Morocco Desert Tours from Marrakech

Location :

Résidence Ali C, 1er etage appt N° 1; 6, 40000,, Avenue Mohammed V, Marrakech 40000
Added by Jopie, at 16 November 2016

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• John Fairservice

  29 November 2019

  4 days Morocco desert private tour from Marrakech
  
  We chose to go with Authentic Sahara Tours based on the good reviews. This tour did not disappoint. We had such an amazing experience. Our driver Lahcen was an absolute star! His English was good and taught us an abundance of real information about Moroccan culture and people. We were well looked after and he is a good safe driver.
  
  From the mountains to sand dunes, camels to tents, souks market maze to friendly Moroccan people, beef and veggy tagines to Kasbahs and rugs, beautiful intricate mosaic tiles to breathtaking views.
  
  We were both extremely happy with our trip and already talking about going back to see other places we haven't been to yet.

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• Ashley S

  12 November 2019

  One of the worst travel experiences and one of the least "authentic" things I've ever done and I could not wait for the 3 days to end. As someone who also works in customer service, I strongly believe that you need to manage your customer's expectations by being FULLY transparent, communicative about all details and not overselling your services. I would argue that this tour service actually lies to customers, does not communicate well and therefore sets some up for a negative experience.
  
  The van was comfortable and the strangers I joined were fun to travel with - that's where the good ended. Communication is all in perfect English leading up to the trip, but our guide's English was very limited. The first day he barely said more than "Berbers" "nomads" "business of sheep", "pictures, pictures". It seemed as if he was just repeating key words he thought we wanted to hear. There's also nothing more inauthentic than people dressing up in "costume" for you. He was clearly embarrassed to be wearing a djellaba to pick us up. I would have liked a guide who really wanted to share culture and history with us. 
  
  There was no detailed itinerary provided other than the one on the site. So when I read that "cedar forests" are a stop, I thought we were going to a forested area where we'd have time to explore. Instead, it's a pull off to see a monkey that just happens to be sitting there in a tree for tourists. And imagine my surprise and dismay when we were forced to spend an hour at tourist trap "Atlas Studios" (for a fee of $10E). I would have preferred to have been dropped off to explore a small village! While I was under the impression we would have free time to wander at a few stops, we were instead surprised by guides we were forced to take (and pay them!!). Wouldn't you know, those guides took us to "hidden shopping traps". You can wrap your trap in the guise of a "demonstration" but it is still an awkward trap and a LIE.
  
  Many are likely doing this as a way to have the "desert experience". Unfortunately, that was the worst part of this tour. The tents were the tackiest accommodations I've ever seen. (the "Tangerine Camp" someone posted photos of are NOT accurate) They reeked of manufactured floral scent (why not use Morocco's wonderful natural incense?). The bedding was disgusting - there's NO WAY they clean it every day. The threadbare bottom sheets had hair on them. The food was awful and the staff were kids in bad Berber costume who clearly hated their jobs. I don't blame them - the whole thing is a total circus and they are likely paid the least. The nighttime "entertainment" was a joke. The kids tried to force "fun" on us by trying to force us to dance to their bad interpretation of traditional Berber music. I was not the only one who felt awkward and uncomfortable with it all.
  
  If you're looking for untouched beauty in the Saharan desert, forget about it. The short trek through this "desert" (I later learned Merzouga is hardly the desert) is through small dunes covered in ATV tracks and tracked out by all of the other tours you can see trekking along at the same time. And if you pictured a camp flanked by beautiful dunes, again, forget it. 
  
  The operators of this tour gave me no info in advance as to how to settle the remainder of my bill. I would have been happy to have prepared ahead and brought cash if that was what was expected. But I was never informed about what the expectation was. So it felt very awkward and uncomfortable when the driver asked me on the side of the road at another touristy pull off for 250euro! When I didn't fork over cash (only because I didn't have that much cash on me!!), I was treated as if I wasn't going to pay at all. I was under the impression that another couple was getting money the next day, so I thought that was fine. Apparently I had misunderstood them. So from that point on (an entire day), the driver wouldn't speak to me!
  
  There was nothing good or memorable about this experience except that I will remember to never be fooled by a company calling themselves "authentic" again.

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• Anne D

  25 October 2019

  Loved it. Luxury package totally worth it. Camel ride fun. Amazing views. Delicious dinner. Wonderful starry night

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• Austen Koecher

  21 April 2019

  We took a private tour for four days from Fes to Marrakesh. Our guide/driver Mohammed was brilliant. He went above and beyond every day to make sure we had a comfortable and enjoyable experience, changing the itinerary as necessary to accommodate the things we wanted to do. He was a safe driver and the car was spacious and modern. The hotels were decent but not fantastic. The main benefit of taking the tour was getting to see all the “minor” sights that a bus would skip. Driving through the Atlas Mountains on the last day was wonderful. Five stars for Mohammed and for the tour as a whole.

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• Abdelaziz Maghrani

  14 February 2019

  Step bare feet on to sun-warmed Sahara sand. Look out over the honey-colored dunes, stretching out in every direction before you. The sound of the breeze, your only distraction. The setting sun, painting shades of orange, deep tangerine, across the sky above you. Welcome to the desert.

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• David Yu

  09 April 2018

  No replies what-so-ever; emails, whatsapp, enquiry on their website, nothing.

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• Sigrid Mulas

  07 March 2018

  Hands off!!!
  If possible, I would not rate a star at all. I asked for 3 days from Marrakesh to Fez. First contact was fine, but when I confirmed the reservation (for a private tour!) asking more details for payment and pick up, I did not get an answer anymore. Take advice and use a different company, there are lots of!
  
  I tried several times to confirm the trip (shared or private tour) in English and in French, by email as well as by telephone asking even for anticipate payment but got no answer at all. The are trying to charge their own misconducts on customers.
  Disgusting.

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• Mark Salamone

  23 December 2017

  I signed up for a tour through a 3rd party website. My tour was canceled and I never received notice of that fact. When I contacted Authentic Sahara Tours, they were reluctant to acknowledge their error, but they eventually compensated me with a different tour. I appreciate the gesture, but the cancellation really messed up my plans. I'll use a different company in the future.

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• Anna Binder

  03 May 2017

  I recommend Authentic Sahara Tours 100%. The company is very professional and our trip was perfectly organized. Everything went smoothly, the hotels and desert camp were fantastic and our tour guide was reliable, considerate and drove very safely.

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• Katharina Mahncke

  23 November 2016

  We highly recommend this company for any looking for a great desert tour in Morocco.

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• Marrakech Day Trips

  23 November 2016

  Highly recommended company for private tours!

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