Planning tip: While you're in the area, visit the imperial city of Meknes and the fantastically preserved ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. 8. Tangier During May and October, you can travel comfortably to Morocco’s portion of the Sahara Desert, avoiding the intense heat of summer and the cold nights of winter. If you come in summer, expect to find most desert camps closed from June to August due to the excessive heat, which soars over 100°F . Conversely, days are shorter during the winter months from December to February and the nights and early mornings can be freezing, particularly when sleeping under canvas. A 10-minute drive south of the Riffian city Al Hoceima, Plage Sfiha curves along the shore. It's a popular beach, with families lounging under umbrella seating and eating at restaurants during the summer, but its most remarkable aspect is the white-washed island just off the coast: El Peñón de Alhucemas, a Spanish-controlled post-colonial relic. Make your first stop on the scenic R203 (the A3 is a newer, faster, and tamer route to the Souss Valley and Agadir) in the pretty Ouirgane Valley, where you could while away a few days hiking and cycling, or just relax at Ouirgane Ecolodge. Then follow the sinuous road to the architectural wonder of the 12th-century Tin Mal Mosque, 18km (11 miles) from Mouldikht and the start of the pass. This country has a ton of beautiful places to visit, but don't try to see it all at once. Instead, select a few places based on your interests and start making plans for your next trip.

Along the beach you'll find restaurants serving fish, some with playgrounds for kids. Take a dip to cool off, or rent a jet ski or paddleboat from the marina to mix things up. At night, beach clubs bump and shimmer for the party crowd. 5. Sfiha Longer treks at Jebel Siroua (3,305m) include a dramatic volcano for those hardy hikers looking to spend several nights wild camping. As the oldest city in Morocco, Fez proudly keeps one foot firmly planted in the past. Its crumbling medieval medina is vast, and it's almost guaranteed that you will get lost wiggling your way through a maze of workshops, apothecaries and market stalls. The Kairaouine Library and Mosque houses the world's oldest library and is Morocco's renowned spiritual and study center. Ride-hailing apps, such as Uber, Lyft and Careem, are not available in Marrakesh, and getting a taxi can be a stressful experience. All drivers will insist their meter is "broken" and will quote prices up to 10 times the metered rate. Avoid getting taxis wherever possible, but particularly those waiting at stands that get a lot of tourist business: the airport, train station, Jardin Majorelle and virtually all those around the medina gates. You can usually get a better price by flagging a taxi down from the street. Detour: From Ouarzazate, follow the N9 southeast through the remote oasis outposts of the Draa Valley to M’Hamid on the fringes of the Sahara, where you can climb aboard a camel – or drive – to a desert camp among the dunes of Erg Chigaga. Tips for driving in MoroccoOnly a handful of top-end hotels have accessibly designed rooms. Booking ground-floor rooms is essential as few hotels have elevators, but accommodation in Gueliz is more likely to have them. Vision- or hearing-impaired travellers are poorly catered for. Hearing loops, Braille signs and talking pedestrian crossings are nonexistent.

The Rif (reef) is the greenest and most northerly of Morocco's mountain chains. It's an excellent place to explore, especially on foot. There are plenty of good hikes, particularly in Talassemtane National Park. You might also like: Keep your papers to hand for any dealings with the police. There’s no legal drunk-driving limit, so drivers should strictly abstain. Closed for renovations now is the Batha Museum in Fez but a sparkly new version is due to open its doors again in January 2023, located as before in the old summer palace of the sultan with its lovely garden. The Heri Es-Souani granaries in Meknes are also being restored and are scheduled to reopen sometime in 2023 (insha'Allah). And slated to open in September this year is the spectacular, Zaha Hadid-designed Grand Theatre in Rabat.Take some time to connect with the Imazighen people living in the region. A glimpse into their simple life and grounding way of being is food for the soul. 2. Marrakesh The souqs are filled with fake tennis shoes, which are just that: fakes. Many Moroccans don't care whether their Nikes are original; they just want the best price for the latest styles. 6. Cash or card? Buses are a wallet-friendly way to crisscross the country. The two major national bus companies offer a reliable, comfortable service – you’ll even get wi-fi and extra leg room if you go for the “luxe” option. Detour: Stay atop the hill overlooking Plage Sfiha at Casa Paca, a friendly bed-and-breakfast run by the half-Spanish, half-Moroccan owner, Joaquin, and his wife, Nabila. Dinners here are delicious. Open June to October. 6. M’Diq

For the first half of the 20th century, Tangier was one of the Mediterranean’s most cosmopolitan resorts, an International Zone with a bohemian vibe beloved by the Beat Generation in the 1950s. With great fish and seafood – the town is renowned for its oysters – and a range of accommodation options, it's a popular weekend and summer retreat for Marrakshis and Casablancais, and the perfect destination for those in need of a break from the city hubbub.

Casablanca’s most iconic landmark is the Hassan II Mosque, one of the world’s largest mosques, open to non-Muslims on guided tours. The monumental prayer hall can hold 25,000 worshippers – another 80,000 can fit in the courtyards outside – and it showcases the finest Moroccan crafts, with hand-carved stucco, painted wood, and stunning zellige (mosaic tilework). Lonely Planet's Morocco is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore the Marrakesh medina, wander the blue alleyways of Chefchaouen, and chill on a Mediterranean beach; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Morocco and begin your journey now!

Toolkit - all of the planning tools for solo travellers, LGBTQIA+ travellers, family travellers and accessible travelThe fabled Red City of Marrakesh is a sensory overload of sights, sounds and smells. Its ancient medina is a maze of narrow streets with the Djemaa El Fna – arguably Africa’s most famous square – at its heart, and its nightly circus of storytellers, snake charmers and musicians. Marrakesh will satisfy the most insatiable shopaholic. The labyrinthine passageways of the souq are devoted to everything from aromatic spices to leather babouches (slippers) and shaggy wool rugs, with artisans weaving, hammering, and carving out their wares as they’ve done for centuries. And now homegrown and ex-pat designers are working alongside them, giving age-old crafts a contemporary twist. A mixture of French, Arabic, Amazigh and English is spoken in Morocco, depending on where you are in the country. Don't expect everyone to speak English. Apps like Google Translate can be useful, but learning some basic Arabic phrases will reward you with feeling more connected and engaged with people you meet. 8. Respect the motto of ‘God, king and country’