrakech route, 7-day Casablanca route
UNESCO 2012Atlantic coast
Rabat
Morocco's capital, and one of its calmest historic cities.
Tours that stop here: 4-day Fez route, 4-day Casablanca route
Atlantic coast
Casablanca
Morocco's largest city and its economic engine, usually a stop, rarely the point of the trip.
Tours that stop here: 4-day Fez route, 4-day Casablanca route
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.
Tours that stop here: 4-day Fez route, 6-day Tangier route
Middle Atlas
Ifrane
A mountain town of pitched roofs and cedar forest, cooler than anywhere else on most routes.
Tours that stop here: 4-day Fez route, 7-day Casablanca route
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.
Tours that stop here: 3-day Marrakech route, 4-day Fez route
