Morocco is magical.

Souks. Spices. Sahara. Sunsets, and sunrises. Shy smiles reflected in the warmth of a freshly brewed cup of mint tea. Morocco is one of those places that leave an indelible mark on your memory. Led by our wonderful guides from Siroco Tours, we spent 10 magical days travelling from Chefchaouen to Marrakech, and experienced so much warmth and hospitality throughout our trip. If you’re planning a trip to Morocco, these tips might just make your trip a little more magical!

1. Take the time to get lost in Chefchaouen

If you search for things to do in Chefchaouen, you might be fooled into thinking that there really isn’t much. But therein lies the beauty of this town. It’s meant to be surprising. Chefchaouen deserves a full day of exploration. Unfortunately, due to our tight schedule, we only had about 2.5 hours. The one advantage that we had – thanks to jetlag – was starting our day at 7 in the morning, where we had the luxury of watching the morning light peek through eaves and canopied corridors, and see the blue walls of the city awash in the glow of the morning sun. An added bonus: uninterrupted photographs! If we had more time, it would have been so nice to enjoy a cuppa by the river and explore the many adorable shops and alleys in the city.

Tip: To avoid backtracking, you can do like we did and fly into Tangier, which is a 2 hour drive away from Chefchaouen. From there, we travelled to Fes, the Sahara desert, and subsequently Marrakech.

2. Experience incredible hospitality in a Moroccan riad or homestay

Morocco’s greatest charm is literally hidden behind closed doors. Its riads, replete with gorgeous inner courtyards, stunning water features, and intricate tiles, serve as a sanctum from the hustle and bustle of the cities. That the riads are generally small and cozy also means there are more opportunities to interact with the hosts. There are many wonderful recommendations online for riads in Marrakech and also in Fes, but our personal recommendation would be for Riad Azahar in Marrakech. It had ginormous rooms, super comfortable beds, and a host who fed us with the best homecooked Italian meal I’ve ever had outside of Italy.

3. Venture beyond the cities

Morocco’s must-see sights would easily fill a 2 week itinerary. A quick search on Google will show that you can “experience the Sahara desert” in 2D1N or even a *gasp* day trip from Marrakesh. But the drive is at least 8 hours long, which would mean very little time at the desert. I would suggest that there is value in slowing down, and spending a night in the villages enroute the big cities. On the way to Merzouga, we stayed a night at Maison d’hotes Sahara in the Ziz Valley, a spectacular oasis that was filled with palm trees. Our host, Said, and his family filled our hearts – and stomachs – with the warmth of their hospitality. In the morning, we took the time to walk deep into the palm grove, learning about the different herbs and plants that are native to the region. At night, our hosts laid out a blanket on their roof where we feasted our eyes on a blanket of stars.

3. Spend a night in the Sahara

Even though the Sahara desert is a significant distance away from any of the major cities, I cannot recommend this enough. Truth be told, while I was very excited about this, I was also slightly apprehensive because I had my parents, in-laws and aunt on this trip – most of whom are in their 60s. I was worried that someone would fall off a camel, that the tents wouldn’t be comfortable, or that the desert would be too hot.

But my fears were unfounded. Our guides brought us close to the edge of the desert on 4x4s, after which we mounted our camels and began our 45-minute journey to Desert Camp Amanar. The entire experience was just surreal. It felt like we were the only beings in this infinite expanse, with only our elongated shadows as evidence that this moment was actually happening.  The camels were so gentle, docile, and comfortable to ride on. The tents were heated with ridiculously comfortable beds, and even an ensuite toilet! The experience more than exceeded our expectations.

But the true value of a night in the Sahara is the access it gives you to nature. The sight of the infinite sand in the day was mirrored by the stars at night. It was a spectacular experience lying on the dunes, with our backs on the cool sand and eyes to the skies. And the next morning, when we watched the sun light up the entire Sahara? That was golden.

This was the highlight of our trip.

4. Invest in a guided tour in Fez and Marakkech

These two cities are very popular on the tourist route, and for good reason. Both are distinct and have much to offer in terms of history, crafts and culture. But with 9,600 alleyways in the Fez medina and an equally labryinth-like layout in the Marrakech one, having someone who knows where they are going definitely helps. We had the privilege of delving into the underbelly of these two cities with the help of our excellent guides who were knowledgeable, clear and friendly! To us, these walking tours make the world of a difference in allowing us to look beyond the pretty facades and understand the historical and cultural influences on architecture and lifestyle. I also appreciated how the guides were very candid in sharing their personal stories.

With our guide, Hassan, in Fez!

Tip: To be absolutely honest, while Moroccans are generally very friendly, the touting in the bigger cities can be pretty intense. We found that having a guide/local with us significantly reduces the amount of touting we experience. This would be something to consider, especially if you’re female.

5. Get scrubbed silly at a hammam

This could be a bit of a hit and miss, but it’s still an experience I would strongly recommend. The hammams are basically public baths where you will be guaranteed a deep, thorough exfoliation, similar to that of molting. Kidding. It feels like that, but it’s really just them removing all the dead skin cells that you never knew you accumulated. I would especially recommend doing this after your visit to the Sahara because there’s a high chance you’ll have little bits of sand in all sorts of crevices. There’s nothing quite as authentic – or intimate – as having a Moroccan lady become very familiar with your body in the matter of minutes. Warning: you might also find yourself getting to see more of your travel companions than you’d normally expect.

Img Credit: Palais Faraj

Tip: If you are more of the shy sort, you might want to consider visiting a hammam in a hotel, as compared to the public ones.

6. Choose your guides carefully (We recommend Siroco Tours!)

Choosing the right tour company and guides can make or break your experience and impression of a country. Our time in Morocco was filled with light, laughter and lovely encounters with the locals, and I strongly believe that this is because Siroco Tours did an amazing job in planning the trip. I love that they customised our itinerary according to what we wanted to see, and were able to lead us on experiences off the tourist route. They were also very responsive throughout our trip and provided us with excellent quality in accommodation. The only regret is that we could have done with more time everywhere because there was just so much to see. Speaking with other travellers who had gone on tours that included 6 hour camel rides (!!) and impatient guides also made me realise how we really lucked out in choosing the right tour with the best value! It’s amazing how they are #1 on Tripadvisor and yet gave us the most competitive quote. I would highly, highly recommend them.

P.S. This was not a sponsored tour or a partnership. I’d emailed 5 companies to ask for quotes and Siroco Tours came back with the most interesting itinerary at a very reasonable cost. The deal was almost unbelievable. Grateful that everything worked out wonderfully!

Do you have tips for Morocco to share? Let us know in the comments below!