Imperial Cities, Atlas Peaks and Saharan Dunes
Morocco is a kingdom in the far north-west of Africa, known for its imperial cities, the Atlas mountains, long Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and the edge of the Sahara. It is a country of dramatic range: within a few hours' travel a visitor can move from the souks of Marrakech to the snow-capped Atlas, where Toubkal, at 4,167 metres, is the highest peak in North Africa, and on to the apricot dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga. Arab, Amazigh, Andalusian and French influences meet here, and the result is a culture that feels both deeply rooted and warmly hospitable.
The imperial cities are the heart of the story. The medina of Fes, inscribed by UNESCO in 1981, is a labyrinth of lanes, madrasas and artisan workshops often described as the largest car-free urban area in the world, while Marrakech, inscribed in 1985, centres on the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, where storytellers, musicians and food stalls gather each evening. Meknes and Rabat complete the royal quartet. Visitors who want to see how the Islamic world shaped Europe can link this journey with Andalusia and Cordoba just across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Riads, Tagines and Blue-Washed Chefchaouen
Stays here have a character all their own. Riads, traditional houses built around a courtyard garden, offer quiet rooms behind the busy medina walls, with rooftop terraces for breakfast and sunset. Marrakech adds the Majorelle Garden, with its cobalt-blue buildings and cacti, and the Atlas foothills offer lodges and kasbah-style hotels. Further north, Chefchaouen, set in the Rif mountains, is famed for lanes washed in shades of blue, and Essaouira, a walled Atlantic port inscribed by UNESCO in 2001, is a breezy favourite for artists and kitesurfers.
Food is a reason to travel in itself. Slow-cooked tagines with preserved lemon and olives, lamb with prunes and almonds, pastilla with its sweet and savoury layers, and Friday couscous all appear on menus, with sweet mint tea poured from a height. In the desert, camel treks and nights in Berber-style camps beneath a field of stars have become a signature Moroccan experience. For a tourist board or travel brand, Morocco's range of landscapes and flavours makes a rich canvas, and nearby Casablanca makes a practical, polished arrival point.
Read the full Morocco guide on Visit Travel Group, or see YourMorocco.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.