3 Day Marrakech to Fes Shared Excursion with Desert Camp

Let's see, it is difficult to evaluate this excursion, given that the main objective is to experience the Sahara Desert and spend a night there, and just that alone is worth everything else; it is something incredible, a unique experience that one must have once in a lifetime, but the 3-day (2-night) excursion has many things to improve. In my case, we did the one that starts in Marrakech and ends in Fez. Everything started very well, since the day before, the guide (named Ilyasse) contacted me to coordinate the meeting in the square of Marrakech. Both the meeting and the punctuality were perfect, and it was clear that Ilyasse always tries to ensure that this is fulfilled. The trip is made in comfortable vans, for 15/18 people, and although the journey is long, it is quite pleasant. There are quite frequent stops to go to the bathroom and have something to drink or eat. On the first day, we depart from Marrakech with the final destination being the Dades Valley. We stop for lunch in a large city (Ouarzazate), and they take you directly to a restaurant with a fixed menu, without giving you any other option (they don't even mention that you can eat elsewhere), and in fact, the restaurant where they left us had nothing nearby, so we were forced to eat there. A regular restaurant on top of that. The arrival at the Dades Valley is around 6/7 PM, and this is where the major problems began. The hotel assigned to us was one called Amazigh, which, although it looked good, we had to request a room change, and the one they gave us was not much better. The pillows did not have covers (I had to go down to ask for them at night), windows without blackout curtains, a tiny bed, noisy, not very clean; but the worst was the dinner and breakfast that were included. Buffet dinner, which ran out in 5 minutes and they did not replenish, low quality of ingredients, and the breakfast was one of the worst I have ever had in my life. We continued our journey early, and again we stopped for lunch in a place that, although it was a bit better (I don't even remember where it was), once again they left us without the option to choose anything else. Finally, we arrived at the famous desert, where they were waiting for us with camels to take us to the "luxury" camp that we had chosen. After 1 hour, we arrived at a truly beautiful place, but there was a lot of disorganization at the reception and assignment of tents. Since it seemed there was no more space in the indicated camp, they sent us to the one next door, which is of a higher category; that seemed good, but it was not. The room was really nice, with a private bathroom, well decorated, etc., but it was a literal oven. We saw that they had air conditioning, but since we had not booked that category, they were not authorized for us to use it, not even by paying an extra fee that we offered. But the worst part is that the tent had the ventilation windows closed, so no air came in. We had to sleep with the door open all night to let in some air, but it was extremely difficult. On top of that, I don't know why we had to get up at 5:30 AM for breakfast (which, due to their delays, we didn't start until after 6 AM), meaning we had already gone two nights in a row without sleep. The truth is that we were left wanting to enjoy the desert a bit more. We arrived around 7:30 PM, and by the time we got our room and settled in, it was almost 8:30. We barely managed to see the sunset, the dinner was bad, the breakfast was bad, and we left... I think we could have arrived earlier and left a little later. Another point of complaint is an excursion we took in a canyon on the way to the desert, with a guide who spent the whole time talking on the phone. He added nothing; he took us to see a place that wanted to sell us rugs, so that was more than 2 hours wasted that could have been spent in the desert. The final day from the desert to Fez was long. Again, we were forced to eat at a restaurant specializing in grilled meats, which was also quite bad, and around 3 PM, they left us in Fez. With very little, this excursion could be improved; I hope they do so.

We had an excellent experience. Our guide from marrakesh to the desert was amazing. His name is Aziz. Camping at the desert was wonderful. All the activities were on time and as expected. We strongly recommend it!

Our tour guide, Hamid Ousaadan, was very helpful. The tour took longer than expected because the mountains were winding and long. It was a tour that met our expectations. We did the desert activities. Our rating is 9/10.

We loved our tour leader Ilyasse!! Even though he is not a tour guide, he was happy to help us understand Morocco and Amazigh culture. He also was very attentive not only to our needs, but also our preferences which was very appreciated. We also felt safe and secure with Mohammed as our driver. The intention of this trip was to see the Sahara, the sand dunes, the peace and tranquility of the desert, and for that the tour is 10/10. There are some bits that could be better - the communication with the company ahead of the tour was challenging. There were several unanswered emails, including one of me trying to clarify my booking after they sent me a confirmation of a tour round trip to/from Marrakech which is not what I booked. They also asked me twice for the address of my riad even though I had provided it more than two weeks earlier, and again the first time they asked. Once I heard from Ilyasse the night before the tour - it was easy to forget I was ever worried about it. He was incredibly responsive and available. To meet in the morning he not only messaged that we were the next stop, called when arriving, and was perfectly punctual, but he also provided his real-time location by whatsapp. We saw many other travelers coming up to him confused if he was there to pick them up, so I do think this was exceptional service on his part. It also helped us get out of the city and on our way quickly. There is A LOT when booking the tour about expectations in a desert camp. I was prepared for camping conditions. Instead, we were put in a “private” tent instead of a deluxe tent because they didn’t have enough deluxe. The problem was these were designed to be used with the air conditioner in the tent, but they would not turn it on because we didn’t pay for that level of service. This all makes sense, until you realize they sealed the windows shut. I presume to make the AC more efficient? but since we weren’t allowed to use it, we were just in a sweat box with ZERO ventilation. If you can’t accommodate what we booked, you can’t give us half of the upgrade, you need to use the accommodation as intended or allow us to open the windows in 38-40 degree heat. Lastly, the food is not good. You’re traveling with a big group, and there are lot of other big groups, so you go to places that can efficiently accommodate big groups. It’s not the best food you’re going to have in Morocco, and sometimes the buffets run out. You’re going for the desert and the stops along the way - pack snacks. Just one more plug for Ilyasse, as I’m thinking back on the stops for the monkeys (so cute!) and just general navigation - he really looked out for us. Not just that we knew what to expect, but also that we weren’t being taken advantage of by hustlers on the street. Thank you, Ilyasse!!!

Tour to remember. Sahara was awesome. Good stops. Thanks Youseff for being a great guide and answering all my questions!

The drive was long but scenic, we had a large group but our driver Hicham was accommodating. Good service

Perfect trip! Friendly and helpful guide named Omar! Experience to recommend!

Had a great time from beginning till the end during this tour thanks to the great hospitality and guidance from Aziz and our driver. We passed by and saw different villages, natural areas and learned a lot about Berber and Moroccan culture.

The tour was great and I highly recommend it! Aziz was an amazing guide and he told us a lot of interesting things about Morocco. The tour itself was a good combination of attractions and driving, with interesting stops on the way and concluding with the night at the desert.

Good choice! Organized and attentive to help at all times.