FAQS

WHO OPERATES MY TOUR?

Orange Tours Morocco is our preferred local partner-provider of group, private and custom-made tours, excursions, activities and trips throughout Morocco.

For over ten years their team of specialist guides have provided tailor-made, fully customised tours, from budget to lavish, from day trips to prolonged excursions, from trekking in the mountains of the High Atlas to camel riding in the Sahara desert. All their guides are born and raised in Morocco. They have travelled extensively throughout their native country and have lived in their specialist regions. They have fostered strong connections with the local communities and have first hand knowledge of the regions they travel through. We believe your trip to Morocco is best enhanced by local characters sharing their stories and lives. Morocco's real magic is often in places only our local friends know.

Orange Tours Morocco is a locally owned and operated tour company registered in Morocco with vast experience. Being native and local allows them to deliver great value tours that are authentic and relevant to you.

HOW DO I BOOK?

Our booking process is simple. Fill in the Ready to Book? form and click submit.

Our tours are not inclusive of international flights and these will need to be organised separately.

Please advise us of your planned arrival and departure dates and times so we can tailor your tour as required.

Please do not commit to booking your flight until we have confirmed availability for your requested dates.

Once we have confirmed availability for your specific tour, we will hold your booking open for a maximum of 5 working days.

Your booking will be confirmed upon receipt of your non-refundable deposit.

Please advise us of your flight details as soon as possible thereafter.

DO I PAY A DEPOSIT?

In order to confirm your booking, you all need is to pay a deposit.

Deposits can be made via electronic bank transfer and are non-refundable (see cancellation).

The remaining balance of your tour will be payable on arrival in Morocco.

WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL?

We understand that sometimes your plans may change, often unexpectedly. We aim to be as flexible as humanly possible and will work with you should you need to cancel your trip. Your deposit, whilst non-refundable, can be credited to the cost of an alternative trip, less costs incurred, i.e. hotel reservations, etc, if taken within six months of your original booking. It’s all part and parcel of our gold standard service.

DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?

Comprehensive travel insurance with a policy that covers cancellation, interruption, theft, loss and, in particular, medical insurance that will cover you in the case of an emergency while you are travelling is strongly recommended for all visitors to Morocco. Morocco does not have reciprocal health care arrangements with the UK and other EU countries. You should obtain your travel insurance at the time of booking your trip.  

Through experience we have found travellers with pre-existing medical conditions may find cheaper comprehensive travel insurance through specialist insurers such as staysure.co.uk, insurancewith.com and bootstravelinsurance.com.

For further travel and safety advice we would suggest reviewing the following websites:  www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco

Customised Morocco does not sell Travel Insurance and has no affiliation with any of the insurance companies referred to above.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham, denoted as MAD or Dhs.  Moroccan Dirhams cannot generally be obtained outside of Morocco as it is officially designated a closed currency and can only be traded within Morocco.   However, we are aware it is now possible to obtain Moroccan Dirhams at some UK Airports and travel money exchanges but the exchange rate can be pretty poor. For example, you may receive around 8 Dhs per GBP in the UK, but closer to 11-12 Dhs per GBP in Morocco.

There are currency exchanges on arrival at the airports in Morocco and there are ATMs everywhere in the country. The import and export of the currency is tolerated up to a maximum of 1000 MAD (approximately £80).  

It is strongly recommended visitors to Morocco who have purchased currency during their visit should convert it back to their chosen currency prior to leaving Morocco.

MOROCCO'S TIME ZONE

Morocco's standard time is set to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is on permanent Daylight Saving Time. Morocco observes daylight saving time.

However, during the month of Ramadan, daylight saving time is adjusted by one hour.

VISITING DURING RAMADAN

The Holy Month of Ramadan is the obligatory Islamic month of fasting. However, Morocco sees very little change during this time and most bars and cafes will be open as normal and food is served at standard meal times. Don't be put off visiting Morocco during Ramadan, it's actually a good time to visit. Generally there are less tourists and you'll likely witness and experience things you wouldn't normally see at other times of the year. Ramadan can actually add another dimension of authenticity to your time in the Kingdom of Morocco.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN

Moroccan's love children and all of our tours are family friendly. Aside from the usual considerations when travelling with kids, Morocco is one of the easiest countries in which to travel with children and obtaining food for your little ones will not be an issue. Our experts are on hand prior to and throughout your tour and can advise on everything from car seats, to nappies to baby milk formula. If you have any specific queries please do get in touch.

WOMEN VISITING MOROCCO

Morocco is generally safe for female tourists. There are the usual precautions to keep in one's mind when visiting Morocco, as in any other country. All of our tours are fully escorted and you will have your expert guide on hand the majority of the time. For the occasions when you are enjoying your free leisure time just remember to keep your wits about you. Don't carry vast sums of cash or walk down dimly lit streets at night alone. Ignore any unwanted attention from the local men and try to avoid making direct eye-contact. Wearing sunglasses is a neat trick. There is no particular dress code for Morocco and tourists are given a generous level of tolerance. While there is no requirement to dress as the locals do, observing a reasonable level of respect is advised and appreciated in this Muslim country. Limit your alcohol intake to avoid getting into compromising situations if alone. Remember to be friendly, but don't be too trusting. Keep these simple strategies in mind and enjoy your time in Morocco.

CAN I TAKE PICTURES OF THE LOCALS?

Taking photos of the locals won't be easy and you will likely come up against some opposition trying. Most Moroccan's don't enjoy being photographed but this is not true of everyone. Always ask permission for close up shots. For far-away shots you will not usually get into any bother. Some people will ask you for money and it is generally up to you whether you give them something or not. Expect to pay if you want to take pictures of the performers such as snake charmers, etc. If people get annoyed, it is best just to walk away to defuse the situation. It's only fair to compensate someone who may have modelled for you. Be sensitive and respect the culture. A smile goes a long way when approaching someone you would like to photograph. If in doubt, please ask your specialist guide who will be able to advise or may even be able facilitate the photo you are wanting to take.

SHOULD I BUY FROM A LOCAL COOPERATIVE

We are passionate about giving back to the local communities and will always support the social enterprises and the rural cooperatives empowering indigenous peoples' lives and promoting socioeconomic advancement in their native Morocco. On our tours there will be an opportunity to visit and purchase products at the local cooperatives, but rat is important to bear in mind any baggage restrictions imposed by your airline for liquids, especially if you are travelling with hand luggage only.  There are several boutique shops airside in the departure lounge at Marrakech Menara Airport where you can purchase Moroccan produce to avoid any issues with baggage restrictions.  Of course you will pay a higher price at the Airport than you would buying direct from the local cooperatives, but any saving made could be lost if your purchase is seized at airport security control. Generally liquids of less than 100 ML each are permitted in travellers' hand luggage.

FLIGHTS TO MOROCCO

All of our tours are exclusive of flights and will need to be booked and paid for separately. Multiple carriers fly to Morocco from the UK on a daily basis serving the Kingdom's main airports.

Flying to Morocco is easy and there are many flight options. The flight time is just 3 hours 30 minutes direct from the UK.

Airlines that fly from the UK to Morocco:

EasyJet
Ryanair
British Airways
Monarch
Royal Air Maroc
TAP Portugal
Brussels Airlines
Vueling
Air Arabia Maroc
TUI
Iberia
Swiss Air

UK airports flying to Morocco:

London Gatwick (LGW)
London Heathrow (LHR)
London Luton (LTN)
London Stansted (STN)
Bristol (BRS)
Birmingham (BHX)
Glasgow (GLA)
Edinburgh(EDI)
Manchester (MAN)
Leeds (LBA)
Liverpool (LPL)
Newcastle (NCL)

Morocco Airports served by UK Airlines:

Marrakech (RAK)
Fes (FEZ)
Rabat (RBA)
Casablanca (CMN)
Agadir (AGA)
Essaouira (ESU)
Tangier (TNG)
Nador (NDR)
Ouarzazate (OZZ)
Oujda (OUD)

EasyJet serve Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) from London Gatwick (LGW), London Stansted (STN) and Manchester (MAN). EasyJet also fly from Gatwick to Agadir and Luton to Essaouira (ESU).

Ryanair runs a route from both Luton (LTN), London Stansted (STN) and Liverpool (LPL) to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). Ryanair also fly from Stansted to Fes (FEZ) Rabat (RBA)and Agadir. They also fly from Manchester to Agadir.

British Airways fly to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), Casablanca (CMN) and Agadir (AGA) from London Heathrow (LHR).

Royal Air Maroc serve Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Fes, Tangier, Agadir, Oujda, Ouarzazate and Nador from various UK airports.

Tangier is served by Iberia, Vueling, Ryanair, Royal Air Maroc, TAP Portugal and British Airways from several airports within the UK.

There are numerous flight comparison sites including, but not limited to, skyscanner.net, kayak.co.uk, google.co.uk/flights, cheapflights.co.uk and expedia.co.uk