Are you looking for the best tourist attractions in Morocco? This guide to the best places to visit in Morocco will help you to know better about which cities to visit in Morocco.
Morocco is a country in Northern Africa. It is between Algeria and the part of Western Sahara that Morocco has taken over. It is one of only three countries with coasts in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. A lot of Morocco is made up of mountains. Morocco has a long and interesting history, a unique culture, beautiful natural scenery, and many ways for travelers to stimulate their senses.
Walking through any Moroccan locale, you may smell fresh mint leaves, incense, perfume, leather, and smokey coals crackling beneath a roasting tagine. As you travel through the country, you’ll see beautiful beaches, rugged mountain ranges, golden desert sands, winding roads, farming villages, waterfalls, forests, Mosques, museums, Roman ruins, tanneries, and so much more.
Best places to visit in Morocco
1. Marrakech
Marrakech is a busy city that is north of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. And Marrakech is another well-known place to visit in Morocco. The central square of Djemma El-Fna to El Badi Palace and the busy souks or bazaars. Among the greatest things to do in Morocco is go shopping, and Marrakech is the best place to do that. Aside from Agadir, Marrakech is thought to be the healthiest city to visit in Morocco. This is among the best places in Morocco to visit.
2. Asilah
Asilah Morocco is a popular tourist spot on Morocco’s North Atlantic coast, near the sea. The sandy beaches and colorful murals on the city walls make this city among Morocco’s best places to visit. This is why Morocco is a great place to go on your honeymoon.
3. The High Atlas
High Atlas is often called the mountain of mountains because it is the highest mountain range in North Africa. Trekkers will love this place, especially from spring to fall. It goes across Morocco in a diagonal line for about 1000 km, and its saw-toothed Jurassic peaks keep the weather out. This is one of the most stunning spots to visit in Morocco, and it will take your breath away. Put on your hiking boots and go on a trip you’ll never forget.
4. Essaouira
Essaouira is among the best places to visit in Morocco. Not only is it a great place to escape from the heat and routine of the big city, but it’s also where the third season of Game of Thrones was filmed. In the 1960s, celebrities such as Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley went to this beach town to hang out on the beach. This makes it even more popular. Take notice of the Gnaoua, one of the world’s most colorful beach festivals.
5. The Sahara Desert
When you’re in Morocco, you have to go to the desert. From watching the beautiful sunset over the dunes to looking up at the bright stars in the sky, everything in the desert is transfixing and unforgettable. Make sure you save a few days for a trip to the Sahara, one of Morocco’s best places to see.
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6. Rabat
Rabat is the country’s capital and is among Morocco’s best places to visit. It is on the coast. Morocco is a popular place to visit because of its nice weather all year and quiet beaches. It is among the best places in Morocco to visit. The new part of the city has wide boulevards and outdoor cafes. The old part of the city has fortified walls. You can’t miss this place because it has so much to offer tourists of all ages and from all over the world.
7. Casablanca
Casablanca is, without a doubt, one of the best places to visit in Morocco. It is also the best example of modernity. The most beautiful buildings in the city are the Humoresque ones, a mix of French colonial style and traditional Moroccan style. It is the best location to visit in Morocco because it has great food and architecture.
8. Tinghir
Tinghir is the crown jewel of Morocco. It is in the middle of the Todra Valley, between the High Atlas Mountains and the beautiful Sahara Desert. It is the best place for couples to visit in Morocco. Tinghir is different from other places in this country because it is an old French town that has grown into a large city with beautiful flower gardens, Kasbahs, and narrow, old-fashioned streets.
9. Fez
Fez is one of the most interesting and best places to visit in Morocco. It has everything you’d expect from a 1,200-year-old Maghreb city in the deserts of the Middle East. Fès el-Bali is one of the most interesting places in Morocco. It is the historic heart of the city and has a deep, mysterious maze of alleys, stairs, and vibrantly colored tanneries and cottages that will blow your mind.
10. Ait Ben Haddau
Ksar Ait Ben Haddou is an old village with houses built on a hillside. The Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the most important place to visit in Morocco. This place is among the most beautiful places anyone has ever been to. Most of the village has been left for visitors to explore now that its people have moved away. This place, the setting of the hit movie Gladiator, takes you back to the good old days.
11. The souks of Marrakech
The souks of Marrakech are a barrage of colours and smell: dazzling eye-catching intricate handicrafts, lanterns, pots and pans, leather bags, rich carpets and Berber rugs, and colorful embroidered babouches slippers. The fragrance of perfumes and oils fill the air, a whiff of olives here, a whiff of lemons there. We savour the smell of spices. Nuts, apricots, sweet ripe figs and oranges overflow from wooden carts. Colourful doors lead to local hammams, people sit in cafes drinking Moroccan tea served from silver teapots in colorful little glasses. The souks are a universe in their own right. There is order in chaos, and the only way to enjoy this chaos of colours, sound, and smells is to embrace it.
At the souks, one quickly learns to haggle and how to say “no”. To haggle is fun but exhausting. It seems to be a tradition shopkeepers engage in and eventually enjoy. At the end of the day, when we were a little tired, we just agreed to the first price offered by a merchant. But then he refused and said we must play the game of bargaining. He took out his paper and pen and started drawing a chart. And so, we played.
The souks are a beehive of activities and full of life just like Morocco. We felt like we were walking in a beautiful dream of the Arabian Nights that have come to life. Morocco is a vast magical land stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the vast Sahara Desert. There is a lot to cover, and we hope to return and explore this beautiful country some more one day.
12. Ben Yousaf Medersa
Founded by the Merenid Sultan Abou el Hassan in the 14th century, this ancient school of theology housed scholars to memorize the Holy Quran and learn theology. Its tiny dormitories above the central courtyard used to house hundreds of students. The beautiful architecture, the large central courtyard, the exquisite stucco work, the colorful tiles, the fine wood railings and the inner courtyards rimmed with fine wood railings reminded me of the beautiful Alhambra Palace in Andalusia. Like in Alhambra, Arabic inscriptions run throughout the Medersa, most common is the Bismillah Invocation, “In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful.” As I leave, I glance up and note another inscription over the doorway, “You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded”. I silently respond, Amen, as I step out into the narrow street of the Medina.
13. El Bahia Palace Marrakech, Morocco
El Bahia Palace lives by its name meaning Brilliance. Comprising walled gardens, orange, cypress, jasmine and banana trees, the palace is a glimpse into Morocco’s opulent past. Situated at the Northern edge of Mellah, the Jewish quarter, the building stands out in beauty and elegance, incorporating intricate stucco work and mosaic. Ceramic tiles decorate the rooms. We walked the length of the garden path, admiring the fine architecture and the beautiful fountain, where we stopped to take pictures.
14. Lazama Synagogue
Unknown to many, Marrakech has a strong Jewish heritage and community. During the Inquisition following the Reconquista, many Jews fled Europe and sought refuge in Morocco. Walking through the narrow streets of the Mellah quarter of the Marrakech Medina we arrive at the Lazama Synagogue. The blue and white architecture and colours of the synagogue stand out. A small garden in the courtyard offers a sense of peace as we hear the whispering of prayers taking place in the blue carpeted prayer hall. The original synagogue is said to have been built around 1492. There is a Jewish cemetery we could not visit due to shortage of time. The synagogue offers a glimpse into Jewish culture and life in Morocco.
15. The Green Pharmacy
A traditional Berber pharmacy seemed to have a remedy for everything including common cold and baldness. It’s a good spot to buy gifts, especially the world-famous Argan oil. We were given a private demonstration about the various oils and herbs traditionally used in Morocco and the Maghreb. Everyone was warm and welcoming. The place held a whiff of saffron, cumin, and other unidentifiable herbs one associate with North Africa.
