The culinary delights of Morocco

Casablanca

Day 1: Arrival in Casablanca

Arrive into Casablanca's Mohamed V International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Upon arrival at your hotel, you'll have a welcome tea and check in.

The day features an orientation drive through the White City of Casablanca to the famous Corniche, where you can take a short stroll to stretch your legs and enjoy refreshments at one of the seaside cafes. If you arrive on time and are not too tired, you can do the drive before checking into your hotel, or choose to drop your bags off and head straight out again.

Enjoy your first delicious Moroccan dinner and spend the evening absorbing your surroundings.

Casablanca - Fes

Day 2: Discover the sights of Casablanca

Rise and shine for your first full day in Morocco! This morning, you will visit the magnificent mosque of Hassan II, the largest in Africa and second only in size to the great mosque in Mecca. This is one of the very few mosques open to non-Muslims in Morocco, and is a true showcase of Moroccan craftsmanship. Continue through the “new traditional town” known as the Habous Quarter, where the Royal Palace and government buildings are located.

After lunch, drive to Fes in time for a late afternoon arrival. Check into your beautiful accommodation, enjoy some welcome tea and pastries in one of the riad’s traditional salons, and spend some time unpacking and settling in. If you still have energy, take a stroll in the neighbourhood before dinner, or enjoy an optional Moroccan hammam in the riad’s spa.

Fes

Day 3: Indulge in Moroccan street food!

Begin your amazing adventure into the world of Moroccan street food!

You will visit three different food souks for the chance to try traditional street food, including dried meats, milawi, harsha, briwats, spicy sardines, spicy potato cakes, soups, olives and more. In the honey souk you’ll be able to taste an array of delicious wild honeys, discuss their flavours and health-giving properties, and find out why honey is so important in Moroccan cooking and Islamic culture.

Next, learn traditional cooking methods by visiting a furnatchi, which holds a 400-year-old communal oven and bakery. Learn to bake bread in the community oven, with a baker overseeing your work, then take your hot bread to the honey souk to taste it with eight artisanal wild honeys, aged butter, or khlia (spicy dried beef).

A hands-on cooking class will then take place right in the heart of a family house – the kitchen. This is a very intimate experience, and you'll be immersed into local family life, as you learn the intricacies of Moroccan cuisine and savour your creations.

Fes

Day 4: Take a professional cooking course

After an early breakfast, you will be taken you to the souk to shop for your "official" first cooking class. Whereas yesterday was in an intimate family environment, today's class will be a professional cooking experience. The chefs will teach you to make a variety of dishes, and you will get to choose what type of menu suits you best. By 3pm, you'll be done cooking and can then feast on your creations.

The afternoon will be spent discovering the ancient city of Fes, starting with the panoramic view from one of the Saadian dynasty’s fortress lookouts. See the different sections of the city laid out below you before you enter the ancient walled city with its many fascinating souks and trade quarters. Visit one of the beautiful Koranic colleges built by the Marinid dynasty in the 14th century, as well as a 17th-century inn that has been painstakingly renovated and now houses a museum of woodwork items. Further sights worth visiting include the medina, local tanneries, weaving workshops, and embroidery workshops.

Fes - Merzouga

Day 5: Desert camping under the stars

Depart on a long scenic drive to Erfoud through the Middle Atlas mountain range, stopping at the alpine resort of Ifrane to stretch your legs and have a coffee. Continuing the journey south, you'll have amazing views to enjoy on your approach to Midelt, the apple capital of Morocco where you will stop for a light lunch.

Continue the journey with a visit to the French Foreign Legion outpost of Errachidia, and then through the oasis of the Ziz Valley. Upon arriving into Merzouga, you'll have a chance to relax before gearing up and partaking in a camel ride across the desert dunes to view the sunset. As the sun goes down and the wind picks up, you'll be overcome with joy as your inner explorer awakens.

Afterwards, return to camp where you will have dinner and enjoy local music before settling down to sleep in the desert camp. As you spend the night, make sure to take in the amazing star-filled sky, promising an unforgettable experience.

Merzouga - Rissani - Skoura

Day 6: The Route of a Thousand Kasbahs

Today you'll start with a visit to Rissani, the site of ancient Sijilmasa and gateway to the Sahara, as well as an important trading post linking Sub-Saharan Africa with Northern Morocco and Europe. As you explore the town, tour its market and the sanctuary of Moulay Ali Cherif, founder of the Alaouite dynasty that rules Morocco to this day.

Then, head onward to Skoura. On the way you'll pass Tinejdad, whereafter you'll follow the spectacular Route of a Thousand Kasbahs, through beautiful palm oases. Pause at Tinghir, on the edge of the Todra Gorges, to stretch your legs with a short stroll in nature and perhaps visit a traditional bazaar.

You'll catch the scent of roses as you travel on through the Dades Valley, where roses are grown for the perfume industry. Stop to admire their beauty and fragrance, and purchase some locally-made products if you so wish. Finally, after arriving into Skoura, have dinner and spend the night in a kasbah in the midst of the palm grove.

Skoura

Day 7: Tuck into traditional Berber food

Enjoy a real treat for breakfast in your kasbah - you'll soon discover that the local women make the best msemmen (roti-like breads)! After filling up on delicious flavours, you will learn to make some of these specialities yourself. Enjoy the fruits of your labour as you feast upon the lunch you prepared.

Once you've finished, you'll have a chance to explore the palm grove of Skoura. Walk in the green fields and see how the traditional Berbers live with their gardens of herbs, livestock, and henna plants. Don't miss the chance to also visit the amazing 17th-century Kasbah Amridil while you're here.

Skoura - Ouarzazate - Marrakech

Day 8: Journey to Ouarzazate & Aït Benhaddou

Today you'll drive to Ouarzazate, the film capital of Morocco, then on to the historic Aït Benhaddou. Explore the UNESCO-classified ksar (group of fortified houses) where you can climb up into the citadel and enjoy a magnificent view of the snow-clad High Atlas Mountains beyond. Relax over a lovely tea with a local family. As you get to talking, you may even decide to join them for a traditional Berber dinner, too!

On departure, follow the ancient caravan route as you drive over the High Atlas Mountains via Telwat, leading into Marrakech.

Marrakech

Day 9: Dive into Marrakech's cuisine & history

After breakfast, your guide will take you to buy ingredients to make a traditional tangia, a fabulous dish of lamb, preserved lemon and spices. These will be placed in an earthenware amphora and sent to the public bath ovens, to cook in the ashes for hours in time for dinner.

While you wait for your meal to cook, you'll visit the stunning Majorelle Gardens and the 12th-century Menara Gardens - complete with a pool, olive groves, and views to the High Atlas Mountains. If you can, try to stop for lunch at the Al Fassia Gueliz, a restaurant run by women and featuring some of the best cuisine in the country.

The afternoon promises more sightseeing as you visit the main monuments of the city, including the Koutoubia Mosque and Bahia Palace. Take time to also visit a spice shop and learn the secrets of ras el hanout, as well as Moroccan beauty products and magic potions. Finally, visit the Medina and its various trade quarters before sitting down for dinner.

Marrakech

Day 10: Enjoy an immersive cooking workshop

Today's highlight is a four-and-a-half-hour cooking workshop led by a dada (traditional Moroccan cook) or chef from a Moroccan restaurant. Choose from a selection of meal options, then throughout the duration of the course, prepare a variety of dishes in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. You will, of course, be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour afterwards.

Later on, you'll have time to return to the Medina, visit monuments you have not yet seen, or do some extra souvenir shopping. As the early evening approaches, you should head down to Jemaa El Fnaa Square to witness all the goings-on. Dine alongside the locals at one of the stalls as you enjoy the frenzied display of musicians, acrobats, bellydancers, snake charmers, and more! Don't worry - you'll have plenty of choice for snacking and more substantial meals.

Marrakech

Day 11: Time to fly!

It's back to the airport for your departure from Morocco today. The transfer to the airport, approximately two-and-a-half hours, will take place according to the time of your flight. You've experienced a full palate of culinary treats on this trip, and we hope the memories you've made will stay with you forever.