10 Days Morocco Cultural Tour from Marrakech

$3902 $3805 / per person

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10 Days Morocco Cultural Tour from Marrakech will take you through the winding streets of Morocco’s ancient medinas are bursting with so many colors and flavors that you’ll be planning a return visit soon after arrival. Explore the souks and streets of Marrakech.

Morocco is a fantastic destination for families who want to experience a mix of history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you want to relax on the beach, explore ancient cities, or take part in outdoor activities, Morocco has something for everyone. The country’s friendly people and exotic charm make it a perfect holiday destination for families. You will enjoy the warm hospitality of the native Berbers and learn about their lifestyle and their culture.

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6+ Age

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Women Adventure

Departure
MARRAKECH
Departure Time
Depends on your arrival time
Return Time
Depends on your return fligh time
Dress Code
Casual
Included
Camel trek (one camel per guest)
Entrance Fees
Meals as per itinerary
New air-conditioned vehicle 4WD or Minivan/Mini Bus
Overnight in Desert Luxury Camp
Pick-up and Drop Off Service
Professional driver/Tour guide during the tour
Not Included
Flights
Local guides in major cities: Fes; Marrakech, Casablanca mosque, Volubilis; Essaouira, Atlas Mountains
Lunches and drinks unless specified
Personal expenses

Tour Plan

Day 1: Marrakech Arrival

Upon arrival at Marrakesh airport, you’re met by an airport representative and your private driver, and driven to your Riad. The rest of the day is yours to relax in your riad or head out to explore Marrakesh’s medina; you could wander around the souks, or sample some of the delicious food served in the many local restaurants, from lamb tagine to sweet pastilla.

Day 2: Exploring Marrakech

Today your private guide takes you around the city, giving you an excellent grounding in its history and culture. Included in the tour are visits to the beautiful Saadian Tombs, where the bodies of sultans and their families have rested for centuries; the imposing Koutoubia Mosque; the crumbling El Badi Palace and the 15th-century Jewish Quarter. This afternoon you’re led through the maze-like souq, visiting the many different quarters where craftsmen can be seen hard at work producing anything from leather babouche shoes to cactus silk scarves and traditional lanterns.

Day 3: Exploring Marrakech Gardens

Today you could stroll around the peaceful Majorelle Gardens; a welcome contrast to the noise of the souqs. In its Berber Museum, you can admire artifacts once belonging to Berber tribes, while the Yves Saint Laurent ‘Galerie Love’ displays vibrant paintings created by the French fashion designer. We suggest having lunch at the Amal Association in Gueliz, a women’s co-operative that provides cookery and waitressing training for disadvantaged women. In the evening, head to Djemaa El Fna, the city’s lively main square, where street performers draw in crowds and open-air restaurants serve freshly cooked food.

Day 4: Marrakech to Essaouira

This morning you’re driven for around two and a half hours to the coastal town of Essaouira. The landscape is fairly flat for most of the way, with the Atlas Mountains rising in the distance on a clear day. As you get closer to the coast, it becomes greener and hillier, with olive groves and argan trees growing in the fields. You could stop at a women’s argan oil co-operative, where the women show you the process of retrieving oil from the argan seeds. Arriving at your accommodation in Essaouira, spend the rest of the day exploring the town’s medina, which is far quieter than Marrakesh’s.

Day 5: Exploring Essaouira

Spend today getting to know Essaouira. We suggest heading out early to watch fishermen unloading their catch from their blue boats in the port, followed by a stroll along the historic ramparts, enjoying views of the city and sea. You can then explore more of the medina, which is very compact and features many stalls and shops selling bright rugs, decorated plates and an array of spices. For lunch, we highly recommend heading to one of the open-air fish grills to dine on today’s freshly caught seafood.

Day 6: Exploring Essaouira

Spend another day in Essaouira, perhaps buying a few souvenirs or browsing the jewelers’ market. You could join a Moroccan pastry workshop at l’AtelierMadada, where a small group of you learn how to make sweet treats such as almond gazelle horns and orange blossom biscuits. The Place Moulay Hassan public square is a good spot to enjoy a drink or an ice cream while watching the world go by. In the evening, there are many restaurants and bars overlooking the bay where live music can be enjoyed over a tasty meal and a sundowner.

Day 7: Essaouira to Atlas Mountains

This morning your private driver picks you up for the four-hour transfer to the High Atlas Mountains. You travel back along the same road towards Marrakesh before heading out to the mountains, where the landscape completely changes to rolling foothills, deep, green valleys and rugged mountains, some of which may be capped with snow. Once you arrive at your accommodation, you can take time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and peaceful atmosphere, perhaps taking a dip in the pool.

Day 8: Discover the Berber trail of the high Atlas

On your first full day in the Atlas Mountains, you could visit a local Berber village with a guide, where you can share lunch and mint tea with a Berber family and learn about their way of life. We recommend visiting the Assafou Foundation, which provides free education to children living in these rural communities. Here you can see the school where the children are taught and where local women learn skills such as weaving so that they can sell their handicrafts at local markets or in Marrakesh’s souqs.

Day 9: Discover the Berber villages

You have another day at leisure in the mountains. We suggest taking a taxi to a local town to explore the market, where people living in rural villages near and far travel to sell their goods or purchase everything they need for that week. You could also head out with a guide for a hike through the hills and valleys – there are lots of routes to suit most fitness levels, and your guide will know the most suitable for you. Alternatively, make the most of your accommodation’s facilities and spend more time relaxing in the sun.

Day 10: Return Flight

Depends on your flight time you will be dropped off at the airport for your return flight

TOUR MAP

Gallery

What’s included in this Tour

A fully customized itinerary based on your interests and schedule 24/7 in-destination support from our local office in Morocco
All accommodation stays, tours, and transfers for scheduled activities are covered unless otherwise listed in the itinerary
A certified private driver for tours and transfers
Local certified private guides in the Major Cities
A meet and greet at the airport or your accommodation from your driver or manager assigned to you.
Arrival and departure Airport pickup.
Certified and professional tour leader during the tour
Breakfast each day at your Riad or hotel, plus any meals indicated in the itinerary.
9 nights’ accommodation at the hotels mentioned above (or hotels or Riads of the same category).
Water and Snacks in Vehicle
Camel ride experience in the Sahara Desert Tour in Sahara
Cooking class in the Sahara desert camp
9 Breakfasts
06 dinners
04 lunches
SPA in Marrakech: Traditional Hammam and Massage

What’s not included

Travel insurance, which we offer and can be purchased after you’ve booked your tour Visas (unless noted)
Tips for services and experiences
Lunches, and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), unless specified in the itinerary Dinners and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcohol) unless specified in the itinerary Entrance fees to historical monuments
Local Guide's fee unless specified in the included section. Henna Tattoo experience
Hot Air Balloon Tour leader services
Personal charges such as laundry, phone calls, SIM cards, or room service Early check-in or late check-out from hotels (unless otherwise specified) Additional sightseeing, activities, and experiences outside of your itinerary
Optional enhancements like room or flight upgrades, local camera or video fees Passport fees, and immunization costs.
Taxes, and personal things purchased
Does not include domestic or international travel.
Everything that is not mentioned in‘’ THE PACKAGE PRICE INCLUDES

20 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Morocco - AFC Travel Tips

More and more people are visiting Morocco every year. It’s a beautiful country. If you plan on going, here are a few pointers to help you prepare for your trip.

Dress Appropriately

Overall, guys can dress however they like, but women need to dress more conservatively. Although you see many tourists wearing whatever they want, we chose to cover up as much as possible to avoid unwanted attention. Even if you’re traveling with a group of guys, you may still get harassed. Some of the girls in our group got groped on multiple occasions even though we were paired off with a male buddy. It was mostly really old men, and it happened more often in crowded places. When visiting mosques, you need to cover down to your wrists and ankles. For the ladies out there, it really helps to have a shawl/scarf handy in case you need it.

Currency and Cost

More established shops will take credit cards, but most smaller markets, street vendors, and cabs will not. Be ready with the local currency. The Moroccan Dirham (DEER-HAM) goes for roughly 9.20 Dirhams (DH) per 1 USD or 10 per 1 euro. We thought things would be cheaper in Morocco, but because of how touristy the country has become, the prices were comparable to Europe. Our tour guide recommended each person exchange 100 euros per day.

ATMs.

Exchange enough money when have a chance. ATMs can run out of money especially during a holiday or on the weekend also keep in mind some machines will let you withdraw up to $400.00 a day. There are many exchange offices especially in the big cities, your tour guide will help you get the best exchange rates. Also, traveler’s checks are pretty much useless in Morocco. It’s hard to find a place to cash them.

Keep Correct Change with You

Moroccan cab drivers rarely “have change” when you need it. To avoid overpaying, keep your coins. Most of our cab rides within the city were roughly 30 Dirhams, be careful when the cab driver says I will charge you a flat fee (it’s illegal), once you’re inside the cab look at the meter it should read something like 2.3 DRS during the day and 3.2 DRS during the night, roughly a 10 minutes cab ride should cost you around $8.00, do the best you can to have small change with you (coins).

Tipping

Have some change ready for tips. A good general rule of thumb is 3 to 5 DH at a local place and 5 to 10 DH at nicer places (coffee shops), when you dine at a restaurant a 10% tips is greatly appreciated. For your driver and guide 15 to 20% is greatly appreciated.

Be Wary of Local Guides.

It’s definitely great to hire a local guide to help you get an inside perspective on the country and navigate through the maze of the medinas (old towns) but be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. The local guides have built relationships with many different stores, and they are most likely getting a cut of the sales. Don’t be fooled when they say they are trying to help you haggle to get the best price. I always offer them a 70% off the asking price, we start negotiating until we meet somewhere in the middle, put your poker face on. For this reason, our guides and drivers will stay with you from the beginning to the end of the tour to avoid such miss-step.

Stay Away from Strangers Offering Free Tours or Directions.

Even if you don’t hire a local guide, there will be a lot of locals offering you tours while you’re walking around the markets and medinas. If you go with one of them you may end up completely lost and pressed to spend money. Most of the time they will ask for a tip afterward too. This is the same as asking for directions. A lot of them will offer to walk you to where you’re going but then ask for a tip. If you’re so inclined, always have money to pay them off or just plan ahead and ask your hotel or pull up some maps when you have WIFI. And this is the reason why we have well-trained staff professional chauffeurs and nationally certified guides that offer you protection to your experience.

Fridays are Holy Days and Prepare for Holidays

Keep in mind that it is a Muslim country, so pay attention to their holidays otherwise you might be there when everything is closed. Also, most shops and attractions are closed during the mid-day prayer then everything is back to normal after that. During Ramadan most food places will be closed until late afternoon, however, you can still find some places where you can eat, the restaurant at the hotels, and Riads are always open. If you arrive in Morocco on Eid al-Adha, where they slaughter and sacrifice helps. Shops restaurants will be closed for at least 4 to 6 days and banks will be close for at least 2 days.

Careful What Water You Use

To stay on the safe side, drink bottled water and even use it to brush your teeth. the water bottle is really useful when you’re in Morocco.

Pack Some Immodium

Because the food, the meat, and the vegetables are all organic and they are not processed in most cases you will be fine but just to be in the safe case, bring some medication with you.

Watch Your Pockets

Most Moroccans are friendly and honest, but be careful about pickpockets in any major city especially in crowded places like the markets.

What Language Do They Speak?

Moroccans speak a mixture of Arabic, Berber, English, Spanish, and French. You’ll be fine with English in most of the larger cities, but you’ll probably need a translator in the rural parts of the country.Here are a few basic Arabic words that came in handy:

Hello(Peace Be With You): Salam Alikome (salaam a eleikum)
Thank You:Choukran (shokran)
No Thank You: La Choukran (la shokran). This one is useful when you have a bunch of street vendors hassling you to buy something.
Watch Out: Although you won’t use this yourself, you’ll most likely hear this in the medinas or souks (outdoor markets). It will be said by locals coming by with a mule, motorcycle, or cart and is a warning to move to the side.

Visiting Mosques:

If you’re hoping to visit Mosque in Morocco, you might be out of luck unless you’re Muslim. Most mosques are off-limits to non-Muslims, with the exception of the massive Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. They are still beautiful to take photos from outside though!

Do I Need a Visa or Vaccines?

Almost all English-speaking countries (except South Africa) do not require visas to enter the country. The CDC also doesn’t require any vaccines although many would recommend Hepatitis A and Typhoid shots. Find out more details from the CDC here.

Ask Before Taking Photos (And You May Have to Pay).

When you’re walking through the markets, be careful about taking photos of people and shops. Unless you are purchasing something, they may get angry at you and even demand money for the photos. When taking photos of the snake charmers, you need to pay 20 DH. Some may even hassle you for more, so it’s good to first establish a price before taking a photo.

Souvenirs to Bring Home:

Leather and carpets are well known in Fez. Fragrances, oils, and spices (like saffron) are famous in Morocco. Your tour guide will have recommendations for each product you want to get as a souvenir.

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Overall, Morocco is a beautiful country, and you will be happy to experience it. As long as you’re completely aware of your surroundings, and you go in with the right mindset and expectations, you can have a wonderful experience.

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10 Days Morocco Cultural Tour from Marrakech