You'd Better Read This First..... - To be clear: This 5 star review is mostly a report and response to Simo, the remarkable driver provided by Premier Tours and Transfers in Morocco. We meant to post this a week or so ago but our travel delayed our ability to get this finished and up. We were a bit hesitant to book this day trip as we had read a few mixed reviews. While there did exist some very positive reviews about the company in general, there were, sprinkled throughout, discordant reviews that were very negative. As we considered each review, and weighed them in the balance, we realized that the company was more an aggregate of independent local drivers and guides than it was an organized team of the same working as employees. This means that the quality of the product will depend completely on the actual driver and guide you are assigned. It became very important to us to ensure that we were assigned a well established, and well reviewed, driver and guide. We weren't sure when we would have the opportunity to see these sites again. Our limited funds are precious to us and we didn't want to waste them. For this reason, we paid a little more to have a private day trip so we could customize the stops to our particular interests and hopefully ensure we weren't diverted to the notorious sales presentations we'd read about in other reviews. We also exhaustively communicated with Premier Tours about our concerns and the customization we desired. I am happy to report they were excellent in their communication, very patient with our many requests, and they definitely worked hard to accommodate us everywhere we asked. They understood our concerns and assured us they would provide attentive drivers and knowledgeable guides. Upon arrival at the agreed upon meet up location, we found an impeccably dressed, kind, soft spoken gentleman holding a sign with our name on it. We felt a bit like celebrities as he led us to a gleaming black, spacious, executive style SUV. As he professionally opened the doors for us, we stepped into an immaculate, cool and comfortable limousine style interior, complete with bottles of water and towlettes to wipe our faces with (if we needed to). This made a very nice first impression. It was just the start, though, of the initial "wow", as Simo introduced himself, his story, and some context for the intriguing city of Casablanca, the city we were rolling through on the way to Rabat, our actual destination. I should note here that Simo was exactly the kind of guide and host I am convinced every visitor wishes for when they visit a new city or area. Native to the city, his passion and personal connection to the people, place and culture really shined through. His earnest welcome to us, on behalf of his country and people, was moving and we found ourselves leaning in and learning as he shared. As a side note: I am deliberate in using these rich descriptives to communicate our experience with other potential visitors. I feel I must as the only proper response to the care Simo took with us as his guests. Simo did more than highlight a few points of interest that we might pass. He provided above and beyond "bonus" moments like quick stops along the way to give us the opportunity to touch, feel, connect with the land we were discovering. He brought the region to life through the story of his personal journey as a part of the community and culture around us. He helped us not just see buildings and locations, he opened our eyes to the history, the developed character, and the new dreams being reached for around us. What an experience! Even now, I'm struck by the service Simo provided and the personal character he displayed. Truly a great ambassador for the culture, his country and this company. We wish him nothing but the best in his journey and look forward to the next time we can travel together. So here's the crazy thing: It turns out that Simo was "just" the Driver! Lol. Who would've thought? Our actual guide met us in Rabat, the official destination we purchased a tour of. I believe his name was Hahmid and he was about what we were originally expecting. "Fine" as a tour guide. Certainly not one of the inattentive guides we'd read a few negative reviews about. Hahmid performed adequately, perhaps even a little better than that, as he was hampered by the government shutting down most sites for much of the day due to the French President's historic visit. Hahmid had the unenviable task of finding a way to please "tourists" like us, who had visited expecting to actually see these sites. And, to be fair, you can't blame us for having these expectations. Remember: We communicated and customized our trip with Premier extensively. They had agreed to the list of sites and had assured us we would thoroughly visit and experience them. We were completely caught by surprise to learn they were closed when we arrived in the city. Considering the significant and symbolic purpose of the French President's visit though, it's impossible to believe that Premier was caught by surprise as well. They really should have told us so we could choose, for ourselves, whether we still felt the tour was worth it. This likely should be a cautionary tale for others considering booking this trip to MAKE SURE you do the research or ask questions so you're not surprised like we were. (Again though, with the level of communication we did ahead of time, even securing a GUARANTEE that the trip would include the sites, we STILL were not informed of this situation by Premier Tours. So.... future travelers.... be advised.) Having said that, though, let's balance this out again: In the end, what Rabat experience were we left with? It's only right that I acknowledge that, even with the limitations of the day's historic event, Hahmid did seem to try to make our visit as acceptable as possible. Our top priority was visiting the market and finding specific items. Hahmid gamely walked along with us, occasionally offering translation and recommendations, and generally tolerating our pace and preferences. There were a few times he seemed distracted and would get well ahead of us, with us even losing him at one point. However, he was as much of a guide as I would have expected and, he definitely seemed to try to match our choices as best he could. At the end of the day, I will even give him credit for getting us over to the palace, for a brief window of time that they reopened, so that we could quickly see at least some of what had been originally listed and promised. While not quite what we had expected, I have to say it at least seemed like Hahmid did the best he could, all things considered. And frankly, we were "toured out" by the time it was over. I'm really not sure we could have handled more anyway. Lol. When our time with Hahmid was through, we were put back in the capable hands of Simo, our Driver. Simo made the experience almost like coming home, with an immediate return to his thoughtful and attentive service and guidance. Before we left the city of Rabat, Simo took us to Dar Naji, a nice restaurant popular with the locals, and we were treated to one of the best meals of our lives and then, on our way back to Casablanca, he thoughtfully alternated the route, giving us the opportunity to watch the waves crash and the sun set on the beautiful and rugged Moroccan coastline. Finally, when we got back in town, Simo took us by a few last "bonus" stops: Rick's Cafe for a few quick pics and then the "Panoramic Point" to take final photos of the world famous Hassan II Mosque, across the water and under the moonlight. What a way to end the this incredible visit! But.....Simo had just one more surprise for us. Before the trip was through, Simo handed us a paper bag. Inside that bag was a small box of Moroccan pastries. He told us there were ours, as a gift from him, because to the Moroccan people, to his company, to him... before we are tourists or customers, we are their guests...... I know, this was just a token gesture. And maybe it's standard practice for the company, "Premier Tours and Transfers". I can't be sure. But.... Simo was the standout representative throughout the whole day that made this experience something really special. Transformative even. He opened the city, region and country that has always been his home to us, but more than that, he opened his heart. And, in doing so, he touched ours..... That deserves to be celebrated. And that's what I wanted to do with this review. A few more practical notes for those looking for advice on how to best experience a visit to this part of Morocco: We did run into others that had their own experiences in the region. Virtually all of them opted for options in Casablanca. None of them used Premier and none of them went to Rabat. All of them were severely disappointed and shared the typical stories of negative experiences. (Visits to "the market" being nothing more than highlight pressure sales pitches to only one place where the guide likely gets a commission, Trips to very mediocre tourist cafes with terrible sanitation, intimidation from local grifters, etc.) Considering their testimony, and reflecting on what worked for us, here's our takeaways that might help you: 1. Go beyond Casablanca. A quick visit to the Mosque and Rick's is probably sufficient. There's no need to subject yourself to the unfriendly markets we heard about in the city. 2. Strongly consider Rabat. Beautiful and clean, there was just enough to see to warrant a day trip. Maybe even two. And their market was bigger than we could get to even with a full day. (Come to think of it, that might take a few days just on its own!) And everyone was kind and helpful in the market there. Reasonable prices. Clean and welcoming. A real winner! Also: Don't miss Dar Naji! Wow! 3. If you're looking for a company to book through, go with Premier. They may not have been perfect, a person could certainly argue that they should have told us the sites would be mostly closed, but when compared to what we heard about the other companies in town, they feel like a dream. I can comfortably give them my recommendation. 4. Go private and customize the Journey. That makes a real difference. I don't know if every company will let you, but Premier Tours and Transfers will. 5. Finally: Ask for Simo. He was fantastic and truly embodied everything you hope for when visiting a place and it's people. Certainly more than just a Driver or Guide, this gentleman is a real Rockstar! Treat yourself and request him as your personal guide. So... that's my review. Hope it helps.

Rabat with Khawla and Medhi 🙌🏽🤗 - I thoroughly enjoyed this tour to Rabat. The city definitely exceeded my expectations, but the best part is we had great company in Medhi (our driver) and Khawla (our guide). Medhi was so friendly with a great sense of humor. Khawla is so knowledgeable and happy to answer all our questions. I highly recommend them!

Great cultural experience - Great experience with Mehdi and Khawla going through Rabat. Really nice city with a lot of history and cultural heritage. Definitely worth the visit!

Trip with Yousef to Rabat - Everything was just perfect, thanks to Youssef he took all his time to explain to us and also very nice driver with a comfortable car and very clean

Best experience in Morocco! - This was amazing. Khawla is an amazing tour guide, very invested, and patient in presenting everything along our itinerary. Even if it was not a private tour, we could vote between ourselves and decide on some activities. She is fun, knowledgeable and she insures you have the best experience possible, as promised. Her English is exceptional, the best from this perspective amongst all 4 tours which we had while here. She was also open to answer some “personal” questions about their lifestyle and traditions.

Wonderful Casablanca and Rabat Day tour with Kesley! - Wonderful tour exploring Casablanca and Rabat. Our tour guide/driver Kesley was excellent - he was an expert driver (which was definitely needed on the streets of Morocco) and he had very interesting information and history to share as we went along. He even obliged us with a detour as he was dropping us off to pick up some supplies at a local grocery store which was so appreciated. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone.

Great trip to Rabat - Visited the main sights in Rabat. Both the driver and the guide were friendly and knowledgeable, making the trip most enjoyable.

Great Rabat tour - The guide was excellent and friendly. We loved the tour, though it was a little shorter than listed. Overall, we found it an enjoyable trip.

The best day tour in Casablanca - 10/10 for our tour guide Khawla. She is such a professional and passionate guide with experience and knowledge about the city. We were lucky to have her accompany. Since there were only two of us in the day, it felt like a private tour. And we were able to ask her lots of questions about the history and buildings of Rabat and Casablanca. Also thank you our driver Tahar. He is excellent.

Excellent Day Trip and Guide - We had amazing day with Kesley on our combined Rabat & Casablanca day tour. We found him to be very knowledgeable about all aspect of Moroccan life, and the geographic area we toured. He was patient and thorough when answering our many questions. We visited numerous sites in both cities, although it would have be nice to spend a longer amount of time at some of them (however we recognize due to the number of places we went why this wasn’t possible). Lunch at Dar El Kaid was excellent! Kesley was a great driver and we felt safe and taken care of with him. We would highly recommend this experience to anyone!