Just returned from this tour, holiday started on 16th September 2022, we had twin centre with 3 nights afterwards in a better 5* hotel outside Marrakech.
Husband and wife in late 50's. We are well traveled and I was a tour guide myself for 12 years before settling down and getting married!
Tour was good, great to see a bit more of Morocco rather than just the city of Marrakech. It's sold as 8 day tour, but first two and last two in Marrakech, so you are only actually touring for 4 days. It would gain massively if you had an extra day in Merzouga, where the huge sand dunes are. You get there just before sunset and leave straight after sunrise. We
did arrive and take the optional camel ride, this was one of the highlights of our trip. We expected to just do a circuit on the flat in front of the dunes, but we not only went straight to the sand, but then we traveled a good way up into the dunes. We then got off the camels, removed our shoes and socks and walked up to a ridge to watch the sunset 30 minutes later. Before returning in the dusk, the drivers helpers tried to sell us gifts, but were asking 300D for things we had just paid 50D at a fossil shop for! We declined.
Gorges are nothing special, road of 1000 kasbahs actually had almost that many! Lots of fertile River valleys full of date trees and surprisingly green in a land of scrub and rock.
Included breakfast and evening meal were a good standard, but guide did not choice best lunch stops, rather think it was best commission for him, rather than experience for the tourists! Never bad restaurants, but more expensive and mostly the same food at each one. Tajine or skewers, basic salad, olives and bread.
Personally, I think this was the guides first trip here. He obviously read notes and knew where to go, but if you asked questions "outside the box", he didn't know the answers and relied on local guides, to answer for him. He kept repeating the same information, about the four most important trees, how the children attend school, etc.
The drivers were very good, we had 13 people in our tour split between 3 comfy cars. We took it in turns to sit in the front, but we had lots of room, 3 rows of seats.
We tipped drivers 200D from each of us in the car, we also tipped guide 200D each (£18.50), personally I would have given guide only 100D each but that's because I'm an ex guide and can be quite critical of a poor guide.
Fun, short trip.
Ok we just came back from this tour and this is my opinion others on the tour May think differently and the old saying you can’t please all of the people all of the time! This is just a helpful guide l have been on your before so l do have some experience so we traveled has a couple arrived in airport about 11pm got picked up by guide with 2 others hotel nice and a plate of salad and bottle water was waiting ( much appreciated) because it was so late breakfast was at 7am pick up was at 8am full tour of Marrakesh including stop off’s for coffee and then lunch ( normally costing about £25) got back to hotel about 6ish dinner at 7 then back to room to pack ( didn’t have chance to use pool) early start 7.30am in 4x4 chose your travel buddies carefully ???? then some interesting stops got to new hotel about 7pm straight to dinner then pack again for another early 8am start next night desert got there at 6 hit and sweaty with the dreaded deli belly ( nearly everyone on our 14 people tour got it at some point) camels were waiting to go straight from truck at this point l just wanted the pool so didn’t go the tent’s were not really tents more like clad buildings with air con and bathroom but we loved it best nights sleep ever people were fabulous a fire pit in the evening was awesome really really wished we could have stayed another night longer that was every disappointing another 8am start got to our next hotel about 7pm dinner straight away no change of pool dip( again) pick up 8.30 next hotel 6ish dinner at 7pm another early pick up got back to original hotel in time for dinner the flopped by the pool on last day well earned rest it’s not moderate pace it’s fast if your still reading ???? tips travel light because you won’t have time to unpack take a travel kettle has no accommodation has any tea/ coffee ladies take a pashmina or 2 shorts and vest’s loose shirts it wasn’t at all cold even in desert but we did go in September take stomach tablets and wet wipes don’t change money in first hotel they will rip you off go across the road there’s also a lovely little supermarket and exchange ! drinks are expensive in hotels and there’s no drinks serviced with your evening meals they speak a lot of French there and don’t seem to like the brits much guide and driver were lovely BUT by the end