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Medina labyrinths, Saharan dune camps, fresh mint tea, and a sensory experience unlike anywhere else.
Morocco is the gateway to Africa that most backpackers discover first — and it delivers hard. Fes is the most immersive city you'll ever get lost in. The Sahara is exactly what you imagine. The surf on the Atlantic coast is world-class.
Each region has a completely different character. Here's what to expect from each area.
The medina is a sensory assault — Djemaa el-Fna square (food stalls, musicians, storytellers, acrobats, all evening), the souks (leather, spices, ceramics, lamps), and the extraordinary Bahia Palace and Saadian Tombs. Stay inside the medina in a riad (courtyard house) for the full experience. Budget riads cost from £25/night.
The world's largest car-free urban area — the Fez medina has 9,400 streets, 54 hammams, 800 mosques, and the world's oldest working university (Al Quaraouiyine, founded 859 AD). Getting lost is mandatory. The Chouara Tannery view from the leather shop rooftops is one of Morocco's defining images.
The Blue City — a small mountain town where everything is painted in shades of blue and white. Still charming early morning. The hike to the Spanish Mosque above the town takes 30 minutes and gives the panoramic photograph.
The Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga — 150m high, orange sand, dramatic at sunrise and sunset. Overnight in a desert camp with a camel trek included. The sky here is one of the finest stargazing locations in Africa.
The High Atlas between Marrakech and the Sahara has excellent trekking — Jebel Toubkal (4,167m, North Africa's highest peak) is a 2-day climb from Imlil village. The Todgha Gorge (300m limestone walls) is accessible by bus from Tinghir.
Fly Marrakech → Marrakech (3 nights) → bus to Fez (2 nights) → bus to Chefchaouen (2 nights) → bus south to Merzouga desert (2 nights) → Todgha Gorge → bus back to Marrakech. 14–16 days.
£20–35/day.
Street food (harira soup, msemen flatbread, kefta sandwich): £1–2.
Restaurant tagine: £5–10.
Riad dorm: £8–15.
Budget private riad room: £20–35.
Hammam visits should use local neighbourhood bathhouses rather than tourist-facing riad hammams. Buy argan oil directly from a women's cooperative (look for the Coopérative label) rather than tourist shops. Desert camps: choose operators who limit generator use and manage waste responsibly.
Tell us where you want to go and your budget — we'll build a personalised quote with routes, hostels, and transport sorted.
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