October 7th – 20th, 2023
Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most European countries are allowed to enter Morocco without a visa for stays of less than 90 days. As a result, no preparations are needed and you do not need to obtain a tourist visa for this trip. Upon arrival in the country, the immigration officer will simply stamp your passport and you’ll be allowed to enter.
Please follow the below instructions upon arrival at Casablanca’s International Airport:
If you are unable to find your driver, please contact your tour leader, Sakai, at +1 510-806-5488 or our local representative, Ismail, at +212 5224-52967. (These two people can also be reached at any time in case someone needs to get in touch with you from home.)
Please note: When arriving into Morocco, you are sometimes required to fill out a landing card or tell the immigration officer where you will be staying in Casablanca. Here are the details:
Aparthotel Adagio Casablanca, 279 Boulevard Bir Anzarane, Casablanca, 20250, Morocco
For this tour, please ensure your arrival flight is booked to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN). While you can depart from either Marrakech or Casablanca, we recommend departing from Marrakech since that’s where the tour concludes. If you choose to depart from the Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), we’ll organize your transfer, with the airport just 10 minutes from the hotel. However, if you opt for a departure from Casablanca, we can offer a transfer at an additional charge, keeping in mind the journey takes about 2.5 hours.
We will set up a WhatsApp chat 2 weeks prior to the start of the tour that will include all of the participants, as well as your tour leader. This will allow everyone to get to know each other in advance, ask questions and communicate with your tour leader both before and during the tour. It will be very useful for you to have WhatsApp available to you during the tour as this will be the main method of communication.
The tour leader for your trip is Sakai Naismith. He will be with you every step of the way. With his extensive experience and vast knowledge of Morocco, you’ll be in excellent hands. He will introduce himself and share more details when we create the group WhatsApp chat approximately 2 weeks before the tour.
**Our tour leader will be there to ensure the trip runs smoothly and our local guides are there to share the wonders of their country!
The local currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). The current exchange rate is $1 USD = 9.95 MAD.
In terms of spending money, you should estimate an average of $30 USD per day for all of your needs. This would be for meals that are not included in the tour, basic purchases (laundry service, snacks, etc) as well as any activities you choose to do on your own.
As for exchanging money, the best method is via ATM machines which are everywhere in the country. This is the easiest so that you don’t need to carry around large amounts of cash. However, check with your bank at home as some banks charge high foreign transaction fees every time you withdraw money overseas.
If using an ATM is not an option, or the fees are too high, simply bring USD, Euros or GBP to exchange at money exchange offices that are located all over the country.
*US dollars are not accepted anywhere in Morocco. You must make purchases in the local currency.
*Credit cards are widely accepted at restaurants, cafes and shops in cities and larger towns. In more rural areas, cash is generally the main payment option, so it’s always better to have local currency.
Tipping in Morocco is not as common as in the West but in some cases it is expected. Here’s a general guideline:
➜ Restaurants – 7% – 10% if a service charge is not already added to the bill
➜ Hotel staff – 10 MAD if someone helps you with luggage or anything else
➜ Our drivers – At the end of the trip, we recommend that everyone gives a $50 USD tip for our driver. We will collect this on the last day and give it to our driver before we say goodbye
➜ Tour leader – If you wish to tip your tour leader, they will always be greatly appreciative
*Tips for local guides and waitstaff at included meals are already included.
As Morocco is a developing country, strong internet is not quite widespread. While almost all of the accommodations have Wi-Fi (except the desert camp), the connection can be poor at times, so be prepared to be offline more than you’re probably used to back home. In general, the internet access will work and you’ll be able to do whatever you need to do online, but it might take longer than normal with the potentially spotty connection.
The easiest way to stay connected during the tour will be to purchase an E-SIM before the trip, as this will allow you to stay connected from the moment you land at the airport.
We can also set up local SIM cards upon arrival for those who wish. Just make sure you have a GSM-enabled unlocked phone in order to use a foreign SIM card.
Another option is to activate your home network’s ‘international plan’ which will allow you to continue using your phone as you would at home, with access to a data connection, for a fee that usually ranges from $5 – $10 per day.
On this tour, air conditioning is available in all of our hotels except for the Sahara Desert camp. However there is nothing to worry about, as the desert usually cools down significantly at night.
October 7th: Casablanca / Arrival day
October 8th: Casablanca ➜ Meknes ➜ Fes
October 9th: Fes
October 10th: Fes ➜ Sefrou ➜ Fes
October 11th: Fes ➜ Middle Atlas ➜ Ifrane ➜ Merzouga
October 12th: Sahara Desert
October 13th: Merzouga ➜ Tinerhir ➜ Dades Valley
October 14th: Dades Valley
October 15th: Dades Valley
October 16th: Dades Valley ➜ Ouarzazate ➜ Tisseldei ➜ Marrakech
October 17th: Marrakech ➜ Essaouira
October 18th: Essaouira ➜ Marrakech
October 19th: Marrakech
October 20th: Marrakech / Departure day
➜ Wandering Earl Tours expert leader throughout the tour
➜ Small group (maximum 12 participants)
➜ Accommodation (13 nights – 3*/4* riads, hotels and a desert camp)
➜ Transportation within Morocco (Mercedes vans)
➜ Local guides in each destination
➜ All mentioned activities, entrance fees and workshops
➜ Breakfast every day, 6 lunches and 11 dinners
➜ Water throughout the trip
➜ Gratuities at hotels/included meals
➜ All airport transfers (Casablanca arrival / Marrakech departure)
➜ Flights to/from Morocco
➜ Passport/visa fees
➜ Meals and activities not mentioned
➜ Travel insurance
➜ Other gratuities
Please note that in the event of any interruption to your tour experience as a result of your testing positive for Covid-19, our staff will be on hand to assist with making any arrangements that need to be made. This could include accommodation booking, transportation, scheduling additional Covid-19 tests, etc. However, it is important to understand that you would be fully responsible for all expenses incurred related to interruptions to the trip and/or medical treatment needed as a result of a positive Covid-19 test before, during or after the trip. We highly recommend having a travel/health insurance policy that covers Covid-19 related situations. By participating in the tour, you are confirming your understanding of the above
That’s all for now! If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to send us an email at team@wanderingearl.com.
