The country where Europe meets Africa and the Middle East! Morocco is truly an incredible country to explore. Vibrant colours and chaos is all part of the package when visiting and it is well worth it. Here are our top 10 things to do in Morocco to get the most out of the country!
1. Navigate the Medina in Fez
Medina simply means a town or city, however when we say the medina in Fez, we are talking about the beautiful narrow walled maze-like area of the city. It hosts a variety markets (souqs) shops, hostels & riads (see here) restaurants and tannerys! Can’t be missed!
2. Camel ride over sand dunes in the Sahara
Southern Morocco near the Algerian border is home to some stunning desert landscape which you can take a camel ride into, stay the night, stargaze and climb huge sand dunes. This is truly an incredible adventure and can be experienced in Merzouga and M’Hamid! I can assure you, this one probably the best out the top 10 things to do in Morocco!
3. Beaches of Agadir
Like the sand but prefer to have the sea to cool off in? Agadir is a perfect beach getaway with more of a touristy feel and lots of heat! This isn’t the place to get a true Moroccan experience, but might be a good entry point to exploring what the country has to offer! Even better, you can also visit nearby Crocoparc to watch some monstrous Nile crocodiles from a safe distance.
4. Marrakesh
Of course this is on every list, but isn’t to be missed. The main square of Djemaa El-Fna is always buzzing with snake charmers, musicians, acrobats, magicians, stalls, food vendors and even people who put monkeys in your head! Although hectic, Marrakesh is a fantastic experience, just make sure you always check out the price.
5. Chefchaouen
Ready to escape the chaos of Marrakesh? Chefchaouen is the beautiful Insta-worthy blue city in the North. Its full of steep cobbled lanes, leather workshops and markets. This city actually goes up the side of the mountains making it a truly stunning place to visit. It is quickly becoming more popular so it is recommended to visit soon before it blows up like many other destinations.
6. Ait Ben Haddou
This small ancient town near the city of Ouarzazate was used to film Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator and more recently, scenes from Game of Thrones. We paid for a round trip from Ouarzazate with a local taxi driver and spent an hour exploring! (Read about our trip here)
7. Waterfall in the atlas mountains
One of the coolest day trips, take a local bus right up into the Atlas mountains to Ourika Valley and spend the day hiking and exploring waterfalls. A very picturesque place, start early and avoid the strong mid day sun! Once you have completed the trip you can return and spend some time in the valley with its great shack style restaurants.
This is also where I found the best lemon chicken tagine ive ever had. This day trip is well worth doing solo so I will be creating a separate guide on how you can do the same soon!
8. Meknes
A lesser known city but no less fantastic. This would have been known as the end of the world in the Roman empire as it was located at the very western edge. Enter through the huge front gate and explore the ancient arches and mosaic tiling that cover the city. Nearby you can explore the ancient Volubilis ruins as well as one of the most holy Muslim cities, Moulay Idriss.
9. Tangier Food Tour
More of a foodie? Tangier offers some of the best food tours in Morocco. Sample some incredible vegetarian or meat based tagines and if you are lucky to go on a Friday, some exquisite cous cous. Throughout Morocco the food is very good and we often found the places that were a bit rougher and full of locals produced the best food. Don’t be afraid to try the street and market food.
10. Climb Mount Toubkal
The tallest mountain in Northern Africa, Mount Toubkal stands at 4,167m making it almost 4 times higher than the tallest mountain in England (Ben Nevis) Training is essential before attempting and you will do very well to book a guided tour!
There may be snow even during the peak of summer and although it isn’t technical, you will need to be in good physical condition. This picture wasn’t taken on Toubkal but on another part of the Atlas mountains, Toubkal is much much higher! I am currently training for my own ascent so will be posting a more in depth guide about that once I complete it.
So that’s our top 10 things to do in Morocco! Highly recommended place to travel with none stop photo opportunities! Want to experience another North African country? Check out our top 10 things to do in Egypt here!
