Grand Tour of Morocco

The Grand Tour of Morocco was one of many highlights and contrasts, from busy souks, tanneries, mosques, deserts and the high atlas mountains. Our excellent guide Hassan made our trip run smoothly and always gave our group of 8 an orientation tour when we arrived in a new place. Restaurants and cafes were booked for us, many with upstairs views of the surrounding area. Having separate guides in Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen and Meknes gave us a greater insight into those places and the Moroccan way of life. We were welcomed into a family home of the driver,( mint tea and sweet delights) a Berber home of Mohammed and Miriam for a Moroccan lunch. We had several long days of driving, stopping frequently for comfort and photo breaks but were rewarded with stunning scenery, busy markets and watching Moroccans going about their daily lives. We visited community projects- argan oil production, potteries, weavers, silver artwork and many more. A great trip to see Morocco- full circle.

Hassan our guide was a very flexible, patient and accommodating person who always had a smile. Any issues we had (such as a dirty bathroom at one of the riads) were brought to his attention and he dealt with them. Overall a well-paced and interesting tour with a few things that might be looked at. Firstly, the camel ride (we have ridden on camels in many countries by now) was a real disappointment in that both myself and my spouse had open wounds on our backsides by the end of the rides. The saddles are 'tourist' ones that are not suitable for anyone. The Morabit Fossil 'factory' might be looked into as we are not convinced the fossils we were sold are genuine. The Fez tour was too much hard selling, also in shops that were overpriced and questionable as to their authenticity. The accommodations were better than rated or expected in general and almost all staff were helpful and friendly, with rare exceptions. One of the highlights was the family lunch with Miriam and Mohammad in the old village. A lovely experience and it felt like a positive one for direct benefit to the village itself. The different landscapes, environments and encounters were wonderful, and the activities a good balance overall. Our driver was also a lovely person who demonstrated good humour and accommodating us for special requests. More choice in the meals at certain places would have helped those of us who wanted only small snacks during the heat of the day. Some of the hotel restaurants were only providing meals late and after a long day, it's not always practical. Would recommend but also make it clear it is very 'full on' in that there are few days (2 I think) where you have downtime. The guides for various places were generally good and the nature walk in Sousa Massa especially interesting. A good balance and overview of activities, scenery and culture in Morocco. Chefchauoen was of course a highlight.

The Grand Tour of Morocco was a very good experience. Our guide Omar and driver Hussan were excellent. Hussan kept our minibus spotless and was always warm and friendly, helping out wherever he could. Our guide Omar went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. He was always available to solve any issues that came up, and tried to cater to our group to make sure we had what we needed and wanted. We only had seven people on our tour, which made the 14 passenger seat minibus (which was brand new) very comfortable. We had a good combination of group activities and independent time on our own. I was a solo traveller, and enjoyed getting to know everyone on the tour. The tour was in February, which turned out to be a great time to be in Morocco. It was cool in the morning and evenings, and comfortably warm in the afternoon. Bring warm sweaters and a good jacket if you visit in February. The best part was there weren’t too many tourists around making sites easier to visit and restaurants easier to get a good table. I found the Moroccan people to be very friendly, and I never felt unsafe anywhere we went. Our guide made sure we had our bearings in each new city or town we stayed in so it was easy to get around. The accommodations ranged from very good to shabby. I don’t mind basic accommodation as long as it’s clean, but one hotel we stayed for two nights was run down and not clean. The Riad we stayed in on our last night was beautiful and very comfortable. I also really enjoyed both nights at the Nomad camps in the desert. There were some very long days on the minibus (six to eight hours of driving on a few days), but our guide made sure we had stops to stretch our legs. We covered well over 3000 kilometres on this tour, which provided a great opportunity to really see the country. I would highly recommend this tour so long as you’re prepared for the full on pace and some long days. Again, I can’t say enough how much I appreciated our guide and driver.

This was an eccellent trip as it was so varied. We spent time in cities as well as in deserts and we travelled through the Atlas .mountains

The Explore 20-day Grand Tour of Morocco was excellent! Having a few extra days versus the usual 15-day trip gave us time to explore extra areas and have additional adventures, such as a camel trip and overnight glamping in the desert, enjoying the desert stars and quiet. I feel we got to know Morocco, from the impressive cities, the ancient buildings, to the natural areas--Morocco has it all! Our tour leader was excellent as well, and the food measured up to the delicious reputation. Highly recommended trip.

Very comprehensive and wonderfully varied tour with a lovely and knowledgeable leader, Omar. Some long driving days, but with stops for short visits. Mixture of hotels, some better than others, but all authentic and interesting. Food was often sadly disappointing and unvaried. Would be good if some research could be done on safe restaurant options in the towns on the itinerary. Two trips into two deserts for overnight stays were particularly impressive. All in all I would definitely recommend this tour.

The grand tour is exactly that: full circle of Morocco, 3800 km in 19 days, so be prepared for several full days in the bus. The small group is great and the team leader Mohamed and driver Abdul were excellent. The tour is well put together. Good balance of activities and free time. I would have passed on the last days of bus and spent more time in the Atlas mountains but it would not have been a Grand Tour. The hotels and bus were comfortable. The desert camps were great and you can bring wine :) Pack light, layers, one rain coat and a light jacket. Modest clothing is recommended for women but you can wear short sleeves and long shorts. Sneakers are enough, no need for hiking boots. Morocco is not expensive. My daily budget was 30$ and 100$ tips for the entire trip. Overall lots of fun and great value.

Found the tour too long. Rather than spending two days in Chefchaouen an extra day in Marrakesh would have been appreciated. The trip notes should indicate in all cases the duration of time on the bus. The camel ride to and from an overnight camp was excellent. The 4WD and overnight camp for me was then redundant. Day 16 involved an extra 1 1/2 hours each way on the bus to stay at Riad Haida. Although the Riad was lovely for me it didn’t warrant the drive, especially as there was nothing to do at the location. Essaouira was a big disappointment and the Riad was awful - musty odour, poor service. One day there would have been more than sufficient. Our tour guide, Mohammed, was excellent adding extras such as a visit to a Nomad Camp and a walk along the river at Todra Gorge. Throughout the trip he was patient, had a great sense of humour, answered our many questions even if they weren’t always pc, and always found a solution to whatever situation arose.

It was a "grand" tour! It covered what we wanted to see, do and experience in Morocco. Our tour guide, Moha, was well informed and very patient in accommodating the needs of all in the group. He dealt with all situations with good humour. The local guides enhanced the experience in understanding the Moroccan people and their culture. Our own special highlights included... Chefchaouen, eating with a family in Fes, both visits to desert camps, particularly the camel ride, walking in the Todra Gorge, eating fish in Essaaouira and not forgetting getting lost in the souks. A lot of travel but each journey was fascinating with many points of interest. Thank you Explore for another great experience. (4))