The short answer
Essaouira is the gentlest: a small medina that is hard to get lost in, a slow pace and an easy traveller crowd. Chefchaouen is similar, walkable and full of guesthouses with shared tables. Marrakech is intense on day one but rewarding once you find your feet. Fes is the deepest experience, but hire a licensed guide for its medina.
In more detail
Size matters for a solo traveller. In Essaouira and Chefchaouen you can cross the medina in minutes, so you never feel lost for long, and the cafés and guesthouses throw people together. Both are good places to start a solo trip or to rest in the middle of one.
Marrakech has the most touts around its headline sights, and Jemaa el-Fna is high-voltage. Give it a day to adjust, then explore the quieter quarters away from the main lanes. Rabat is one of the least pressured cities for walking alone.
For the mountains, solo trekking in the High Atlas around Imlil works well with a licensed guide, and the Berber villages are welcoming. For the Sahara, joining a small group for the desert leg is the economical choice for one person, since a private car costs the same for one as for four.
Good to know
- Book the first night and the airport pickup before you land.
- Riad breakfasts and rooftops are where solo travellers meet.
- Ask riads for a single-room rate.