Morocco (with Intrepid)

Sorry, a few more impressions about Intrepid:
Responsive and efficient registration and payment process.
24 hour online chat feature ( used several times) as well as phone options.
Great communication - for example. a few hotels changed, I received an email, no price change and a new booking summary was sent with the new address.
Information provided for local Intrepid emergency assistance until meeting with tour leader.
I didn't use their airfare option for reasons discussed on other threads. If something goes wrong I want to deal directly with the airline as well as vetting connection times, airlines, seats, etc So I can't review that service.

And lastly, just some experiences with money and food:
Prior to the trip I had posted a query about the potential for GI issues from the water or food. My concern was also if my (nearly 2 lbs of!) protein bars and PB pouches were enough for almost 3 weeks since I am gf and vegan. Fortunately, especially when traveling, I do eat eggs.
While I always travel with (but have fortunately never had to use) a blister pack of anti diarrheal tablets and some hydration powder tubes, the travel nurse at my clinic prescribed an antibiotic if things turned grim. Advice on the Forum and confirmed with further research advised using Pepto Bismal prophylactically, from 2 days before to 2 days after the trip.
Trusting my instincts, having never used it (!) I took 1 rather than 2 tablets twice daily (and took one before that to be sure of no allergy). I'm a small sized person and glad I listened to myself- without TMI let's just say it "worked" but I felt quite uncomfortable and quit taking it after arrival in Morocco.
Caveat- on the tour we were in upscale lodgings and all but one had a free bottle of water in the room. It took a few days to get used to not using the tap- at all- for toothbrushing and also facewashing. (For that I had a pouch of facial cleaning wipes, which worked great.) It was also an adjustment to using plastic bottled water and decanting it into my own small aluminum drinking bottle. Water was cheap in stores but more costly in restaurants. The guide had big huge plastic jugs from which we could fill our own bottles anytime which was a real convenience.
If you have no food restrictions, lucky you! Bread is ubiquitous at every meal and the traditional Moroccan bread and breakfast pancakes looked SO good. Plus French- ish pastries and cookies. The other tour members seemed happy with the various meat tagines and everyone loved the orange juice.
The guide was really protective and went so far, literally, as to go into some kitchens to confirm about dairy or gluten. A popular breakfast or lunch is une omelette naturelle cooked in (if lucky) olive oil and (if not) a lot of sunflower oil. So I had that almost daily and sometimes twice. French fries are also popular, yay. Sometimes I just had a protein bar and that was fine. It was not Intrepid's job to cater to my dietary restrictions! The plane rides were tough as always. I came home just in time with only one small protein bar left!
If you are traveling on your own just be very sure you're understood. Tagine mean couscous (not gf) so be careful!
Speaking of tagines I learned most in Morocco have
lead. You won't know what's under the beautiful glaze so do some research if you plan to bring one back (unless you don't care)!
Money- the dirham is restricted. I was surprised when I asked an exchange in the Paris airport and the seller had some, but only in huge bills and for an outrageous price. I'm in the minority but prefer to have cash before leaving the airport. The US bills must be very crisp and new, the agent inspected each of mine and rejected one. Some of the hotels could also change dollars, if they had any, and I used that option. The tour bus stopped at ATMs which for the most part seemed to work fine for those who used them. It's really helpful to have cash outside the larger cities and you'll need coins (and tp) for the toilets.
One tour member's card wouldn't work at multiple machines, then the account was frozen, etc. Hence why you need a back up card, wherever you travel, dude...he was so frantic and had zero cash. Or bandaids for that matter...
Anyway, my money stayed safe in my stretchy waistband money belt and I stayed healthy!
I hope this proves helpful for anyone else planning a trip to Morocco!

Oh, I love this report! Thank you so much for sharing, Bon Voyage! Visiting Morocco with Intrepid Travel has long been on my dream bucket list. I want to do the longer trip with them that covers more of Morocco. I just need my husband to get a new job where he can get that much time off consecutively together. What a great report. Sounds like you had a fantastic experience. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much, Julie! I'm glad this was helpful for your own planning! Many companies, Intrepid as well, offered shorter versions that either stayed north or toured the south, or. focused on just the cities.
I think that's why, at least this time of year, the clientele skewed well into retirement age (plus the cost!). It was interesting that the younger Canadian and the Australian adult daughter with her mother could arrange so much time away from work that's less typical in the US?
Another bonus ( not sure if all Intrepid groups have less Americans) was hearing their perspectives. The Americans bemoaned the lack of hot and copious morning coffee, but everyone else was so very happy to have milk and tea! One time we were served Moroccan coffee and I, from the PNW, was the only one who loved it!
Anyway, thanks again for letting me know! And hope your own trip happens as soon as possible!

I went to Morocco with Intrepid as well ans used them last year to go to Borneo. Both trips were a mix of people from around the world and had 12 people. I had one of the best guides I’ve ever had on that Borneo trip.

The mini coaches are excellent because they can go so many places the big coaches can’t.

Thanks for the trip report. We are starting to gather info and friends for a trip to Morocco next Sept or October.

I'm so glad to read my own experience with Intrepid and Morocco was helpful! This Forum has been such a valuable source of information as I plan.
I am going to try Gate1 (their more premium option) for Scotland in September. Their reviews for global tours are excellent but the group size and quick pace are on my mind.
I agree the nimble mini bus and small group size with Intrepid now have me very spoiled! I am seriously looking at several of their options for 2026.
Lastly, it's not something I thought about when I started traveling with a tour, but being part of a group that isn't 100% American is a real advantage. I don't mean this in terms of the current political situation but to listen to insights and observations from differing perspectives really enriches the experience, including long after I am home again!

Your trip report is very much appreciated! I want to visit Morocco and have been looking for tours that go to Chefchaouen. Happy retirement!

Wow, fabulous review. Thank you so much. My husband and I (late 60s, pretty fit) are looking at this exact trip for early spring. It seems to be the perfect itinerary for what we're looking for.

You mentioned the mini-bus making it easy to get around, but I was wondering how crowded it seemed. Was it a 12-seater, or were there any empty seats? Did the long driving days feel especially cramped and tiring? Did you get regular bathroom breaks?

I went with Intrepid several years ago to India and also Central Europe - loved the vibe on both trips so would like to try them again. For Morocco especially (and given that we're getting older), we were looking for better accommodations and a bit more luxury than a classic tour. This one seems to fit the bill and your comments are so helpful! Thanks again.

Karen

I'm glad it was helpful! This Forum is such a useful resource!
The mini bus was kept spotlessly clean by the driver. There were 11 of us total, plus the driver/guide in front. The bathroom breaks were carefully included (Western- style toilets ) and at least on my tour, the guide facilitated reputable ATMs along the way.
There may have been an empty seat or two? I am prone to motion sickness and some claustrophobia so mostly had a single seat towards the front. The itinerary is clear about the middle of the trip having some very long driving days, but other than one stretch, even I fared quite well.
I'm a fiercely independent traveler, but it was so worth it, to me, to be so well cared for! The accommodations were incredible, the local guides SO informative and being literally guided was a relief. But the free time mixed in provided enough balance.
It sounds like just what you are looking for!

Such a great report. Thank you for all the details. It sounds like a fantastic trip.
Like you, I prefer to make my own travel arrangements, but getting to Morocco from the Pacific Northwest is a little daunting. Where did you fly from and how long were the flights? It makes me stiff thinking about it, but I’m trying to plan as many trips as I can budget while I’m still able to carry a suitcase and heft it into an overhead airline bin!

And I forgot to mention that I loved to hear that there your fellow travelers were from all over the globe.

I'm glad this was helpful, icelandicsnw! (I agree about going the farthest places while we can!)
I remember seeing a flight from Marrakesh through New Jersey to Seattle but didn't choose it, despite being a couple hours shorter. It was mid- January and I worried about winter storms, plus a Boeing Max and I am a nervous flyer.
I can't remember what I chose, but believe it was Lufthansa to Frankfurt or Amsterdam and then their very long non-stop I often end up using.
The tour started in Casablanca and it seems like that was a little easier, albeit still very long.
Intrepid offered the option to book flights and it likely would have been cheaper. But I worry about not dealing directly with the airline if there are problems and also like longer connection times than typically selected.

It's easy as pie to get to Morocco from the Pacific Northwest. Actually, it's easy to get there from anywhere - exactly as easy as it is to get to western Europe. Because the cheapest and easiest way to get to Morocco is not to fly to Morocco. At least not directly there.

There are dirt-cheap flights to Morocco from all over western Europe. I mean crazy cheap. Cheap enough for western Europeans to go for a weekend, or for a party or for anything. So fly to Madrid or Paris or London or a dozen other cities around western Europe. Then fly - on a separate ticket - on one of many low-cost airlines that fly from all over Europe to Marrakech or Fes for insanely cheap prices. Easy as pie.

You will find Morocco is surprisingly easy to do. Think of it as more like Cancun than Kabul. (In so many ways, Morocco is to western Europe as Mexico is to the US...).

That is good advice, I sometimes already follow.
But, as a carryon only devotee, some of the super cheap options have restrictive allowances.
I only had one day after arrival in Casablanca, read the airport can be chaotic, and, if a bag goes missing, you have to return to the airport to fetch it (vs it being delivered to an address).
I really needed my stuff for that tour! But in other circumstances your suggestion is a cheaper and more effective option!

I reread your trip report and didn’t read how the weather was. I ask because we traveled to Egypt in March of 2023 and it was very hot. I would like to avoid some heat if possible. Maybe I missed it….

Apologies, Barbara! It was very early January, their first option of the season.
Weather: The climate reminded me of the winter SW US, with some beautiful warmish days and very cold nights, especially in the mountains (snow!).
Adding that mornings were pretty chilly, I constantly wore a light cashmere infinity scarf up to my ears and gloves. One day I used fleece leggings under my midi-length skirt and then took them off later when it warmed up.

Thank you for writing up your report. It sounds great.

Yo BV, tree tings.
Ting 1: luv the way that you began by investigating the various tour companies to compare, to make an informed decision that worked for you.
Ting 2: luv the way that you valued the perspectives of others among your troupe.
Ting 3: luv your comparisons and details above!

Bonus ting:
If interested in music from that country, maybe seek out the late great 'Bob Marley' of Morocco, the legendary singer Boujmia. His 'Wailers' were the band Nass el Ghiwane, who continued after his mysterious death. And as for gnawa/trance music, virtually any act or any CD will do. A certain sameness applies with gnawa but that is OK.
cheers
I am done. the end