It is one of the first questions travellers ask us: "Is a private tour really worth it, or should we just join a group?" We run private day trips, so you might expect a one-sided answer. You will not get one. A group tour is sometimes the right choice — and sometimes a private tour in Morocco costs about the same per person while giving you a completely different day.
Here is how to decide.
What is a private tour?
A private tour means the vehicle and the driver are for you alone: your family, your partner, your friends. You are collected at your hotel or at the gate nearest your riad at the time you choose, you decide how long to stay at each stop, and nobody else joins along the way. The price is per vehicle, not per person.
What is a group tour?
A group tour sells individual seats in a minibus or coach shared with other travellers. Pickups happen at several hotels or at a meeting point, the programme and timings are fixed, and the group moves together from stop to stop. The price is per person.
Private tour vs group tour, side by side
| Private tour | Group tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Per vehicle | Per seat |
| Pickup | At your door, when you want | Several hotels or a meeting point |
| Timing | You decide | Fixed timetable |
| Stops | Where you want, as long as you want | Pre-set, often including shops |
| Pace | Yours | The group's |
| Children, seniors | Easy to adapt | Harder to adapt |
| Best for | Families, couples, friends, photographers | Solo travellers on a budget |
When a group tour makes sense
Let us be honest. If you are travelling alone or as a couple on a tight budget, if you enjoy meeting other travellers and if you are happy to follow a set programme, a seat on a group tour is usually the cheapest way to see a place. For a classic, well-trodden route, it does the job.
When a private tour in Morocco is worth it
- Families with children. Stops for the toilet, a snack or a tantrum happen on your schedule. Our Marrakech airport transfers with kids guide explains how we adapt.
- Groups of friends or several families. The per-person price falls quickly once you fill a van — see our guide to group transfers in vans and minibuses.
- Couples and honeymooners who want a quiet, romantic day, like our private picnic in Essaouira.
- Photographers, who need the right light more than the right timetable.
- Older travellers or anyone with limited mobility, who need a door-to-door service and time to walk at their own pace.
- Anyone short on time. No waiting for other pickups, no compulsory shop visits: you see more in the same day.
What does a private tour cost per person?
Because a private tour in Morocco is priced per vehicle, the maths changes with the size of your group. Using our own prices at the time of writing:
- Ourika Valley from Marrakech: €120 for up to three people (€40 each for three), €140 for a van for up to seven (€20 each for seven), €160 for a minibus for up to seventeen.
- Essaouira half-day tour: €80 for up to three people (under €27 each for three), €120 for a van, €140 for a minibus.
- Essaouira full day with Sidi Kaouki: €120 for up to three people, €140 for a van, €180 for a minibus.
Hotel pickup and drop-off, air conditioning, water, fuel and parking are included. For a family of four or five sharing a van, the price per person is often close to that of a group tour — for a far more comfortable day. Premium vehicles, such as a Mercedes E-Class or V-Class, are available for a supplement.
Can a transfer double as a day trip?
Often, yes. If you are travelling between cities anyway, a private transfer with stops works like a mini-tour. On the road from Marrakech to Essaouira, for example, you can pause at an argan cooperative, photograph the goats in the trees and stop for a coffee — see our Marrakech to Essaouira guide. It is a good way to see the countryside without adding a day to your trip.
Questions to ask before booking any tour
Whichever option you choose, ask:
- Is the price per person or per vehicle?
- What exactly is included? Pickup, water, fuel, parking, waiting time?
- What is not included? Lunch, local guide fees, entry fees, tips?
- Are there compulsory shopping stops?
- What vehicle, and how many people will be in it?
- What happens if the weather changes?
A good operator answers these clearly before you pay.
Our private day trips
From Marrakech, our private Ourika Valley day trip takes you to the Setti Fatma waterfalls and the Berber villages of the High Atlas. From Essaouira, choose the half-day tour, the full-day excursion to Sidi Kaouki or the private picnic. For all the options, see our guides to the best day trips from Marrakech and day trips from Essaouira. Tell us how many you are, and we will tell you exactly what a private tour in Morocco would cost your group.
