Destinations

Where in Morocco?

The places I drive to, region by region: what each one is like, when to go, and the routes that pass through.

01 Desert The Sahara at Erg Chebbi and Merzouga — camel treks, Berber camps, and the drive down through the gorges to get there. Spring and autumn are the easiest months. Summer works if we plan the driving and stops around the heat.Explore desert

18 places in desertDesert routes →

Merzouga The village at the edge of Erg Chebbi, where the road gives way to dunes and desert camps.

Ait Ben Haddou A UNESCO-listed kasbah village on the road south from Marrakech, and one of the most photographed stops in…Todra Gorge A narrow limestone canyon in the eastern High Atlas, with walls rising almost 300 metres above the road.Dades Valley A valley of kasbahs, rose gardens, and switchback roads through eroded rock formations known locally as the…Draa Valley Morocco's longest river valley, a green ribbon of palm groves and kasbahs running south from Ouarzazate tow…Erg Chigaga Morocco's wilder, more remote dune sea beyond M'Hamid, reached only by 4x4 across open desert.Zagora The last real town on the Draa before the desert, famous for its old '52 days to Timbuktu' caravan sign.Tamegroute A village south of Zagora known for its green-glazed pottery and an old Quranic library.Ouarzazate The gateway town of the south, home to film studios, the Taourirt kasbah, and the road toward both deserts.Skoura A large palm oasis east of Ouarzazate, dotted with old kasbahs half-hidden in the trees.Rose Valley The valley around Kelaat M'Gouna, where Damask roses are grown for rose water and a spring festival.Rissani An old caravan town near Merzouga with one of the region's liveliest markets and the roots of Morocco's rul…Erfoud A town on the road to Merzouga known for its fossils, dates, and marble workshops.Khamlia A small village near Merzouga known for Gnawa music, played by families with roots in sub-Saharan Africa.Ziz Valley A deep palm-filled valley and gorge on the road between the Atlas and the Sahara.N'Kob A village of kasbahs at the foot of Jbel Saghro, on the quieter southern road between the Draa and the dunes.Agdz The town at the top of the Draa Valley, beneath the jagged peak of Jbel Kissane.Taznakht A carpet-weaving town on the road between the Anti-Atlas and the south, known for its women's cooperatives.

02 Mountains The High Atlas — Tizi n'Tichka pass, Berber villages, and the Ourika valley, all within a day of Marrakech. Good most of the year. Winter can bring snow higher up, which is beautiful but changes the road plan.Explore mountains

14 places in mountainsMountains routes →

Ourika Valley A close High Atlas escape from Marrakech with villages, river stops, and mountain air.Telouet A crumbling former kasbah of the Glaoui family, reached by a mountain pass road that leaves the main highwa…Ait Bougmez A remote, fertile valley in the Central High Atlas, known locally as the Happy Valley for its green fields…Tafraoute A pink granite town in the Anti-Atlas, surrounded by almond groves and boulder-strewn valleys.Imlil The mountain village at the foot of Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, about an hour and a half from Mar…Tizi n'Tichka The great High Atlas pass between Marrakech and the south, topping out at around 2,260 metres.Ounila Valley The old caravan route between Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou, lined with kasbahs, salt mines, and green terraces.Ouzoud Falls Morocco's best-known waterfalls, dropping around 110 metres into a green gorge in the Middle Atlas foothills.Bin el Ouidane A turquoise reservoir lake in the Azilal mountains, surrounded by red hills.Azrou A Middle Atlas town surrounded by cedar forests, where Barbary macaques live in the trees.Ifrane A tidy Middle Atlas town with alpine-style houses, often called Morocco's Switzerland.Midelt A high-plateau town between the Middle and High Atlas, on the long road from Fes to the Sahara.Taliouine Morocco's saffron town, set between the High and Anti-Atlas.Akchour Waterfalls and river gorges in the Rif mountains, a short drive from Chefchaouen.

03 Cities Marrakech, Fes, Rabat, Meknes, Casablanca — the imperial cities and everything historic in between. Any season can work. Spring and autumn are comfortable for walking medinas; summer needs slower afternoons.Explore cities

11 places in citiesCities routes →

Fes Morocco's oldest imperial city, and home to Fes el Bali, one of the largest car-free urban spaces in the wo…Chefchaouen The blue-washed mountain town in the Rif, and one of the most photographed places in the country.Rabat Morocco's administrative capital, with a calmer pace and a mix of Andalusian, French colonial, and royal ar…Marrakech The red city at the foot of the Atlas — where I'm based, and where most trips start and end.Casablanca Morocco's biggest city and main arrival airport, home to the Hassan II Mosque on the Atlantic.Meknes The quieter imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, with monumental gates and royal granaries.Volubilis The best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco, with mosaics still in place on the floors.Moulay Idriss A white hill town and one of Morocco's holiest places, overlooking Volubilis.Tangier The port city on the Strait of Gibraltar, where Africa and Europe look at each other.Tetouan A white-walled medina town at the foot of the Rif, shaped by Andalusian refugees and Spanish rule.Taroudant A walled market town in the Souss valley, often called 'little Marrakech'.

04 Coast Essaouira and the Atlantic — fishing ports, sea air, and a slower pace after the desert or the mountains. The coast is useful almost all year. It is cooler than Marrakech in summer and breezy in winter.Explore coast

9 places in coastCoast routes →

Essaouira A walled Atlantic city with a working port, blue doors, and a slower rhythm than Marrakech.Oualidia A lagoon town on the Atlantic coast known for its oyster farms and calm, shallow water.El Jadida A Portuguese-built coastal town with a fortified old city and a striking underground cistern.Safi A working fishing and pottery town on the Atlantic, between Oualidia and Essaouira.Agadir A modern beach city in the south, rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake and home to a major airport.Taghazout A surf village north of Agadir, with some of Morocco's best-known point breaks.Imsouane A small fishing village with one of the longest right-hand waves in Africa.Paradise Valley A palm-lined gorge in the Atlas foothills near Agadir, with natural rock pools for swimming.Souss-Massa A coastal national park south of Agadir, known for birdlife and the rare northern bald ibis.

Not sure where to go?

Tell me what you'd like to see

Mountains, dunes, medinas or the sea: send me your dates and what you enjoy, and I'll suggest where to go.