Marrakech 2025: My First Steps as a Private Guide (page 2 of 5)

we got confused about the souk gate closures until we literally walked into one...

All you had to do was set the GPS to "Medina on foot after 11 PM".

Well, I’ll be following this travel journal closely. Get well soon!!

we kept getting confused about which souk gates were closed until we walked right into one...

All you had to do was set the GPS to "Medina on foot after 11 PM".

Your comment reminds me of this famous Gad El Maleh sketch:

https://youtu.be/O8bsWD5dCFc?si=r9vpMy1O9060_9rW

We were there! !

Well, I’ll be following this travel journal closely. Get well soon!!

Thanks to you!

Day 3: Sunday, May 4th: The Day the Cavalry Arrives

Breakfast at the riad starts again at 8:30 AM. I’m feeling zen—the rest of the group lands at 9:00 AM, and I’ve booked a shuttle for six from the hotel to pick them up with a sign at the airport exit. Except at 9:45 AM, my phone rings—they’re still searching among the 200 signs for theirs... What follows is an endless scavenger hunt via my phone and the hotel manager’s, until the connection finally happens (or the taxi arrives—we’ll never know).

We welcome our freshly landed tourists on the hotel’s rooftop—finally, the group is complete! After a snack, my first challenge is to lead this whole troop through the souks without losing anyone, for another lunch on the square at Lafarmacie, the table having been booked the day before. Some in the group are taking their first steps in the Maghreb, and the surprise is strong! Along the way, we soak up the atmosphere at the many stalls...





Back at the riad, we grab our suitcases and the Dacia. A new taxi we hired will take the rest of the group to the villa.

The "wow" effect of the villa was expected, and it delivered! The generous budget for accommodation was part of the deal—we’re a big group, so we rented big! No less than 1000 m² for this three-level villa: 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 3 living rooms, a jacuzzi, private hammam, sauna, and pool. Plus, a manager, a cook on demand, a kitchen helper for breakfasts, a housekeeper, and a night watchman... If you want to splurge, it’s here: https://www.booking.com/Share-1qUv1mc

Room assignments—of unequal sizes—will be done by drawing lots, except for the royal suite my friends kindly offered us as thanks for the prep work. The gesture is much appreciated!





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The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to relaxation. Everyone gets settled, tests the pool, and I take a few friends to stock up on apéritif supplies, water, and sodas at the nearby Carrefour. It has a dedicated alcohol section, so we take the chance to fill the fridge with beers and wines. The rest of the supplies were split among our suitcases... I also pick up our second vehicle, a Dacia Lodgy 7-seater, still impeccably delivered on-site by the rental agency.

Tonight, dinner is at the villa—a fabulous couscous prepared over two hours by Rachid, our now-official cook. It’s nearly 10 PM when the meal ends. Tomorrow starts early, so we don’t linger to enjoy our palace of a thousand and one nights...



(Booking image for the last one)

Day 4: Visiting Marrakech: The Day I Lost One

I was pretty relaxed with the schedule for our trip. After all, it was a vacation too... But I had two non-negotiables: the day visiting Marrakech and the day in Essaouira. So, today was Marrakech day, with the Jardin Majorelle, the YSL Museum, the Confluences Museum, Dar el Bacha, and, if timing allowed, the Ben Youssef Madrasa on the agenda. Well, that was the plan on paper, anyway... It started off pretty well—we left on time for a 9:30 AM ticket to the Jardin, booked a month in advance (thanks, Françoise!). The visit lasted nearly two hours, the place was stunning, and the crowd was manageable in the early morning.









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That’s when I lost one. Or rather, *her*. M (we’ll call her M) hadn’t been feeling well since the morning, and she ended up making an offering in the vacant lot right next to the museum. No way we could continue—the group stuck together, and we headed back to the villa in fits and starts (with even an emergency stop on an avenue!). M went to lie down, and nobody was really in the mood to set off on new adventures.

So long, museums and monuments—back to Carrefour for a raid on salads and ready-made meals for a quick lunch at the villa. And while we were at it, we grabbed everything we needed for a barbecue evening! Marrakech would have to wait...

The evening was great and (very) lively. The retro projector and screen hooked up to the TV got us through karaoke, and it wasn’t until 11 PM that the neighborhood quieted down after one last loud rendition of *"Lac du Connemara"* . I even got scolded by the manager the next morning, who finally explained that quiet hours start at 9 PM but hadn’t told me "because you all seemed like older folks." Goes to show, appearances can be deceiving—and that a Moroccan can disrespect me .

Day’s tally: Cultural level—0. Fun level—100. But you only live once!



Another Booking photo—mine are just full of rowdy people

he hadn’t told me that « because you were old ».

😏😏😏 That really made me laugh! (given my age, I can allow myself!)

Still, the day had started off well. I hope things will improve quickly for M (and for the group).

The villa is gorgeous! 😍 What a thought—to rent a palace and then bail to go to the souks 😂😆

I hope the "oldies" sang until 2 a.m. the next day to get back at them for that insult 😄

I hope the "oldies" sang until 2 a.m. the next day to get back at them for that insult 😄

Since the neighbor was on the verge of calling the cops the night before, according to the manager, we didn’t really play it up. The Moroccan police don’t exactly seem like a barrel of laughs either 🤪

Day 5: Agafay Desert: The Day I Rest. . But before resting, we had to adapt. This Tuesday was supposed to be our visit to Essaouira, which M really wanted to do. But given his condition, he needed an extra day to recover, so we changed the plan. And Youness, our butler-manager, who I had asked to prepare our afternoon in Agafay for Wednesday, was able to adjust the schedule so we could do the outing today instead. We left at 3 PM in the VIP bus that took us to Agafay. Actually, instead of Agafay, we were dropped off by the van at the edge of Lake Lalla Takerkoust, where the activities and dinner-show were set to take place. The site is stunning—we overlooked the lake.

Google image to illustrate the place



First up, an hour of quad biking. There were about fifteen of us, riding in single file—one guide in front, one behind, and no overtaking allowed! Not exactly what I expected from a "desert" ride, and everyone was a bit disappointed (well, those who had done quad biking before). But safety first, as one of the guides told me when I asked for a little more "pep" in the ride... Still, the landscapes were gorgeous at times—a kind of cardboard *Lawrence of Arabia* vibe.

Google image



Moroccan snack bar .

Back at base camp, our rides were waiting for an hour of camel trekking—again in single file, but this time just our group (well, those who wanted to ride the "ships of the desert"). The walk was fun, and we made it playful as a group. The setting was magical—we strolled above the lake, near the dam.

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Back at the site, we were offered a refreshing drink and settled under the tents. Night began to fall, and the servers started their ballet, though the restaurant was barely full. Dinner was pretty classic—tajine AND couscous on the menu, so why choose? Then, for over an hour, musical artists, acrobats, and fire dancers took turns to liven up the evening. It was kitschy, but not unpleasant—we quickly got into the spirit... At 10:30 PM, we packed up, headed back to the villa, and everyone was happy with their day. Tomorrow, we wake up at dawn for Essaouira!

Hi! Thanks for this juicy description of the Marrakech "money pit," complete with quad biking, camel rides, desert, and belly dancing... 😎

a kind of cardboard Lawrence of Arabia...

A pretty standard dinner with tajine AND couscous on the menu—why choose?

One authentic detail though: a real Moroccan "diffa" (feast) includes several tajines in a row AND a couscous. All preceded by a méchoui, but that’ll send the bill through the roof. I can’t wait for Essaouira, with its operetta-like charm and the International Gnawa Connection. 😛

Of course we were totally cliché, just like "discover Paris in a 2CV", beret firmly on our heads... But we weren’t bothered by that, given how the trip turned out 😉 The real pleasant surprise was the location, right by the lake. For the rest, the pre-trip discussion on this forum had warned me—I knew what I was getting into...

Day 6: Essaouira – The Day We Saw the Sea

I’d asked for a 7 AM departure, and that’s what I got! Off we went to Essaouira, with the GPS showing 2 hours 30 minutes (in car mode!). We got to know the Moroccan highway at the start of the trip—21 dirhams for a stretch of impeccable asphalt. Then came the national road, a bit more chaotic but actually quite pleasant at the crack of dawn. We drove smoothly, dodging a few stray dogs and some zigzagging scooters, and a few kilometers before arriving, I suggested a 15-minute stop at a café on the edge of a village. Those 15 minutes turned into 50—I’ll never understand people who get up at the crack of dawn just to dawdle... but I went along with the group. We arrived in Essaouira around 11 AM, parked our cars in the (empty) Medina parking lot, and were surprised by how quiet it was. Turns out, Morocco doesn’t wake up early, and we enjoyed strolling through a very calm medina, a stark contrast to the souks of Marrakech.

The highlight of the morning was, of course, the visit to the port—its fish merchants and an atmosphere much livelier than in the medina. M stayed back, her sensitive stomach struggling with the smells. From the port, we walked along the beach before heading back to the sqala, the Mogador ramparts, and finally, at lunchtime, to one of the "restaurants" next to Place Moulay Hassan.











It was Restaurant No. 33 that won the group’s vote (the competition was fierce!), and we dove into a feast of grilled seafood. Everything was on the menu: shrimp, prawns, cuttlefish, octopus, spider crabs, sea urchins, plus all sorts of fish—red mullet, sea bream, monkfish—all for 100 dirhams, including starters, fries, and drinks! We came for the fish, and we weren’t disappointed!

But by 3 PM, we had a meet-up a few kilometers away at the Diabat Mosque, south of the city. Not for prayer, but because Sophie, the owner of a stables, had saved us six magnificent Arabian stallions for a 2-hour ride through the dunes and along the beach. The rest of the group wandered around the city in the meantime. By 5:30 PM, after a wild ride through the sand and waves, hair flying in the wind, bareback on our purebreds, we headed back to town. Okay, I might be getting a little carried away (a lot, actually)—given the group’s level, we settled for a light trot, but it was enough to make us happy...





Back in town, a bit of shopping, a good (non-alcoholic) beer on a bar terrace, and we were off again for the nighttime drive back to the villa. Luckily, the road was really good, and the kilometers of highway at the end flew by. We really loved Essaouira—its light, its vibe, its tranquility compared to Marrakech—even if the time we had was too short. One night there wouldn’t have been enough, but we’ve already had that debate...

To skip my chatty friends and continue, it’s here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10709955;a=10709955

When you're leading a group where not everyone is a big adventurer, you’ve gotta make a few compromises 🤷‍♂️. This just confirms my opinion on this so-called desert! I know this camp. The location’s nice, but calling it a desert? Really 😅. The main thing is that your group had a good evening.

Agafay has become THE must-see spot if you’re visiting Marrakech.

Brilliant marketing success!!!

Then for over an hour, musical artists, acrobats, and fire dancers will take turns to liven up the evening. It’s kitschy, but not unpleasant—you quickly get into the spirit....

It’s all embraced, so... And between these moments with friends and sitting alone in an office watching the rain, I know which I’d choose in a heartbeat ;)

5:30 PM, after a wild ride through the sand and waves, hair in the wind, bareback on our thoroughbreds

I think some photos are missing...

5:30 PM, after a wild ride through the sand and waves, hair in the wind, bareback on our thoroughbreds

I think some photos are missing...

Or maybe some truths I did say I got a little carried away with the lyricism...

it’s at 11 PM that peace will return

Oops! Better not have Bruno as a neighbor!

Or get invited to the fiesta.

she’ll pour her offering into the vacant lot just steps from the museum.

A trip without traveler’s diarrhea isn’t a real trip!

I’ll admit, it’s in Morocco where I’ve had the most of these kinds of issues. With India too...

1 hour of quad biking, there are about fifteen of us, single file, one guide in front, one behind,

You’re selling us a dream here! 😄

The last one must be eating a lot of dust...

Back at base camp, our mounts are waiting for us for an hour of camel riding, again single file, but this time just our group (well, those who wanted to ride the desert mounts). The ride is nice, and we make it fun as a group. The place is magical—we’re walking above the lake, near the dam.

It’s clear this isn’t really your usual thing, but with friends, it’s way more fun 😄



I really love this photo 👍