In recent years, people around the world have become interested in Morocco tours for their holiday adventures.
North Africa, specifically Morocco in the north west corner, has garnered a great deal of interest for people who want to experience the exotic aspects of traveling in Africa, in a very easy and accessible way. As experts in Morocco tours, offering not only holiday packages in Morocco but also information about Morocco, is our passion and specialty. Based on its ancient history, indigenous people, religious background, politics and geography, Morocco represents a vastly complex society that is waiting to be explored.
Morocco tours can be self guided, of course. However, there are a number of great reasons why you might choose to engage a licensed tour company for your tour of Morocco:
LANGUAGE
There are a myriad of languages at play in daily life. Classical Arabic is spoken formally and in official settings as a common ground across dialects. Don’t forget it also has a different alphabet of characters.
Darija is the Moroccan dialect. Spoken only in Morocco, it is a unique composite of Arabic, French and Spanish. It is spoken “in the streets” and not a written language. In other words, Google Translate can’t help you here. It is rarely written except in text messages, and then the Latin alphabet is used. Spelling is anyone’s guess with Darija and no standard is applied.
French is spoken widely, by young children and in official settings. Contracts are often written in French. The French Protectorate from 1912 to 1956 ensured this legacy.
Spanish is spoken in parts of North Morocco but not in the south, so if you are relying on Spanish you will have trouble south of Fes.
Amazigh, also known as Berber is spoken almost exclusively in the villages of the south of Morocco. It also has its own alphabet that is completely unique. Amazigh was made an official language in 2011 and you will often see it displayed on road signs and government buildings, next to Arabic and French.
While it is very possible, and indeed common, to string together basic sentences in English, French and some Darija, it is highly advisable to seek help from a knowledgeable Moroccan for more complex matters. That’s where having a Moroccan tour guide with you can come in really handy.
LOCAL CUSTOMS
Things work differently in Morocco. With a very complex set of influences, you can expect that the norms and ways of business and life here are not easily unravelled.
Morocco has the Islamic religion and its influences, mixed with Berber culture, a heavy French influence, steeped in the bosom of Mama Africa and just a stones throw from Europe. That means that everything from buying tickets to museums to checking in to a hotel can be quite mysterious.
Many a tourist has found themselves wondering where everyone disappeared to at 12:30 p.m. or why you can’t buy museum tickets online in advance. And don’t even try to use your local SIM card to gets signal for navigation in the heart of the Fes medina.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
It is entirely possible to plan Morocco tours from information you find on the Internet. Whether you are arriving in Tangier, Casablanca or Marrakech, there are trains and buses and rental cars a plenty.
It is important to remember though, that Moroccans are a modest culture. They highly value privacy and family time, keeping their best things for inside the house.
Hint: This is why many Moroccan women choose to wear a hijab. They believe they have one beauty and it should be kept for one man, uncovering only in the privacy of their homes.
If you want access to those homes, to get behind the high walls and know which doors to push open to find amazing places tucked away, it is important to engage a guide to take you there.
A guide leading your Morocco tour will know the best places to visit. The ones operated by honesty and hardworking Moroccan families. The places that use only Moroccan goods and don’t secretly sell you things made in Turkey. They will take you to places that are less crowded by the big bus tours and far more special because of their limited access.
DESTINATIONS AND DRIVING
Morocco is country of 36 million people and the size of California. The distances between destinations are great.
It is entirely possible to arrive in Tangier and depart from Marrakech whilst visiting the Sahara desert and Fes in about 6 days. But in order to do so there is no room for error if you are traveling on your own. Booking a Morocco tour with a guide that will slide you in to a nice hotel at the end of a long day of discovery is a blessing. Having someone to help you overcome problems that inevitably arise and still get you to the highlights is just genius.
Morocco has a lot to offer and a load of wonderful sights and food and destinations to explore. Leave it the experts to guide you along the way. We promise, you will have enough to do in a day without worrying the details.
