27 May 2023
Our guide Mohammad was great and we had a wonderful experience shopping! He was knowledgeable about history, the culture, the traditions etc. His English is fantastic. Very patient and guided us to nice shops for jewelry, spices, slippers, lanterns and rugs. We saw the apprentice workshop and he steered us to an incredible lunch location (Chez Lamine Hadj) which we would have been too timid to do on our own (it was chaotic and hard to get a seat).
Keep in mind that that using a guide means you get to see reputable vendors, you don't get lost, and you get to meet vendors in a more personal way but the pricing and negotiation (in my experience) were not the "screaming deal" I thought I would be getting. Only about 20% off of the first price offered. For me, meeting the people, getting special treatment and knowing there is a high likelihood my purchases will in fact end up on my doorstep in the US where I shipped them were worth paying a little more.