Traveling to Morocco without a tour?
 

Hi,

I plan to travel to Morocco with my father. I am looking into tours but my
preference is always skipping tours.

I would like to know how difficult or easy it is to travel through Morocco without
a tour? What your experience has been like?

I have an idea.
try to find a private tour with guide and driver.Make sure the guide/driver speaks English that will help you to communicate and understand more about places,history and culture.

I traveled in Morocco on my own and with a tour. I used the trains between Casablanca and Rabat, and buses between Marrakech and Essaouira. I spent time in all four towns on my own. However, if you want to visit the desert I would recommend either a tour or a car and driver.

I have booked a tour in Morocco because I will feel more secured than if I do it by myself.I bet that I will get what I will pay for.I will let you know about my experience if I did it before you go.My trip is expected for next October.

Thanks all. I decided to go with a tour since I do not have
time to do the plannings. We are going in Sept.

Jsruiser1970, Do you mind sharing with me which tour you
are going with and if you have a recommendation for them.
There are a ton of tours out there and is very confusing.

You might want to check out the OAT trip Morocco and the Sahara Odyssey.
I am going on this trip in mid-September.

I have take several OAT trips before and am very satisfied with them.

This Morocco trip is pretty extensive and relatively inexpensive. Their website is oattravel.com

My husband and I are planning a trip to Morocco next March. I have emailed two travel providers with my ideas, and they have prepared some proposed itineraries for me. I am also looking at an Odysseys Unlimited small group tour.

I don't have complete details and prices yet, but the two travel providers are proposing all transfers, accommodations in three/four-star riads, some meals, a private driver/guide and walking tours in each city. I have corresponded with Journeys Beyond Travel and zicasso.com.

You may find this more helpful than a group tour because you will be able to tailor it to your needs and desires. And someone else can do all the planning for you based on what you want to see. They also have suggested itineraries.

After finding a tour, we decided that staying in tents
and remote areas away from medical facilities may not be
very wise. So, I am planning a trip on my own to Morocco and
Tunisia. My father is 85+ and I am mid-aged. We are both very
active and enegetic.

I am having a hard time planning unlike other destinations
that I have traveled. I am thinking of Marrakech, Rabat,
Casablanca, Essouria and Meknez. It is a shame not to see
the desert that we see in Hollywood movies (which is
indeed beatiful) and the Atlas mountains. I am hoping we can
find a way to make day trips or at least lower rsik
trips to these destinations. Any ideas??

Also, it looks like for the cities I have listed above we
can do it on our own without a guide. Is that true? We are
both well traveled and I have traveled on my own to several
countries and he had done that in his younger years.

Any advise is appreciated. I still have Tunisia to figure out!

Yes, you can do the cities you list without a guide, although I would be inclined to substitute Fez (where you may want a guide for the medina, but you'll be hauled into lots of shops) for Meknes. You could do a day trip from Marrakech to Imlil, but the desert is too far. You don't need to spend much time in Casablanca.

Thanks. Actually we are going to both Meknez and Fez. I
dropped that by mistake.

thursdayd, I noticed in an earlier note you said for a trip
to desert we should use a guide and a driver. Can you please
tell me how you found a guide for the desert in MorocCo? any
recommed=ndation from you or any other traveler is appreciated.

zbjoon - I did that part on an Intrepid tour - click on my name for my TR.

I read part of your trip report just now. Looks like
you started in Casablanca with the tour and were part
of the tour group. Bookmarked it to read it further
since I already learned some things. It is a good one.
Thanks for the pointer.

I was hoping to get a day tour or tours for two days or
so for desert and Atlas mountains.

Hello Zbjoon,
I have booked the tour with RoughTours company.They seem to be young active people.Also,They are the only 3 tour agencies that I checked online to give the names of people whom I am writing to,therefore,I have a sense of reliability in this company.You may want to check the website and you tell me what you think.www.roughtours.com
let's share your thoughts
j

Thanks.
I am looking for couple of days of desert tour and Atlas
mountians. I like to be stationed somewhere with modern
conveniences and travel to desert and Atlas mountains.

Looks like I can do the Atlas mountains from Marrakech
by hiring a guide /driver. Just do not know from wehere.
But I have not yet solved the desert puzzle.

I looked at roughtours and I need to check the
travel books against destinations and see how
far we will be from a city.

Hi,
Hope you find what suits you.
All the best

Hi.
I'd like to bring this topic up again as I too am looking to do the same sort of thing. That is travel independently to Morocco but take some tours while there.
We will be coming from Spain and can take advantage of very cheap flights with Easyjet or RyanAir.
So am wondering if any of the contributors have discovered any further information ?

Hello jcruiser1970,
I am planning to book a 3 days 2 night trip from Marrakech to Fez with Roughtours. May I know the price they quoted for you?