43403SOU
Full day excursion includes:
Bus to Tarifa
Ferry to Tangier
Sightseeing with local guide
Lunch
Return Ferry
Bus to Hotel
· Viajes Araque will tell you timings and ticket procedures for this day, but you will need a very early breakfast. Give the hotel plenty of warning about this.
· You will need to forward all passport information for participants in advance to the Araque office as soon as possible. Don’t forget yours too!
· Warn the hotel that you may be back late – depending on time of the boat.
· Make sure they all have passports before you leave hotel. Any non-US nationals should check they have the right documentation to enter Morocco (this should be checked far in advance of the day of the excursion – ideally before they sign up).
· It is a good idea to have a rooming list with you that shows all ages and names of travellers.
· You are responsible for tipping all local services and will need cash for this. The Moroccans expect tips – you may tip the local guide, the bodyguard (tip both if there are two) and the belly dancer. Give them €10 each. Under no circumstances should your group be tipping anyone on this excursion – brief them about this in advance as many “bodyguards”, restaurant waiters and even local guides are not below asking for extra tips….
· Make sure you brief your group very well in advance with warnings about street vendors, who are incredibly persistent and heavy-handed shopkeepers (but don’t frighten them too much!) and teach them how to haggle and they will enjoy the experience of securing a ‘bargain’.
· Tangier has a large Muslim population, ask your group to dress conservatively – no shorts or bare shoulders
· Euros and Dollars are accepted.
Journey to Tarifa normally takes 2 hours and you should be at the port 30 minutes before the departure of the ferry. Confirm with the driver what time the return ferry arrives. Take his mobile phone number just in case there are any changes. On arrival at small terminal building there will be someone there
to meet you with the outward and return journey boarding cards – which ticket office you need to go and exactly who you need to talk to (and a cell phone number) is the information that will be provided by the area office the day before. Make sure you are also given landing forms to fill in. Hand each member of the group an outward boarding card. All paperwork should be filled out before boarding – check with your contact to see if there are any changes in procedure. Do not worry if you are only given the outward ticket as the return will usually be given to you by the Moroccan guide.
The boat trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The group might want to eat something on board (there is a cafeteria) as when you arrive in Morocco, the time is 1 hour earlier, and lunchtime still a long time away!
Keep your group together and, as soon as you have boarded, help them to fill out their forms correctly.
On arrival in Tangier, collect all the passports with the forms inside. These will be kept safe by the police authorities at the Moroccan border. You collect them on returning to Tangier. Customs officials will not usually stamp their passports.
On arrival, a local agency representative or the local guide himself will be waiting for you and will accompany you and your group to the bus. Be sure to confirm the time of the return ferry with the local guide.
The bus will take you now on a short journey through Tangier – both the new and the old part (where the rich and famous have their houses).
Then the walking tour starts. Ask the group to stay close together on walk through Medina. They get a chance to see carpets and do souvenir shopping before lunch with belly dancers. You will visit the Zoco and the old town before ending at a carpet-making demonstration near lunch. The menu is normally soup, kebabs and couscous ending with typical pastries and Moroccan mint tea.
Guide will take you back to port. Hand out return boarding cards and board the boat.
Transfer back to the hotel for dinner.