Great info above also good info on LICENSED guides safest.
Book a Trekking and hiking in the Atlas Mountains on Viator.
tourguides.viator.com/sightseeing-tours-morocco-casablanca-1801.aspx I Always pay with CC NEVER wire money get trip cover.Careful not slip on troll poo on Maroc boards by checking profile/posting history carefully many fake OPs firstimers thread hijackers and defamers.Discovery on the Road Less Traveled. Never more than 10-25 travelers—guaranteed! Morocco Sahara Odyssey 2012 www.oattravel.com Another great way to go recent trip report is best I have seen lately.

Happy Trails!

Viator will simply sell you on to a local company, pocketing a percentage on the way. Perfectly fine for an dependable but overpriced airport pick-up but for a trekking and hiking trip - no way.

I can't imagine why anybody would use them, or why they are continually mentioned by just one poster.

Well, quovadis got one thing right, the Morocco boards are filled with touts & misinformation. Searching on TA yields thread after thread filled with deleted posts. It’s like reading a newspaper with half of the articles cut out. Their tour listings for many operators are filled with one post wonders heaping glowing praise on each & every operator – with only the very odd negative comment - & that certainly brings its credibility into question.

As I mentioned, these guys are the smaller in-country operators. These are the ones to contact if you want a 4x4 + a driver/guide that will give you a fully customized trip. I strongly suggest that you look at their ‘pre-made’ tours & then do your own research on stops & accommodation. I also strongly suggest that you specify which driver/guide is acceptable for your style. The only real negative reviews that I have found about the above, involve situations where they substitute drivers/guides other than their ‘regulars’ so be prepared to insist & make sure that you specify exactly what you want succinctly.

Ian

Informative.

Thanks for these excellent resources. Someone else mentioned licensed guides but I suspect that these fellows are licensed as transportation and not by the government. That is a question so if you do know the answer, please advise.
Thanks again.

From what I can gather from trip reports, these are licensed drivers - but their personality & English skills make them interesting rural 'guides' as well. When you hit the dunes, you are turned over to a licensed guide. Ditto for the large cities as well. That way, they stay within the Moroccan laws governing tourist drivers & guides. But I am not an expert on Moroccan law . . .

To me, it seems like an ideal balancing act that appeases the authorities & gives tourists an interesting & informative trip. I know that I don't want to spend 20 hours plus sitting beside a driver that I can't communicate with.

Ian

If they are not licensed they will be stopped by The ( Abrigadue Touristique) The TOURISME POLICE which is based in this field to filter everyone working without law.
And all of the tours and the drivers has been used by several people, and got good reputation that shows they are licensed.
I think as you can try and go with a local person in the Medina, or go with some driver picked from any place in Morocco, and you'll see the diffirence, he will be arrested once the police stopped him.
I hope this info will help you out.

Ian,

Thanks so much for this. I am just finishing up my time in San Diego for my daughter's wedding, and am now getting back to this in earnest!

Have you read anything about Desert Majesty? I found them through some recommendation but am no longer sure where. However, they have come up with a very unique and personalized suggested itinerary for me, based on my comments to them, rather than just the "same old". So I am seriously considering them.

Finally, have you found costs to be similar among the various groups?

Many thanks!

Travelin

Travelin

Hi again. San Diego has always been high on my list of really nice places. Too many people certainly - just like the rest of Southern CA - but when I win the lottery, La Jolla will be my address.

Desert Majesty http://www.desertmajesty.com/
Contact: Felicity
Drivers/Guides: Said, others on the site

This one seems worthy of my list but . . . they have been the subject of a lot of controversy. A huge volume of touting a few years back on TA, TT & supposedly here but I can't find any here.

So read through the TA Forum links in this search - read the first 3 - 4 threads at least. I have added them to my shortlist as well.

So far, quoted costs seem to hover around 800€- 1000€ each for 2 people for 4 nights/5 days. These are all for the standard 'cookie-cutter' Ouarzazate, Dades, Todra, Merzouga, Agdz - in/out of Marrakech. Same route, same stops, same riads/hotels. Only Mark @ Mad About had fresh ideas about the route & stops but I must quiz him more about hotels.

I agree with you. I want something unique rather than 'same old'. To this end, I was thinking about researching my own trip & just throwing it out for quotes. I DO have the time since I am looking for 2013 . . .

Ian

I forgot the search link: http://tinyurl.com/86kydzw

Ian

Hi,
Some of This Tours are mentioned also at the Lonelyplanet trip reports, but what all make it exciting is the TA reviews feel like traveling with the reviewer.
I think Morocco will start a new season now on March to be the High season again.

Thanks for the info above but bear in mind that the most of these drivers are not allowed to be guides by the Moroccan law. They can just get you from place to place. A guide is these guys you see in their badges. I hope this will help you too to choose the best tour for you.

Just finished my trip with desert majesty. By now you all ought to know I'm not a tout as I spent weeks trying to figure out who to use. Will do a trip report when I get back but this us just to say that I have nothing but good things to say about them including g their willingness to change utineraries

Just finished my trip with desert majesty. By now you all ought to know I'm not a tout as I spent weeks trying to figure out who to use. Will do a trip report when I get back but this us just to say that I have nothing but good things to say about them including g their willingness to change itineraries several times during the trip. Everything was "no problem"!

That's great, TF. I look forward to your trip report on your return.

Ian

we saw this list of our operators. there are alot in Morocco! we used the last one named here, desert majesty.
when we were in the desert outside merzouga, unbelievably it rained and rained alot. quite a few roads were out, so we were really happy that our tour driver knew alll the back ways and could safely get us out of the flooded area and on to our next destination, the dadas gorges.it turned out there was too much water there also and we needed to rescued by a second car . our trip was saved by the tour operator's dedication to our safety and enjoyoment.
anyone else get trapped by the rains in late march?

thanks for this list Ian. Am planning a trip in Oct and will definitely refer to these

Great list! I just came back from my Morocco trip with Zebra Adventures. We had a great time!!!!

We did a trip tour with Around Morocco. Loved every minute of it. Lahcen arranged for an overnight camel track to the desert for us. It was incredible!!!!