Morocco is a fascinating place to explore and having spent several weeks travelling all over the country these are the best Moroccan cities that I found to visit.
This doesn’t cover every Moroccan city, even if it was one that I went to, as this represents the best of the Moroccan cities that most people will want to see and experience.
Best Moroccan Cities
The whole of the itinerary options for the Moroccan cities covered here will depend on exactly the kind of things you’re looking for. I’m sure you have rough ideas of the kind of things you want to do there.
Want to see mostly cities and explore the souqs (markets) for shopping, have plenty of food options, and enjoy the history that came through these old cities? Great! it’s more of a city trip.
Want to spend maybe just 1-2 days in a city to start (the one you fly into) and then head into nature? Great! It’s a nature trip.
Or maybe you’re just planning a weekend city break from Europe, for example, and this will help you choose the city(s) most interesting for you.
When you know what kind of trip you want then it will be a lot easier to decide on an itinerary as realistically you will not be able to mix and match between 2 options that much with a 1 week Morocco trip or a weekend break.
For example, if you want to explore some of the old Moroccan cities in the north there’s no way you will have time to get to the south and enjoy a Sahara Desert safari. Well not without some serious rushing around which would kill the vibe of the holiday.
I’ll explain the best city options, the best natural options, and the best of a little bit of mixed. I would suggest not flying into and out of the same city so you don’t need to backtrack unless you’re short on time and visiting just that city.
I’ve added some tours you can do with my favourite guide company if you want to plan some of the activities.
For a comprehensive guide to Morocco pick up the Lonely Planet Morocco (it’s what I used).
Moroccan Cities In One Week
One week in Morocco is enough time to see 2 to 3 cities if you want to get a rough experience of them.
I recommend flying into Marrakech to start and then working your way up to Tangier in the north. Both have budget flights into them if budget is of concern and you could start in either direction.
This would be a very fast itinerary and would involve a lot of rushing around and transport, but if you want to see a lot of Morocco’s cities in a short time then this is it!
If you decide to take it slow then just cut off the flying-out point from say Fes instead of Tangier.
The Marrakech to Fes route is very popular as it takes in the main big cities.
First a disclaimer: I’ve added affiliate links in the article such as hotel booking links to each city mentioned and I get a small commission at no extra cost to you if you book through them. This helps me continue my work on Backpackingman. Thanks.
Marrakech
What to say about Marrakech (sometimes pronounced Marrakesh).
Well if you’ve never been to Morocco before (and if you’re reading this I’m guessing you haven’t) it could be a shock.
It’s a very lively city full of history and the hustle and bustle of all that. But for some people that hustle can be translated into ‘hassle’.
The main square in the centre of Marrakech is where everything goes down as far as the evening goes as you will see street entertainment, find excellent food, and the shopping streets/alleys converge onto it if you want to do a bit of shopping in Marrakech.
Marrakech is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, the others being Fez, Meknes, and Rabat, which are mentioned further down the article.
There are so many unique things to do in Marrakech that you won’t get bored there over a few days.
The main problem is it gets very, very, busy and it can be overwhelming after a while.
On top of that, you can get some aggressive touts there that won’t leave you in peace, given that it’s the main tourist spot in the city.
Having said that it is fun to jump in and experience it all.
Some of the best food in Morocco is to be found around the Medina area in Marrakech.
Marrakech could certainly be put down as one of the best cities to visit in Morocco. Its exotic history sees to that and it’s one of the biggest cities in Morocco as well.
Find places to stay in Marrakech here
Some recommended tours from Marrakech;
Essaouira
Disclaimer: I have a soft spot for Essaouira. For me, it’s the best Moroccan city, even if it’s one of the smallest with a population of around 80’000 people.
Essaouira is located on the Atlantic coast and is around a three-hour drive from Marrakech so that makes it easy to combine the two cities.
Even coming for just a night is worth it and as it’s located on the coast you can find some of the best seafood in Morocco and the fish tagines are to die for.
The Essaouira Medina is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The old city inside its fortified walls is where you will want to stay and spend your time, with relaxed cafes and eateries and a short walk to the old harbour where you can see the hustle and bustle of the small fishing port.
At sunset head to the old fort walls and watch the fishing boats coming in from the day and enjoy the peaceful evening vibe where people get together.
As far as cities in Morocco go (even though it’s a bit out of the way) at least one day in Essaouira should be on any itinerary.
Find places to stay in Essaouira here
Ouarzazate
Going in the other direction from Marrakech, instead of Essaouira, is the desert city of Ouarzazate. It’s a small city but is very scenic to visit and easy to reach from Marrakech, and you could even make it a day trip from there.
Ouarzazate is known as “Morocco’s Hollywood” as many movies have been filmed around there.
The main reason to be in Ouarzazate is for the day trips you can do around there like to the Ait Benhaddou earthen houses.
I spent a day exploring Ouarzazate and found it to be one of the more atmospheric Moroccan cities, although I did not stay there as I went further to a small town called Agdz in the Atlas Mountains and near the Draa Valley.
Agzd is not a city which is why I’m not making it a big thing in this list but I would highly recommend going to check out the area around there and staying in a historic Kasbah accommodation.
Casablanca & Rabat
Casablanca and Rabat seem to get overlooked by many tourists looking at the best Moroccan cities to visit, from what I could see when there, with many opting to go the more popular options of Fez, Marrakech, and Essaouira.
But the two cities have their unique charms.
Although I didn’t like Casablanca that much (it’s Morocco’s biggest city with 3.4 million people) I did enjoy the French architecture in Casablanca in the old quarter of the city as they are grandly rustic.
Also, it’s where you can find historic cafes such as the Petit Poucet where an old French charm can still be felt.
Casablanca
One of the largest mosques in Morocco can be found in Casablanca and is in a pleasant spot near the sea.
Rabat
Rabat was a surprise for me as I was expecting just another one of those big Moroccan cities (it is) but the coastline and the old fortress area is such a cool place to wander around.
Kasbah Oudayas is a medieval fortress and you can find Moorish cafes and an Andalusian Garden in its peaceful little streets.
That is the best place to see and experience Rabat.
Find places to stay in Casablanca and Rabat.
Fez
Fez is one of the most popular cities in Morocco to visit and that is mainly due to the Fez tannery where they still use old methods to dye leather. Note that Fez is also sometimes called “Fes.”
It’s also the oldest city in Africa which is just one of many interesting facts about Morocco to know before visiting Morocco.
The ancient Fez Medina is also another reason to visit as it is (in my opinion) the best Medina in Morocco.
You can see so many things on sale there and the atmosphere is electric.
Find places to stay in Fez here
Side Excursion: Moulay Idriss Day Trip From Fez
Moulay Idriss and the Roman ruins of Vouliblous can be done on a day trip from Fez.
Some people will stay in Meknes and go from there but I suggest staying in Fez as the base for 2 nights as it has a better atmosphere overall.
Moulay Idriss isn’t a city but it’s in this post simply because it makes a great day trip from Fez.
The Vouliblous ruins can easily be reached from Moulay Idriss and you can even walk out to them in around 30 minutes.
If you decide to stay the night in Moulay Idriss you can find places to stay here.
Meknes
Although I didn’t spend too much time in Meknes as I concentrated more on Fez, the city is good to have a look around as it is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is also a Unesco World Heritage Site as a historic city.
Meknes Medina is worth a look and if you do want to stay in Fez as a base then you can easily do a day trip to Meknes from there.
There are lots of historic mosques in Meknes to explore as well making it one of the better Moroccan cities for history and it has some great Islamic architecture.
Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen has the most colourful Medina in Morocco and is the main reason to visit.
It’s famous for its blue-washed walls and charming alleyways and the fact that it lies nestled up in the Rif Mountains just adds to its charm.
It’s known as the “Blue City of Morocco,” and is one of my favourite Moroccan cities that I went to.
It’s also perfectly located between Fez and Tangier so it can be visited between one or the other.
Find places to stay in Chefchaouen here
You can also visit Chefchaouen on a long day trip from Fez.
Tangier
To be honest (in my opinion) Tangier is not that exciting but has more of a Mediterranean vibe, being that it is at the start of the Mediterranean and it is a great port city in northern Morocco.
The fun thing about Tangier for me was visiting the places where the beat generation in Tangier used to hang out.
Places like the Petit Socco cafe square are good to relax in and take a walk around some of the old fortress areas.
Find places to stay in Tangier here
Asilah
Asilah is known for the Asilah murals but the city itself is a relaxed place to visit, especially the old part.
It is easy to get to Tangier as it’s only a few hour’s drive down the Atlantic coast so you could do a long day trip to Asilah from Tangier or spend the night in this peaceful old city by the sea.
Find places to stay in Asilah here
One Extra Moroccan City: Sidi Ifni
Sidi Ifni in the far south of Morocco is one of the prime surf cities for surfing in Morocco, but even if you have no interest in that it is a very quiet place to escape to for a day or two.
To be honest, there is not much to do there but explore some of the old colonial Spanish architecture and just relax by the beach, but after busy cities that could be just the cure.
I wouldn’t recommend going here though if you’re short on time as the other Moroccan cities mentioned here will have a lot more to offer, and that’s why I’m putting it as a possible “one extra” for the best Moroccan cities to visit.
Find places to stay in Sidi Ifni.
Moroccan Cities Break
Just choose one of the main Moroccan cities and regions that appeals to you most from this article if you plan a few days, say on a weekend break from Europe, and do a day trip to one of the other nearby cities in Morocco.
Fly into Fez for example for 2-3 days and do a day trip to Moulay Idriss and spend the rest of the time in Fez. Or choose to go to Chefchaouen for the night maybe instead.
Likewise, you could fly into Tangier and day trip to Asilah or Chefchaouen from there.
Again the same thing for Rabat and Casablanca, fly into one and day trip to the other.
And again, fly into Marrakesh and day trip, or spend 1 night (my recommendation) in Essaouira.
Stick to one area if you only have a few days in Morocco on a city break.
Before visiting you should also have a look at some interesting facts about Morocco to learn more about the country.
Best Moroccan Cities
This will hopefully give you an outline of some of the best Moroccan cities to visit on your trip. Choose the best options for yourself and have a great time.
For a comprehensive guide to Morocco pick up the Lonely Planet Morocco (it’s what I used).
I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.
If you liked this article about the best Moroccan cities a share would be great:
Great guide! We are looking at Morocco in May 2022. Do you find Morocco to be safe for tourists?
Yes Morocco was fine as it sees many tourists but always be careful in cdertain situations like anywhere.