Morocco for first-time visitors

By Morocco specialist Alanna

From imperial cities latticed with souqs to desert dunes that shelter nomadic camps, Morocco’s distinct landscapes have cultivated an array of cultures: Arab, Amazigh, Bedouin, European… the list goes on.

I find the best way to encounter them all, as well as the country’s very best scenery, is on a looping trip that takes in Marrakesh, the High Atlas Mountains, Erg Chebbi, and Fez. Along the way, you can learn to barter for a carpet like a local, bake bread the Amazigh way, and ride a camel to a tented camp in the middle of the desert.

Uncovering the souqs and sites of Marrakesh

One of the best ways to experience local life in Marrakesh is in its labyrinthine souqs, an intricate maze of cubbyhole stalls overflowing with everything from Moorish lamps to piled-high spices.

Getting to grips with the art of haggling and navigating the narrow alleyways can be challenging, so it can be helpful to go with a guide. On my last visit we were beckoned into a shop by a man selling carpets. We followed him into this beautiful old riad, and we sat and were given a cup of mint tea while he explained to us about the different patterns and weaves and how he knew just by looking at a rug where it had come from as each tribe in the mountain used different designs and had access to different colors.

The one thing about the souqs is that they can be quite overwhelming and it can be daunting if someone says “Do you want to come into my shop”, but once you have gained confidence and feel comfortable these are the types of experiences that will make your time in Morocco special.

Every Marrakesh visitor will find themselves in Djemaa El Fna, the city’s main square, at some point. During the day, it’s a throng of snake charmers, storytellers and bric-a-brac stalls, then at night, aromatic food stalls take over. I’ve had some of my best meals here — just look for the busiest vendor. Rubbing shoulders with the locals and listening to a storyteller, even if you can only pick up a few words, is an unforgettable experience.

A visit to the Amazigh villages of the High Atlas Mountains

When I first visited the High Atlas Mountain range, I couldn’t quite believe I was just 45 minutes from the hectic souqs of Marrakesh. Honking horns and lively chatter are replaced with birdsong and the woosh of the wind cutting through the valleys, while views of twisting streets are switched with juniper-speckled peaks that lap each other into the distance and appear rust red in the morning light.

A visit here, even just for the day, offers a peaceful respite from city life. But that’s not all. The region is also the heart of Amazigh culture, giving you a chance to meet the Indigenous communities who’ve been living in the mountains for centuries.

There are hundreds of villages built into the hillsides, but my recommendation is to spend the day at just one, where you’ll be welcomed into a family’s earthen home to bake bread and make tagine before sitting down to eat together. During my own visit, I also learned how to make mint tea the traditional way: poured from a great height to make sure it’s bubbly and brewed with almost an entire bag of sugar — the sweetest tea I’ve ever had.

Insider’s tip: A flying visit is enough for some, but I find a night or two in the mountains really helps me to unwind after a frenetic couple of days in Marrakesh. Slowing down the pace, you can hike through olive groves, past mud-brick houses, and to viewpoints where you can see the mountains fading into the horizon.

Desert stargazing in the Erg Chebbi

Erg Chebbi is the last outpost before the Sahara Desert’s sands unravel into Algeria. The region is known for its fossils and is a landscape of endless dunes. It’s quite unlike anywhere in Morocco and I’d recommend an overnight stay at a traditional Bedouin camp to do it justice.

Most travelers journey into the desert at Erg Chebbi by camel, making their way across the sea of dunes caravan-style. This is usually timed to catch the sunset, so you can watch the dunes light up in the day’s last rays; it was spectacular; one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.

To the untrained eye, the journey is a terrain of never-ending, wind-sculpted dunes, but the guide expertly leads you on a 45-minute trek over undulating sands to a camp, where you’re greeted by traditional drummers. After a mint tea with a Bedouin family, dinner is freshly prepared and eaten under a cloak of stars. The locals talk you through the constellations, giving you their Amazigh names, and as there’s no light pollution, it’s incredibly clear.

If you want to see the sun rise the next morning, a guide will tap on your tent around 4am and lead you up a giant-sized dune to watch it warm the sands.

Learning to cook Moroccan food in Fez

Like Marrakesh, Fez can be difficult to navigate — even more so, in fact — but that’s why I love it. You can get completely absorbed in local life, and it’s chaotic and different every time you visit. Fully expect someone to bump into you in the medina and not say “excuse me” — you’re part of their world here, and it’s an experience all the better for it.

One thing Morocco’s known for is its cuisine, so there are plenty of options if you want to take a cookery course. My preferred way to learn is with a family in their home, accompanied by an interpreter who can bridge the language gap. You’ll first head to the souq together to pick up ingredients before making a spread of food, including tagine, khubz (Morocco bread), and preserved lemons.

If you’d prefer to skip the cooking and go straight to eating, I can arrange a private food tour for you instead. The street food here is quite different from that in Marrakesh, making for a nice contrast. You might try bissara, a silky dip made from pureed fava beans, served with a drizzle of olive oil and scooped up with bread. There’s also seffa medfouna, which buries buttery saffron chicken beneath a mound of vermicelli, and you’ll come across more sweet treats than you can shake a honey dipper at. My advice? Arrive hungry.

Insider’s tip: Within easy distance of the city are the Roman ruins of Volubilis, where I encountered some of the best mosaics I’ve seen outside of Rome. Your guide can uncover the myths, legends, and truths behind each tiled scene.

If you want to gain an understanding of the history of the city, a visit to the Badia Palace followed by the Bahia Palace shows how Moroccan art and architecture changed over time. The 16^th century Badia is a more traditional Kasbah-style building, now in a semi-ruined state, with rough stone walls inhabited by storks. In contrast, at the 19^th century Bahia Palace, you can see intricately carved cedarwood doors, zellij tilework cover the walls and ceilings, and delicate plasterwork carving forms the peaks of alcoves and arches.

During my last visit to Marrakesh, I explored the city's lesser-known sites on a tour that took in the Jewish quarter, the Mellah, which translates as ‘salt’ in Arabic as that’s what they traded in back in the 16th century. Some of the balconied buildings are quite dilapidated, others have been sandblasted as part of a regeneration project, but the architecture is beautiful nonetheless with simple wooden balconies and dark wooden shutters. You also stop at a traditional bakery as they stock up for the day and watch workers firing coals for steam at a hammam; you don’t often get to see that side of the city.

To see a different side of the city you can take a new philanthropic tour to see the work women do as part of a project supporting divorcees and widows to earn a living. This was one of the highlights of my trip. I met local women weaving carpets in a dazzling assortment of tribal patterns and colors and a cooperative making the beauty product, Argan oil.

How much time should I spend in Morocco?

You’ll need around ten days to see Marrakesh, Fez, and Erg Chebbi. This is mainly because it takes a day each way to drive to and from the desert, so I recommend breaking up the journey with a couple of overnight stops. For a shorter trip, a week is enough to experience Marrakesh in depth, with a night or two in the mountains. And if you’d rather see the coast than the desert, I suggest visiting the former Portuguese fishing village of Essaouira, around three hours from Marrakesh.

When should I go to Morocco?

Morocco’s main city destinations and the desert are at their best during spring (mid-March to May) or autumn (September to October), when the weather’s comfortably warm and sunny. If you plan to stay in the High Atlas Mountains, I recommend visiting in April or October to avoid the snowy months and the intense heat of summer.