We did a two nights basic tour out of Marrakech and back again. Everything ran like clockwork and the tour was very good value for money. Considering all the variables, the smooth running and timing was amazing. All down to the driver. The van was comfortable and modern and the driver, Alloli, was very helpful and looked out for us. 15 in our van in 5 groups, and you meet 2-3 other vans at the big stops to socialise if you want to.
The tours on day one and two had helpful and fun guides, Mohammad and Ali. They gave the tour in English, but seemed to be able to have small talk in any language (at least four in our group), and were fluent in French. The guides told you many interesting things about their Berber culture, often things I was wanting to ask and they would anticipate it. We saw the ancient city Ait Ben Haddou (scene of game of thrones filming and many others), and toured a Berber farm and village near Tinghir. Both were good stops to keep us entertained. The initial drive through the Atlas mountains was breathtaking too.
I was very happy to not feel like I was being taken around to buy things very often. You'll get some opportunities (fabrics, and rugs, which you may want), but there wasn't much expectation. Only advice would be about buying your sahara head scarf: there will be lots of opportunities and you can get them for example on the side of the road at a viewpoint cheaper than in the shops.
Total drive time was about 6 hours, 5 hours, 9 hours respectively. Longer including stop times. You've got to drive far to get the scenery!
You will be taken for lunch at local restaurants offering a choice of set menus for 100mad (10 dollars/euros). Choice of local, European, and vegetarian options to suit all tastes. The included meals (breakfast and dinner) were buffet and sharing plates, with veggie options on request.
The first hotel was very nicely decorated. We did the basic camping, which I think was best value. It had everything you need, and was comfortable and warm. Probably basic for some tastes (e.g. shared camp toilets) but fine for me, and I would not change my decision for the other luxury option. The young camel guides (ours was Ahmad) were fun and helpful and made us feel very welcome at the camp. Some of them were excellent musicians and I really liked the campfire music, singing, and dancing.
Camel rides for sunset and sunrise were phenomenal and the peak of the trip. Once in a lifetime experience I am very thankful for. Some of our group got up in the middle of the night to walk out and see the stars, which I'm sad I didn't do. Be prepared for the early start for sunrise (depart at 5am for us), and pack some warm clothes.
Finally, I recommend keeping small denominations (10 and 20mad) for tips. We paid directly for the first tour (3 euro, only thing not included) and took that as the bar to tip the second tour guide, camel drivers, and bus driver. But we didn't always have enough change and I would have tipped a bit more if I could have. In total I would advise 200mad per day for lunch, tips, snacks, and water. You can also purchase beer and wine at the first hotel.
For the price, and the limited time we chose, I can't imagine a better tour.