5 Days Morocco Historical and Cultural Discovery Tour

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Experience the majestic grandeur of Sahara Desert with morocco tour packages. Set off on a 4 day trip from Marrakesh around Erg Chebbi. Marrakech is among Morocco’s extraordinary experiences. Travel through unknown paths, discover unexplored places, and watch the color of the sky changing as you move across from one end of the desert to the other, breathing the fresh desert air and enjoying the unadulterated scenery.

You will enjoy the warm hospitality of the native Berbers, and love interacting with them and listening to their mystic tales as you camp in the desert under the shimmering stars and the jet-black sky at night. If you are lucky, you might discover some constellations too!

6+ Age

3 to 5 days Morocco Desert Tours

Departure
MARRAKECH
Departure Time
8 AM
Return Time
6 PM
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 – Telouet – Ait Ben Haddou

Marrakech is going to be your first stop during yourtrip to Morocco. Filled with lush green gardens and beautiful monuments which includes mosques and palaces. From Marrakech on the first day after you have explored the area, the guide will take you to Telouet. To visit Telouet, the Tizi- N-Tichka pass is to be crossed in the High Atlas Mountains via the beautiful Old Caravan Route. While travelling through Ait Benhaddou you will witness magnificent landscapes and the picturesque Berber village. This is a must long drive if you ever come to plan a trip to Morocco. Pasha Glaoui Kasbah and Kasbah Ait Benhaddou will also be included the trip which is medieval and Human heritage site respectively.

Day 2: Ait Ben Haddou – Valley of roses – Todgha Gorge

You will be going for a thrilling experience to the Saharan landscape. The Sahara Trip will be almost a 4-day trip through the famous Hamada and Erg deserts. This is one of the most exciting inclusions in any Morocco tours package. The first places of visit include Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate and SkouraPalmerie which hold interesting history. Next, you will be taken to the famous Todra Gorge which is a chain of limestone river canyons present in the Eastern side of the steep Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It is situated near the historic town of Tinerhir. You will be mesmerized to see the beautiful canyons and the sunset from this place. After you have explored the place you will be taken to your comfortable hotel included in the Morocco tours package to spend the rest of the night.

Day 3: Todra Gorge – Erg Chebbi, Camel trek

The Saharan exploration is not over yet and it holds so much more mesmerizing experiences waiting. You will set out to the Erg Chebbi which is one of the beautiful seas of dunes which is formed entirely by the wind-blown sand. It is situated near the border of Algeria. Once you reach there, make sure you explore the dunes on camelback and travel to the Bedouin style camp in the middle of Erg Chebbi. In this camp, you will be experiencing a lot of Bedouin cuisine and music. These days will probably be the most exciting on your Morocco travel.

Day 4: Sahara Desert – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate

The next day of your Moroccotravel you will be exploring the nearby oasis and dune landscapes. Once in a while, you will be able to see camels walking past on the horizon. At some of the date palm oasis, you will be treated with hospitality and introduced to local food and culture. Then you will be taken to the famous city of Ouarzazate. It is very famous because many world-famous movies like The Mummy have been shot in this scenic town. There are several facilities available here including luxury hotels and spas. So you will spend one night here relaxing in your room or by exploring the local bazaars.

Day 5: Ouarzazate to Marrakesh

On the final day, you will depart from Ouarzazate for Marrakech. On reaching there you can take a Marrakech tour and explore the city again. Indulge in the local markets, buy some souvenirs and enjoy local Moroccan cuisine. The local snake charmers and astrologers will make Marrakech tours really interesting.

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20 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Morocco 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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5 Days Morocco Historical and Cultural Discovery Tour