Ancient Heritage to Hot Sands: Immersive Morocco Tour

Our trip to Morocco was truly exceptional in every way.  Our travel designer and his team delivered top-notch customized service from initial contact all the way to our return back home. My husband and I went on a 12-day trip through much of Morocco (Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, Sahara, Atlas Mountains, Oualidia, and many amazing places in between). When we arrived, our driver welcomed us with a warm smile and said we were now family. Over the next week and a half, we truly felt that we had become family as he spent every day with us sharing what his country had to offer with such incredible enthusiasm, professionalism, and knowledge. While we spent a lot of time in the car together, our driver made sure we were never bored and he went out of his way to make every experience special for us. He is a huge asset to the company and anyone would be lucky to have such an engaging Moroccan ambassador.

The travel team did an incredible job hiring local tour guides in each city. Our guides in Rabat, Fes, and Marrakech were very knowledgeable, customized the day to our interests and energy levels, and encouraged us to participate and ask questions no matter the topic. We gained a better appreciation for the history, culture, and lifestyle of each city thanks to their passion and attentiveness to our interests. We also think they created an appropriate balance of downtime and structure.

The accommodations chosen for us were high quality and in good locations. We questioned a couple of options prior to our trip, but upon arriving, understood entirely why they were chosen. For example, while we expected beautiful riads in the main cities (and they did deliver here!) we were pleasantly surprised to stay in a beautiful garden hotel in Skoura on the way to Marrakech. Of course, the desert camp was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we'll be talking about for years to come.

We were most impressed by the many nice touches the company took to provide the perfect experience for us. When we landed, we were surprised with a customized leather bag with my name in Arabic, a local cell phone, some petty cash in local dirhams, and a covid safety kit (I should note that covid was not a concern, and precautions were taken - we felt very safe). My husband was dying to try the best local tagine the country had to offer. The travel team not only set up a quality tagine lunch in Marrakech but took us behind the scenes to see the dish being made. They also made sure we always had access to bottled water and snacks in the car. 

I struggle to write a review that truly reflects how amazing our experience was, but this travel team provided us with the access, luxury, and adventure that we could only have dreamed of. I highly recommend their services - you will be delighted and all expectations will be exceeded.

This was a trip of a lifetime, thanks to Zicasso’s travel company!

Our family recently returned from an unforgettable journey through Morocco and we owe the magic of this experience to the incredible team at our travel company. From the moment we reached out, we were met with warmth, attentiveness, and an exceptional level of care.

The company crafted a beautifully balanced itinerary that allowed us to truly immerse ourselves in Moroccan culture. Every detail was thoughtfully arranged, from transportation and accommodations to amazing local guides and our incredibly hospitable and attentive driver, who made the experience feel personal and deeply welcoming. The team was flexible throughout, adjusting plans effortlessly to suit our pace and preferences.

Highlights included a hands-on pottery workshop, a delicious cooking class filled with traditional Moroccan flavors, and a dreamy night of glamping in the Agafay Desert.

We also loved the coastal charm of Essaouira and the vibrant energy of Marrakech, with its colorful souks, stunning architecture, and lively atmosphere.

What stood out most was the kindness, authenticity, and thoughtfulness of everyone we encountered through our travel company. The experience gave us a meaningful connection to the country – its culture, landscapes, and people – that we’ll remember for a long time.

Thank you for such a memorable and enriching trip!

We highly recommend this very professional and detail-oriented travel company. Jaouad helped us plan a 10-day trip of a lifetime to Morocco, seven days spent with our driver and guide and two and a half days with Jaouad himself.

Our guide picked us up at the airport in Casablanca where we spent a few hours visiting the Hassan II mosque and the local synagogue. We then drove to Rabat, which we toured for the afternoon and spent the night. On day two, we drove to Fes, stopping at Meknes and Moulay Driss along the way. We did a fun ceramic class in Fes and spent the next day touring this amazing city, including the tannery, the Mellah, the royal palace, and wandered through the souks.

The next day, we drove to Erfoud and then went into the Sahara Desert, where we did a super fun ATV ride and a sunset camel ride, and “glamped” in the desert. The following day, we visited a local market in Rissani and the gorgeous Todra Gorges with an overnight stay in Skoura.

Our last stop was three nights in the magical and very busy city of Marrakech, which included visiting the labyrinth of markets and doing a fun cooking class in the Atlas Mountains. Both our guide and Jaouad were phenomenal! They were fluent in English, very knowledgeable, super nice, and very interesting. We felt like we were continually getting the inside scoop on all things Morocco, ranging from the history of this beautiful country to its culture, to the politics and more.

Jaouad also chose beautiful hotels, most of which were riads, which gave us five-star accommodations in the authentic Moroccan style. I cannot say enough amazing things about our trip, which was perfect from start to finish!

We are a couple in our mid-70s who have just returned [October 2022] from a fabulous two-week private tour of Morocco. In recent years we have booked a number of private tours through Zicasso, including extended tours of India and Southeast Asia, all of which have more than met our expectations. Without a doubt our Morocco tour was among the very best.

We initially chose our travel provider because he was locally based in Morocco, and because of the instant connection we felt during our phone interview. He was enthusiastic, bursting with ideas, spoke excellent English, and seemed to have an intuitive grasp of our style and aims. In the ensuing weeks, we worked with him mainly through email exchanges, but also several phone conversations, to design a fantastic itinerary. Throughout this process he was very quick to respond to our ideas and questions, and was always ready with suggestions to guide us. It was evident that his knowledge of his country is deep and comprehensive. And he seemed genuinely to enjoy getting to know us. He takes great pride in his country and is intent on providing his clients a full, authentic experience.

We had originally planned this trip for March 2020 but had to postpone a few days before we were to leave due to Covid. We had paid for the tour in full, and were anxious about what kind of financial loss we would incur. Our tour provider put in place a very fair policy assuring his clients of the ability to postpone their tours. Over the next two years, we attempted several times to reschedule the tour, requiring a good deal of work on the part of our provider each time. We had rebooked for spring 2022, but as our departure date approached he advised that we further postpone, because the country had not yet fully reopened and we would likely not experience the real Morocco­. We found this a very remarkable reflection of his integrity and putting his clients’ interests ahead of his own. By the time we finally took the tour in fall 2022, the country was bustling and, because of strict guidelines and high vaccination rate, afforded tourists the opportunity to travel unmasked at very low risk.

In all of our world travels, this was the first time that we had a single driver throughout the tour. Our driver was in fact a true guide who knew all facets of the country and gave us a good historical, religious, and sociological overview, and shared intimate knowledge of the tribal customs and life. No matter where we were, he was warmly greeted by numerous acquaintances, and he continually made more friends by his magnetic, sunny personality. He is a true genius at languages, fluent in Arabic, Berber (Tamazight), French, English, Spanish, Hebrew, with a smattering of many others. An amazing man! Being together for two weeks, we got to know one another very well and formed what we hope is a continuing friendship.

In addition to our driver, we had local guides in each of the cities, towns, and other notable sites. All were punctual, enthusiastic, very friendly, and, as natives, provided many insights into the culture and history of the locale. These guides were a diverse group of people–men and women of varying ages, religions, ethnicities, personalities. Spending several hours with each of these individuals opened us up to many aspects of Moroccan life. All of our guides were unfailingly attentive to our interests, needs, and physical abilities, and made sure we had the time and best angle for photographs.

Morocco is a country of stupendous beauty and great contrasts—the awesome mountains, the hypnotically vast sand dunes, the crowded and colorful medinas, the seaside resorts, and the beautiful riads—the ones in Fez, Essaouira, and Marrakech were outstanding. The artisans’ workshops, especially tile and wood-working, were both educational and fascinating. The food everywhere is great.

The travel books and government advisories possibly instill fear by advising tourists to inform their embassy upon arrival in Morocco, and stressing the presence of pickpockets on the squares and in the medinas, and the threat of terrorism. Once on the ground in Casablanca, we relaxed and gave up the idea of contacting the embassy, and throughout the trip felt safe from any sort of crime. Granted we were almost always with a guide, but we did not see anyone who might have been a threat (even walking the streets of Marrakech near our hotel alone late at night).

The trip was beyond our expectations. Each city & location has its own unique offerings and beautiful scenery.

Our guide and driver made the trip extra special, providing us unique insights on each city and location. He took great care of us, which was very comforting going to a new country for the first time.Joauad arranged for local expert guides as well for each city, that not only provided the perfect background information but were also very passionate about the topics at hand which made each place very memorable.

If you are thinking of going to Morocco, just do it, you will not be disappointed! This was truly a lifetime experience we will not forget.