26 Sep 2024
We booked this tour based on the positive reviews, but it was a disappointing and unpleasant experience. The guide clearly knows the Medina and was polite, including when we texted to say we would be 15min late. He showed us a few interesting places, but rushed us through everything, leaving us behind twice. The actual goal of the tour was to stop at several shops to make us buy items. Everything was rehearsed and vendors were pushy, insisting even when we said we didn't want certain products. I know this is part of the process here and in many other places, as I'm originally from South America, but this was a bit too much. By the third shop, we were so uncomfortable and upset that we decided to give up the time we paid for, asking to return to the hotel. After our request to end the tour there, he still took us to the rug shop. If he had asked us, we would probably have said that we wanted to see some shops (like the tannery), without the imposition. The tour description is misleading; it was only about an hour of walking around without being forced to sit down at shops and buy things. Really disappointing and disrespectful. I want to advise other travellers: if you are looking for a shopping experience, this tour is for you. If not, don't book it.