Are Kasbah Trails tours private, or do we join a group?

Every Kasbah Trails itinerary is 100% private — just you, your travel companions, and a dedicated driver-guide in your own vehicle. There are no strangers added to your group and no fixed departure dates to work around.

Can you customize an itinerary, or do we have to book one exactly as listed?

Every trip on this site is a starting point. Tell us your dates, pace and interests on WhatsApp or through the form below, and we'll adjust the route, swap in extra nights, or build something from scratch around what you actually want to see.

What's included in the price of a private Morocco tour?

Standard inclusions are a private air-conditioned vehicle with fuel and tolls, an English-speaking driver-guide for the whole trip, accommodation in riads, kasbahs and a desert camp, the Erg Chebbi camel trek, daily breakfast, local guides in the imperial cities, and all local taxes. International flights, most lunches and dinners, entrance fees, tips and travel insurance are not included.

How much does a private Sahara desert tour cost?

Pricing depends on group size, season, and the level of riad or kasbah you choose, since every trip is quoted individually rather than sold at a fixed group rate. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and traveller count for an exact quote — there's no obligation to book.

Is Morocco safe to visit, and is a guide necessary for the Sahara?

Morocco is a well-established, welcoming destination for private travel, and the desert routes we run — through Ouarzazate, the gorges and Merzouga — are on paved and well-travelled roads. A local driver-guide isn't strictly required to enter the country, but it makes the long mountain and desert legs far easier, and it's how a camel trek and desert camp get arranged properly rather than booked blind.

When's the best time of year for a Sahara desert tour?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) give the most comfortable temperatures for both the High Atlas passes and the dunes. Summer is workable but hot in the desert by midday; winter nights in the Sahara and the mountains can be cold, so pack layers if travelling between November and February.

Which cities can a tour start and end in?

Most itineraries start or end in Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca or Tangier — wherever your flight lands. Filter the tours by city to see what's available, or ask us to build a route between two different cities if you don't see the combination you need.

Travel guide · 5 min read

Is Chefchaouen Worth Visiting? What the Blue City Is Really Like

Written by the Kasbah Trails team

Published September 5, 2026

A local guide overlooking the kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou on Morocco's kasbah road

Chefchaouen shows up on every Morocco itinerary photo, over and over, in nearly the same blue stairwell — which makes some travellers reasonably suspicious it's overhyped before they've even landed. Having driven through it more times than we can count, here's what it's actually like once you're standing in it rather than scrolling past it.

Yes, it's really that blue

The blue-washed walls aren't limited to one photogenic street — they extend through most of the old medina, in a range running from pale sky-blue to deep cobalt depending on the building and how recently it's been repainted, with doorframes, steps and even flowerpots caught in the same wash. It photographs well because it genuinely looks like that in person; no filter involved, and no single angle doing all the work.

How much time it actually needs

Half a day is enough to wander the main lanes and sit for a mint tea on Plaza Uta el-Hammam; a full day lets you add a hike out to the Akchour waterfalls in the hills above town, where the crowds thin out fast once you're past the first bridge. It's rarely the only stop on a route — most itineraries pair it with the Rif Mountains drive and either Fes or Tangier on either side, like our 6-day Marrakech Express from Tangier.

Where it fits in a wider itinerary

Chefchaouen sits in the Rif Mountains in Morocco's north, which puts it naturally on routes starting or ending in Tangier, or as a detour worked into a Fes-based loop. It doesn't really work as a Marrakech day trip — the drive alone runs 8-plus hours each way — so it's worth building your route around it from the start rather than trying to bolt it on at the last minute.

So, is it worth it?

Yes, with one caveat: don't stop at the one famous staircase and call it done. Walk the quieter residential lanes above the main square instead — they're just as blue, often more atmospheric with laundry strung between doorways and cats asleep on the steps, and hold a fraction of the crowd. If your trip already routes through the north, there's no real reason to skip it.