Morocco Desert Trips – Morocco Private tours
Morocco Desert Trips – Morocco Private tours
Facebook Instagram Tripadvisor
CUSTOM TRIPS ?
  1. Home
  2. FAQ

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Morocco Tours

Introducing the ultimate guide to your travel. And so, should you be looking to get some credible response about what to look forward to when you go to Morocco, this is where your journey stops. We have been in the business of Morocco Desert Tours and writing custom itineraries over 12 years and we know that trust and precise information are of the essence. This is the most complete guide that will give the best and first-hand responses to the most common questions and that will show the Experience, Expertise and Trustworthiness that you require to book your dream trip worry-free. This is not some tips and tricks, this is the advice of guides that breathe Morocco.

General
Do I need travel insurance for Morocco?

Absolutely, Yes. We see over all inclusive travel and medical insurance as a must have in any Morocco Tour. Although we provide maximum safety measures, accidents take place. Severe sandstorm, fall on a mountain trek or an emergency flight home needs a cover. Never forget to include in your policy medical evacuation and that you have a pre-existing issue. We are an established Moroccan Travel Agency and our well being is more important than the rest.

Morocco is very secure especially to tourists. At times the media is keen on making generalizations, but on ground experience we have had proves that violent crime against travelers is very infrequent. The first one is petty crime (fraud, pick pockets) particularly in the tight mazes of the Fes or Marrakech Medinas. Our advice? Bring only the essential and leave the valuables locked in your Riad, and employ professional guides. Our guests always comment about the sense of security especially when they are riding our local drivers on our Morocco Desert Tours.

It is the respectful coverage rather than one hundred percent concealment. Morocco is moderate yet there is respect to modesty particularly in the rural regions or when one is doing visits to the religious places.

Shoulders and knees covered: The Golden Rule.

  • The Comfort Rule: Select light breathable clothes such as linen. Long skirts and pants (such as sarouels) as well as loose-fitting dresses are ideal. They are at their best comfort against the sun but with respect to the local culture.
  • Our Expert Tip: Never leave out a light scarf. It is ideal to wear your head in case you enter some mosque yard or you just want to avoid attention at some conservative region.

Majority of the large nationalities, such as EU, US, UK, Australia and Canada do not require a visa regardless of a 90 days stay (three months). Nevertheless, you should have a passport which is valid at least half a year before the date of entry. Never forget to consult your local Moroccan embassy early enough because rules may alter. In case, you are planning a longer trip such as our Morocco 12 day itinerary or the entire 17 day Morocco trip, the standard 90-day window will be enough.

We highly recommend that all foreigners should only take bottled water. Although the tap water is filtered in big cities and it should be safe to the locals, its mineral and bacteria content are not the same as that of your body. To prevent any stomachache that can disorient your experience of the amazing sunset over the Atlas Mountains Tour, use bottled water. Pro Trick: Brush your teeth with tap water but it is important to purchase large bottles to stay hydrated particularly during Morocco Desert Tours.

The currency of the land is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Although other big hotels, big restaurants, and souvenir shops in tourist centers accept Euros, you have to use Dirham to make daily purchases, tips, taxi-fares, and buying activities in the market.

  • Easiest Exchange: Debit card at an ATM (DAB) when you are at the airport or in big cities such as Marrakech. ATMs are least expensive methods of getting Dirhams.

Credit Cards: This is accepted in middle-to-up market restaurants and hotels, but is not widely accepted in small Riads or in isolated villages. Atlas Mountains and the desert are homes of cash.

Absolutely! The Moroccan food is very flexible. One of the most common dishes, Tagine, is usually an exquisite combination of vegetables, and the national Couscous is normally cooked with seven varieties of vegetables.

  • Vegetarian/Vegan: Just order a Tagine Khoudra (vegetable tagine) or order bissara (fava bean soup). You will eat very well!
  • Gluten-Free: This is easy to cope with. Naturally gluten-free meals are those that are based on grilled meat, rice, and classic vegetable tagines. It is just to try to avoid breads by the local (khobz) and to ask the waiter whether the couscous has any wheat additions. Our staff are masters of translating your eating requirements to local restaurants.

Indeed, most locations frequented by tourists, such as Riads, hotels, and most cafes and restaurants offer Wi-Fi networks. Nevertheless, being widely available does not necessarily imply being fast and reliable.

Riad Reality: Wi-Fi may be the strongest in the communal courtyard and weaker in your particular room, particularly when you are on an upper floor of an old building.

  • Expert Solution: To get good service during your Morocco Tour, we would advise you to buy a local SIM card (Maroc Telecom or Orange) when you arrive. Information packs are cheap, dependable, and leave you without any issues when you are miles into the forest.

No. Drones importation and usage in Morocco is strongly limited and not allowed due to security concerns. Bringing one to the airport will be sure to be seized at the customs and kept till you leave. We highly discourage carrying any drone to prevent getting stuck and losing money in your Trip to Morocco.

Are Group shared desert tours good for me?

They suit well budget conscious, outgoing and versatile travelers. In case you are a light-hearted individual who values cost-efficiency and likes meeting new people, then our joint desert tours Marrakech are worth a lot. But bear in mind you forgo flexibility, speed and even some comfort. Your timetable will be a regular one. In case the luxurious relaxation and privacy is your main objective, we suggest upgrading to a Morocco Private Tour.

As professionals, we must speak it all: the 2-day Zagora tour is an excursion mainly consisting of a long ride. The only alternative is when you simply cannot afford to spend a third day, but you spend 90 percent of your time on the road. You have a dry flat desert near Zagora, not the huge, high orange waves of Erg Chebbi (Merzouga). Our advice: Provided that you can, we would recommend you to come and spend an extra 3 or 4 days. The little additional expense will also pay off in the genuinely Saharan experience of Merzouga.

The desert tours that we make together in Marrakech are guided by English speaking drivers, who are not National Guides. Their major responsibility and concern are your safety, navigation, and transport. They are well-informed locals, who will tell tales and answer questions, yet they are not professional historians and architects. In case you need profound academic or historical knowledge, you will need to book a Morocco Private Tour and ask your licensed escorting guide to come on an additional fee.

Nothing! We have ensured that our Shared Tours leave on a daily basis. We are not canceling our Marrakech Day Trips and shared Morocco Desert Tours because of low enrolment. As soon as you make a reservation, you are 100 percent sure that your departure will take place, and this gives you the maximum confidence.

Do you offer an escorting licensed guide on your private tours?

Our drivers are outstanding, respectful and well educated and English speaking in all Morocco Deser Tours. They can be called specialists in logistics, safety and local culture. Nonetheless, in case your journey has a special academic, historical, or cultural interests, say in Fes or Volubilis, we will gladly have an Official Licensed National Guide to make an additional charge of about 120.00 Euros per day to give a very detailed, specialized commentary.

Absolutely. Our tours are designed in a flexible way. We are a provider of Morocco Custom Tours even though we boast of providing the best value and desirable accommodation as part of our standard packages. In case you have particular, more premium Riads or special luxury lodges you like, we will make the necessary changes in the prices of our Morocco Desert Tour and will make all the logistics related to your lodging choice.

We highly suggest that you should book your personal tour as far ahead as you are able, at least 4-6 months before your tour start date, and more so, when your tour is happening during high season (March-May and Sept-Nov). Small and authentic Riads and luxury desert camps are usually in short supply. The only way to ensure that you get the accommodation of your choice and be sure of the best of vehicles and drivers in your 12 day Morocco itinerary is, booking early.

Our private tours are of strictly private character. Small party groupings in the past proved to be incompatible and resulted in differing expectations and speeds of spending and time. Our Morocco Private Tours are guaranteed to be the most exclusive. But you can also reserve a joint desert tour in case you want to travel with other people.

No problem at all! All you have to do is to reserve your Morocco Desert Tour at the moment in order to ensure that you book dates and drivers. Under the pick-up location field, type TBC (To Be Confirmed). After you complete the hotel booking, you should notify us by email and we will do the detailed logistics.

What happens to our luggage before we ride camels to the desert camp?
  • Comfortable Camp: You need to pack a small rack sac with the necessary things (camera, water, toiletries, change of clothes) to ride the camel. Your main luggage is safely packed up in the locked lodge of our camp operator in the fringe of the dunes or safely packed in your own minibus.
  • Luxury Camp: In our Morocco Luxury Tours, you can decide to ride the camel with just your rack sac and we can get your main luggage delivered by 4×4 up to your tent.

No, you do not. Sleeping equipment is clean in all camps accommodating our Moroccan Travel Agency. Whereas, in this case, when the coldest months occur (December, January, and February) we urge you to carry your own warm thermal clothes, because the desert nights may reach near the freezing point. On our part we furnish additional blankets, though individual warmth is essential.

Please, do bring your own towels and toiletries to the Comfortable Camps. These camps have non-facilitated facilities. On our Luxury Morocco Tours, towels, good-quality shower gels, and shampoo are also there in your own tent in the en-suite.

Unfortunately, no. This is a decision that you should settle either when you are making your booking or at least 24 hours before traveling. Standard, Comfortable, Luxury Camps are physically differentiated business entities that serve different locations of the dunes and are managed by distinct companies and have varying degrees of service.

Luxury Desert Camps: Yes, there are electricity plugs in your tent. Power is, however, produced by solar or generators, and may be restricted, and is therefore well used.

Sweet little Desert Tents: Electricity is accessible in public space only (restaurant tent). It is important to know that the generators are normally switched off at around midnight to save the unbelievable silence of the Sahara. Pro Tip: Bring a power bank that is charged to the brim.

Can we book our tour directly from you when we arrive in Marrakech? Where your office is located?

Yes, it is possible to make bookings directly, however, we highly recommend not to justify shared tours. Although we are based in the Medina outside a commercial region, our shared desert tours Marrakech usually book up 3 to 4 days prior to or even in high season. We put a preference on pre-booked tours. In the case of Morocco Private Tours, last minute reservation would imply that we would not be able to assure you of the best Riads or a superior driver.

SHARED TOURS: The remaining amount is paid on the spot in the form of cash to our employees during the day of the tour. We take Moroccan Dirhams, Euros, US Dollars or sterling.

  • PRIVATE TOURS: The rest of the balance is also handed over to your driver on site on Day 1 on cash. In case of any necessity to use the credit card or PayPal, a processing fee of 5% will be applied.

We do accept Dirhams of Morocco, Euros, US Dollars and Sterling. We consider the daily interbank rate posted on websites such as xe.com to be fair in terms of currency conversion.

You are not required to have a PayPal account to make the deposit. PayPal is a secure payment processor and also directly accepts all major credit cards and debit cards. Just click on the payment button we offer and select the option payment in Debit or credit card without a PayPal account and no need to log in or create one.

Meet the Expert: Said Ait Elkaid, Founder of Morocco Desert Trips

Meet Said Ait Elkaid, the driving force and founder of Morocco Desert Trips. With 12 years of firsthand experience, Said is a true local from the desert, making your Morocco Desert Tour not just a trip, but an authentic journey. His extensive knowledge guarantees safe and genuine Morocco Private Tours. The company is fully legal and official in Morocco, possessing all necessary licenses, including the official Tax ID numbers (TP: 46454026 and IF: 06527457). When you choose Said for your Trips in Morocco, you are choosing an experienced, passionate, and 100% reliable Moroccan Travel Agency for your Faq about Morocco Tours.

error: Content is protected !!