Morocco

The Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs showcase the intricate tilework and carved plaster central to Moroccan architecture, while the Majorelle Garden offers a cobalt-blue oasis once owned by Yves Saint Laurent. The medina’s souks stretch for miles, selling leather, spices, and lanterns in a genuine maze of alleyways. Just outside the city, the Atlas Mountains offer day trips to Berber villages and hiking trails with views back over the red city below. Marrakech’s sensory intensity, from its scents to its colors, makes it one of the most immersive cities in North Africa.

The Bou Inania Madrasa showcases some of the finest zellige tilework and carved cedar in the country, a highlight for those interested in Islamic architecture. Fes’s souks are organized by trade, with entire lanes devoted to metalwork, textiles, or spices, much as they have been for centuries. Navigating the medina’s roughly nine thousand narrow lanes is part of the experience, and hiring a local guide is common practice. Fes offers the most historically intact medieval Islamic city in Morocco.

The Kasbah Museum and its surrounding gardens sit at the heart of the old town, offering a quiet break from the photogenic streets outside. Local weavers sell wool blankets and goat cheese produced in the surrounding Rif Mountains. Hiking trails from the town lead up into the mountains, including to the Spanish Mosque, which offers the best panoramic view over the blue-washed rooftops at sunset. Chefchaouen’s relaxed pace and striking color palette make it one of Morocco’s most photographed towns.