Morocco Immersion Tours and Adventures

Ahmed, our driver was superb.

The guide in Marrakesh was not a good choice.
He spent most of his time talking to his friends than to attending to us.
other that he, the trip was exceptional. Thanks, Sharon

Activity Review

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

The guide was an idiot! If i were you, I would not use this guy again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A true bucket list adventure that did not disappoint! Our driver, Abdel, was absolutely fantastic and went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, safe, and didn't miss a single wonderful activity. He made us truly feel like part of his family. Everything was wonderful including the excursions into different city markets, the beautiful Ryads we stayed in across the country, and of course the fantastic camel ride and night glamping under the stars deep in the Sahara Desert.

Hotel Reviews

Eden Boutique Hotel

Boumalne-Dadès

Our absolutely favorite hotel during the trip! Everything was perfect including the magnificently designed rooms and spaces, beautiful mountain location, delicious breakfasts, amazing gourmet dinners, and wonderfully attentive and friendly staff. We would have loved to stay longer there!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Built into the side of a mountain with beautiful mountain views.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Euphoriad

Rabat

We absolutely loved this ryad in Rabat and wished we could have stayed there longer. Everything was wonderful including the beautifully renovated historic building and rooms, the great views of the city, the attentive and friendly staff, and of course the fabulous food. We look forward to staying there again the next time we visit Rabat.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

We were met on time and communication was fantastic. Our driver, Abdel, was wonderful from the moment he met us at the airport with a huge welcome and a genuine smile on his face. He was a joy to work with and we were very luck to have him as our driver throughout the 9 days.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Abdel was amazing!!! He went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable, safe and didn't miss a thing.

Transport

We planned a 15 day trip for our family group of 4 adults with Sharon's help. She helped put together an itinerary that would suit our group. Our overall experience in this trip was wonderful and we learned so much about the Amazigh (Berber) culture and traditions and about the history of Morocco. The warmth of the welcome we got felt special - and we got this from all the people whom we interacted with: our tour manager, the drivers and the staff at the Riads where we stayed. We wanted cultural immersion and indeed that was what we got.

A highlight was our "day with the locals" in Boumalne Dades, where we had Abdou Idrissi (owner of Moroccan Immersion) as our very knowledgeable guide to Berber culture, architecture, life, cultivation and irrigation. It was a treat to be in the kitchen with our hosts Malika and Khadija as they prepared a tagine and couscous in the traditional way. They and their children were so open and welcoming and we surprised my husband with a birthday cake. Definitely the most unique birthday he has celebrated!

Each of the cities we visited gave us a chance to experience medieval towns by staying in Riads in the Medinas of these towns. Our local guide Mohammed in Rabat, a different guide named Mohammed in Fes, and Salaam in Marrakesh were all excellent - knowledgeable and personable.

While in Fez we found out that our wonderful tour manager and driver, Salaam could not accompany us for the rest of the trip, due to circumstances outside anyone's control. We cannot say enough about Salaam as a guide and chaperone for our trip: he is fun to be with, incredibly knowledgeable about history, architecture, culture and more and he made sure we were comfortable as we made our way through our first three stops. To Moroccan Immersion's credit, they made sure that they had good drivers for us at short notice in a busy season, so there was no interruption in our programming. Even though he could not be with us for the rest of the days of the trip, he kept track of where we were, communicated with the drivers we had and made sure things went well for us. Abdou was of course, in the background, making sure things went well.

The other drivers we had were very good but they did not have the same level of knowledge and ability to guide and inform us as Salaam did. This did impact our tour experience - and we understand that it was because of something beyond anyone's control.

Our favorite stop was as Kasbah Tiziri in the Valley of the Roses. Our hosts Michelle and Hussein were wonderful and gave us delicious food and their own insights into life in Morocco. The Kasbah has a beautiful garden, has been modernized beautifully while maintaining a traditional identity.

All along we had beautiful drives - between Rabat and Fez, Fez to Merzouga and then from the desert camp in Merzouga to Marrakesh. There had been rain after a four year drought and the countryside was green (except of course near the desert area). We got to experience spectacular views as we drove through the low, the mid and the High Atlas mountains (many peaks with snow). Our drivers negotiated the challenging drives smoothly and safely.

We ended by spending a day in Essaouira which was a nice relaxed ending to our trip in this charming seaside town.

We covered a lot of ground, physically, and learned a great deal during our trip all while experiencing a feast for the senses and a sense of warmth and welcome!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Dar Chrifa

Rabat

A beautiful Riad with excellent service - great start to our Morocco adventure. We had a lovely dinner there as well as breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

The architecture and the rooms were beautiful, traditional, yet comfortable

Location

Easy to get to once we got oriented to being in the medina

Staff

Welcoming and warm

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad El Palacio

Chefchaouen

A beautiful Riad. The staff may have been a little over their heads, though Fatya was working hard to make us comfortable and was a lovely hostess. We were two couples traveling together and the rooms we were assigned were quite different - one quite spacious, and the other rather small.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Can't say enough good things about Fatya - but she did not have enough support.

Cleanliness & Comfort

As mentioned above the rooms were strikingly different.

Riad Farouzi Fes

Fes

We enjoyed our stay here. A beautiful Riad, great breakfasts and good service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were clean. Some features of a historic building were a challenge.

Riad Merzouga Dunes

Merzouga

This was a comfortable hotel and served well its purpose as a jumping off point for the desert camp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sahara Stars Luxury Camp

Merzouga

This was a gorgeous camp. Our rooms were comfortable and attractive - amazing to have plumbing and hot and cold water in the desert. The dining room was beautiful and we had amazing meals at this camp.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Ali was very attentive and kept track of everything and made sure we were comfortable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad La Croix Berbère

Marrakech

Good location near the main square. We were able to find our way through the maze of streets using Google maps. We were here for 3 nights

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We got great personal attention from the staff here over our stay of 3 nights.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The riad was clean and well furnished. The discrepancy between the two rooms was noticeable - one was a suite and the other was a standard room. When traveling with another couple that doesn't feel great.

ONOMO Hotel Casablanca Airport

Nouaceur

This served its purpose as a place near the airport so we could make our morning flight.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

A rave review for this Kasbah and for Michelle who refurbished this historic building with authenticity and elegance. The hospitality, food, beauty and comfort of this place were a stand out.

Authenticity & Character

The attention to architecture, especially the brickwork on the facade were special.

Location

The views from the rooftop and from the terraces, as well as the garden were lovely

Staff

Wonderful hostess and wonderful staff. Hussein as well as the young man who helped him were warm and chatty.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais des Remparts

Essaouira

Charming hotel. Great rooftop terrace with ocean views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and good. The incense smell in the rooms and the riad was a bit overwhelming.

Activity Reviews

Orientation Walk & Free Afternoon in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

We did not have an orientation walk. However when we asked, Salaam was able to make suggestions about what we should try to see and also about places to eat.

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Volubilis is a wonderful site located in beautiful countryside. We enjoyed the mosaics which are in pretty good condition , the baths and the remains of a temple. Our guide was helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Mohammed, our guide for Fes, was the best site specific guide we had. He grew up in the medina there and seemed to know everybody. This was an extensive tour, which took us to a great viewpoint for a panoramic view of Fes, and also included the palace, the medieval university and the madrasa as well as a visit to the jewish quarter and a synagogue, also the souk. The famous tanneries where leather is dyed was interesting also. We also got to see how the tiles for the amazing tile work were made. We really enjoyed our guide and the tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Azrou and Midelt

Morocco

Our driver Mohammed was the nicest man but perhaps was not someone who usually functioned as a guide. He did his very best, since he had been assigned to us at short notice. Getting to the hotel on a rainy night (not usual in a desert region for sure) was a challenge and it was a good thing we had phones with service so we could help with online maps and navigation. Next morning we visited Rissani, a kasbah, and also enjoyed the Gnawa musicians. All enjoyable.

Camel trek to your Camp

Merzouga

One couple from our group of four rode the camels to the camp. The others took the suv. The handoff from our driver to the camp personnel was a bit chaotic and it was hard to understand exactly what was going on. The sunset ride was beautiful and a unique experience made more unusual by the fact that it was raining in the desert!

Tour of Desert Region

Merzouga

I think I covered this in the previous review. We also visited a workshop where we learned about the fossils from that region and saw the artifacts they made incorporating the fossils. Very unique!

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

We had this tour on the morning before we drove to Chefchaouen. We were a bit tired the first evening and just enjoyed walking around a bit on our own. The next morning we had a wonderful tour with our guide (so sorry not to be able to pull up his name). We also visited the ancient necropolis of Chellah where we got a sense of what an amazing city it must have been. We also got to see the amazing black and white storks who have built enormous nests. We had requested a visit there and it has a history going back to the Phoenicians and the Romans prior to being used by Muslim rulers. Spotting the stork nests became a feature of our whole trip - they often they build nests at the top of a mosque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

We had set up a group Whats App chat with Salaam prior to our arrival. This made our arrival go smoothly despite the fact that one couple arrived in Casablanca a few hours after the other couple. Salaam made sure the other couple was comfortable and got coffee and water before we got there.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Salaam was an exceptional tour manager/driver

Transport

Very comfortable brand new vehicle - an eight seater van for four of us and the driver.

Rabat to Chefchaouen

Morocco

Beautiful drive with good and informative conversations with Salaam. We stopped in Volubilis, an ancient Roman site. The guide there was good but not a stand out.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was good but not a standout compare to other guides we had on our trip.

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

We had a different driver for this segment of our tour who was a very good driver but was not a guide. Again, he was doing this at short notice and did his best. The Todgha Gorge was gorgeous as was the drive to Dades valley. Very lovely countryside!

Hiking the Road of 1000 Kasbahs

Morocco

Please note: There seems to be no way to indicate that we did not do this activity. I couldn't proceed with the review without giving it some star.

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our original driver/tour manager Sallam was able to be back with us for this extended tour of Marrakesh. Visiting the Palais Bahia, an old madrassa with a long history, and of course a tour of the medina were done really well by Sallam and we enjoyed it all very much! We stopped at a government certified herbalist shop. Sallam also filled in info about Ait el Benhaddou for us. We said good bye to Sallam after this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

We had a guided tour of a kasbah which involved also understanding cultivation inside a kasbah. This road is spectacular and the kasbahs are amazing to see - the way in which they mimic and blend into the countryside is interesting. Ourzazate was interesting with an entertaining tour guide of this big movie studio where many movies were filmed from westerns to historical and biblical movies. At Ait el Benhaddou we were dropped off at the wrong place to enter - this necessitated crossing a stream on stepping stones. When we contacted our driver he came back and got us to a bridge which seemed to be the more normal way to enter. Lack of signage and aof guide at this site made it less enjoyable.

Visit Anima Gardens

Marrakesh

We enjoyed our visit to Majorelle and Anima gardens. Majorelle gardens are a tour de force of color and garden design meeting amazing plantings especially of succulents. The little museum of Berber clothing, ornamentation and life was also gorgeous. The Anima gardens are a bit outside the city but were worth a visit for another unique garden which incorporates colorful artwork and sculptures. It had a good outdoor cafe which was a good and relaxing lunch spot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We spent 15 days in Morocco booked through kimkim and Morocco Immersion. Our local specialist, Nihad, did a nice job of listening to our requirements, adjusting the plan and ultimately putting together an itinerary that was just right. Our driver, Omar, was excellent. When you know you are going to spend 15 days traveling more than 1000 miles in a vehicle you tend to be a little apprehensive about the person you are going to spend time with. He was personable, an excellent driver and more than fulfilled his role as tour manager by connecting with each city tour guide, riad or hotel to make the process seamless for us. Also, when necessary, he ardently advocated for us. Our favorite places to visit were Chefchaouen, Merzouga (Sahara Desert) and Dades. I indicated to Nihad I wanted a high end experience and the riads, botique hotels and the camp in the Sahara she selected were all excellent. Would highly recommend.

We were very happy with all aspects of our Morocco trip facilitated by Morocco Immersion. Maryem, our local specialist, was always responsive and informative, and our pre-trip Zoom with the agency head, Sharon, was very helpful. We were also grateful for the advice sheet, especially tipping hints. A good driver/tour manager is crucial to a successful tour, and ours (Abdessamad or Samad) was superb. He was always cheerful, on time, and very knowledgeable; his driving excellent, and his English sufficient, if not fluent. Our guides were uniformly on time and informative; the Fes guide (Sayyid), an American citizen returned home, was outstanding.
Now for more specifics on our tour plan. We liked staying in riads, and all were good. In Rabat, Riad Kalaa was atmospheric, though the shower sometimes only gave cold water. We really liked the Chellah Gardens (an alternative to the closed Royal Palace). The Al Makan in Fes had an excellent location and helpful staff (esp. Zakariyah). The high point of the medina tour there was the Al-Attarine madrasa.
We had a long but interesting drive down to the Sahara through the Middle Atlas mountains. It rained most of the way and we arrived to a torrential downpour in the desert, but we did get to see the sunset and we enjoyed “glamping” overnight. I took a nice walk in the dunes early the next morning. We then drove to Tinghir and the Dades Valley, which was beautiful as promised. We had a short tour of the city due to the earlier rain, and our (male) guide was also the rug seller at the women’s co-op (we saw no women there), which had been recommended to us by Morocco Immersion. There was a big choice of carpets; I got one we really like, and I assume it was cheaper there than in a big city, but I took their word and didn’t bargain anywhere else. We liked the Tiziri Kasbah riad there, and it had an exceptional view from the roof.
We then crossed over to and through the magnificent High Atlas mountains, reminiscent of our own Colorado Rockies. They were a literal high point of our trip. We spent our last days in Marrakech at the pleasant Riad Nesma, very centrally located and quiet but our room was small. We found the Bahia Palace and Madrasa Ben Yousef impressive, as were the medina and central square Jamma el-Fna, though the latter were a bit overwhelming. We also enjoyed the Majorelle Gardens, despite the crowd. We visited the lovely Ourika Valley our last day, and were happy to dodge the weekend crowds; we liked seeing the Anima Gardens on the way back, and I found a hammam refreshing the day before we flew home.
Again, kudos to kimkim and Morocco Immersion for a wonderful trip.

Our guide Samud, was fantastic and really made the trip memorable. I really liked all the accommodations and food. Glamping was fun once - best part was seeing all the French, Brazilian and non-American tourists there.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Great location and atmosphere. Good service. Room a little small for my 6"5" husband.

Authenticity & Character

Opened onto courtyard, could hear birds in the AM.

Location

Near souk.

Staff

Very responsive and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was made every day.

Riad Al Makan

Fès

Lovely building, very atmospheric.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Relaxing Desert Camp - Royal Bivouac

Merzouga

I'm glad I did it once but the drive to was long and exhausting.

Authenticity & Character

I didn't expect a score of tents lined up.

Location

Seven hour drive was bone-jarring and exhausting. By the time we got there it was already sundown.

Staff

Attentive, helpful and happy.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inside tent was rather sterile so easy to clean.

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

Who would expect a riad owned by a Canadian in Morocco? Fantastic views, service, interesting other guests, manicured room, delicious food, great hospitality.

Authenticity & Character

Elegantly restored building combined Moroccan motifs with Western comforts.

Location

Great to have an overnight stop between the desert and Marrakech. Beautiful rooftop. Who would expect a riad owned by a Canadian in Morocco? Fantastic views, service, interesting other guests, manicured room, delicious food, great hospitality.

Staff

The owner herself chatted with us for several minutes - intriguing and hospitable lady!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was delightful.

Riad Nesma Suites & SPA

Medina, Marrakech

It's well located, just a few steps from the souk. Rooftop breakfast was nice. Room was a little small but expected in a big city. Staff very helpful in giving directions for dinner, sites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

A little hard to walk up and down spiral staircase. Hot and cold water in shower was challenging to operate. Otherwise, great.

Activity Reviews

Rabat to Fes via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

A long drive but interesting.

Quality of Experience

Volubilis was a good stop; a shame it's not maintained better.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

good to have a guide to direct us through the ruins.

Transport

Samad was cheerful, prompt and professional, as always.

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

Our driver was enthusiastic, prompt and knowledgeable. Airport arrivals and tranfers are never great, so as well as could be expected.

Quality of Experience

Not sure how to improve what is always a confusing and exhausting process.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver, Samud, was enthusiastic, prompt, knowledgeable and cheerful during the entire trip. Give him a raise.

Transport

see above.

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Fantastic views.

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

Knowledgeable guide with excellent English.

Quality of Experience

see above

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comments above

Transport

Samud was reliable, personable and professional, as always.

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

This was the best experience of the trip, for me. Crowded, complex alleyways crammed with shops of all kinds, tourists, locals and omnipresent motorbikes; diverse and distinctive smells (incense, bakery, fruit, motorbike exhaust, screaming kids and bleating animals. Reminded me of India, but less crowded and fewer people.

Quality of Experience

See above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was really knowledgeable and exceptional at directing us around the hamster maze. I would have been utterly lost on my own.

Transport

Samud was professional, prompt and cheerful, as always.

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Guide was knowledgeable and easy to understand. Marrakech - especially main market - is an exotic swirl of color, sounds, smells, clash of eastern/western.

Quality of Experience

See above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samud was professional, prompt and cheerful, as always.

Transport

See above.

Fes to Merzouga via Ifraine and Azrou - Camel Trek to Desert Camp

Morocco

We arrived later than expected so didn't take camel trek. No problem - I've ridden camels before.

Quality of Experience

Glad I went once but not sure it's worth the drive. I was exhausted from drive to the site and slept through the sunrise.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Energy and enthusiasm.

Transport

Samud was prompt, professional ad cheerful as always.

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

Wonderful views and good road negotiation by driver.

Day Excursion to Ourika Valley

Morocco

Great views! Climbing to the top without tripping over vendors was a little challenging but worth it.

Quality of Experience

See above.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samud prompt, professional and cheery as usual.

Transport

See above.

Overall, we had a wonderful trip in Morocco. Morocco is an amazing country with amazing people. Our experience with KimKim was fairly seamless and the trip planning was simple and customizable to our wants and needs. Similarly, our local guide Hicham was knowledgable, kind, punctual, and cared deeply about his country. We traveled around nearly the entire country in 10 days and even with a fair amount of time spent in the car, it was an adventure we will never forget.

A few issues to be aware of that negatively affected our experience. Our hotel in Fes was outside of the medina and felt a little disconnected from the city. It's our understanding this was due to the first choice hotel being overbooked, but if we could go back, we would choose to stay in the medina.

Our last day and night also did not go as expected based on the itinerary. Our guide had a personal emergency that left us on our own in Essaouria for about 5-6 hours. This was not necessarily Hicham's fault, but a little more communication regarding the timeline and plan of action would have been appreciated. We ultimately made the best of it, but a lot of that was due to our own initiative.

Our hotel on the last night in Cassablanca was different from the hotel listed on our itinerary and seemed to be a drastic step down in quality and location. We ended up in an airport hotel when our itinerary was booked for a city center hotel. Convenient for our flight the next day, but totally disconnected to Casablanca, a city we only got a few hours in due to the issue that occurred during the day in Essaouira.

Something to keep in mind that would have been helpful to know beforehand- ATMs only give out large bills (100s and 200s). You are going to need small denominations for tipping and using the bathroom. Many businesses also asked for smaller bills, but we did not have them, and the businesses did not have small denominations for change. Some hotels had small bills on hand to exchange, but many did not.

Hotel Reviews

Eden Boutique Hotel

Boumalne-Dadès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Euphoriad

Rabat

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Jasmine

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Seafood Lunch from the Wharf

Essaouira

While seeing the fish market was a good experience, we would not recommend eating there. The setting is picnic tables inside the market. There was construction going on and the overall cleanliness was extremely poor. We did not enjoy this meal, as we were concerned about the hygiene and cleanliness of the surroundings. Throughout our trip, this is the only time we had this concern.

Quality of Experience