What do I do if I have only a few hours in a city?

When time is genuinely short, the worst thing you can do is try to see everything — you end up sweating between half-glimpsed sights and absorbing none of them. So my rule for a few-hours stop is to choose one defining experience and do it properly. Better to soak up the single thing that makes a city itself than to tick five boxes in a blur. Decide before you arrive what that one thing is, walk in with a loose plan, and let the rest go without guilt.

For the big cities the choice is usually obvious. In Marrakech, head straight for Jemaa el-Fnaa and the souks fanning off it — the beating heart of the city, and in a couple of hours you can feel its whole character without ever seeing the Bahia or the gardens. In Fes, the move is the medina, ideally with a guide, because even ninety minutes inside the world's largest car-free old town with someone who knows the lanes gives you the tanneries, a medersa and the trades. In Chefchaouen, simply wander the blue-washed lanes of the old town with a camera; in Essaouira, the ramparts, the port and a fish lunch. One area, done unhurried, beats a city-wide dash every time.

If your budget stretches at all, hire a licensed local guide for those few hours, because it is the single biggest multiplier on a short visit. A good guide walks you efficiently to the things worth your limited time, gets you into places you would never find alone, decodes what you are looking at, and shields you from getting lost or hassled — in a maze like the Fes medina that easily triples what you take away. For a modest fee it turns a confusing rush into a focused, memorable couple of hours, and on a tight clock that trade is well worth making.

My honest guidance: be realistic and present rather than ambitious. Skip anything that requires a long transfer or a queue, stay close to where you can easily get back to your transport, keep your valuables secure in the crowds, and resist the urge to "just quickly also see" one more thing. A few unhurried hours in one characterful corner, ideally guided, will stay with you far longer than a frantic survey. Opening hours and guide availability vary, so confirm both if you are working to a tight connection.