private tour

I know nothing about tour companies, but Morocco is as easy as anyplace else to wander on you own. Buses are a bit hard, trains a bit limited in destinations, driving is easy. The Moroccan desert is not want you picture, for the most part, when you think of the Sahara - - that's east of the Atlases with the best part in western Egypt and southern Libya. Western Sahara, which is south of Morocco, would also fill the bill. What you can do (your hotel can steer you, Fez is probably a good departure point) is take a camel trip and spend the night in a genuine tent with authentic grub. If you don't like the darn beasts, you can ride the supply van that sneaks up the back side of the hill with the authentic grub and be slurping beer while the others are still bouncing along. I'd probably forgo the above for a guided trip into the High Atlas. This one is a little difficult for a first-timer to pull off alone. For what it's worth, I don't think too much of the Atlantic coastal areas.