Published on Travelbinger

Morocco is one of the most geographically and culturally diverse countries I have ever visited. For a country the size of the state of California, you could be on the Mediterranean coast in the morning and riding a camel in the Sahara Desert by evening, passing through two mountain ranges on the way there. While Arabic and Amazigh are the official languages, I heard Spanish, French, and English as well as other Berber indigenous languages throughout the country.

The nation also has a long and rich history, with inhabitants living there for hundreds of thousands of years. It has had several capital cities throughout its history, and the country offers a mix of old historic towns with modern cities and architecture, dotted with beautiful nature.

Because of all Morocco has to offer in terms of history, culture, and nature, it has become a popular travel destination. I visited last May for ten days and traveled the country with a tour company. While the trip was unforgettable, our tour tried to squeeze in as much as possible, and I found this to be to the detriment of the trip. We visited 14 places in just ten days, and this meant spending a lot of time on a tour bus. It also meant sometimes only being in one place for a few hours before hopping back on the bus to be rushed off to the next destination.

Every place I have visited has had its positives and negatives, and everywhere has its charms, so I never intend to say I didn’t enjoy visiting somewhere. But with the benefit of hindsight, I now know that I would have spent more time in some of these places instead of visiting the ones I didn’t get the most out of. With this in mind, let’s look at which places I went to were worth it – and even deserved more time – and which could have been cut out. This way, if you decide to book a ten-day trip to Morocco, you know what to really prioritize so you can get the most out of your experience.

Casablanca: A Modern City with Arab-Muslim History

When I flew into Casablanca, I felt like I was landing in western Europe. A bustling city with modern infrastructure and a financial district, Casablanca is the most contemporary city in Morocco. But it also has history, including a medina, or old city, where tourists can see souks (traditional marketplaces) up close.

Casablanca is certainly worth a visit, as it has something for everyone, from modern architecture like the beautiful Hassan II Mosque, the second largest functioning mosque in Africa, completed in 1993, to the history of the medina, separated from the modern city by walls. Located on the Atlantic coast, I loved the city’s beautiful ocean views and Mediterranean climate.

Rabat: The Capital City with Small-City Charm

Located just an hour’s drive from Casablanca, Morocco’s capital, Rabat, boasts a similarly beautiful landscape, but in a much smaller and less modern-looking package. Here I visited the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, where the tomb of the former king of Morocco is held, and Hassan Tower, a tower of an incomplete mosque. I also enjoyed breathtaking views of the coast, complete with blue sky, palm tree-lined streets and blue ocean. My group only spent a few hours in Rabat, and I would have loved to stay longer to take in more of the city.

Tangier: Mediterranean Paradise

My favorite city I visited in Morocco, Tangier is unique because it sits right at the convergence of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, with the southern tip of Spain located just across the Strait of Gibraltar. It is a port city with amazing seafood, and my group encountered a fisherman selling fresh-caught fish right in the street. The views of the sunset at the coast were unmatched. We even visited the exact place where you can see the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet.

The city sits between two hills, and as our bus pulled in, I got a view of the city with the ocean behind it. The streets of the modern city are quaint and beautiful, featuring white buildings dotted with pops of color and covered in plants. We entered the medina, where we visited the Kasbah Mosque.

Chefchaouen: The Blue City in the Mountains

Chefchaouen, nicknamed the Blue City, is nestled high up in the Rif Mountains, Morocco’s northern mountain range. The drive from Tangier to Chefchaouen alone would have made it worth the visit, due to the views in the Rif Mountains along the way. The city itself made it even better.

It is called the Blue City for a reason. Walking throughout the medina’s narrow streets, the walls and doorways are painted vibrant shades of blue. Leaving the city, I looked out the window of the bus to see a hillside of blue staring back at me.

Fez: The Spiritual and Cultural Capital of Morocco

Fez is considered the center of Islam in Morocco, as well as the intellectual and spiritual capital of the country. We visited the Royal Palace, which features huge, beautiful bronze doors, and walked through the world’s largest medina. We toured artisan workshops in the medina, where we watched artisans make pottery by hand. We went to a leather tannery, where we were given mint leaves to inhale to mask the strong odor of the leather-making process. I bought a handmade scarf at a shop where our group witnessed artisans hand-weaving fabrics.

Middle Atlas Mountains: Drive By Villages and Play with Monkeys

On the journey from Fez to the Sahara Desert, we drove through the Middle Atlas Mountains, part of the Atlas mountain range. This was a long day on the bus, but it featured gorgeous views of rugged mountain terrain peppered with small Berber (Amazigh) villages. We even stopped along the way to interact with the Barbary macaque monkeys. I fed them, and one even jumped on my shoulder when one of the locals who provided the food for the monkeys put a treat on my head. This was one of my most memorable experiences of the whole trip.

Erfoud: An Oasis Town in the Sahara Desert

On a trip filled with highlights, spending a night in the world’s most famous desert was the biggest. We arrived in the oasis town of Erfoud and were taken in 4×4 vehicles over the bumpy dunes to our campsite near the village of Merzouga. Here, we had the option to go on a camel ride. I opted instead to sandboard down the dunes before dinner. The group spent the evening by the campfire dancing along as our hosts played traditional Berber music.

Todgha and Dadès Gorges: Picturesque Mountain Gorges

The Todgha and Dadès Gorges, located in the High Atlas Mountains, are breathtaking. A perfect stop on the long journey from the desert to Marrakech, I wish I could have had more time at each place, particularly Todgha. Our group walked along the bottom of the Todgha Gorge, but as a lover of hiking, cutting out some of the places I enjoyed less would have allowed me to enjoy a hike along the gorge and a view from the top.

Kasbah Ait Benhaddou: A Fortified Village and UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, located on the route from the Sahara to Marrakech, is an early architectural wonder that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. We were given a group tour and then allowed to walk freely around the small ksar (fortified village). The ksar was strategically important due to its location along the Saharan trade route. This is definitely worth a visit as it is not only beautiful but also an insight into the history of Morocco.

Marrakech: A Vibrant City Filled with Tourists

Marrakech is considered the tourism capital of Morocco, but I was still shocked by just how many tourists were here. Marrakech is absolutely worth visiting, but it is pricier and has more scammers than the other cities. It also felt less authentic and more like I was being catered to as a tourist rather than being able to experience the real Morocco.

There is so much to do in Marrakech, from buying authentic argan oil to visiting the beautiful Bahia Palace. The most famous and my favorite place in the city was the Jemaa el-Fnaa, a marketplace in the medina, where I saw snake charmers and chained monkeys. Despite the ethical questionability of some of these practices, it was definitely fascinating to witness in person. The Madrasa Ben Youssef Islamic college offered an interesting history and boasted a beautiful courtyard popular for photos. The Majorelle Garden is a beautiful botanical garden that I visited on my last day.

Asilah: A Small Atlantic Town with Little to See

Asilah is a small town between Rabat and Tangier. While it is a popular tourist destination that offers small-town charm and its own beauty, if you visit Rabat and Tangier, you will see similar landmarks to those in Asilah.

Ouazzane: A Stopping Point Between Chefchaouen and Fez

There was little I found memorable about Ouazzane. Our group stopped there because it was on the way from Chefchaouen to Fez, but it could easily have been skipped. However, the city is recognized for its spiritual significance to Sufism, a mystic body of religious practice within Islam. If you are interested in learning more about Sufism, I would recommend Ouazzane, although the practice can also be learned about in Fez.

Ouarzazate: A Desert City Between the Sahara and Marrakech

Ouarzazate is a nice city in the desert, but by this point in the trip, I had seen the beauty of the desert when spending the night among the dunes and visiting the Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. My primary negative memory of the city, however, is that the hotel we stayed in was not very clean or accommodating.

This doesn’t mean Ouarzazate has nothing to offer. The city is a popular filming location, and we visited the famous Oscar Hotel. The Kasbah Taourirt, a fortified residence, was interesting to see. The city is worth a visit if you want to see more of the desert, and it is also the closest city to the Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, but make sure you vet the hotel you choose thoroughly before visiting.

Even with eliminating a few of the less intriguing stops on my trip, this still leaves a packed itinerary for a ten-day visit to Morocco, so be prepared to move quickly. If you choose to go and want to move at a slower pace, consider staying for two weeks or more, or pick just three or four from this list. But no matter where you decide to go in Morocco, the country has something for every kind of traveler.