A CULINARY PASSAGE TO MOROCCO: SAVOURY SPICES AND SOUKS

9-Day Moroccan Food Tour Itinerary

Experience a culture and cuisine that is at the crossroads of civilization, blending delectable Arabic, Berber, French and Spanish influences. Immerse yourself in the sultry tastes, sights and sounds of Morocco as you explore ancient markets, learn the secrets to Moroccan cuisine, and relax in stunning riads. Visit legendary Casablanca, ride a camel on the beach in Essaouira, walk your donkey to the local market in the High Atlas mountains, and explore the souks, palaces and harems of imperial Marrakech.

Exceptional Experience

• Three Moroccan cooking classes
• Eat fresh, grilled fish on Essaouira’s beach
• Visit a local women’s argan oil cooperative
• Lunch with Berger villagers in their High Atlas home
• Walking food tour of the colorful, labyrinthine souk of Marrakech

DAY 1: Moroccan Food Tour Begins

Welcome to Morocco! Prepare yourself for one of the most fascinating, colorful and culture-rich countries on the planet. Also, prepare for some of the world’s best food tour experiences. We will pick you up at Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport and drive you to our beautiful 5-star hotel conveniently located in the center of Casablanca. If your flight arrives before dinner, you’ll get your first taste of delicious Moroccan cuisine at one of Casablanca’s popular restaurants.

Drive time: 45 minutes
Meals included: None

DAY 2: Hassan II Mosque & Drive to Essaouira

Casablanca is the most cosmopolitan of all Moroccan cities, a vibrant economic hub with the largest port in the Maghreb. After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll set off to visit the highlight of this modern city: the majestic Hassan II Mosque, the third-largest religious monument in the world, and the only mosque in Morocco that non-Muslims are permitted to enter. After our mosque tour, we’ll head out of town, embarking on a scenic 5-6 hour drive through the countryside to Essaouira. We’ll stop for lunch along the way and arrive in Essaouira in the early evening. We’ll spend the night in an exquisite ocean-view riad.

Drive time: Approximately 5-6 hours, not including stops
Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 3: City Tour & Moroccan Cooking Class

You’ll wake up in the charming fishing town of Essaouira, with its relaxed and artistic vibe. Today we’ll explore the town’s impressive medina, whose massive ancient fortifications are a mixture of Portuguese, French and Berber architecture overlooking the emerald sea. Next, we’ll enjoy a spectacular seaside lunch, where freshly caught fish is grilled to perfection before your eyes. Top it off with famous Moroccan mint tea and delectable French pastries at one of Essaouira’s many cafes. In the late afternoon, you’ll experience the first cooking class of your Morocco food travel itinerary, where you’ll prepare a fresh Moroccan chopped salad and fish tajine using the fresh catch of the day. And then you’ll enjoy the scrumptious meal you just created!

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 4: Drive to the High Atlas Mountains

This morning you can awake at your leisure and spend the morning strolling through Essaouira’s serene squares, browsing artisan workshops and perusing art galleries. Or, perhaps you’d like to experience a camel ride on the beach! After lunch, we will take a three and a half-hour drive to the Ourika Valley, in the High Atlas mountains, stopping along the way to tour an argan oil cooperative. A charming and incredibly hospitable riad will be our home for the next three days.

Drive time: Approximately 3.5 hours, not including stops
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 5: Visit Tinmel Mosque, Souk & Afternoon Cooking Class

After a delicious Berber breakfast, we’ll visit the Tinmel Mosque, hidden deep in the High Atlas Mountains and the second of only two mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims are able to visit. Next, we’ll head to a local village and visit the souk where we’ll select organic vegetables, meat - everything we need for our cooking classes at the riad. While there we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch in the village of skewers, grilled meat and chicken kebabs, local bread and salads. We’ll then head back to the riad for our next cooking workshop, where we learn to cook (and eat!) Moroccan soup and traditional couscous – another of the authentic meals you’ll cook during your Morocco food travel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6: Hike & Lunch with a Local Family

This morning, after another delicious breakfast at the riad, we’ll enjoy a hike in the mountains to learn about Berber culture and traditional lifestyle while taking in the breathtaking beauty of the area. We’ll pause for lunch with a local family in a traditional village. After returning to the riad, the afternoon is yours free to relax, swim at the pool, or indulge in the hammam or traditional spa treatments.

Drive time: 1.5 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 7: Drive to Marrakech

Today we take a short drive to exotic and mystical Marrakech, an enchanting palm oasis set against the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas mountains. We’ll visit the Bahia Palace with its expansive harem quarters. Next, we’ll enter the ancient royal Saadian Tombs, and then explore the vibrant and historic Jewish mellah (quarter) and the majestic Koutoubia Mosque before entering the 11th-century walled medina. As we explore the medina, we’ll stop at Ben Youssef Madrasa, a historic Koran school, and wind our way through the serpentine labyrinth of the ancient bustling souk, where we’ll see Moroccan craftsmanship at its finest. In the late afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to shop as we visit local artisan co-ops and learn about traditional Moroccan crafts. For those not interested in shopping, you may choose to explore Djemaa el-Fna square on your own, perhaps enjoy a cup of tea at a rooftop cafe, or relax by the pool at the riad.

In the evening, thrill in the magic that emerges from heart of the famed square, Djemaa el-Fna. Mystical snake charmers, hustlers and mischievous monkeys are part of the nightly drama that unfolds, as Berber acrobats, fortune tellers, musicians and engaging storytellers seduce rapt crowds.

Accommodation tonight is at our charming riad inside the Marrakech medina.

Drive time: 1 hour
Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 8: Marrakech Street Food Tasting Tour & Moroccan Cooking Class

Today we’ll take a tour around the ancient city wall and palm grove, including a visit to the Yves St. Laurent gardens. We’ll also head to a spice shop for some information on the various spices that we have been using and may want to take home with us. For lunch, we will experience a street food tasting tour, taking in all the delicacies that are available to everyday Moroccans. After lunch, enjoy a relaxed afternoon to explore the imperial city of Marrakech at your leisure, perhaps as you people-watch at Djemaa el-Fna and pick up some local souvenirs. Or you may like to experience a traditional Moroccan hammam or hot bath. In the late afternoon, we will have our final cooking class. The farewell dinner of our Moroccan food travel itinerary is at a local cooking school, where we enjoy our own delicious Moroccan creations of beef with prunes and almonds, and lemon chicken.

Drive time: Approximately 1 hour
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 9: Morocco Food Tour Ends

Our Moroccan food travel itinerary ends today as you transfer to the airport for your return home. Depending on your flight plans, we will either drop you off at the Marrakech airport or arrange for a private car transfer to Casablanca’s airport

Drive time: 15 – 20 minutes (to Marrakech airport)
Meals included: Breakfast

Please note: This itinerary is designed to give you an idea of what to expect on our Morocco food travel experiences but is not set in stone. What we actually do on a given day is flexible and can be tailored to the interests of the group.

Note: This itinerary and package inclusions might be changed in time, subject to availability.

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