Please note there is a minimum of two participants required in order to guarantee each departure. Please wait until you've received confirmation from Encounters Travel before making any travel arrangements.

Yes! Private departures are available, however pricing will vary depending on date and group size. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and check on availability.

Fly into Marrakesh, Morocco (RAK), where you’ll be met by a representative from Encounters Travel and transferred to your hotel. If you need assistance booking your flights, Encounters Travel is able to assist with this after you have booked your travel dates.

You'll stay in good quality hotels rated at the local Moroccan 4-star level on this tour (local star ratings may vary slightly from international standards). Accommodations are based on double or twin en-suite rooms with air conditioning and all couples will have a private double room.

There is an option to upgrade to 5-star hotel accommodations as well as an overnight in a Berber desert camp. The Berber camp is spent in simple but comfortable goat hair tents with beds and bedding provided. You may want to bring a sleeping bag or sleeping sheet for extra comfort during the colder winter months (November-February). If interested in either option, please contact our Adventures Team for pricing and availability.

Solo travelers may choose to pay a single room supplement to guarantee themselves a single room throughout the tour. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and availability. Alternatively, you may choose to share a twin room with another traveler of the same sex. If there are no other single travelers available to pair up with at the time of your booking, then the single supplement will be added to the tour price. However, this will be refunded from your balance payment if Encounters Travel is able to pair you up later on.

There is a minimum of 2 guests per departure and a maximum of 40 guests.

The Moroccan climate varies according to season and region. The coast has a warm, Mediterranean climate tempered on the eastern coast by southwest trade winds. Inland areas have a hotter, drier, continental climate. In the south of the country, the weather is very hot and dry throughout most of the year, though temperatures can drop dramatically at night, especially in desert and mountains and in the months of December and January. It rains from November to March in coastal areas, and the rest of the country is mostly dry with high temperatures in summer and a cooler climate in the mountains. Marrakesh and Agadir enjoy an average temperature of 70°F (21°C) in the winter. Depending on the time of year, you should be prepared for both hot and cold conditions.

Meals provided will be served in the various accommodations and will generally be served buffet style with a mix of different local Moroccan cuisines, with tagines and grilled chicken as a specialty. Breakfast and dinner are included on most days. Please see the itinerary for specific meals provided.

Small to medium sized suitcases, rucksacks, or duffel bags are all fine to bring to Morocco. Check with your airline for weight and size restrictions. You should also bring a small daypack with you for day trips.

Regarding clothing, modesty is very important in Morocco (especially for women), so to respect the local culture and people, please ensure all clothes are loose fitting and not revealing. Shorts (not hot-pants) are okay in tourist sites, as are t-shirts, but these should not show too much bare flesh (it is suggested that your shoulders remain covered). In the center of towns and cities outside tourist areas, and when visiting any mosques, legs and arms should be covered for both men and women. As temperatures can vary greatly between day and night, you should pack clothing suitable for both hot and cold conditions. Other recommended items include a sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, a basic first aid kit, toiletries, money belt, small flashlight, camera, and charger.

While in Morocco you'll need sufficient funds to cover meals not included in the itinerary, drinks, snacks, souvenirs, tips and personal expenses such as laundry. These should generally all be paid for in Moroccan Dirham. It is difficult to recommend a level of personal spending money which will suit everyone as this can differ greatly, but as a guideline, please allow $15-$25 per person per day as a minimum. Allow more if you plan on doing lots of shopping or buying many alcoholic drinks.

The local currency in Morocco is the Dirham. Encounters recommends you bring some cash in a hard currency (US Dollars, GB Pounds, Euros) and a good ATM card. Most major currencies can be converted at most banks, but it's not wise to carry too much. Euros and US Dollars are welcomed more than GB Pounds. Travelers checks are not easily exchanged. Outside of Marrakesh it can be difficult to find an ATM machine that takes your card as many Moroccan banks have ATMs that only work with Moroccan cards. Don't put your card in an ATM unless you see the symbol that matches your card on the machine as you might lose your card! Encounters also suggests trying to avoid using post office ATMs. In some smaller towns there are no ATMs that take foreign cards, so be sure you get enough cash to carry you until the next major city. BCM seems to be the best bank, accepting foreign cards in most of their ATMs.

Tipping is traditional and always greatly appreciated whenever you feel you have received excellent service. Suggested amounts for tips are US equivalent $2 per day for drivers, $2-$3 per day for the local guides who may join your tour on certain days, and $30-$45 for the main tour guide for the entire trip. In local markets and basic restaurants, you may tip by simply leaving the change. In nicer restaurants, 5-10% of the bill is standard.

The following activities are available to add on to your tour. For information on pricing an availability, please contact our Adventures Team.

Marrakesh hot air balloon flight
The hot air balloon tour lasts about four hours, with the flight itself lasting about one hour. You start very early in the morning (around 5:30-6:30 am) with a pick up from your hotel and a drive in a comfortable 4WD vehicle to the take-off site just outside the city. Once the balloon is prepared and ready, you take off and float across the beautiful Moroccan scenery. Depending on the weather and the day's selected take off and landing sites, you'll see different Berber villages, the outskirts of the city, small oases, and terraced irrigated fields as well as the distant High Atlas mountains.

4x4 excursion to Merzouga Dunes and overnight in Berber Camp
This option is available on Day 4 of the itinerary. Embark on a 4x4 safari to the sand dunes for sunset, and then have dinner and spend the night at a comfortable Berber Camp at the edge of some of North Africa's most impressive sand dunes. The Berber camp is spent in simple but comfortable goat hair tents with beds and bedding provided. You may want to bring a sleeping bag or sleeping sheet for extra comfort during the colder winter months (November-February).

Travel insurance is required for this adventure. It allows you to seek reimbursement if you are forced to cancel your trip for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to cover medical help, emergency transport, and/or theft or accidental damage while traveling. We recommend VisitorsCoverage as a provider.

We recommend you visit the local government websites where you plan to travel and review the required documentation for entry, current restrictions, and general recommendations for travel within the area. We encourage you to also visit your home country's embassy website if you are traveling to a foreign country. Requirements can change rapidly. Please be sure you stay abreast of the requirements and restrictions for anywhere you plan to visit. You can also enroll in the U.S. government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and you will be sent updates if the situation in your destination changes. You can find the program link at https://step.state.gov/.

Yes! Book confidently with Free Cancellations within 72 hours of booking. After 72 hours, cancellation fees will apply.

New For 2022 Departures: We’re providing more flexible booking options on this trip.

Up to 60 days prior to departure*
You may postpone or modify your trip up to 60 days prior to departure.

You will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date within one year and travel within two years of your original travel date. Additional trip costs may apply.
2) Receive a lifetime store credit toward a future trip. Standard cancellation fees will apply.

Up to 30 days prior to departure
You may postpone or modify your trip up to 30 days prior to departure.

You will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date and travel within one year of your original travel date. Additional trip costs may apply.2) Receive a lifetime store credit toward a future trip. Standard cancellation fees will apply.

Less than 30 days prior to departure
In some cases, you may have the option to postpone your trip within 30 days prior to departure.

If this is available at the time of your request, you will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date. Additional trip costs may apply and new dates are subject to availability, or
2) Receive a lifetime store credit toward a future trip. Standard cancellation fees will apply.

For more information on our Travel Cancellation Policy please Click Here.