So I messed up my vacation planning last year. Booked this 10 days morocco tour package from marrakech three days before flying out because my original Italy trip fell through. Figured Morocco would be fine – how different could it be, right? Wrong. So incredibly wrong. I’m writing this from my couch six months later, still thinking about those desert nights and already browsing flights back. My friends are sick of hearing Morocco stories, but whatever – they asked what happened on my trip. Marrakech Hit Me Like a Brick Wall (Good Kind) Airport pickup was chaos. Hassan shows up forty minutes late driving this ancient Mercedes that sounds like it’s dying but somehow purrs along perfectly. He’s apologizing in rapid Arabic-French-English mix while loading my bags and immediately starts planning my entire vacation. “You like adventure? Desert? Mountains? Shopping?” All yes, apparently, because suddenly I’m committed to this comprehensive Morocco tour starting Marrakech that sounds way more intense than my original “relax and see some sights” plan. First night in the medina nearly broke my brain. Every direction looks identical – red walls, narrow passages, identical wooden doors. GPS useless. Asked three different people for directions to my riad, got three different answers, all delivered with complete confidence. Found it eventually. Sort of. The riad owner, Mustapha, had to come find me wandering in circles two blocks away. He’s laughing, says it happens to everyone, brings me mint tea, and suddenly I’m not annoyed anymore. This hospitality thing in Morocco isn’t marketing – it’s real. Day Two: Djemaa el-Fna Nearly Killed Me (Worth It) Morocco medina exploration package sounds organized and safe. Reality? Pure sensory assault that somehow works. You’ve got snake charmers (real snakes, people), drummers whose beats vibrate through your chest, food smoke so thick you can barely see, and approximately ten thousand people all talking at volume level eleven. Made friends with Mohammed at the grilled meat stalls. Communication involved pointing, gesturing, broken Arabic phrases from my phone app, and lots of nodding. His lamb skewers were better than any restaurant meal I’ve had anywhere. Cost maybe two dollars. Still dream about that seasoning. Wandered into carpet shop “just looking.” Three hours later I’m drinking my fourth glass of tea, learning about knot patterns, and somehow negotiating for a rug I definitely don’t need. Ahmed (the seller) shows me photos of his family, asks about mine, explains how his grandmother taught him this business. By the time we agree on price, buying that carpet feels less like purchase, more like helping family. Still have the carpet. Still love it. Atlas Mountains: Reality Check Time Mountain drive from Marrakech took forever because I kept making our driver Youssef stop for photos. These views don’t exist where I’m from – snow-capped peaks rising from desert landscape like something from fantasy movie. Ait Benhaddou UNESCO site visit almost didn’t happen. Schedule said one hour stop. Ended up staying three hours because this place is insane. Ancient mud-brick city that’s.
Our trip to desert Erg Chebbi dunes was amazing. The gorges and the desert were spectacular. The food everywhere was delicious but most of all our guide Abdoul was a... read more delight. Our trip to Morocco will always have a special place in our hearts because of Abdoul. He was incredibly polite and courteous. He was patient and always was happy to stop where ever we wanted. His great love and respect for his country was wonderful to see and so rare in our modern times. He has a very positive effect on my children. We all felt very sad when our trip came to an end. On the plane as we were about to take off both of my children looked out of their windows and said " Thank you Private Desert Tours And Goodbye Morocco,
Manuelayp 30/05/2019
I already went on a desert tour with Abidine last february and I was absolutely amazed and stunned by the atmosphere in the desert and the insight I got in... read more both the nature and the culture and traditions of nomad life. It was an experience so different to everything I knew that I told my friends they should go on a tour as well. The five of us returned some month later to spend a whole week in the Sahara and we all loved it. Abidine is the greatest organizer I know, he thought about everything and cared about our wellbeing. He and the guides served us traditional food and at night we were telling stories at the bonfire. We could relax and enjoy the landscape and walking. I wish for everybody to once experience this. Thank you so much Abidine!
worldchild_mira 13/05/2019
Awesome trip! Our guide, Ismail, went above and beyond in every regard. Overall we had a great time and I highly recommend this trip to anyone that’s interested!
rjR8894FE 26/05/2023
Moroccan Magic! - Marrakesh to Chefchaouen 5 Day Tour - Our tour was positively epic!! Our guide, Ismail, was fantastic! We wouldn't have seen a fraction of what we did without this tour. The accommodations were top notch, and... read more the included meals were all delicious. Our first night in the Dades Valley was incredible, from the hospitality to the food. The trip to the Sahara was wonderful, and we truly felt like it was a movie! Riding camels, playing in the dunes, and awesome photo opportunities. Fez was magical; our accommodation was beyond our expectations with perfect hospitality. We had a guide through the old city, and he was very knowledgeable and ensured we experienced everything we hoped to! Chefchaouen was our last stop, and we had the evening and morning to explore on our own. Great shopping opportunities and everyone is so friendly!
To do this tour in 5 days is a lot of driving; however, the destinations and experiences are totally worth the hours in the car if you can't do the longer option. You will have many chances to stop on this tour, with some surprises along the way!
AdventuresFilTheSoul 22/06/2023
Me and another 3 friends went to morocco to spend a week there. We had the incredible luck of having Abdul as a guide for the whole trip. Not only... read more did he prepare all the points of interest to visit according to our demands and timetable, but he also ensured that we had the best of the experiences there: he drove us through the desert for the whole week with a smile, we listened to both his and our music while traversing amazing landscapes, stopping whenever we required to rest and eat at the places he recommended, which never disappointed. He also took us to the most remarkable cities and places: I will never forget our days at marraketch or the dunes in the desert and sleeping surrounded by them and the stars. 11 out of 10. I couldn't imagine a better guide for such a travel.
Fedestroncio 22/10/2019
We both had a fantastic time!. Abidine was wonderful . He was sweet, dependable guy who went out of his way to help us on many occassions. Thank you... read more for making the planning for us! You were easy to work with and very responsive. Thank you so much do the wonderful trip !
Mchicha F 31/05/2019
A Great Experience - We hired Private Desert Tours to take 4 of us around Morocco for 11 days, and we were more than pleased with our experience!
Starting with our communications with... read more Abiden, that were always promptly and professionally answered, to our days with Ismail, as our driver, we were more than happy!
Abiden set our tour up to take us where we asked, and had every detail covered. He had Ismail, our driver , meet us at the airport, and take us to our Riad. From that moment on, Ismail took care of us. He was an excellent, polite and courteous driver through all our long journeys around this amazing country! Every day Ismail got us where ever we were supposed to be. In the evening, he made sure we were settled at our Riad, before leaving us. Ismail would be at our Riad on time each morning to help us get our luggage to the car, and be on our way.
We journeyed from Marrakesh, to Essaouira, to Casablanca, Rabat, then Chefchouan, to Meknès, Merzouga ( the desert), and beyond with Ismail. We switched drivers before heading in through the High Atlas Mountains, as Ismail had to start with a new group. Our new driver, Adeel, was a very careful, confident driver through those rugged mountains, and on to Marrakesh.
In order to see as much of the country as possible, we put on a lot of kilometres. Some days had long stretches of driving, but we saw so many incredible wonders in this diverse and beautiful country!
Many thanks to Abiden, Ismail, and Adele for a trip of a lifetime!
Sue3020 16/11/2019
Our honeymoon in Morocco was unreal thanks to Abidine . The planning was seamless and stress free. We simply highlighted the destinations we wanted to visit and the rest was... read more magic. From the hotels, food and guides there was not one complaint. The culture, people and architecture is outstanding.
One highlight of our trip was the outstanding customer service. We received treatment as if we were staying at the Riad everywhere. Moroccan's are deeply invested in tourism. Our driver, Ismail was extremely professional and knowledgeable. He kept us safe and on schedule as well as provided great company. He tied the whole trip together and we could not have imagined a better trip leader.
I am recommending PRIVATE DESERT TOURS to all of my friends and family. We plan to use their service again in the near future.
stephankarbaja 05/05/2019
Memorable Experience! - With the coordination of Private Desert Tours we recently completed a tour of Morocco with another couple. We started our 11 day tour in Casablanca and completed it in... read more Marrakech. I cannot say enough positive things about our driver Ismail - he not only provided information during our drive, but he also coodinated tour guides, & ensured our accommodations were set. All around it was a memorable experience!
Eli M 18/11/2022
From day one, Abidine was extremely responsive and helpful with our questions and helping us with our decision on picking the right tour for our time frame in Morocco. Always... read more very pleasant and professional, we had no problem booking our tour for two
abroad. Thank you Abidine for all of your help and organization!
When our 3-day tour actually started, we had no idea we were in for the trip of our lives. Our driver and guide, Ismaï, was prompt and on schedule, yet patient and accommodating for us whenever we wanted to stop for pictures. Also, he was great company with lots of insight without being an overbearing tour guide. He knows his way around..he never had to look at the map!
All stops were culturally immersive and fun, especially the Berber guest house in Gorges Dades. Very kind people who took care of us and cooked us the best dinner we had in Morocco! Not to mention the camel trekking and staying in the Berber tent. An unforgettable nights.
This is the real deal for a tour. Private is not an understatement, it was just us two with our private drive and our time. We were so happy we weren't on the bus tours loaded with other tourists. Private Desert Tours has given us memories for all our lives and we will without a doubt recommend this tour to any friends or family who plan to travel to Morocco. Our dream is to return one day and we will be booking with Private Desert Tours again.