Morocco

Morocco packs a rare diversity into a single country: centuries-old UNESCO medinas, the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas, an Atlantic coast swept by trade winds and the first dunes of the Sahara. Four imperial cities — Marrakech, Fes, Meknes and Rabat — chart a thousand years of history, while the kingdom's hospitality, cuisine and craftsmanship have built its reputation across the Mediterranean. A short hop from London or Paris, this is one of the most immersive escapes Europe-bound travellers can dream up: in a single week you can lose yourself in the souks of the Marrakech medina, sleep under the stars in a Saharan camp and trek beneath the 4,000-metre summits of the Toubkal massif. Few destinations cram so much variety into a country smaller than France.

What makes Morocco unique is the layering. Berber, Arab, Andalusian, sub-Saharan and Jewish influences have been weaving the same fabric for centuries, and the result is everywhere — in the architecture of the medersa, in the rhythms of Gnawa music, in the tagines simmering in clay pots and in the daily ritual of mint tea. The country has invested heavily in its tourist infrastructure (high-speed trains, modern airports, refined riads) without smoothing away the rough authenticity that makes it so compelling. For a first trip, focus on the imperial cities and the High Atlas; for a deeper dive, head out to the Atlantic coast, the deep south or the Rif mountains. Solo travellers, couples and families all find a comfortable rhythm here, and the practical basics — visa-free for most Western passports, a closed currency easy to handle on arrival, English steadily replacing French as the tourism lingua franca — make logistics straightforward.

Whichever route you take, Morocco delivers some of the best value for money in the wider Mediterranean basin: a boutique riad with a courtyard fountain and a roof terrace overlooking the medina goes for €60-90 a night, a tagine in a back-street gargote costs less than a London pint, and a guided day-trek into the Atlas with lunch in a Berber home rarely tops €40. Few countries offer this much travel for this little money so close to home.