10 Best Things to Do When You Visit North Africa

Picture the sun dropping behind the dunes outside Merzouga and the whole camp going quiet at once. No phones. No chatter. Just wind moving over sand that had been shifting shape for longer than anyone could measure.

No North Africa itinerary earns its keep without at least one night in the Sahara. Merzouga and Zagora are the two main gateways in Morocco. Both put you on a camel for the ride out to camp: bumpy, slow, and completely worth it once the dunes turn orange at sunset.

We run small-group and private desert tours with local Berber guides who have worked these dunes their whole lives, and it shows. You get real stargazing spots, not a tent pitched wherever’s convenient. Bring a scarf for the sand and layers for the cold desert nights; the drop after sunset catches most first-timers off guard.

Marrakech’s medina is built to disorient you, and that is the point. Djemaa el-Fna square turns into an open-air theater after dark: snake charmers, orange juice stalls, food carts sending smoke into the evening air.

The souks branching off it sell everything from hand-loomed rugs to spices piled into cones. Bargaining is expected, not rude. Start at roughly half the asking price and work up from there. Don’t be afraid to walk away. The offer usually improves before you reach the door.

Tucked into the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen paints its old town in every shade of blue, from powder to nearly navy. Nobody fully agrees on why it started. Theories range from a Jewish refugee tradition to simple mosquito deterrence; take your pick.

Wander the alleys in the early morning light, before the day-trippers arrive from Fes and Tangier, and you’ll get one of the more peaceful mornings Morocco has to offer.

Egypt’s temples and tombs are scattered along a stretch of river that is easiest to see from the water. A multi-day cruise between Luxor and Aswan lets you wake up at a different ancient site each morning: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Kom Ombo, Philae, without the long overland transfers between them.

For travelers who want the comfort to match the history, a luxury Nile River cruise adds private balconies, onboard dining, and guided excursions timed to avoid the worst of the midday heat. That last part matters more than it sounds like it would in Upper Egypt, where afternoon temperatures can shut down sightseeing entirely.

The Pyramids of Giza sit closer to modern Cairo than most people expect. You can see the Great Pyramid from a rooftop cafe a few miles away, traffic and all. Go early, before the tour buses from the cruise ports and airport hotels arrive.

Set aside time for the Sphinx too, and for the newer Grand Egyptian Museum nearby, which finally gives Tutankhamun’s collection the space it deserves.

Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh get most of the attention, but the reef systems along Egypt’s Red Sea coast are some of the most accessible in the world for beginner divers and snorkelers. Visibility regularly runs past 20 meters, and the water stays warm enough for a light wetsuit most of the year. Add two or three days here after a Nile cruise or a Cairo stop, and the whole rhythm of the trip changes.

Just outside Tunis, the ruins of Carthage are quieter than their history deserves. This was once a rival to Rome, levelled and rebuilt more than once, which says something about how the story ended. The Antonine Baths and the archaeological park spread out along the coastline, so plan for a slow half-day rather than rushing through. Pair it with nearby Sidi Bou Said.

A short taxi ride from Carthage, Sidi Bou Said is all whitewashed walls and blue doors overlooking the Mediterranean. It is touristy by Tunisian standards, but it’s worth a visit anyway. The views from the clifftop cafes earn it, especially with mint tea and pine-nut coffee in the late afternoon, when the light turns gold over the water.

In southern Tunisia, the Berber town of Matmata is built partly underground. Think cave-style pit dwellings carved into the rock, some of which doubled as Star Wars film sets and still operate as guesthouses today.

Spending a night in one is strange, memorable, and a good way to break up a longer overland route between Morocco and Tunisia, if your itinerary allows for the distance.

Between Marrakech and the desert, the High Atlas Mountains and the fortified village of Ait Benhaddou make for one of Morocco’s best driving routes. The kasbah itself has stood in for ancient Rome and Westeros in a long list of film and TV productions.

Walk its narrow mudbrick passages in early morning light, before the tour groups arrive, and it’s obvious why. Stop in a Berber village along the way for mint tea, if a guide offers.

Final Thoughts

Ten stops barely cover what these three countries hold. But they’re a solid starting point for desert nights, ancient temples, and Mediterranean seas. The distances between Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia are shorter than they look on a map, and the contrast is exactly what makes a North Africa trip worth the extra planning.