Morocco 6-day Tours

The Mt Toubkal trip went really well and our leader Mohammad kept everything well organised. I was impressed with the quality (and quantity!) of the food provided throughout the trip. Accommodation was decent throughout with 4-5 sharing a room at the guesthouses and good sized tents while camping at the Mt Toubkal refuge.

The Mount Toubkal climb was one of the best travel experiences I've ever had. It was really challenging but the sense of achievement afterwards was incredible. I really loved that the tour included two days hiking through the valleys/staying in villages like Aroumd. It was great to get more of a sense of the lives of people who lived in the valley, as well as experiencing the extremes of the summit-climb itself. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a challenge and an adventure.

I know that the northern Morocco tour Tangier to Casablanca is a new tour. I enjoyed the authenticity of the villages and towns we visited. The food was incredible. I believe that this tour would be very successful if there was a variety of activities, less Medina tours and more time for shopping local in the markets.

Another faultlessly organized trip by this tour company that did exactly what it said on the tin. We actually stayed on in Marrakech for 2 extra nights as, our group of 5, had not been before. I can imagine it being quite a rush otherwise, which is obviously what the trip is all about - doing the mountain in a weekend. Marrakech was a lot nicer than I imagined before I went, wide boulevards, gardens and very friendly people. It's only the centre with the souks and markets that are busy are touristy. The hotel is about 40 minutes walk from the centre, but cabs are plentiful and cheap and at least the walk is straight forward. We were there in Ramadan, which was actually fine as all the restaurants (& bars) were still open, but empty and it didn't inconvenience us at all. Marrakech feels quite cosmopolitan and open, although I did find people really didn't like having their photo taken, even from a distance. There seems so much for sale in town, far more than would be possible for tourists to purchase, so sales techniques are tough - you should be prepared for that. The mountain itself is fine - on the first day you walk for 2.5 hours, have lunch, and then for a further 3, until you reach the refuge, which is surprisingly solid and well built. Mules take your main luggage and the muleteers will prepare your food for you at the refuge. The beds are in dormitory rooms, which if full, would be very cozy, but our group of 6 had a room to ourselves and plenty of room. The climb to Toubkal summit starts early on day 2 and is a stiff climb of around 3-4 hours, depending on breaks. You only really begin to appreciate the views once you're approaching the summit as up to that point, you're walking through a valley staring at the Toubkal mountain in front of you. The views from the top, however, are amazing and worth the climb. The temperature in June was, on day 1, HOT .. I got very sunburned so take hats and cream. The climb to the summit required only a thin fleece (June). On the way down, you will slip on the scree slopes, and likely end up on your backsides a few times, but it's great fun. Once back at the refuge for lunch, you then head back down the valley to the hotel in Imlil, which is basic, but actually very pleasant (but they don't have beer) and then back to Marrakech. June departures do not need warm clothes (although apparently waterproofs if it rains - it didn't for us). I managed with a light fleece on the summit day. The heat means you will drink a lot of water, so a bladder for your rucksack is very useful. You can buy water at regular intervals on day one, but not between the lodge and summit. The lodge does sell soft drinks, but these can run out late in the day (as everything is brought up by mule) so buy some drinks on the route through the valley on day one.

Great trip, well lead by Omar who took care of everyone through week. Whilst the trio was tough in parts, Omar made sure that the pace was appropriate for everyone. I would highly recommend the trip.

Loved the whole experience although it was a challenge to me. Was v grateful for the patience of the 2nd guide with me, the slow one always last. Impressed by the standard of meals in spite of v basic facilities. Also impressed that the flimsy looking tents at base camp actually kept us warm and withstood a significant storm. They were v good. I would have liked an even slower pace to allow time not just to recover breath, but to appreciate the views and take photos more frequently. I was sorry for the others’ disappointment that the summit could not be attempted due to dangerous wind conditions, but I was satisfied to have made it to base camp. We were grateful to Explore for flexibility that was required to accommodate us in Aremnd due to a necessary early descent (because of the poor weather). That last place was the nicest. Omar was an excellent guide. Both he and Jamal had a great sense of humour, they did their job well, usually there was v good communication at every stage, and they were totally accountable with the tips. The first night in Hotel Kennedy was not v promising, as the toilet was broken, initially there were no towels or soaps and the room just a bit dowdy, so we were pleasantly surprised that the rest of the expedition met all expectations and upon our return, the room we had was significantly nicer. We were glad we had booked 2 extra nights.