Marrakech

The beating heart of Marrakech and a UNESCO 'masterpiece of oral heritage' — a vast square that transforms at dusk into a carnival of storytellers, musicians, snake charmers and smoking food stalls. Chaotic, overwhelming and utterly unforgettable; watch it come alive from a rooftop café, then dive in.

A dizzying labyrinth of covered markets north of the square — lantern-makers, leather, carpets, spices, slippers and metalwork, each trade in its own alley, the light falling in shafts through the slatted roofs. Getting lost is the point; haggle hard, and start at a third of the asking price.

A dazzling 19th-century palace of carved cedar ceilings, zellij-tiled courtyards and tranquil orange-tree gardens, built to be the finest in the land. The most beautiful and accessible of the city's palaces, and a cool, serene escape from the medina outside; go early to beat the tour groups.

The exquisite cobalt-blue villa and garden created by painter Jacques Majorelle and later saved by Yves Saint Laurent — bamboo, cacti and lily ponds in electric blue and yellow, with a superb YSL museum next door. A serene, gorgeous hour; book a timed ticket to skip the queue.

The 12th-century mosque whose soaring minaret is the symbol of the city, visible from everywhere and floodlit at night, in gardens beside the Jemaa el-Fnaa. Non-Muslims can't enter, but the tower and the rose gardens around it are a lovely, calm counterpoint to the square's chaos.

The lavishly decorated 16th-century mausoleum of the Saadian dynasty, sealed up and forgotten for centuries until rediscovered in 1917 — carved cedar, gold leaf and Carrara marble over the graves of sultans. Small, exquisite and moving; go early, as the narrow entrance queues badly.

The largest Islamic college in Morocco, a 14th-century marvel of carved stucco, cedar and zellij around a serene reflecting courtyard, recently beautifully restored. The single most breathtaking interior in the medina, and blissfully calm; a masterclass in Moroccan craft.

The vast, roofless ruins of what was once the most magnificent palace in the Islamic world — now sunken orange gardens, storks nesting on the ochre ramparts, and echoing courtyards you can climb for a view over the medina. Atmospheric, romantic and gloriously faded; a favourite of the storks.

As night falls, the square fills with smoking grills and communal benches — skewers, merguez, harira soup, snails in broth, and sweet mint tea, all pointed at and priced on the spot. Cheap, theatrical and delicious; pick a busy stall, and eat where the locals eat.

Steam, black soap, and a vigorous scrub on a hot marble slab — the Moroccan bath ritual, from cheap-and-authentic neighbourhood hammams to plush spa versions with rose petals and massage. Blissful after days pounding the souks; the fancier ones cluster in Hivernage and the riads.

Sweet, hot mint tea — 'Moroccan whisky' — poured from height into little glasses, sipped on a medina rooftop as the sun sinks behind the Koutoubia and the call to prayer rolls across the city. The essential Marrakech pause; every café worth its salt has a terrace.

A restored palace garden hidden in the heart of the souks — Islamic and exotic gardens around fountains and pavilions, with a tower to climb for a rooftop view over the medina. A cool, tranquil pause exactly where you most need one; a green secret behind the market walls.

Slow-cooked in a conical clay pot — lamb with prunes and almonds, chicken with preserved lemon and olives, or a fragrant vegetable version — served bubbling with warm bread. The soul of Moroccan cooking; eat it in a candlelit riad courtyard for the full effect.

Amble through the palm groves on the city's edge on a camel at sunset, robed guides leading the way, the Atlas pink on the horizon — a gentle, touristy but genuinely lovely taste of the desert without the long drive south. Best in the golden hour, followed by mint tea.

Marrakech surprises after dark — glamorous rooftop bars, dinner-shows with belly dancing, and big nightclubs, mostly in the modern Hivernage strip and the riad-lounges of the medina. Dress up, and know that drinks (and cover charges) cost far more than the daytime city.