Our expert in Morocco was a great choice
We normally prefer to explore overseas destinations on our own, but for Morocco we decided that it would be less stressful to have a tour company take care of us and we are definitely glad we did! We just came back from a 7-day/6-night tour of Morocco arranged by Rough Guides through a local tour company. Overall it was a great experience. It was good value, the tour company and driver assigned to us were honest, trustworthy and responsive, and the hotels and local day guides that they arranged for us were all good recommendations. The tour company assigned us a driver named Tawfiq for the entire duration of the trip. Tawfiq is a terrific asset to the company. He is a safe and thoughtful driver and we felt safe in his care. Also, although he was not a formal guide he knew a lot about the places we visited and shared many interesting and useful insights about Morocco. Tawfiq also made sure to call ahead and ensure the hotels could meet us on arrival (which sometimes required a porter to carry our bags uphill or down very confusing alleyways in the old city), as well as meeting and handing us off to local guides. Tawfiq was available on WhatsApp (for Americans, it is a helpful texting/phone app overseas), so we had no problems arranging daily logistics for pickup, etc.
Our tour started in Tangier where we were picked up at the airport, and continued over 7 days to Chefchaouen, Volabilis, Meknes, Fes, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh, and included drop off at our departure airport at Marrakesh. The tour company was very helpful in helping us modify their initial "best of" recommended itinerary to match our flights and preferences. I would note that we did most of our communications arranging our trip directly with Mohamed, the owner of the tour company. Because of the time we had and the way the different cities are laid out, our itinerary did make for some long drives which they thoughtfully broke up into 1-3 hour segments. Our driver Tawfiq was very helpful planning rest stops and meals along the way, and you should not be shy about letting your driver know if you need to take a break. The hotels that they arranged for us were all quite good, clean with helpful service and good-to-decent breakfasts. I guess there is always a fear of getting sick but we were pretty lucky and no one had any digestive problems even though we ate out almost every day at local restaurants outside our hotels.
The tour company also arranged for local licensed guides with expertise in specific locales. These local guides covered a full day in Fes, a half-day in Marrakesh, and 1 hour in Volabilis (ancient Roman ruins) and 2 hours in Meknes. You do not need to pay these guides separately, but it is customary to give them a tip. The guides were generally pretty good (special mention for Amal in Fes), but you should not be shy if you need them to slow down or speak more clearly. One point I think worth mentioning is that in the bigger cities, the guides included stops at various shops, including shops selling berber rugs, leather goods and ceramics. I have been on trips (e.g., Venice) where you find yourself in high-pressure sale situations. This is not that. These stops give you a view into the local culture and economy, and if you are interested, a chance to buy from respectable sellers. If you really do not want to be taken to any shops or merchants, you should say so, or ask your guide if you need help (although normally the guides will sit outside the shop and let you shop at leisure).
For our family of three adults (2 hotel rooms each night), it came out to approx USD 330 per person per night, including an English-speaking driver and large van, 2 rooms each night at a 4- or 5-star riad-style hotel, breakfast was inclusive. The expense included hiring the local guides.
