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.
Found this company on the website and from the start Abidine was really fantastic. He was very quick in replying and accommodating to our requests. We did a 10 day... read more trip with them. We were met at Marrakech airport by our driver Ismail. I think luck was on our side when we got this guy. He spent the next nine days with us. He was a fantastic driver, yet cautious and caring about our needs. Every night he would escort us to our Riad and did not leave till we were settled in. True regard for us. The highlight, of course was the desert trip. Ismail was born and raised in the desert, so was no stranger to the surroundings, which made us very comfortable. He turned out to be a good musician, playing the drums at the night get together around the fire. The trip included going to Essaouira, Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Fes, Dades Valley, Aitbenhaddo, among other very interesting places, all taken care of by PDTours. We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful scenery, the local people, the tantalizing food,the camel ride and the magic of the desert all in part to Ismail. I highly recommend this company and I cannot say enough about our driver, as the driver can dictate how your vacation will be and ours was extremely good.
oddyoboy 08/12/2019
Totally dependable. We definitely would use them again. - Attentive, reliable, responsive. No surprises! From start to finish, every stops along the trip, local guides, every places to stay except one were tops. Excellent driver. What a wonderful trip!
P8185FYstephenn 15/11/2022
Couscous’s Desert Camel - Excellent ride through the desert on the Japanese camel. Truly hilarious, unique and amazing out-of-this-world experience.
Ryan J 09/03/2023
My friend recommended this private desert tour once he got back from his trip to Marrakech. He talked highly about Abidine and his team. I was worry about the heat... read more and some other logistics stuff but my confidence got boosted up as Abidine was very responsive and gave us a lot of informations. We were blessed to have Ismael as our driver and travel companion. Abidine and Ismael really took my worries away. Ismael was very on time yet very flexible with our requests. I could not memorize all the places he took us to but all of these places made my Morocco experience completed. Some of the tours that really stays in my heart is the visit to Ait Ben Haddou, the Berber house where Beber womens make rugs, and of course the Sahara adventures. Ismael was not only our driver, he also become a friend for a life time. It’s amazing how trust built in only a day. That’s how sweet and good he is. His driving is very good as well. My husband said he feel save traveling with him. When Ismael performed the Berber music in the camp, it was a perfect icing on the cake. I definitely going to recommend this tour to every single people I know who will go to Morocco! All in all.....SUPER!!!
Pancaliputri80 25/09/2019
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
Amazing experience - This year I decided to do my yearly birthday trip in Morocco and I knew I wanted to see more than just Marakesh. I found PDT via Google and after... read more a few emails back and forth Abidene managed to tailor the tour to my desire (from Marakesh to Dades valley, desert, Fes, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Casablanca and back to Marakesh)
The tour itself was lovely, we met very hospitable local people and learned a little bit about the history of Morocco, even managed to forget my fear and rode a camel.
Ismail, our driver, was very nice, friendly and most importantly was an excellent driver which is quite a quality to have here:))
On my birthday (even though I kept it a secret), I was surprised with a birthday cake and a present to remember the trip. Kudos also to the Fes local guide that was amazing and managed to organize for me a lot of tiny surprises on my birthday. He made us regret not spending more time in Fes, maybe next time.
Overall the tour was memorable experience that I definitely recommend. We will definitely book another tour with PDT when we visit Morocco again.
Isabella B 14/06/2023
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
I must say we really enjoyed the 3-day tour especially the hours in the Sahara, Dades, Todra and Ait Ben haddou as well as the 2 hotels & restaurants that... read more you recommended. These days serve a big break for us after lots of hassle in Marrakech as we were couple so outstanding there. Abdou, our driver, was very nice, friendly & helpful and he is the type person that does not keep you on talking which perfectly fits our style. Last not not least, thank you Abdoul of taking care of us during the 3 day and we'll not hesitate to recommend Private desert tours
761sabrines 31/05/2019
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
Incredible Memories Made! - My partner and I stayed in Morocco for 12 days in January 2023 and discovered Private Desert Tours only a week before we were due to arrive. The 5 day... read more tour slotted in perfectly with our gap in the middle of our holiday. It was the last thing we booked, and anytime we visit Morocco again, a tour with Private Desert Tours will be the first thing we book. It was honestly brilliant!
Our guide/driver Ismail met us at our Riad in Marrakech and could not have been more helpful. He was welcoming, chatting to us about places we were passing, teaching us phrases and we wouldn't have seen even a fraction of Morocco if it wasn't for Ismail. He really made this trip such a wonderful and relaxed experience.
The highlight for me was camel riding and visiting the desert as it was truly magicial and it's somewhere I will go back again and again.
If you're thinking of doing a tour I cannot recommend Private Desert Tours enough, communication was exceptional, if we had any questions we could ask via whats app and get a quick response. It felt like they really cared about giving us the best experience. (And we really did).
We cannot thank Private Desert Tours and Ismail enough for giving us the best experience and best start to 2023. Thank you for the incredible memories!