Chances are that the first time you travel to Africa might be because you found a cheap flight to visit Morocco, specially if you’re based in Europe. And whilst Northern Africa differs culturally from the rest of the continent, Morocco is certainly a top destination to go travelling.
This article will go through my top recommendations of places to visit in Morocco and a few top tips to avoid as this is a country that has many wonderful things and people but it’s not foreign to scams and situations that could make you feel uncomfortable.
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Nowadays it’s fairly cheap to travel to Morocco from many European destinations and it’s possible to take the destinations below as a weekend getaway or plan a longer Moroccan itinerary as many times the transport connections by bus and train work really well across certain cities and towns.
I also wrote an article about Morocco travel advice covering some of the basic things you should know when you’re travelling around the country.
Let’s go with my top places to visit in Morocco!
Marrakesh: an exciting introduction to Morocco.
Although nowadays there are cheap direct flights to many cities in Morocco, Marrakesh tends to be the first place everyone goes, and that’s not a surprise as this bustling city has plenty to keep you entertained for days!
If you were to just go on a long weekend trip to Morocco, Marrakesh will be a good option to explore as you will be able to walk around the huge souk (market), find plenty of places to eat traditional Moroccan food and visit beautiful landmarks all under a fairly safe environment.
Among the places you cannot miss when you visit Marrakesh are the Medina (this is where most hotels are so it’s likely you will be there anyways), El Badi Palace, the Jardin Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent Museum. The Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square is lively both during the day with street sellers and performers and during the night when it transforms into a night food market.
If like me you’re travelling low cost, I can recommend you to stay at Riad Dia which is located in a traditional Moroccan house with beautiful mosaics and ceramics.
Check out places to stay in Marrakesh
Essaouira: beautiful and relaxing
Just about three hours away from Marrakesh you will find this gem of a place which is one of my favourite places to visit in Morocco.
I spent over a week in Essaouira wandering around the labyrinthine Medina and the nearby sand dunes. This UNESCO World Heritage Site seems to be crumbling into pieces, but iI found it so beautiful and even that it was busy, I found it much more relaxing than Marrakesh.
Although there have been settlements since prehistoric times, the Medina of Essaouira was built in the late 18th century and was known by its Portuguese name of Mogador until the 1960s.
Originally called “Souira” (“the small fortress”), the name became “Es-Saouira” (“the beautifully designed” over time.
You will be able to have an active and relaxing holiday here as the beach is just a short stroll from the Medina and you can learn how to surf (normally great conditions for beginners), go kitesurfing or simply walk along the dunes.
I wrote a separate article about things to do in Essaouira as I found this place fascinating.
Find your ideal place to stay in Essaouira
Casablanca: best to avoid
After my days in Essaouira I took a CTM bus to Casablanca without researching much in advance what to do there. Big mistake.
I’m adding Casablanca to this list of places to visit in Morocco simply for you to not repeat my mistake and avoid going there as there’s really not a lot to see at all.
The Hassan II Mosque is the most relevant building I saw over there but as I’m not particularly into visiting religious buildings it was not the most exciting thing for me.
The Medina in Casablanca is the opposite of those in Essaouira, Marrakesh, Fes, etc. it could argued that not being touristy may contribute to see a more authentic side of life there but when all you see is crumbling buildings and less than a handful places to have a traditional meal then that’s when I recommend everyone to simply skip this city from your Moroccan itinerary.
Being Morocco’s largest city you can expect to find a modern area and a major port, so it may be a cool place to live if you’re an expat but not really exciting to go as a tourist.
Looking for accommodation in Casablanca?
Rabat: surprisingly beautiful
A complete surprise of a place for me! I only visited Rabat as it was a short train ride from Casablanca and fell in love instantly!
The city is an interesting Unesco World Heritage Site as it includes not only the old Medina and the Kasbah but also the new town from the early 20th century. Rabat is lauded by its pioneering approach to town planning which carefully preserves historic monuments and traditional housing.
Among the unmissable sights to visit in Rabat are the Hassan Tower, the beautiful Kasbah des Oudayas district, the ruins of Chellah, the Royal Palace (although this one is ok to miss if you’re pressed on time), The Andalusian Gardens and of course the Medina which is beautiful and with many options to find traditional restaurants at affordable prices.
I stayed in the Kayezer Hostel, right in the Medina and in a typical Moroccan house. Pretty good value for money and close to lots of traditional restaurants.
Where would you like to stay in Rabat?
Fez: stunning but…
The 1200-year-old walled Medina of Fez, with its 9,454 cobbled alleyways and 300 mosques, is both the world’s largest living medieval Islamic city and one of the largest pedestrian zones in the world. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful places to visit in Morocco.
Some of the alleyways are dark and many have been reinforced with wooden structures to support the crumbling architecture which is a bit recurrent in most Medinas I visited. This one does feel like the most touristy in my opinion.
It’s quite a cool place to experience, although the locals can be quite pushy trying to sell you things which is not so enjoyable. You also need to be aware of scammers as some people will approach you to show you the famous tanneries for free but then try to intimidate you asking for money.
I recommend you to stay in Dar Chourouk as the private rooms are quite affordable and the house is beautiful, and it includes a delicious traditional Moroccan breakfast as well.
Look for hotels and hostels in Fez.
Sahara Desert: in everyone’s bucket list
This is one of those main images you think of when you plan to travel to Morocco.
To go to the Sahara Desert is mostly done with organised tours, with the most common being 2 or 3 day tours which you will be able to book from almost any main town and city you visit when you’re travelling in Morocco.
The most common places to go to the Sahara Desert are Merzouga and Zagora and you can expect in most tours to be able to do sand boarding, quad biking, camel treks and visit berber villages and these add-ons are what will determine the prices you will pay. Here you have some of the best rated Sahara Desert tours in Morocco.
I’m not a huge fan of organised tours but this is one of those places where it’s ok to make an exception as it’s not easy to do it on your own.
Mount Toubkal: the highest mountain in North Africa
Hiking Mount Toubkal is quite a popular activity in Morocco and most travel agencies sell tours to go there. Whilst most of those tours are a one-day activity where they take you there, you hike and then you go back to Marrakesh (or another town), I had one of the coolest hiking trips in my life when I went Hiking Mount Toubkal with no guide with a friend for 7 days.
If you opt for doing that 7-day hiking route I did be aware that it’s pretty demanding terrain and hence not for beginners. But if you’re up to the challenge this is one of the best multi-day hikes in the world that I have done.
You can also find transport to leave you nearby, hike to the base camp, which can be done in one day, and spend the night at the refuge there before summiting on the following day. If you want to go hiking in Morocco it won’t get much better than this!
Find out about a 48 hour hike to Mount Toubkal with GetYourGuide.
Agadir: for those looking for a resort kind of holiday
I’m adding Agadir mostly because there are lots of flights going there nowadays so it could possibly be the first stop on your trip to Morocco.
Personally this is not a place I’d recommend if you’re looking for authenticity as the city is quite developed with large resorts. Not a problem if that’s what you’re after of course as you can easily find incredible deals for an escapade from Europe during the winter months.
If you’re looking for a surfing holiday in Morocco this would be a perfect base though as Agadir sits in the middle of famous surfing locations such as Taghazout and Sidi Ifni (where I haven’t been but I heard it’s fantastic!)
And just a short drive out of Agadir will take you to smaller and less developed beaches which are really beautiful. One of them is the next destination in this list of places to visit in Morocco.
Have a look at the accommodation choices in Agadir.
Anza: surf, seafood and sunsets
Located really close to Agadir but with a complete different vibe, Anza is a small village by the beach which is famous for surfing and from what others that are more experienced than me told me, it’s a better place if you’re looking for a surf camp to learn how to surf as the waves tend to be smaller than in other places in the region.
It’s really a place to visit if you’re into surf as the village itself doesn’t have much more. But you will definitely find some local restaurants with freshly caught seafood and will have a beautiful place to chill if what you want is to disconnect and recharge.
I stayed at Anza Surfhouse which as the name implies is a hostel where you can rent boards and lessons if you want. They also organise communal dinners and excursions. It’s a really friendly place.
If you would like a hotel in Anza, check out these ones.
Tetouan: cool Medina and opportunities for hiking!
Travelling north of the country, one of the places to visit in Morocco that I liked the most was Tetouan.
I took a bus from Fes but it’s also very close from Chefchaouen in case you make it there.
Tetouan is a bit of a strange place a it still preserves a lot of the history from when this part of Morocco was under Spanish control in the first half of the twentieth century. And with this, you will find more people speaking Spanish than French.
The city has a mix of its colonial past combined with its North African influences and the traditional labyrinthine Medina is a delight to wander. The colonial part feels more like a big city whilst the Medina will allow you to see the daily life of a bustling market area.
About 30min walk from the Medina you will find some mountains. I improvised a hike there and loved it. If you want to go hiking in Tetouan I recommend you to download the maps.me app as it shows all the trails available.
This was for sure one of my favourite cities in Morocco.
Enjoy a hotel or hostel in Tetouan.
Tangier: a city of contrasts
Being the gateway to Europe as most of the ferries depart from here (also from a couple other places but Tangier has the most routes) the city feels like it’s in constant movement.
However, I found the Medina very pretty and relaxed, even if it was quite busy at times.
The Bab Al Bahr fortress is an impressive site to explore, the walled gateway is also known as Gate of the Sea offering dramatic views of the Strait of Gibraltar from its vantage military point.
The beach of Tangier is nice for relaxing although I’m not a big fan of beaches that are surrounded by big apartment buildings but that’s part of the contesting experience I was referring to.
Similar to Tetouan, and understandably with the proximity by sea to Spain, you will find lots of people talking Spanish and you will see lots of buildings form the colonial era, including a bullring which has been recently renovated and re-opened as a cultural centre.
Check out places to stay in Tangier.
Other places to visit in Morocco
There are still a few places I haven’t visited yet such as Ouarzate, Taghazout and Chefchaouen. All very famous destinations already but for whatever reason I couldn’t make it there just yet. I guess that’s just an excuse to return for another trip to Morocco!
If you have been to other places in Morocco that you’d like to recommend to fellow travellers drop a comment below!
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