Hello!

I am going to Morocco for 8 days with my fiance and we have arranged this trip. What do you think?? Any places you have been that you definitely/ definitely not recommend?

Thanks!

Day 1- Arrive in Marrakech: Stay at Riad Azzar
Sightsee Marrakech

Day 2- Sightsee Marrakech: Riad Azzar

Day 3: Excursion to Ouarzazate with Desert Majesty
Riad Azzar at night

Day 4: Excursion to Ouzoud waterfalls with Desert Majesty
Riad Azzar at night

Day 5: Transfer to Essaouira: Stay at Riad Baoussala
Sightsee Essaouria

Day 6: Half-day Horse Back Ride w Zouina Cheval
Riad Baoussala

Day 7: Spa day! Riad Baoussala

Day 8: Transfer to Marrakech airport then home...

Any advice you have would be great! I have also been in touch with a guy from Morocco Adventure Tours about doing the excursions with them so I may change if there are any recommendations to....

Thanks!

Hi!

Well, as our itinerary unfolds I decided to update this post - I'd like to give my feedback once we get back too, in order to help other readers. It was harder than usual to find information on Morocco in this forum!

To the itinerary above, we're going to definitely add in a few hours at Les Bains des Marrakech. It seems to get excellent reviews and for 3 hours of a traditional hamman, massage, and oriental bath the price is less than 100 USD. Anyone else know Les Bains des Marrakech, or can anyone else offer an alternative spa/ hamman???

We've also decided NOT to book Desert Majesty because they wanted a big chunk of the payment in advance, via bank transfer. I decided to go with Morocco Adventure Tours. I have read little about them but they're new and nice and run by a Scot, so we decided to go for it. We're going both to the cascades and then to Ouarzazate (2 separate days).

And that's it! Any advice or thoughts would be great! if not, I'll update again when we get back!

I'm not sure that going to Ouazarzate for the day is such a great idea. From Marakkech it is about a 4 hour drive so would make for a VERY long day. Plus you are not actually in the dunes in Ouazarzate, you have to go all the way to Merzouga for that- which I would highly recommend. We did an 8 day trip there, and did Marakkech, Merzouga and Fez. Here is a link to my trip report if you are interested: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-tangines.cfm.

Also, the Morocco board on TripAdvisor tends to be more active though watch out for the touts!!

Marrakech and Essaouria are great, but Ouarzazate alone may not merit the time. I agree with JGG that Merzouga and an overnight camel ride and tent stay in the desert are VERY worth it but take time to get there. That was a highlight for my husband and me. The night is SO black there. I don't think my trip report still is online but you can see photos at www.pattyroth.com I have a few Morocco galleries for ideas. Have fun!

Thanks everyone for your help! That was super useful and in the end, we DID cut out Ouarzarzate. We just got back yesterday and while i don't consider this a proper trip report, i wanted to say a few words that could help some others planning a trip!

We intended to stay at Riad Azzar but we were upgraded to their sister hotel, Riad Siwan. We cannot say enough about how AMAZING this place was - the staff, the food, the atmosphere. We had incredibly relaxed evenings here and slept sooo well. We didn't want to leave and in fact, changed our plans to add on another night. i cannot recommend it more. Their breakfast and dinners were our highlights in terms of eating.

In Essaouria, we went to Riad Baoussala initially based on trip advisor reviews. It was a mistake. if you want to go to Essaouira, this is NOT Essaouira - it's further than they act like it is. The rooms were slightly run down and the whole vibe was much less chic than we had imagined. We ended up moving to Villa Maroc. We loved the hotel - it was charming and totally relaxed. It was not luxurious and the bathroom was less kept than I prefer but overall, it was a good place to go, especially for the money. The location and the roof terrace were perfect and we loved the bright turquoise and blue colors everywhere.

Morocco Adventure Tours is actually called Splash Morocco. We LOVED them! The girls that took us around (within morocco and to the cascades) were knowledgable and fun to hang out with. It was like visiting friends. Would recommend them hands down. They're not Moroccan, but somehow, that makes the cultural understandings a bit easier and more relaxed when you're spending 48 hours with strangers. We felt safe with them and had a great, fun time.

We were in Marrakech during Ramadan and loved being able to experience that even if more things were closed than normal. It wasn't problematic for us, and really just forced us to slow down a bit. We were invited to break fast with some of the staff from the hotel one night and it was incredibly meaningful to us to have been invited.

Essaouria, for us, was overrated. We planned to stay 3 days, cut it down to 2. I didn't see what the hype was about, even though it was indeed a pretty town. It wasn't worth more than 2 days and we found the food really touristy and mediocre.

Zouina Cheval in Essaouira for horse back riding was great. Reliable, responsible, comfortable, safe. Would recommend.

Cascades d'Ouzades was fantastic and highlight of our trip. Les Bains des Marrakech offered up GORGEOUS massages in a stunning atmosphere. Both, for us, were well worth it.

We substituted Ouazarzate with a trip to the mountains and to Tinmal Mosque. If you're into Moroccan history and culture, it's worth with it. The drive is BEAUTIFUL - breathtaking - even if you're clinging to the mountains edge. The mosque was an honor to see and the Berber villages nearby were great to visit - it felt a bit like what the 'real' Morocco, outside of the cities is like.

Next time, we're heading to the desert! But, as an introductory one week trip, we loved what we did and would recommend it. I would also suggest to others to get a great hotel in Marrakech and organize day trips out. It is a fabulous combination. Oh! And definitely splurge on a hotel that is comfortable, with pool, and with air conditioning. We had heat over 106 and couldn't have done it without air conditioning at night. Plus, having an oasis from the madness means a lot after a night getting lost in the souks!

THANK YOU for everyone's help and I hope this helps more people!!

NicaZ - thank you for your thoughtful comments and reviews. I am considering chaperoning a group of teens (15 - 18 yrs) on a trip in March 2012 and need to read reports like yours. Is there anything you suggest for our 4 - 5 days in Morocco?

tC

I would strongly suggest you do a camel ride an overnight in the desert of Merzouga. We went to Morocco in 2007 when our kids were 14 and 11 and that was definitely the highlight!!

Agree with the other posters - with 8 days, you could have gone to Merzouga and stayed overnight in one of the hotels right at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. Our family just got back last Friday from a 6-day trip to Morocco. We planed into Casablanca to celebrate our daughter's birthday there. Then the following day, we were picked up by our guide/driver, Idriss, of Authentic Morocco to begin a 5-day tour. From Casablanca, we visited Meknes then Fes where we stayed overnight in Dar Bensouda (a fabulous place!) The following day, we drove for nearly 8 hours including rest stops to Merzuoga for a sunset camel ride in the desert and overnight stay at Kasbah Tumbouctou. The following day, we drove towards Marrakech passing thru Ourzazate, Skoura, Erfoud, etc. It was another long drive but worth it as we saw so many beautiful sights along the way thru the High Atlas mountains. Then we stayed 2 nights in Marrakech @ Riad Dar Aljazira to explore the city. Overall, we were able to see so much during those 5 days and we were very happy with the services provided by Authentic Morocco.