Luxury Morocco Tours & Travel

Where to visit in Morocco

Our travel experts have collated their top recommendations of where to visit in Morocco.

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  Casablanca

  Casablanca may forever be associated with the romantic 1945 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, and it is home to Rick’s Café, a restaurant that recreated the eponymous spot from the movie, but today it serves as the industrial, economic and cosmopolitan heart of Morocco. It’s well worth visiting just for the buzzing nightlife and the awe-inspiring Hassan II Mosque, the nation’s biggest and most impressive with ornate details that took 100,000 artisan craftsmen seven years to build. Set on a platform extending over the Atlantic, it features vibrant tiles and mosaics that tie into traditional Islamic architecture.

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  Chefchaouen

  The so-called “Blue City” is famous for its tranquil atmosphere that has the feel of Santorini minus the water with cubist structures, tucked among the hillsides, winding cobbled streets, alleyways, and steep stairs that are all in blue. It might be more accurately referred to as the “50 Shades of Blue City” with hues ranging from powder and robin’s egg blue to indigo, cobalt and periwinkle. It’s managed to remain mostly unchanged since the Middle Ages, with visitors shopping for unique handicrafts and local produce in the medina’s bustling markets while mint tea is sipped in side street cafes.

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  Essaouira

  This seaside city along the Atlantic is famous for its surfing and has an interesting dual heritage as a former Portuguese fortress with a blend of European and Moroccan traditions and architecture that can be seen throughout. Despite the European influence, it’s a typical Moroccan town with palm trees next to white homes, Gnaoua singing and women wearing white haiks. There are beachfront cafés for dining on fresh seafood while gazing out at colorful fishing boats that bob on the water, and stunning sandy beaches edged by the vibrant blue Atlantic that call for peaceful strolls.

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  Fes

  The cultural center of Morocco, Fes is the Arab world’s most complete medieval city, a unique and magical mix of Middle Ages meets modern world. An imperial city established more than a thousand years ago, the oldest part is surrounded by hall walls, with the twists and turns of the ancient streets in the medina fun just to get lost in, dining on street foods like pastilla along the way. Known for its leather products which can be found at the leather bazaar, be sure to visit the pungent, colorful tanneries, to witness the time-honored practice.

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  High Atlas Mountains

  This mountain range in central Morocco is the highest part of the Atlas Mountains which separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines from the Sahara Desert. They’re home to networks of scenic hiking trails and dirt roads that snake through the mostly unspoiled landscapes, fertile green valleys, remote Berber villages, goat herds, wild herbs and snow-dusted peaks. When you visit, you’ll see a way of life, including flat-roofed homes made from the earth and stone, that’s barely changed over a thousand years, with the Berbers the original inhabitants, a civilization that dates back over eight millennia.

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  Marrakech

  Colorful Marrakech is beautiful, exotic and mysterious city, with an exciting mix of old and new. Its thousand-year history is rich and turbulent, with a cast of characters that includes princesses and sultans, fortune hunters, slave traders, magicians and colonialist. In the centuries-old souks (markets), barrels overflow with spices like saffron, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric, tucked among the hookahs, tapestries, antiques and traditional clothing. The main square, Djemaa el Fna, is the place to be day with a wide range of food stalls featuring everything from aubergine fritters to steamed sheep’s head.

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  Ouarzazate

  The gateway to the Sahara Desert, Ouarzazate is south of the High Atlas Mountains. Sometimes referred to as “Morocco’s Little Hollywood,” its exotic backdrop has been used as a filming site for everything from “Game of Thrones” to “Gladiator.” An ideal launching pad for the desert, gorges and mountains, the city is also a popular base for outdoor adventurers, with everything from sand surfing, camel treks and 4X4 safaris to climbing and hiking can be enjoyed from here. The town itself is quiet, but there are plenty of affordable and tasty eats, a souk and local stores for shopping.

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  Rabat

  Morocco’s capital city sits along the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the river Bou Regreg. It offers lots of charm with palm-lined boulevards and lovely outdoor cafes relatively free of traffic in ville nouvelle, while the picturesque walled medina is especially atmospheric and far less touristy than others. There are shops of craftsmen and traders, selling carpets, leather goods and Moroccan crafts. The evocative Kasbah of the Udayas is adjacent to the medina overlooking the sea, with its narrow streets lined with whitewashed homes, while Andalusian Gardens sits at its southern edge.