Looking for one of the world’s best food tour experience? Look no further than this Access Culinary trip to Morocco!
Tour the country, check out the bazaars and participate in your own Moroccan cooking classes! This 9 day immersive experience is perfect for those looking to discover the Moroccan culture and learn amazing cooking skills to travel home with. See below for the detailed itinerary:
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. You’ll have the opportunity to 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 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 sqaure on your own, perhaps enjoy a cup of tea at a roof top 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.
Interested in this trip of a lifetime? Contact me today to set it up!