I am that lucky mom who gets to travel with four beautiful daughters on an annual girls’ trip. This year, they finally indulged my fantasy of a girls’ trip to Morocco on points and miles. But here’s the deal . . . everyone always talks about Morocco like it’s all about the food. Tagines, spices, and mint tea sound fantastic if you’re adventurous. But me? I’m a picky eater. Like, very picky. I’m not hopping on a plane for a plate of lamb stew.

What I was excited about were the other things. The gorgeous tiles, the twisty little streets, the markets with all the colors, and oh my gosh—the desert at night with stars everywhere. That’s the Morocco I wanted to see. The food? I’d figure it out. I can always pack snacks. And I did just that! Costco trail mix and Pringles were my companions on my trip. I’ll delve into my experience with food in Morocco in a bit, but first, let’s discuss flights to and from Morocco.

 

Flights to Morocco

There were four of us coming from the U.S.—three from Denver and Alex from Salt Lake City. We all met up at JFK after our positioning flights. (My daughter Lindsey also flew in from London to meet us.) The best part? We scored a 20% transfer bonus moving Chase Ultimate Rewards® points over to Air France, which made booking our flights an even sweeter deal.

That meant our business-class seats from JFK to Marrakech and then from Casablanca to IAD would have required a total of 129,000 Air France Miles, but our redemption was 108,000 with the transfer bonus. Additionally, we paid $245.80 in taxes and fees flying there and $343.61 flying home.

 

 

Air France Flights

Our flight took off at 11:30 at night—yep, a red-eye. And since it was only about seven hours, our game plan was simple: sleep as much as we could. Thankfully, JFK has a really nice Air France Lounge, so we grabbed dinner there before boarding. We also took advantage of the complimentary Clarins facials, and each got a 20-minute one. Oh, and we had a celebrity sighting of Stephen and Conrad from “The Summer I Turned Pretty”—wishing my granddaughters were there for that! Once we got on the plane, we settled in and tried to catch as many 😴 as possible.

 

 

Hotels Booked

We wanted to squeeze in as much of Morocco as possible—modern hotels, the desert, and of course, staying in traditional riads. But honestly? We didn’t want the stress of figuring out directions or driving ourselves around. So we booked with a tour company. It felt safer, allowing us to relax and actually enjoy the ride while seeing more of the country. We did still treat ourselves to a little Hyatt time, though—two nights at the Park Hyatt Marrakech (we needed two rooms) and one night at the Hyatt Regency Casablanca. 

We used two suite upgrade awards at the Park Hyatt, which gave us plenty of room to start our trip. Those rooms were 25K points each, and the Hyatt Regency was 18K points. 

 

 

Booking a Guide

We all 100% agreed that we wouldn’t have done this trip without a guide, and we had a terrific one recommended by a reader, Jenny. Mustapha and his driver, Hamid, picked us up from the airport and drove us around Morocco. Morocco Adventures was the name of Mustapha’s company, and he made all of our reservations for lodging except for 3 nights at the Hyatt. They included breakfast and often dinner. 

We felt safe at all times and very well taken care of. They couldn’t do enough to make us feel comfortable and provide a quality experience for us. I still miss Mustapha asking, “Everything okay, Madame Pam?” I highly recommend them if you are going to Morocco!

 

 

Marrakech

We had a great tour of Marrakech, which included walking through the medina, learning about the city’s history, witnessing snake charmers, and marveling at the architecture and bustling atmosphere of the city. We spent the last half of the day by the pool at the Park Hyatt, relaxing. We wished we could have spent another day doing that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atlas Mountains

On our second day, we drove through the Atlas Mountains. Not going to lie, they were winding, and a couple of us had to move to the front of the van; glad we took some Dramamine. This was a long day of travel, but we stopped for panoramic views, touring a Kasbah, and lunch, which broke it up.

Night was spent at the Riad Paradise Dade, which was superb. Super-clean, fantastic dinner (no spicy foods—chicken and potatoes!), and beautiful views of the Dade Gorge. This was part of our tour package (dinner and breakfast included).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Nights in the Desert

We spent two nights in the Sahara desert—one night in a luxury tent after riding camels on the sand dunes. There we were, looking like desert explorers with our scarves in a very surreal and incredible moment.

On our second day, we stayed at a riad called Auberge du Sud, which was part of the desert experience that included visiting a nomad family. This was fascinating as we observed a family with two boys that travels wherever there is rain and food. No air conditioning, no TV, no school. We spent the last part of the day by a pool at the riad before having dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fez

Fez was an interesting blend of new and old. As you drive into the city outskirts, you see lots of huge, modern homes. But as you drive into the old city, things change drastically. We were met by porters for our luggage and walked into the city to the most gorgeous riad that I could imagine.

The Riad Salam Fez was stunningly beautiful and huge. We started our visit there with 45-minute hammams and 45-minute massages for $90 USD each. Not a bad price or way to start our visit!

The next morning, we met our local guide who showed us the city. Walking through the medina was a treat, but I would not do it without a guide—I would get lost for sure. We went into several shops, learned about their crafts, and found everyone very welcoming. The tannery is one of the main attractions in Fez, and yes, it STINKS!! Luckily, they give you mint leaves that we rolled up and put in our noses to mask the smell. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chefchaouen – The Blue City

We arrived at night in Chefchaouen and stayed at the Riad Himchan, which was clean and lovely. It was also very spacious, and the people were so friendly. Honestly, although not all of our lodging was super luxurious, I would stay at any of the places again—clean, safe, and run by lovely people!

We walked around Chefchaouen the next morning with a local guide. We all agreed: Chefchaouen should not be missed. It was absolutely gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casablanca

Our last stop, Casablanca, was just a brief stop at the mosque and a night in the Hyatt Regency Casablanca. We should have stayed closer to the airport, as it was about 50 minutes away and necessitated leaving early at 4:30 am for a 7:30 am departure. Honestly, the hotel was a little dated and not worth staying that far from the airport for.

 

 

Bottom Line

Every trip with my daughters is special but this trip was over the top unique. We were constantly saying to each other, “This is amazing, right?” And it was. Morocco on points and miles was a perfect trip.

A girls’ trip to Morocco on points and miles is special because it blends adventure, culture, and bonding in a way few destinations can. Wandering through souks in Marrakech and Fez, being pampered together in traditional hammams, and riding camels across the Sahara all created unforgettable shared memories. From the blue streets of Chefchaouen to the smelly tannery in Fez, Morocco offered something for everyone. It was the perfect backdrop for laughter, sisterhood, and stories we’ll cherish forever.

 

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