Tour of Casablanca from cruise or hotels, guided tour.

Shady

Our tour was booked through the desk at Hotel Campanille Casablanca which we also panned in a separate review: ("Should be Called Hotel Champinion" https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293732-d14111085-r918943192-Hotel_Campanile_Casablanca_Centre_Ville-Casablanca_Casablanca_Settat.html?m=19905). On September 29, 2023 we paid $35 US / hour for a 3-4 hour guided tour. This was similar to many other tours with positive enough reviews listed on GetYourGuide, Viatour & Tripadvisor. The van was modern, clean and seemed safe. The driver was a 30-something man casually, yet well-dressed. He showed up on time and took us directly to the Hassan 2 Mosque as scheduled. That's the positive stuff. Then it started to go south. Our "tour" then turned into a mostly uninformative taxi drive-by through a few of Casablanca's notable but mostly "meh" landmarks and a bunch of generally dismal looking neighborhoods. We enjoyed a few unscheduled minutes watching some race horses walk sown the street... and an then we got to the entirely unscheduled, and unpleasant 1-hour stop at a carpet shop with the "meter" running all the while we were in the shop. Details follow: • The stop at the rug shop was on a sketchy dead-endy looking back street. • The driver stalled our departure from the stop pressuring us to go into the shop even though we said we didn’t want to be there. • We patiently sat through the sales pitch in the shop for 45 minutes while the meter was still running in the cab - at a cost of $35 an hour. • We made our excuses to get out of the shop and back to the van without buying anything. • The shop was and the driver were clearly in collusion. We were back in the van and indicated we wished to leave. Yet he kept the car parked, ignition off, with windows and doors open for a delayed period of time which allowed a man from the shop to approach, put his head, arms & torso inside the open van door/window, and continue to pressure us to buy a rug even after we said NO several times, and asked the driver to close the doors and windows and leave. • Because the man was physically inside the vehicle and the driver made no effort to advocate for us or leave we became fearful of our safe & timely return to our hotel unless we agreed to buy merchandise from the shop. And that's how we ended up buying an overpriced rug we didn't want in the first place. We wouldn't mind it one bit if the operator offered to make refund the $140 they charged us for that "tour." When we finally got back to Hotel Campanille we were pretty upset. We immediately went to the hotel desk and complained to the hotel manager - who couldn't have cared less. We travel a lot and have been to more than a few parts of the world where tourist commerce operates in the broad, deep gray areas of haggling in open stalls and narrow, dim alleyways. Sometimes it's fun. Sometimes you spend 20 minutes bickering over what you later (shamefully) realize was a 50¢. Sometimes you'd just rather not be bothered, hope vendors get the hint an move on. Mostly it's over quickly enough and you have a good tale to tell back home whether you end up with a tchotchke or not. Learning to be comfortable with being a bit uncomfortable is the point of travel. This was the first time we ever felt a prolonged sense of being NOT OK about the situation we were in. So we are sending up a flare to future visitors to Casablanca... This tour felt shady. Hotel Campanille could do better for it's guests.

via Tripadvisor

Super Tour

Achraf was an excellent guide and provided a complete overview of Casablanca. The gorgeous mosque was a definite highlight. We recommend!

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your kind review. We’re delighted to hear that Achraf gave you an excellent overview of Casablanca and that the Hassan II Mosque was a highlight of your visit. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you again for another memorable experience in Morocco.

via Tripadvisor

Memorable trip to Casablanca. Would have loved to have coffee at Rick’s, but there was no time.

Ashrap was an ideal guide. He explained the different tourist sites, making it interesting for one to want to visit in detail. He drove us around to the Hassan 2 Mosque, and patiently waited for us to complete the tour. He then drove us to Rick’s Cafe, the United Nation’s plaza, Sacred Hear Cathedral, the Center Mall and the Morocco Mall, and ended up at the Twin Towers. He even offered to take photos of us as keepsakes of Casablanca. I highly recommend him, if you are fortunate enough to get him.

via Tripadvisor

Casablanca Fleecing Tour

Absolute rip-off. Advertised as a 4-hour tour, in a van, with water. Although our tour guide was courteous, the entire "tour" lasted just a little over an hour (which consisted basically of a drive around Casablanca), was conducted in a sh*#ty taxi, and the tour guide expected a tip on top of the $80 paid to Viator to book this trip. We were also encouraged to buy some Moroccan tea for which we paid 22 Euros (shame on us!). In all, withthe booking fee, tip which we did add (again shame on us) and tea purchase, we ended up paying about $135 for this one-hour experience overall. We could have paid about $50 to just get a taxi for an hour to do the same tour (based on what other folks on our cruise told us). Stay away--an absolute rip-off!

Response from the operator: We are very concerned to read your review. A tour advertised as four hours should not be completed in just over one hour. Likewise, the vehicle provided must correspond to what is described in the booking confirmation. If the service was not delivered as advertised, this does not meet our operational standards. Tipping is always optional and at the sole discretion of the guest. It should never be expected or implied. Regarding purchases during the tour, guests are free to accept or decline any recommendations. We do not require or obligate any shopping stops. We have initiated a full internal review of the driver assignment, vehicle dispatch, and tour duration records for the date concerned. If discrepancies are confirmed, corrective action will be taken immediately. We understand your frustration regarding value and transparency, and we regret that your experience did not align with the expectations set by our listing.

via Viator

Casablanka

Ayoub, driver - guide, very knowledgeable, friendly, polite and knows what he is doing. Highly recommend.

Response from the operator: Thank you for your great review. We’re very pleased to hear that Ayoub’s professionalism, knowledge, and friendly approach made your experience so enjoyable. Knowing exactly what he’s doing and taking good care of his guests is something we truly value. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon for another excellent tour in Morocco.

via Viator