12 Days :Explore the world of Moroccan cuisine with this captivating adventure

Salaam Aleikum! Morocco, welcome! Today’s adventure starts with a welcoming meeting at 6pm, where you will meet your tour leader as well as fellow travelers. Casablanca is limited in time so plan to arrive a day earlier to explore the city. The city’s art deco architectures are a model of Marseille, France. It is a pleasant way to spend the day exploring Casablanca. You can wander the old medina, and then take a taxi to the Quartiers Des Habous, the new Medina. You can then take a stroll along the Corniche and watch the locals playing football on the beaches, or relax with a cup of sweet mint tea at one of the great cafes. Join your group for a delicious welcome dinner with traditional dishes.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Includes Activities

• Casablanca – Welcome Dinner

All Meals Included

• Dinner

Additional Information

We will need to collect your insurance details and information about next of kin at the meeting. It is very important that everyone attends. Please let the hotel reception or your travel agent know if you will be arriving late. For more information about where the meeting will be held, ask reception or find a note in lobby.

Locals have offered to take travellers on excursions, according to some travelers. This is especially common in the vicinity of Intrepid hotels. They are not affiliated with Intrepid, and cannot guarantee the safety and quality of their tours. Unauthorized guides are not permitted to take customers on tours. For a choice of thoroughly designed and safety assessed excursions in Casablanca, please visit the Urban Adventures site: https://www.urbanadventures.com/destination/Casablanca-tours

Take a train from Meknes to Meknes and say goodbye to Casablanca. Sultan Moulay Ismail transformed Meknes into an Imperial city in the 17th century. Begin your orientation walk to get to know Meknes. Lunch is at a local restaurant in the medina. You can then drive to Moulay Idriss, and stop at a local guesthouse where you will be taught the art of hand-rolling couscous.

Accommodation

• 1 Night Stay in a Guesthouse

Includes Activities

• Walking tour from Meknes to Medina
• Moulay Idriss, Couscous Demonstration Dinner
• Casablanca – Street Food Breakfast

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 4 hours.

Tonight’s accommodation is in a charming guesthouse. The bathroom facilities are shared, and the rooming arrangement may be triple- or quadruple share.

Today, head to Chefchaouen (or the “blue city”), which is arguably the most beautiful place in Morocco. Chefchaouen is a large valley nestled between two majestic peaks of the Rif Mountains. The medina is adorned with beautiful blue and whitewashed homes, red-tiled roofs, and artistic doors. Many of Chefchaouen’s streets were rebuilt by Andalusian refugees fleeing the Reconquista. Enjoy the tranquility and simplicity of rural life. You’ll enjoy a Moroccan-inspired dinner that is home-cooked with seasonal ingredients. It will be full of flavour and prepared with love.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Includes Activities

• Chefchaouen – Home-cooked Dinner

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 3.5 hours.

Enjoy your morning in Chefchaouen. Take in the sights, sounds and smells of Chefchaouen’s medina and the small shops selling woven goods, sweets and, of course, the famous goat’s cheese. The hillsides surrounding Chefchaouen are home to many goat herds. Their cheese is also sold at street markets in fresh, great-quality rounds. Afternoon travel to Fes, which is the largest medieval city in the Arab World. Fes, the spiritual and cultural center of Morocco, is vibrant, noisy and fascinating. It’s a feast for the eyes and a feast for the senses. The rest of the day is yours to explore. This is a great opportunity to try Moroccan specialties like harira (chickpea) soup.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Includes Activities

• Chefchaouen – Goat Cheese Tasting

All Meals Included

• Breakfast

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 4 hours.

Create your tour

A guided walking tour with a group of people takes you around the old city, Fes el Bali. As you walk through the Medina’s labyrinth, step back in time to the Middle Ages. It is full of craftsmen, markets and tanneries, as well as mosques. You can see donkeys loaded with goods, making this one of the most car-free areas in the world. Also, you can explore the special sections that separate the souk. The Medersa Bou Inania is one of the most stunning buildings in the city. It has been recently restored and is now available for tourists. You can also visit a ceramics plant to see handmade pottery being made. You’ll be accompanied by a local leader on a “tasting trail” today. Then, enjoy an evening cooking demonstration where you will learn how to make pastilla (or Bastilla), a sweet and salty pastry parcel.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Includes Activities

• Fes – Medina Tasting Trail including Pastilla Demonstration
• Fes – Guided walking tour

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Begin your day with a delicious street food breakfast of msemmen (flatbread), olive oil, boiled egg, or omelette. Enjoy it with coffee or mint tea. You can then escape the bustle of the city to enjoy the tranquility of the Middle Atlas Mountains. Continue south and inland through beautiful scenery, including cedar and pine forests, barren landscapes and barren rock faces. Wandering nomadic shepherds tend to their flocks in this area. Continue onwards through cedar forests, which are home for North Africa’s only monkey, the Barbary apes. Midelt, a market town nestled in a valley is originally built to serve as a mining base. It is surrounded by farms and orchards. Explore nearby Bremmen to stretch your legs and get a closer view of local farming life. A special dinner will be prepared with the region’s aromatic herbs.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 4 hours

You will enjoy a scenic drive towards Sahara Desert, with many stops to admire the stunning views of the kasbahs or palm groves (valleys filled with fields, dates palms, and orchards) along the way. Before reaching Merzouga, you might have the opportunity to stop in Erfoud or Rissani, which are frontier towns. A demonstration of medfouna, also known as ‘Berber Pizza’, a traditional stuffed bread made with meat, herbs, and spices by nomadic peoples from the High Atlas will be offered. This hearty desert delicacy was traditionally prepared by women to help local farmers. You will be leaving your gear at an auberge later today and riding camels to reach the Sahara Desert’s edge, taking in a stunning sunset. Even though the dunes are beautiful, the evening light reflects off them beautifully and highlights their colours. Moroccan soup, tajine, and seasonal fruits will be the dinner menu at your desert camp.

Accommodation

• Desert camp (1 Night)

Includes Activities

• Merzouga – Medfouna cooking demonstration

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 5 hours.

Enjoy a scenic drive through beautiful landscapes as you make your way to the M’Goun Valley after breakfast You will pass ruins of kasbahs, colonial military outposts and beautiful valleys filled with palm trees. Tonight’s dinner is a Berber tagine, which will be prepared in a clay pot and cooked on an open fire.

Accommodation

• Gite (1 Night)

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 5 hours.

Today’s adventure will take place on foot, so you can explore the beautiful Moroccan backcountry. You will be accompanied by a local guide as you travel through Berber villages and meet locals. The trail is slightly undulating, but not too difficult if you are at a good level of fitness. It takes about 3 hours to complete the walk, but the views are well worth it! Learn about the area’s produce by walking through it, and then enjoy a plant-based dinner. You can enjoy tagine, Moroccan soup, seasonal fruit platters, and couscous made from tomatoes, beans, walnuts and almonds grown in the M’Goun Valley.

Accommodation

• Gite (1 Night)

Includes Activities

• M’goun Valley Guided Half Day Hike

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Dinner

Today, you will be heading to Marrakech, your final destination. Stop by the women’s cooperative that produces argan oil. This product is a Moroccan endemic and can be used for cosmetic and culinary purposes. Marrakech is an enticing feast for the senses. Upon arrival, a local guide will lead you on an orientation walk as well as a tasting trail. You will be enticed to take in the exotic scents and vibrant colours of the spice markets, music, musicians, rich folds of carpets, delicious foods, acrobats, and perfumed gardens. You might want to join the masses for dinner at Djemaa el Fna. This is a unique public space that is one of the largest in the world. This square transforms into a bustling hub of activity when night falls. Henna-painters and performers share the square with storytellers and street food stalls that sell Moroccan delights. Enjoy a delicious Moroccan meal and end your day with a cup or tea overlooking the square.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Includes Activities

• Tichka – Argan Oil Cooperative Visit
• Marrakech – Tasting Trail

All Meals Included

• Breakfast

Additional Information

Travel time today is approximately 6 hours.

Start your day with a lesson at Amal Women’s Cooking Centre on how to make delicious Moroccan salads. This non-profit empowers women through education and culinary skills. Then, enjoy lunch from your delicious creations. You are free to wander the streets of the city, such as the Koutoubia Mosque and the stunning Bahia Palace. You can climb the steps of one of the nearby restaurants to get a bird’s-eye view of all the action. Or you can head back into the medina to shop, as every step brings with it a new scent, a new sight, or a gift. You may wish to meet your group for a farewell meal.

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Includes Activities

• Marrakech – Moroccan Salads Cooking Classes

All Meals Included

• Breakfast
• Lunch

This morning, your food adventure in Morocco is over. You can extend your stay by visiting the tropical gardens created by French painter Jacques Majorelle or returning to the medina. Another treasure trove of medina gems is the recently discovered Saadian tombs. Take a break from the hustle and bustle to enjoy tea or a tagine with Moroccan flavours.

Optional Activities

• Marrakech – Asni & Ouirgane Day Trip with Lunch – MAD1806
• Marrakech – Medina Palaces & Tombs Urban Adventure – MAD630
• Marrakech – Ourika Valley Day Tour – MAD1817
• Marrakech – Oukaimeden Day Tour – MAD1882
• Marrakech – Cascades d’Ouzoud Day Tour – MAD2207
• Marrakech Luxury Spa Hammam and Massage – MAD750

All Meals Included

• Breakfast

You would like to customize this itinerary?

Inclusions

Meals

11 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 8 dinners

Transport

Private vehicle, Train, or Taxi

Accommodation

Hotel (7 nights), Guesthouse (1 Night), Gite (2 Nights), Desert Camp (1 Night)

Activities included

• Casablanca – Welcome Dinner
• Walking tour from Meknes to Medina
• Moulay Idriss, Couscous Demonstration Dinner
• Casablanca – Street Food Breakfast
• Chefchaouen – Home-cooked Dinner
• Chefchaouen – Goat Cheese Tasting
• Fes – Medina Tasting Trail including Pastilla Demonstration
• Fes – Guided walking tour
• Merzouga – Medfouna cooking demonstration
• M’goun Valley Guided Half Day Hike
• Tichka – Argan Oil Cooperative Visit
• Marrakech – Tasting Trail
• Marrakech – Moroccan Salads Cooking Classes

Dates & availability

Trip departures cannot be booked.

Important notes

1. If you don’t want to share a room, a single supplement is available. You will not be able to use the single supplement on Day 2 (Guesthouse), Days 7 (Desert Camp), and Days 8 (Gite). These days you will need to share accommodation. For more information, please speak to your agent.
   2. We will make every effort to accommodate special dietary needs, but some meals and activities may not be possible to adapt. We ask that you inform us about any special dietary requirements when you book so we can make sure you enjoy the trip.
   3. The 31 March 2023 departure will travel during Ramadan. Your leader will arrange an alternative activity highlighting Ramadan’s food traditions if we are unable or unable to offer an experience.