Should you start a Morocco trip in Marrakech or Fes?

Either works well, but most first-timers start in Marrakech because it has the best flight connections and eases you in with more tourist infrastructure, then travel one-way to Fes via the desert. Marrakech is the busier, more visited hub; Fes is the older, more traditional medina.

Starting in Marrakech and finishing in Fes (or vice versa) with a desert tour between them is the classic route, avoiding backtracking and letting you fly out of the other city. Fly into whichever has the better fare and schedule for you.

If you want to ease off the intensity, some people prefer to do hectic Marrakech first and calmer Fes at the end. There’s no wrong choice — the key is linking the two through the Sahara rather than doubling back.