Fez

Entering the winding streets of Fez is like stepping back 1,000 years. See for yourself as you wander the medina, thought to be the world's biggest car-free urban environment. Among the bustling lanes, you'll glimpse ancient mosaics glittering alongside donkey stables, stalls heaving with multicoloured leather and grills fragrant with sizzling meats. Listen to the Islamic call to prayer ring out over spice stands and the famous tannery in this kaleidoscope of a city.

Many Fez hostels are converted riads with peaceful courtyards for chilling out. You could stay in a 17th-century Fasi home or go luxury with a courtyard pool and hammam. One Fez hostel hosts regular family dinners for guests while another acts as a creative centre, keeping the artistic identity of Fez alive with artists-in-residence and cultural events. Most hostels in Fez have free breakfast, served with mint tea. Free city maps come in handy for your first trip to the medina.

The main area for visitors to Fez is the old town, Fes el Bali. Enter the medieval medina through the ultra-photogenic Blue Gate. You can hop between palaces and bazaars for hours without crossing the same street twice. For respite from the narrow lanes, spend time among the palm trees and fountains of Ville Nouvelle, the New Town. Here you can sip cocktails in trendy bars and shop without having to haggle.

Chouara Tannery, with its old-world stone barrels full of coloured dye, is what most visitors to Fez want to see. Al Quaraouiyine Mosque is one of the oldest universities in the world, and you can glimpse the intricately finished interiors through the library. Another way to experience the medina is to hike to the Marinid Tombs at sunset and look down on the action below. A 30-minute taxi ride will take you to Moulay Yacoub for authentic public hammams fed by natural spring water.

You'll get into town from Fes-Saïss Airport by taxi. If you're coming from elsewhere in Morocco, several buses arrive daily to the bus terminal in Ville Nouvelle from Marrakesh, Casablanca and Chefchaouen. As the medina in Fez is car-free, your best option within the city is just to walk. Otherwise, taxis are readily available in Ville Nouvelle should your feet need a bit of a rest. Travelling on to a smaller destination? You can catch a shared 'Grand Taxi' at hubs across the city.