Morocco: Souks & Spices

The TopDeck Morocco trip was incredible. The places and length of stay in each place were great and I loved the chances to eat at local families homes. We were always shown through local craftmanship places which was amazing to learn about such as the silk weavers, tannery, mosaics and more. The information guide we received had info on the option extras we could do but we found we had to ask about those more than they were actually offered to us but they were still all arranged quickly if we asked. The bus trips are on the longer side which is expected to get around a whole country but we never really felt it as we stopped to see lots of things on the way and for lunch. Overall amazing trip.

This trip gives such an incredible deep dive into Morocco! The culture, the food, the landscape, the cities, the activities, and the shopping. Every day of this trip is drastically different to the previous days in the best way possible. There is a good balance between doing things and down time, and between travel/bus time and time in the different locations. If you're considering this trip, let this be your sign to just do it!

Great trip and tour manager!

The trip was very well organised and executed perfectly! Our trip leader Kalid was incredible! He knew all the locals which made us feel safe and assured everywhere we went. Kalid was so well organised and gave us plenty of warning of when we might need to tip, cover up, or anything else that might impact our enjoyment. Couldn't recommend this trip or leader enough. Only thing I would suggest is potentially adding another night in the desert giving time for more activities. Potentially losing the free day in chefchaouen to make up the days.

This trip was amazing! I loved all the stops/cities we visited. Chefchaouen in particular because other tours I considered didn’t include it. The only thing I would change is having more time in the Sahara, we really only had one afternoon there since we had to leave again early the next morning. I would’ve preferred another day or even leaving later in the day the next day so we could have opportunities for other desert activities like ATVs. There wasn’t really anything to do at the next location/hotel the next day so time would’ve been better spent in the Sahara. I liked all the hotels except for the first one in Casablanca - it was very outdated and the rooms were noticeably dirty. I liked that there were so many included meals also! Our tour guide Khalid was wonderful and I loved that he would always help us book restaurant reservations and have recommendations in each location.

Nacer was a great tour guide, very friendly and always available 24/7 in case you need anything. The only thing I would change is having 1 extra free day in the Sahara

The tour gives you a really good snapshot of what Morocco has to offer, you hit a lot of the main tourist spots. There is a lot of driving but the itinerary does pre warn you.

The trip itself including destinations visited and accomodation is the only thing I would recommend. Topdecks communication, preparation and app were poor at best and our guide lacked basic things that I would expect including carrying out a head count (he went to leave twice forgetting someone and only stopped when someone in the group noticed people were missing), communicating the schedule for the next day to the entirety of the group and sticking to the itinerary. I went on this trip upon recommendation from a couple of friends who I know had a very different and positive experience so the inconsistency deters me from using the company again. I would appreciate a call from Topdeck to discuss why we received such a poor experience.

I had a great time! Morocco was great and I saw a lot of unique things. Our guide Said was amazing! He was so patient and really went above and beyond and he booked for us some really cool experiences that I doubt that I would've done otherwise.

Was super happy with the whole trip, had an amazing group and tour guide Mouna. The Sahara was a highlight for sure. Some of the accomodation could have been better. The desert camp and the stay the day before the desert were exceptional. The accomodation in Chefchauoen was great too. Our guide was super informative and interacted really great with the group.

Trio was great and very fun, some scheduling things that felt like we travelled more than saw things although I guess that’s to be expected.

Amazing trip! Couldn't fault it at all. Our tour guide Jaouad was friendly and very informative. Our coach driver Khalid was always happy to help and really put the icing on the cake when, at the end of the trip, he bought us all a model of a small camel as a souvenir! The accommodation was much better than expected, certainly comfortable enough for a night or two. The range of cities we explored was fantastic and it was really helpful to have a guide to orientate us and provide recommendations in each place we visited. The Sahara Desert was everyone's favourite and the sunset camel ride was spectacular. Even though there were days of long driving, these were some of my favourite days as the scenery was stunning! Seeing the countryside in Morocco as well as the cities really made it feel like we were seeing the country as a whole, rather than just glimpses from touristy hotspots. The journeys were manageable as we never drove for more than 2hr 30 mins without a break and these travel days were often broken up by having a nice traditional lunch out or seeing some sights. Morocco is my favourite country that I have explored - thanks Topdeck!

Good value for money - some of the accomodation was lacking in facilities which made the stays slightly uncomfortable. No one was expecting 5 star accomodation, but a couple of nights the accomodation would be generous to get a two star. On the days where the lunches are non-negotiable, it would be easier to have them included in the cost of the tour.

The food, the Medina's, the dessert, the scenery, the culture, the people and `Mo our guide. All of it and so much more was amazing. Could not recommend highly enough going to Morocco with Topdeck!

Morocco is amazing!!!! The tour/trip was so-so. I believe the review is impacted by the tour guide, so you may have a better experience with a different guide. The below is based on my trip, and I ended my trip just before the earthquake in September 2023. Items to be aware of when booking the trip. - it’s a lot of driving! I would say almost half the trip is driving! This is a country I would want to return to, but I think I would do it by either flying between, or knowing I have a full day of travel between and staying longer in the places - you don’t see anything in Casablanca, so if that’s a key spot, I’d recommend going earlier (I went a day earlier and that was plenty) - our tour guide requested tip money - even though this is against Topdeck policy, and I brought this to their attention, but still was required to pay 500dih for tip - approx $50euro (it apparently went to the hotel staff, random activities not included within the guide, dinner staff (even after we paid a tip with our meal) - however I didn’t see any money exchange, so cannot confirm if it was spent on that) - tipping - it’s expected, but at restaurants, but like a coin here or there (10dir, 1 euro), but only if it’s great service. Some bathrooms do want coins, but it’s not heavily enforced (it’s more for the toilet paper) - accommodation - it’s a real mix - every basic (some with cockroaches) to really nice - just set your expectations to be a bit low - Fes - if there is specific things you want, ensure you tell the guide, as you do the Medina as a group (other Medinas you can do on your own) - Fes dinner - I don’t recommend going to the group dinner - food is very average and very overpriced. There is a “show” but I sat in a spot where you couldn’t see much, and I would have preferred more a authentic dinner (everyone was a tourist at this dinner) (meal was 250dir - approx 25 euros - plus money for water/drinks, when my meal the night before was less than 10 euros and included soft drinks, and tip) - souvenirs - I’d you see something you like, just buy it! Others on the group wanted coasters, and were told to wait to Fes, I bought mine in chefchaouen, but once we got to Fes, the coaster place was the mosaic place where prices are $$$ and the others wanted to pay less an 10euro for a set, and we’re quite annoyed. I recommend any time you see something, just get it - the chances of finding the stall again are slim, and you never know if you’ll find it again. - stamps - if you want to send a postcard, you can only buy stamps at the post office, and it shuts early (around 4pm), but Marrakech airport has a post office Overall, I loved the country, but the tour was below my expectations, which I think was mainly because of the tour guide (unorganized, rude, giving incorrect information (example coasters)) This is certainly a country where you could do it by yourself - just would take a little more time for planning, but you could stay in some amazing riads, and everything is on your time, and you see and do what you want!

Fantastic trip through Morocco, our guide was amazing and always ready to help everyone out with additional activities. Chefchaouen, the Medina of Fes and the Sahara were highlights. The camel ride at sunset and then climbing the dunes for sunrise is something I will never forget. Too many good moments to mention, highly recommend this trip if you are interested in North Africa.

An absolutely incredible trip through a beautiful and diverse country!

Exactly what I was looking for. Perfect balance of cultural experiences, fun with the group, and quiet time to explore or rest. And the tour guide, Fouad, was phenomenal!

Pros: Amazing food experiences! The best part was getting invited to homes of local families and experiencing amazing home-made local cuisine. They were so warm and friendly and hospitable! One of those nights even ended in garbing traditional attire and dancing! Cons: We spent way too much time travelling from one place to another on the bus. We were running behind on most activities daily.

Morocco is a beautiful country and I felt completely safe with the tour!

Idk how this is different than what I created above.

Once arrived, the trip went smoothly. If there were anything I could suggest it’d maybe be an extra day in the desert to relax and appreciate the surroundings. Apart from that, it covered everything I wanted, and went for the perfect amount of time.

I am very happy with the tour overall and liked that I could see a little bit of each city. I feel like I got a well-rounded view of Morocco. However, I felt that the day in Fes was a bit rushed and that we were just taken to different places and exploited for our money. We were taken to several different shops and learned a lot about the different products they sell in the markets, but ultimately felt like the group was being herded around to spend money at overpriced shops that the tour guides had prior agreements with. In one instance, Ali G had mentioned that some scarf shops sell cheap scarves that run color when wet. He, of course, ditched us during the day in Fes and the local tour guide took us to one of these shops that sell "cheap scarves" and each paid between 100-200 moroccan dollars for each because that was the "lowest price" and we were rushed to get to the next destination. As soon as Ali sees us with the scarves, the first thing he does is put water on one and sees it run where he makes a comment about how they're cheap and makes us feel stupid. The day in Fes could've been planned out better where we could've been given more time to look on our own without feeling like we were being herded around to spend money.

This trip was amazing, couldn't have asked for a better guide or group of travellers.

accommodations were what i expected and the meals that work included were good.

My Moroccan Explorer trip was an incredible adventure. Ever since I watched Casablanca as a teenager I’ve wanted to explore this amazing country and I can certainly say that cities such as Marrakech and Fes exceeded my wildest expectations. The camel ride through the Sahara, though... Wow! Just wow! It was a bucket list item for me and I almost cried when I saw the sun set and rise over the dunes.

the tour guide - ali g - was amazing. WOW! Blown away by his duty of care for the group and knowledge of Morocco. Mohammed, his assistant was also amazing- best tour I have done. Beats contiki and sail croatia

Really great trip. Awesome leader. Got to see some amazing sights and experience a night in the Sahara!

Couldn't have asked for a better tour, it was the perfect pace, great hotels and amazing food. We were lucky enough to just have 3 of us on our tour, and it felt like a private tour with new friends!