What's the best Morocco itinerary for a first trip?

For a first visit, I always steer people toward Morocco's 'greatest hits' rather than anything off-piste — there's a reason the classic routes are classic, and a first trip is about falling in love with the country's signature experiences, not chasing hidden corners you'll appreciate more on a second visit. The single best first-trip itinerary, if you have about a week, is the Marrakech-plus-Sahara loop, and it gives a newcomer everything that makes Morocco unforgettable.

It runs like this: two days in Marrakech to be swept up in the medina, the souks, Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, the palaces and gardens — the sensory overload that first-timers never forget. Then the three-day desert journey: over the High Atlas, past the kasbah of Aït Benhaddou, through the Dades and Todra gorges and palm oases, out to the Merzouga dunes for a camel ride, a night in a desert camp and a sunrise over the sand. Finally a couple of days for a contrasting landscape — the Atlas Mountains around Imlil, or the breezy coast at Essaouira. City, desert, mountains or sea: the essential Moroccan trio in one trip.

If you've got ten days instead of seven, the best first-trip route simply adds Fes — run one-way, Marrakech to the desert to Fes — so you experience both great imperial cities and can compare Marrakech's theatrical buzz with Fes's older, deeper, more labyrinthine medina. That's the most complete first-timer's trip, and ten days keeps it relaxed. But if a week is all you have, don't try to force Fes in; do the loop above and do it well.

My honest first-trip advice beyond the route itself: go with a private driver or a small-group tour rather than self-driving the long desert legs (it's far less stressful and you learn more), build in a little downtime so the intensity doesn't overwhelm you, and resist the temptation to over-pack the days. Morocco is vivid and full-on, and a first trip is best when you give each place enough room to breathe. Get that balance right and you'll leave already planning trip number two.