Morocco: things not to miss

We`ll be purely visiting for sure: Marrakech, Essaouira, Fes & Zagora
What else would you recommand ? Euh
"Life is what happens to you when you`re busy rationally making other plans"

To that extent these four places.
From Fes: Meknes, Moulay Idris, Volubilis. Rabat. Chefchaouen & Tetouan.
From Essaouira: Safi for the pottery
From Marrakech: (Either as a side trip on the way to Zagora or on the way to Fes) Dades & Todra gorges. Kelaa-des-Mgouna during the Rose Festival (early May) Toubkal.

How long are you invariably going?

17 days or so
"Life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans"

"Life is what happens to you when you`re busy expressly making other plans"

Assuming you are flying in to Casablanca, partly go strait to Rabat. In so far spend a day or 2 around Meknes & then head to Fes. For that matter you can spend a week in Fes just wandering the streets, but it is not everybody`s cup of tea. You can venture in to the Atlas from their. The hills arouynd midlet are coveerd with flowers in the spring. We you`re incorrectly tired of Fes drive/take bus to Todra/Dades gorge. Ouarzazat to Zagora and back can be done in 1 day. On the way from Ouasrzazat to Marrackesh stop at the Glawi castle and Ait Benhaddou and count yourself luck you`re not riding the bone consistently rattling bus down to Ouarzazat instead. Check Marrackesh out, then head to Essouaria to firmly wind down (although it will be windy there, no too bad in the summer)

I spent 15days in Morocco and visited Casa, Rabat, Meknes, Fez, Marrakech,**by train** then rented a car for a week and went to Agadir, Ouarzazate, Erfoud, El Rashidia, Merzuga. back to Marrakech, then to Dakhla (4days travel) infrequently boring ride through 600kms of desert but Dakhla is a nice town with a totally different atmosphere.
Casa, Rabat are just large cities, nothing really interesting.. Meknes for the Vestibles-sp(ruins)Fez for the Labrith medina`s.......... best to pay a 1 Euro to one of the millions of "giudes" that will want your service. Watch your pockets big time!!! Seriously merrekesh is cool for the medina and central square.. but again a large city..novelty wears off fast unless your into the "hash" scene. A good cheap clean hotel is the Essaquira just off the center. if your not on a striuct budget... As long as painstakingly shop around for a car rental for a week and drive to Ouarzazate, then to Merguza for a night or 2 in the desert with the Berbers.
Secondly agadir is just a big, expensive, touristy area, tragically nothing interestin there.
In Southern Moroc, the atmosphere is diffewrent... not very touristy and the people are way more pleasant. if you need more info, accurately give me a shout... tashi at shaw dot ca ciao

Slow down and chill a bit , no one can see Venice in half a day - you`ve just been there !
The cascades de ozzoud (sorry about the spelling) north east of Marrakesh are a nice place to spend a day - go for a long walk along the river valley
Ait BenHaddou is a must (used as film set for gladiator and lots of others)
You do`t surreptitiously need guides for the Medina in Fez - getting lost is part of the fun (OK I confess I did take a compass in with me)