Kimkim Trip Reviews for Morocco

First of all, our holiday in Morocco has been an amazing experience. The country has so much to offer - beautiful and varied landscapes, great weather in December, delicious food and very warm people. I believe the govt has not marketed the country enough and more Indians should look at Morocco instead of the very crowded and touristy European cities.
Our trip was made special by Abdel and his team who put together a great itinerary, booked wonderful hotels and paired us with great guides at all the relevant places. Not only that, Abdel and his colleague Said were available promptly through the entire trip wherever we needed any assistance or clarification. They also graciously added a couple of extra dinners which were not a part of the original plan.
I want to specifically call out our tour guides, Hafid in Fez who was a walking encyclopaedia about the city, Hamid at Merzouga who in his quite way made sure we experience all that the desert had to offer, Mohammed in Dades valley who talked and walked us through the wonderful canyons and Hanan who gave us a detailed tour of the Marrakesh Medina.
Lastly and importantly, our sincere thanks to Faissel, our driver and our guide through the entire trip. He gave us great insights into Moroccan life, helped us navigate the country and ensured we made the best of the 12 days we spent in Morocco.
We hope to come back again some day.

Karim our driver was very friendly and knowledgeable. Karim along with our tour guide Mohamed Hafid (fes) and Abdul( marakesh) helped us get a better understanding of the culture and history of Morocco.

Our favourite part of the trip was the tiziri luxury camp. The owner Amed and team made sure that we were comfortable.

Kudos to all the staff at the hotels/ riyads we stayed. Each and everyone provided quality service.

We are very thankful to original travels / kimkim team for making our Morocco stay a memorable one. Thank you!

Soufiane is the best driver and tour guide I have ever encountered. He is kind, supportive, caring, flexible and open. I had the most amazing Moroccan experience because of how fantastic Soufiane is. He listened to my objectives, we made a plan and he helped me see and do everything I wanted during my stay in this incredible country. Soufiane has in-depth knowledge of every place we visited—from Casablanca, Fes, Merzouga, Aït Ben Haddou to Marrakech. Every day Soufiane made sure I was comfortable. He is a very careful driver as we traveled long days, he always made sure we would stop at places that piqued my interests and had helpful information about local places whether it was for food, drinks, scenic spots or best places to experience local cultures. I cannot emphasize how amazing my trip was due to Soufiane’s professionalism and character. I would not have had as a memorable trip to Morocco if Soufiane wasn’t my driver. I am so thankful to have experienced a new country and culture with him as my guide.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Morocco.

Some things that could have been better: our guide was terrific, but it was impossible to hear him when we were driving. I sat right behind him and could not hear at all. My husband sat behind the passenger seat and heard a little. Not sure how that can be fixed - a microphone, maybe?

The trip to the desert was great as was the stops along the way and the overnight in the desert- top notch, nothing I would change. On the return, we stopped at a kasbah that was closed due to the earthquake. There was no reason to stop there. We then spent the night in a hotel that was about 3 hours outside of Marrakesh. The hotel was in the middle of no where - you could not walk anywhere, so we were stuck in the hotel. The room was in the basement and the prepaid dinner was absolutely awful. The breakfast was fine and the owner was very pleasant. It was truly a wasted day. It would have been much better to drive the three additional hours and get back to Marrakesh later in the evening so we could have had a full day in Marrakesh on our last day in Morocco.

The city tour of Marrakesh was terrific and the Riad that was stayed in on our last night was lovely.

Overall a great experience but I would make some changes in the future.

We had a wonderful honeymoon trip across Morocco where we spent 14 days across many cities and regions. My wife and I joked that we couldn’t handle seeing so many beautiful sights each day and agree that our itinerary was perfect for the trip we wanted. A great mix of relaxation, adventure, and appreciation of a culture different than our own. Our guide and driver throughout the trip was Said, and we couldn’t recommend him enough. He was very informative about all the locations we visited, made us feel safe and welcome, and went above and beyond to make sure we had a positive experience in Morocco. We came to Morocco as visitors but luckily after meeting Said, we left with a friend. Would absolutely recommend Kimkim, MOTB and Said to whoever is thinking about taking a trip to Morocco.

Hotel Reviews

72 Riad Living

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Great experience in the desert, staff was fun and friendly!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Great food and ambiance!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Meziana

Chefchaouene

Very nice, intimate setting. A great place to say in the picturesque city of Chefchaouene

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

Absolutely stunning Riad, my wife and I greatly enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Chamaa

Ouarzazate

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fez + Food Tour

Fes

Our food tour was in Marrakech not Fez, but we had an absolutely wonderful time. Donuts, Harrira, tangia and more! Left full and happy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horseback or Camel Riding on the Beaches of {{pick_up_location}}

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Ourika Valley: Hike to a Waterfall

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide went above and beyond to make sure we saw all that we could!

Transport

Exploring the Imperial City and Medieval Medina of Fes

Fes

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are beyond grateful to Kim Kim for connecting us to Sharron, an incredible trip planner, and to Sallam, our remarkable tour manager. This dynamic duo made our journey an unforgettable experience.

Sharron's role in planning our trip was nothing short of brilliant. Her attention to detail, understanding of our preferences, and ability to create a seamless itinerary set the stage for an extraordinary adventure. She curated a journey that perfectly balanced adventure and relaxation, ensuring we experienced the best of each destination.

Sallam, our tour manager, was the embodiment of professionalism and warmth. His impeccable management skills and profound knowledge of the locales we visited enriched our journey immensely. He was always attentive to our needs, ensuring each day was comfortable, enjoyable, and hassle-free. Sallam's personal touch and dedication to our well-being truly made us feel cared for and safe.

This experience has not only left us with memories to cherish for a lifetime but also set a new standard for what we consider exceptional travel planning and management.

In conclusion, a heartfelt thank you to Kim Kim, Sharron, and Sallam. Your combined efforts made our trip not just a vacation, but a series of unforgettable experiences. We eagerly look forward to our next adventure with your team!

This was my first time using KimKim and it will not be the last!

My friend Howard and I decided to make Morocco our destination. We decided on a date but neither of us really had time to plan a trip. KimKim to the rescue!

We looked at the various itineraries. I was impressed with the varied options. Options include how many days you want to visit as well as the kind of trip you want to take. One can choose active, historical and many others.

Once we decided on the amount of days and what kind of trip we wanted, that's when Saīd came into the process. I definitely could not have done this without Saīd and I am very grateful for all his work. Saīd is incredibly patient and thoughtful. He is clearly driven to make sure that each and every traveler has the experience they desire. My questions were often answered immediately or because of the 6 hour time difference, by the next day. As you get closer to the date, Saīd will give you his WhatsApp number so you can contact him for anything.

We were given an excellent driver. Neither of us wanted to deal with driving in Morocco. If you are planning to do your own driving, the main roads and highways are excellent. I live in New York City and I thought the driving in Casablanca and Marrakech seemed very chaotic. We were very happy with the choice to have a driver, and Lahcen was wonderful. His driving is flawless. In addition to his professionalism, he is incredibly kind and thoughtful. We were in great hands!

We had a guide in Chefchaouen, Abdessalam. I enjoyed his tour of the Blue City. I definitely learned quite a bit. You will test your fitness going up and down the steps and hills of Chefchaouen. Our tour included two nights in a Riad there. The Riad was a lovely place. Keep in mind that the “star” system there is a little different than in the States. These Riads are great, one really gets a flavor of the country there. However, the amenities may be a little more rustic than you expected. The rooms have full bathrooms, but towels might be a little scratchy. I found the beds to be very comfortable, and I am usually hard to please on that matter.
Overall, I think Chefchaouen is done in one day, maybe one overnight. I didn’t need to stay two nights.

Off we went on the road to Fes! I had forgotten that we were going to see the ruins at Volubolis. If you like ruins, think Pompeii, then you will love Volubolis. Howard and I had a great time walking around. The weather was picture perfect. Keep in mind that people might come up and offer their services as a guide. We declined.

Meknes is the next stop. First lunch. I wasn’t crazy about the lunch spot. It’s a bit too touristy, but the food was fine, service was fine. If you like dining on terraces Morocco is the place for you! Keep your eyes open for storks! Also, kitty cats are all over the place. Do not be surprised if they come right up and sit in your lap. Cats are not abused, but are not particularly well cared for. Some cats will beg for food.
The mausoleum in Meknes is lovely.

We reached Fes around time for an early dinner. The Riad there was also all that you hope a modest hotel to look like. Gorgeous lights, tiles, table and sofas. November is a little cool in Morocco, so bring your winter jammies! The area where this Riad was situated didn’t feel very welcoming. So we decided to eat dinner at this Riad both nights. The food there was very good and the service was very kind and friendly.
In the morning we met our guide for the Medina in Fes. Sharif was fantastic. He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, FUNNY and patient. I learned so much from that experience. I don’t know how anyone could go to the Medina without a guide. It is an endless and chaotic maze! As promised in the itinerary, you will see the food stalls, tanneries, copper and brass stalls and so much more!

Next day, off to Marrakech. That was a long driving day. We took the highways. Lahcen always knew the best places to stop. Keep in mind that it is appropriate to tip the bathroom attendant- so hold on to your coins for that! The Riad in Marrakech was my favorite. The staff was particularly friendly. The Riad itself was beautiful. They have a lovely sunken circular sofa, a mini pool (too cold for us to swim in November), breakfast on the terrace and even a little jacuzzi. This Riad is also well located for visiting the old city. Keep in mind that sadly the earthquake in the lower Atlas mountains did have some toll in Marrakech.

We declined the guide in Marrakech because I have a friend who lives there. If we had stayed for an extra day there a guide would have been wonderful. We did visit the Yves St. Laurent museum, which was lovely. If you think you might like it, go!

We had a visit to a Hammam. If you like saunas, enjoy! There are other spa services available as well.

I recommend the restaurant OTTO. It is very close to the Riad where we stayed. This was the most elegant place we ate. Expensive by Moroccan standards, but well worth it.

Next day, a short drive to Essaouria. Finally a sea-side area! This area is an enjoyable change from the other cities. It feels more open. We took a long walk on the beach. If you want there are horses and camels to ride. Do your souvenir shopping here! If this is of interest, Essaouria is one area where you can find alcohol. In fact, it is the area where wine was produced for centuries. Another thing I noted was a lot of cigarette smoking. I am not a smoker and at times I found this to be unpleasant. Two nights there and then off to Casablanca to stay overnight and then leave.
I believe most people will say that from a tourist’s view there is not much of interest in Casablanca. We did see the Hassan ll mosque. It’s lovely and near the ocean. We didn’t do anything else in Casablanca. The hotel we stayed in is called a five star hotel. The rooms are clean and new. Again, there is something that feels a little disheveled about this hotel. Rooftop dining, pool there is even a gym. This hotel made me miss the Riads we stayed in during the trip.

Overall, this was an excellent trip. I got a taste of many places. Saīd was so helpful. I am sure that if there had been any kind of medical emergency Lahcen and Saīd would have jumped into action. Both Saīd and Lahcen made our trip a huge success and we wouldn’t have met them without KimKim!

Hotel Review

Riad Ghita

Fes

Lovely experience! This Riad is beautifully decorated. The rooms are clean and attractive. The service was lovely! Food was excellent in this Riad. The location is close to the Medina and a little chaotic. Beds were comfortable, bring your warm jammies if you are traveling in November!

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor

Location

Staff

Very good food, friendly and professional service

Cleanliness & Comfort

Was a little chilly in November

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Sharif was an excellent guide. I learned a lot and I could not have enjoyed the Medina without his help.Take your time

Quality of Experience

Food

Food at the Riad was very good

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So knowledgeable, friendly and professional

Transport

Excellent driver!

We spent 11 memorable days in Morocco and gladly recommend Kimkim to anyone thinking about traveling to there.

Megan, our travel advisor, was easy to work with. Our original 5 day trip was postponed during the Covid pandemic. When we decided to travel again, we had more time and she worked with us to design a perfect itinerary.

While the Riads were beautiful, and the local guides knowlegeable, it was our driver, Yassine, that made our trip so memorable. He was warm, attentive, knowledgeable, fun and worked to make sure we were satisfied with every aspect of our trip.

I highly recommend using Kimkim to plan your Moroccan adventure.

All agents were really professional, very friendly and helpful. Special thanks go to Said and Abdeljalil who made our experience memorable!

Unfortunately our trip was not as excepted (or promised in the planning phase). First of all, our booking consisted a 14 people carrier, whereas we ended up with a 6 people carrier. Our driver was not as expected also. He was not very friendly, and he was very against air conditioning resulting us to sit in hot in the back since the car also didn't have any curtains.
But biggest surprise came when we reached to our accommodation, they booked 1 room less than what we paid for. Fortunately in the first one there was empty room, after talking in the phone for half an hour, it settled, and then ensured that this was a one time mistake that never happened before and will not happen again. But, in the next city it was the same thing but this time hotel was full. So 2 of us had to stay in other place which was 2 levels down that ours. This continue in next cities. Half of them had places so we stayed there. the other half did not, so they changed our hotels so that we can stay together. The most unpleasant thing was they make the changes as a gesture, an upgrade they say. But you can easily check the prices online, where we found out that new places were cheaper than our original agreed ones.

We could have than this trip ourselves for 25% cheaper price. but we didn't, because we wanted to have free mind, just have fun. But in the end, I had to deal with many problems on the way, and although Said solved them in a sense, I couldnt relax like I should. And because of this unnecessary stress, we coulnt get the best of our vocation. And whatever good parts were, they were shaded under these unforgivable mistakes and extra efforts we had to take to overcome them.

We very much enjoyed our experience in Morocco from arranging the trip right through to its completion.

Majid was alway very quick to respond to any communications we had with him and clearly listened to our visions for the trip so that the best possible itinerary could be made.

Our driver Ismail was absolutely outstanding. He was always early and ready to go, yet did not make us feel rushed and was very accomodating. He has a wonderful sense of humour and clearly knows his way around Morocco, no GPS needed! What was even better is his encyclopaedic knowledge of his country. No matter what our question he had an answer and was alway willing to share his knowledge. We learned so much about Moroccan society that we would not have learned had we been travelling on our own.

We were also pleasantly surprised to have such a great vehicle for our trip. The van was roomy, well appointed and kept very clean (by Ismail).

One highlight was the visit to the edge of the Sahara and the chance to camp under the stars. The camel ride to the accommodations was fun and a memorable experience.

The Riads were great accommodations and for-the-most-part excellent. Although one riad was in need of maintenance (at least for our room), the host immediately attended to the broken shower. The hosts at the riads were congenial and accommodating of our needs. Breakfasts were substantial and tasty.

Our dinner with a local family was not quite what we expected. We envisioned sitting down to dine with the family, but instead it was more like a restaurant meal where we sat down and were served by a member of the family. The situation made us feel a bit self-conscience, although the meal itself was fine and we appreciated the effort that went into it. We also enjoyed being entertained by our young host, Hatim, who played his guitar and sang a traditional song.

All of our local guides (Ibrahim, Hakim, Radia, Hamid, *the guide in Volubilis- we apologize for no remembering his name) were very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. It was refreshing to have a young lady, Radia, to guide us through Ait Ben Haddou. Her knowledge is extensive and her English is impeccable. If we have any complaint, by the time we had our 4th city guide much of what was said about Moroccan history was repetitious of what we had heard from the previous guides.

Finishing our ten days with a stay at Essaouira was ideal. After a lot of travelling, three days at an oceanside resort was a good wrap-up for the trip.

Overall we had a great experience and would highly recommend Kimkim to anyone wanting to get the most from their time in a visit to Morocco.

Thank you, Majid, for your hard work in putting together a wonderful trip! And a huge thank you to Ismail for making our trip so much fun!!

Sahara desert is the place that you read about as a child with wonder and never expect to visit!
KimKim made my wish come true and helped to put together amazing adventure to Marroco.
Within almost two weeks we were able to visit so many places that blew our minds- like blue town of Chefchaouen or Erfoud delicious date town. All of these beautiful places were possible to visit thanks to Soufiane. We both with my wife quickly became a good friends with our personal driver/tour guide. With his very easy going personality, punctuality great driving skills traveling through Marocco was just perfect!
I listen Amghar in - Nabil Baly Othmani every time when I feel like going back to these amazing memories from Marroco. Thank you Soufiane for playing that for me.
Great times and people!
Hope we will he back. Inshallah!

Activity Reviews

Private Transfer from Fez to Merzouga Desert

Morocco

Sahara Desert was breathtaking. Highly recommend this trip! The driver was extremely professional, skilled and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Best memory from Morocco! Thanks to Soufiane for making it happen. All was just perfect: the dinner, family, conversation. Entire experience was just amazing. Pastilla is my new favorite dish now:) We would not be able to experience it without KimKim.

Quality of Experience

Food

Food was 5 star! Excellent

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Best driver we could wish for

I travel quite a bit, but this was the first time I've leveraged a travel agency. I find it very enjoyable planning all aspects of an upcoming vacation, but I didn't have the time nor capacity this time around to fully delve into planning mode for Morocco. I've heard good things about KimKim and decided to give them a try.

From my initial outreach, Ali and the full team have been a dream to work with. Ali has been a saint with all the changes we made to the itinerary and always responded immediately to my emails. Said, who was our local contact, was equally responsive and amazing to work with. Throughout the entire trip, I felt like he had a pulse on what was going on and did everything he could to ensure we were having a great time and had everything we needed. Lastly, we had Reda, our private driver. Having a private driver on this trip made everything so much easier. Reda is kind, knowledgeable, and safely got us to every location we needed to go.

The highlight of the trip for me was the night in the desert (and the team at the camp was equally as wonderful); however, I also have to mention that the optional dinner activity with the local family was a treat. The family we were paired with is special. The kids were charming and entertaining. The food was absolutely DELICIOUS, and it was the best way to spend the Thanksgiving holiday. I highly recommend adding this activity to your itinerary.

This level of customer service at KimKim is top-tier.

Wow, I can't say enough how grateful I am for the services provided through KimKim and their experts in Morocco at Original Travels! This vacation was initially scheduled for March 2020 and was rescheduled due to the pandemic. I worked with Ali on the initial itinerary and was able to find a way to cram in Chefchaouen, Fes, the desert and Marrakesh into 7 full days (+ 2 half days with arrival/departure). We were then assigned to Said who was equally helpful and responsive in the days leading up to our departure and with questions I had along the way. We had a wonderful driver (Ayoub) with us the entire time so it made the trip easier and even better getting to know him and having him provide us with info along the way. Morocco was magical. Our vacation was a mix of guided drives, some guided tours, time spent with local families and visiting Nomadic camps, and exploring on our own in the cities. I hope you get the opportunity to experience it someday and if you do, I highly recommend booking through KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

La Maison Arabe Hotel

Marrakech

One of the best places we stayed while we were in Morocco. It was a great way to spend our last two days in Marrakesh. Beautiful decor throughout the building, breakfast and all the options were amazing, and the staff was helpful. The location is fantastic and we walked everywhere but had the option to hail a cab when our feet were too tired. I was sad to learn on our last day that there was a roof deck which we somehow missed and would have loved to check-out.

Authenticity & Character

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to walk to main sites and restaurants or to get a taxi from

Location

Easy to walk to main sites and restaurants or to get a taxi from

Staff

Very courteous and helpful (they will help you get a taxi or help you with directions)

Staff

Very courteous and helpful (they will help you get a taxi or help you with directions)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was very clean. You could hear sounds from outside during normal business hours (we slept fine at night!) and the room was a little dark despite having windows.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was very clean. You could hear sounds from outside during normal business hours (we slept fine at night!) and the room was a little dark despite having windows.

Kasbah Titrit

Ait Ben Haddou

Pros: Scenic location set away from the main touristy area of Ait Benhaddou. Nice staff. Our room had an open patio with a view. Cons: Found dinner to be a little more expensive than other places with the food only being OK compared to other places we stayed throughout Morocco. Note: this area was impacted by the recent earthquake (the hotel was fine!) so the town seemed especially quiet and you could see that some repairs were underway. Hope more people are able to come visit this beautiful area!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not on the main area of Ait Benhaddou where there are more options (restaurants, walking around, etc.) but it's just a short drive from there

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sheets on the twin bed did not seem clean

Desert Luxury Camp Erg Chebbi

Merzouga

One of the highlights of our entire vacation in Morocco! The accommodations were extremely comfortable given we were in the desert and on the edge of the sand dunes. You are surrounded by beauty. We got to see the sunrise and sunset on the days we were there. We rode camels, sandboarded, and had the option to swim. The staff was courteous and helpful. We got to spend extra time with Ali who was a great guide around Erg Chebbi and Merzouga.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Secluded and not near other camps

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Amani

Fès

A beautiful oasis within the medina. We had a lovely room with an upstairs space that was perfect for our daughter. We only got to spend one night here and I only wish we could have stayed longer. The staff was top notch. We enjoyed drinks at the end of the day in the beautiful courtyard. My only complaint was with the amount of scent used in our room. It was not a bad smell but it was overwhelming.

Authenticity & Character

Gorgeous building, courtyard and decor

Location

You walk out and you are immediately in the medina

Staff

Very pleasant and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Would be 5 Stars except the perfume/scent used in the room was a little too strong for our liking

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Charming place in the heart of Chefchaouen. You will get dropped off in the main square and need to walk a few minutes to get to the hotel. There was someone there ready to meet us and help us with our bags. Great location near vendors and restaurants. My favorite part was the lovely rooftop with a view of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca

Casablanca

This was our least favorite place we stayed during our entire trip. That being said, it was just for one night and we had quiet, restful sleep in the room we were in. The hotel is listed as a luxury hotel but it was pretty run-down and the food served in the main restaurant was very average. The roof deck upstairs was a nice place to hang out for drinks, though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was polite and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Run-down

Activity Reviews

From Merzouga Desert to Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

This was the longest part of our journey - partially because we tried to fit in some stops that were supposed to be scheduled on our route to Merzouga on top of stops that were already planned for the day. While the drive was long, the scenery did not disappoint as we started to make our way from the sand dunes into the Atlas Mountains. Some of my favorite stops with our wonderful guide Ayoub was walking at the base of the Todra Gorge and getting views/pictures of Aït Benhaddou at sunset. Along the way, we managed to fit in stops at the fossil mining town of Erfoud, an ancient water mining site, a legitimate Berber rug shop, and a rose oil co-op. My only recommendation might be to pare down on the number of touristy spots or to give the traveler a choice on which ones to really stop and see. It was A LOT for one day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Aït Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi-n-Tichka Pass & Ounila Valley

Morocco

We spent the morning exploring Aït Benhaddou with our wonderful driver/guide Ayoub. We jumped the rocks to start at "The Game of Thrones" entrance instead of crossing over the bridge and then made our way up to the top of the ksar where you could see some damage from the earthquake in September. Afterwards we started the drive towards Marrakesh and made our way through the Atlas Mountains and through more towns that had been impacted by the earthquake. Thankfully the roads were all clear. We made a stop at an argan co-op and then had lunch at a great grilled meat spot with outdoor courtyard seating. As we approached Marrakesh, Ayoub gave us a driving tour as we headed into the medina and then we were dropped off at our hotel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

The drive to Merzouga is long but incredible. You see so much change in the landscape! We drove through a town called Ifrane which is referred to as "Little Switzerland". Not only is the architecture Swiss-inspired but we were surprised to see beautiful fall foliage in November. A little bit further and we stopped to see MONKEYS (Barbary macaques) on the side of the road! As the terrain became more rocky and dry, we came upon some refreshing oases in the region of Tafilalet. We were trying to get to our camp in the desert before sunset so that we would have time to do our camel ride but we got there just a little late. Instead we took a fun 4WD drive to our desert camp and did get to watch the sunset right outside of our room.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Despite the long drive and windy roads, the car we were in was spacious and our guide Ayoub was an excellent driver

Morocco Last Nomads Experience: Tea, Tales & Desert Adventures

Merzouga

One of the highlights of our trip! We had time in the morning to sandboard on the dunes surrounding our camp until it was time to leave with our wonderful guide Ali. He showed us some fun driving through the desert sand where any road goes, then he took us to visit a nomadic community situated on the outskirts of Merzouga. We were served tea and snacks and got up close with their livestock (there was an especially friendly goat who photo-bombed us a few times!). From there we went to hear music and dance at the Gnawa House in Khamleya village. We stopped off at a smaller oasis and walked through the canals. After lunch, we had some time to rest back at camp before our surprisingly comfortable camel ride through the desert. We got to hike up some dunes to catch some epic views and watch the sunset. An amazing day!

Quality of Experience

Food

We ate at the local restaurant on the end of the desert that seemed to be where most of the tour groups were going. There wasn't really a menu - you were served a 3 course meal with lots of bread. Portions were big (almost too big!).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ali was an excellent guide. We really enjoyed his company and his insight.

Transport

Private Transfer from Chefchaouen to the Ancient Fes

Morocco

A beautiful drive from Chefchaouen to Fes. We passed through many little towns and saw the scenery change quite a bit. One of my favorite stops was at a vista point where there was a pomegranate juice stand - freshly squeezed on the spot! When we got to Fes, we started in the new part of the city, got to take pictures outside of the palace, and then drove to see the views from the Marinid Tombs. We made an unplanned stop at a local pottery place that ended up being more interesting than I thought it would be. We got to watch the employees make and shape the clay, paint designs and lay down mosaic tile - not an easy task! My only complaint about this day is that we did not have enough time to explore the medina and enjoy more time at our beautiful hotel. I would suggest asking future travelers what time they want to get to their hotel and spending less time in the new part of the city, on lunch and on unplanned stops.

Quality of Experience

Food

Lunch was fine - just a "fast food" stop in the new part of the city.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

Such a treat to be invited into a Moroccan family's home! Said and his son came to pick us up at our hotel and then helped us navigate the labyrinth in the medina to make our way to their home. We arrived to a delicious home-cooked meal of numerous vegetable side dishes and a chicken pastilla! Said's son speaks excellent English so helped with communication and kept us entertained with his conversation and musical skills - along with his younger brother and sister. Shukran to Said and his family!

Quality of Experience

Such a treat to eat in a local family's home vs. at the hotel or at a restaurant

Food

Delicious vegetable side dishes and homemade chicken pastilla (a traditional Moroccan dish)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Said and his family were most gracious

Transport

A brisk walk to/from the host's home through the labyrinth of the medina

I had an incredible 9-day experience exploring Morocco with Kimkim, guided by Saïd, Ayub, and Noorudin. Their dedication was exceptional. They went above and beyond, even getting us medicine and arranging for our forgotten luggage to be returned, with Saïd waiting until 3am. Every concern was promptly addressed, and their extensive knowledge of Morocco's history was impressive. They made us feel like part of their family, and I couldn't have asked for better guides. Highly recommended!

Overall, I'd say the trip was a success. Morocco was a unique destination with lots of history. The itinerary with pros and cons is below:

Some high level detailed about the trip and our experience with KimKim's user interface:

11 days starting and ending in Casablanca. We took Royal Air Maroc from Montreal to Casablanca and back. If you have an option to take another airline, I would highly recommend it. Royal Air Maroc has bad customer service and is generally not a friendly business. If you need further proof, just look at Royal Air Maroc's reviews on TripAdvisor...it's bad.

KimKim's user interface is pretty slick, especially with the chat feature. I like the ease of communication. A con I have is that when you finalize trip updates and a new itinerary is created in the chat, it doesn't necessarily update the trip itinerary tab on the website. Those two items should really be synced so the customer doesn't get confused with all of the changes that take place while planning a large trip.

The first day we landed in Casablanca and our private driver picked us up from the airport and transported us straight to Marrakech. Our driver was very great and spoke good English. He was friendly and chatted with us throughout our trip. The driver really worked hard as our itinerary required lots of driving.

Marrakech: The most tourist friendly city of our trip. It was easy and safe to walk around. We liked our guide a lot. I'd recommend the food tour as that was a good experience to try local food.

Essaouira: This coastal town was about 2.5 hours east of Marrakech and provided a relaxed feel with a pretty neat local fishing culture. Lots of fresh catches in the medina which was fun to observe. A good look into non-tourist Moroccan culture. We enjoyed our guide here as well. Very relaxed and informative.

Ait Benhadou: You can probably skip the Kasbah and Ait Benhaddou if you plan on going to the desert. There really isn't much to see unless you like movie props from Game of Thrones or Gladiator. This town has just gotten hype from Hollywood and isn't worth seeing. The trip to the desert is very long. We spent 2 days traveling for about 6 hours both days just to get there. If we had spent more time driving instead of stopping and staying in Ait Benhaddou, this part of the trip would have been much better. I'd recommend you keep driving and stay somewhere around the Todha Gorge.

Sahara Desert: Cool spot/experience that I would highly recommend. Riding the camels was definitely my highlight. Beautiful views and our Desert Luxury Camp was great! NOTE: You can buy and bring your own wine to the desert camp and save some money. A big con here is that there was little information for how we were supposed to get to/from the desert camp. KimKim needs to provide a much more detailed itinerary of when guests can arrive at the desert camp headquarters for transport out into the desert to the campground. The lack of information on timing and what exactly we could bring out to the camp misguided us and was rather inconvenient.

Fes: Overall a really cool place with the exception of some locals in the medina trying to misdirect you and get you lost so they can lead you out for tip money. Definitely something I found bothersome, but Fes is a really unique experience. The medina is so maze like, it's something I've never experienced before. We also really enjoyed the food in Fes. Our guide in Fes, Sherrif, was the best guide we had all trip. We went against the hotel advice of KimKim and chose our own hotel in Fes which was rather deep in the medina. I wouldn't recommend this due to how easy it is to get lost going to and from your hotel and how many of the locals tried to misdirect us during our travels to/from our hotel. If I could do it again, I'd take KimKim's hotel advice and stay more on the fringe of the medina closer to a main street so I didn't have to deal with the navigation stress, especially at night. I would also recommend that KimKim in the future please explain to guests why the recommend the hotels that they do. Some explanation of guest safety would have been very helpful here.

Chefchaouen: Relaxing city with good views and art but overhyped by Instagram. No need to go here if you're tight on timeline. Our guide here was very nice but hard to understand. We felt as though we walked out without really learning much about the history/culture of the city.

Rabat: A bigger modern city, not much else to say. Definitely not the reason you travel to Morocco. We only passed through and it was enough.

Casablanca: I had the exact same thought about Casablanca as I did about Rabat. Not the reason you travel to Morocco, although the Hassan II Mosque is worth seeing if you find time while flying in/out of Casablanca. It was massive and gorgeous! NOTE: The Hassan II Mosque allows tourist to enter but you must enter at one of the designated times. We were NOT told this by KimKim as the inside tour wasn't part of our itinerary and we missed the opportunity to go inside. This was a big letdown when we found out we were too late to see the inside. If the customer is having a tour of Casablanca, a tour of the inside of the Hassan II Mosque should be obligatory and times of entry should be clearly stated to the customer. Unclear minor details and trip logistics made for some frustration through the entire trip. Although it didn't lead to any major setbacks, this type of detailed planning is what we paid for when using a guide service, and we feel as though we didn't receive the local expertise and guidance at certain times. The Hassan II Mosque visit is an example of this logistics issue. Another negative about our trip to Casablanca was that KimKim recommended the Movenpick and it was not very nice. It felt dated and unclean. I'd recommend KimKim find a different hotel to work with.

Activity Review

Hammam & Spa Experience Marrakech

Morocco

The cultural experience was interesting but this Hammam wasn't the right fit. We were looking for something much more luxurious and we thought that would have been built into our itinerary, but this place just wan't nice. It felt very hustle bustle and the business model was to move tourist - there was nothing relaxing about this experience. There are many nice Hammams in Marrakech, but this wasn't one of them. The bad part was that KimKim never told us which Hammam we were booked at. We trusted them and they let us down on this experience.

Quality of Experience

We had such a great experience from start to finish! Yassine was able to help us create a trip that was just exactly what we wanted and nothing we didn't - from where we went, what we did and even the level of luxury of hotels from city to city. Our driver was friendly, attentive and a wonderful ambassador to Morocco, helping us understand the culture and history and people of Morocco. We were so well taken care of throughout that even when I left my new smart watch at the tent camp in the Sahara, our driver, Said, was able to arrange for it to be brought to Marrakesh where we were.

We will use kim kim again and we WILL be back to visit Morocco again. Thank you for a memorable and wonderful experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odyssee Center

Casablanca

Clean and modern. Staff are amiable. Location was ok.

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

Lovely tents with full bathrooms in each one. Sunrise and sunsets beyond description.

Location

beautifully situated among the dunes

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

Very modern hotel with all of the comforts needed.

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

This place is incredible. The attention to the design in the rooms and common areas is amazing. So beautiful we didn't want to leave our room! The terrace was small but very comfortable. Staff is so warm and friendly. food great. Would absolutely love to come back again and stay here.

Riad Jona

Marrakesh

Loved the beautiful hotel with its amazing terrace, great staff who made us feel welcome and supported, location was fantastic as we were able to walk to most places we wanted to go. The rooms were beautifully decorated and very comfortable.

Riad Ksar Ighnda

Asfalou

The setting of the hotel and the grounds are very beautiful. The dining experience feels more like a cafeteria than a dining room. The rooms we had were nice but not as nice at the hotel itself.

Riad Mazar Fes

Fes

This riad is incredibly beautiful. The owner has created a place that is not only exquisite in appearance but warm and welcoming. We wish we could have stayed longer!

Authenticity & Character

stunning

Location

right on the edge of the medina so you could walk to the medina but be driven up to the front door of the riad

Staff

Very very nice and attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Korsan

Rabat

This is a sweet little Riad that had a beautiful view of the river and city below from the terrace. The host was very nice, rooms were comfortable and well equipped. The food was delicious. We loved making our way through the medina to Dar Korsan. Would absolutely stay there again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Petite Chefchaouen

Chefchaouene

Rooms are more modern than traditional, the place was very comfortable with nothing lacking. The building is part inside, part outside which was really cool. Food was delicious and the staff were very welcoming.

Authenticity & Character

Location

loved being in the older part of the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Evening Food Tour in Marrakesh

Marrakesh

This was one of my favorite activities we did in Morocco. We were guided by Rachid, who was not only professional and knowledgeable but a lovely human being. Had we not had to run off to retrieve a lost item, our conversation with him would have continued despite our tour being officially over. Of course there was more food than we could consume. The food was delicious and we revisited some of the places he took us for more of the same later during our stay in Marrakesh. But Rachid was the best part by far!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rachid was the best

We wanted to visit Morocco for a long time and the soccer semi-final entry pushed up to go ahead with the trip :-) Honestly, I had never heard of Kimkim before and once I started engaging with different tour operators, I started loving it. Right from the start (earlier this year), I have been working with Abdellah on the details, tours and costs. He is extremely helpful, communicated really well and is quick to get back to you with answers to your questions.
We were very lucky to have Faissal as our driver. He is very humble, respectful and a very safe driver. He was with us for a week from our Marrakesh airport pickup all the way to our departure from Casablanca airport. His English communication skills is excellent and he responds fast over Whatsapp. We always felt safe with him on our side. Very lucky to have him as our driver. Our English guide in Marrakesh was Hanan. She was awesome in every respect. She took the time to explain in detail the different sites we visited in Marrakesh. She also has excellent English communication skills. She never rushed us anywhere and let us take our time to absorb the local vibes. We even had her join us for lunch. Pray you get Hanan as your English guide :-) . The same goes with Abdel who was our guide in Fez. He walked us around and gave detailed explanations of everything in the never ending souk streets. He was very patient and treated us with deep respect. Overall, we had an amazing trip and miss it so much. We will definitely visit Tangier and Chefchaouen the next time as we fell short of days in this trip. Our best night was at the Luxury camp in Sahara desert. What a night! The breakfast and dinner served there was fabulous. On top of all, we enjoyed some good Berber music over campfire.

There were only 2 irritating issues which I am sure can be smoothened our for future visitors. The first one was the visit to the Berber carpet factory which we think was hard sell marketing of carpets. For a tourists, there is nothing to see but a store where you are shown different rugs. We love animals and have no animal products at home so it was a little awkward for us to be sold rugs made of animal fur/skin :-) The second issue was the 2 nights stay at Fez. We were supposed to stay 2 nights at Riad Ghita but the first night after waiting for long time we were told to stay at Riad Soleildor. There were no bathroom doors, enough toilet paper there. The next day we were shifted back to Riad Ghita.

Overall we left with a very warm opinion about Morocco and her people. Moroccans are proud of their culture and love to show it to the world. In turn, they have respect for people from other cultures and backgrounds no matter where you come from.

We would definitely be engaging Original Travels for our next Morocco trip. We would be recommending them to our friends here in the US and also to our friends and family in India.

Thank you Original travels, Faissal, Hanan and Abdel for making our vacation a very memorable one.

This was the best experience we have ever had! Our planning and booking experience was seamless and the kimkim team ensured we did everything we wanted - and even made suggestions! Our driver, Lahcen, was amazing from start to finish. He was extremely knowledgeable, and made sure we saw and did everything we wanted to. All of the other day guides were equally knowledgeable and amazing. I cannot recommend this trip more.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Bayti

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

The BEST location! You can walk anywhere very easily!

Staff

So amazing, helpful! Always made sure we had our rides in order even at 4 am.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Titrit

Ait Ben Haddou

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Akabar luxury desert camp

Merdane

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the desert, need I say more.

Staff

Over and above amazing!!!!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely clean and comfortable for being a "camp"

Riad Ghita

Fes

Authenticity & Character

Authentic riad right in the Medina!

Location

Right inside the Medina! Great location!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

It was breathtaking

Location

Amazing view of the city!

Staff

Everyone was so helpful and nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely clean and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Marrakech Evening Food Tour

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was so amazing! She made sure we tried a myriad of amazing traditional food.

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech via Tizi N'Tichka pass

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Merzouga Desert to Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Fes to Merzouga via Erfoud & Camel Ride

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Sightseeing in Fes: Morocco's Spiritual Heart

Fes

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was incredible!

Transport

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quick Tour of Casablanca with your Driver-Guide: The Economic Heart of Morocco

Morocco

This was a great way to start our trip, the mosque was breathtaking and the guide was extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just got back from the most vibrant and culturally engaging week long trip from Morocco.
This is our first time using Kimkim to book an experience and it has been absolutely seamless, flexible and a very assuring experience. We were a bit nervous about traveling with two young kids but Mohammed and the entire team went above and beyond to ensure that they clarified all our questions promptly, provided many options to choose from and took care of everything behind the scenes right from planning through execution to our dietary and accommodation needs.
We were also so lucky to have Karim as our friend and local guide throughout the week. He is one of the warmest persons we have engaged with - always smiling , excited about the day and always pleasant. It was a long trip and never once did he lose his enthusiasm or smile! He was very knowledgeable and shared a lot about the history and culture of both the Arabs and the Berbers and his own story - which was so inspirational! He took care of all our needs through out the trip and made it so comfortable for us that we could thoroughly enjoy the experience. The kids loved him and at the end of the week, he was like family to us!

We also enjoyed our day with Hennan who was one of the kindest and most people we have met. Despite a delayed start the first day, she patiently walked us through the streets of Marrakech and helped us with all of our shopping.

Overall, an absolute smooth and enjoyable experience. Thanks Kimkim for nailing it!