This is a good tour if you are starting out in Casablanca and would like to hit big highlights in Morocco in a short time, ending up in Marrakesh after 4 days. Two travelers: My wife and I (in our early-mid 30s) enjoyed it very much, though there is still room for improvement.
Our driver and de factor tour guide was Mohammed who stayed with us for all 4 days, and the coordinator behind the scenes was Mohan, whom we communicated with via Whatsapp.
Day 1: Mohammed picked us up at the CMN airport shortly after we landed. Oddly, Mohan told me there was an extra 40 Euro fee to be picked up at the airport instead of in the Casablanca, and this wasn't made clear in the tour description. So beware of that. Airplane landed at 9 AM and found our driver around 10 AM. Because of the late morning start and how Casablanca downtown is a 30 minute drive from the airport, we sadly had to skip it and went straight to Rabat. In Rabat we visited Kasbah of the Udayas with a beach and ocean view, Hassan Tower, and Mohammed V Mausoleum. Lunch in Meknes with minor sites of interest. By late afternoon we arrived in Fes and had just enough time to view the famous tannery as well as a ceramics workshop. Riad Sara where we stayed was gorgeous and we had a free evening to find dinner and wander inside Fes El Bali the walled medina.
Day 2: We started early morning in Fes, drove by the Royal Palace and took pictures. Next stop was Ifran which jarringly changes to an Alpine aesthetic and has a large lion statue. Next was a roadside stop in Azrou where you can walk up to monkeys, feed them, take pictures. This is the day with the most driving by far: going through the Middle Atlas Mtns doesn't sound too exciting, but the scenery is amazing and varied, including rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, rocky crags, and desert dunes, with the occasional coffee/bathroom/lunch break. We passed by places that apparently are fossil digs. Driver dropped us off at Merzouga and we were handed off to "Africa Luxury Camp" (google them for more info). We rode camels at sunset (great pictures) to the camp in Erg Chebbi. We arrived for tea, dinner, then drums and singing by the bonfire (a bit cheesy but you may like it). Sleep in a comfortable private tent with own bathroom and shower. It was December so quite cold (40s) with no heating but the bedding is warm.
Day 3: This is Gorge day. Wake up and watch the sunrise and have breakfast. We rode SUV back to Merzouga. Driver picked us up, quick stop in Rissani, then next Tinghir which was the most disappointing experience. We were handed off to a local Berber tour guide who walked us around the city and talked about history and culture which is good. We were told we would visit a Berber family, turns out they weren't home (uh huh), so we were brought to another house which was basically a rug merchant. Now there's nothing wrong with this stop, in fact our host showed us many beautiful rugs and allowed picture taking, but after a while he asked us which rug we liked and for what price, and we were blindsided by this. This was followed by 30 minutes of haggling for a thing we didn't even want to buy but couldn't escape from. If you are in fact interesting in rug shopping this is actually great, but we were not. Next we saw the Todgha Gorge, very steep face, and saw some climbers on the wall, had a scenic lunch. Continue to the the Dades Valley and looked at mountains that look like monkey fingers. That night we stayed at Auberge Panorama, which looks out into the valley and is really cool.
Day 4: Driving through the High Atlas Mtns today; the main goal is to get to Marrakesh and make some minor stops to break up the pace. Another dramatic sunrise in the gorge and then we headed out early. Made an optional stop at a spice shop which was ok. Short stop in Kelaat M'Gouna where they sell rose water but not much to see in winter. Atlas Studios in Ourzazate which is interesting if you are into TV/movies. We saw Ait Ben Haddou from a distance but chose not to go in. Stopped at Tizi n'Tichka for a panoramic view and a women's co-op selling argan oil etc. Finally we ended in Marrakesh in the late afternoon and said goodbye to Mohammed. You can then spend the evening exploring Marrakesh on your own.
Driver/guide: Mohammed was friendly and accommodating and we appreciate his service. He is very experienced (20+ years) and knows good places to stop for food, coffee/tea, good panoramic roadside views, and clean toilets. He offers some flexibility with the minor stops in the itinerary. He will take pictures for you if you need. He will offer advice when he drops you off (how to politely brush off the many panhandlers/hawkers).
Do Bring: Warm clothes when traveling in winter, especially for the Sahara night where there is no heating at all. Easiest to bring clothes you can layer, because otherwise it can be in mid 60s with sun. Comfortable shoes for walking but you're not going to be hiking anything difficult at all. Room in your luggage for stuff you may be tempted to buy. Cash for some meals (all lunches, Day 1 dinner in Fes, Day 3 dinner Dades Gorge drinks not included). Credit card may be accepted for large purchases but you really need some cash. We brought enough USD and Euro and exchanged for local dirham. ATM if you need. Keep small bills and coins for tipping.
Good/Great: Itinerary includes a lot, which is what we wanted. There is not much touristy in Casablanca (just the Hassan II Mosque that we had to skip) so this tour lets you get started seeing Morocco right away. Great if you want to end in Marrakesh. The pace is good, each day is varied and interesting. You don't have to worry about figuring our where you eat/sleep. Be prepared for lots of riding in a car (4-8 hours per day) but the varied scenery in the Atlas Mtns is worth it. Organization and driver/guide are decent.
Drawbacks/Can Improve: You have to be ok with missing some cool things due to the quick pace. Virtually no time spent in Fes, which should deserve a couple days instead of one evening. No Chefchouen or Volubilis. No sandsurfing/quad bike in the Sahara. Africa Luxury Camp in the Sahara was kitschy but the experience was so unique it doesn't matter. Days 3-4 seemed to include a lot of stopping by shops (spice, rug, rose, argan oil). The stop at the rug merchant was particularly bad. It would be ok if we were told this ahead of time and could decline, or if they would just be ok with showing us rugs and not pressuring us to buy something so expensive. Keep in mind it was a 3rd hand experience: Mohammed dropped us off with a local Tinghir guide who then dropped us off at this house. But--tour operator I'm talking to you--this experience needs to be transparent about what it is or taken out entirely. The tour ends in Marrakesh so to experience that you figure it out or start a different tour. Remember to get lodging for that night.
Ultimately we enjoyed this tour and have no regrets. Thanks!
Wir sind gerade von unserer Woche in Marokko zurückgekehrt. Wir haben die 6 - Tage / 5 - Nächte Tour von Casablanca nach Rabat, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Fes, Erfoud, Camping in der Sahara, Ouarzazate, Marrakesch und zurück nach Casablanca gemacht. Hassan war unser Führer und Fahrer. Alles an der Reise war unglaublich. Es war perfekt geplant und da es nur ich und mein Freund waren, gab uns Hassan ein wenig Flexibilität mit dem Zeitplan. Er war der perfekte Führer und Gastgeber. Er war sehr nett und hat uns immer das Gefühl gegeben, sicher und komfortabel zu sein. Ich empfehle dringend, diese Tour mit Sahara Holiday Tours zu machen!