Marrakech

Marrakech needs 3 days: the medina and Jemaa el-Fna square on one, the Majorelle Gardens and historic palaces on another, and a hammam or Atlas Mountains trip on the third. March-May avoids extreme summer heat, which can top 40°C. It's among North Africa's cheapest cities for tourists, with riads (traditional houses converted into hotels) at very affordable prices. Its medina, a labyrinth of over 9,000 alleys declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Jemaa el-Fna square, which transforms every night into a food and street performance market, have no equivalent elsewhere in the country.