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Overview

Custom Luxury Morocco Culinary Tour

This was a one-time departure and is longer available. Please see our other Morocco tours! Or contact us for a custom quote.

Your luxury private tour of Morocco will provide you with an unforgettable experience of Moroccan cuisine and culture. Succulent tagines, luscious seafood, and exotic spice markets await you, as do amazing historical and cultural sites which you will explore with your private driver and guide.


Trip Details

Itinerary

Please note: the timing for each day is very flexible – you can set and adjust the exact times to start each day and to do many of the sightseeing stops as you wish by coordinating with your private driver and guide who will be with you throughout your trip!

Day 1: Welcome to Morocco!

Overnight: Euphoriad

  • Upon landing at the Casablanca airport, your dedicated driver and your national guide will pick you up from the airport. (Please note, the clients will have to arrive to Casablanca Mohammed V airport around 10am at the latest to make the schedule work.)
  • From the airport, you’ll drive an hour north to the capital city of Rabat. After a lunch break and short walk around the blue and white streets of Kasbah des Ouadayas, an Almohad fortress built in 1150AD you will enjoy a tea break by the Bou Regreg River. Then drive to your hotel for check in and free time to recover from jetlag. Your dinner tonight is included at the riad.
    Meals included: Dinner

Day 2: Welcome to Chefchaouen:

Overnight: Lina Riad

  • After an early breakfast, head out for the 4 hour drive to Chefchaouen. Upon arrival at Chefchaouen, begin your discovery of the Blue City! Known for its signature powder-blue walls and its calming charms, the village was founded in 1471AD. You will be met by our favorite local of Chefchaouen, Adnane, who will be with you for what should be a great morning of discovery and photography! Adnane will lead you to his favorite haunts as well as the signature locations of Chefchaouen, starting with the Kasbah in the center of town offering breathtaking panoramic views from the top of the tower. You can also meander up the town’s waterfall, where locals meet to chat and do laundry, where you can relax with your toes in the water at one of the river bank’s small coffee shops! From there, you can take the short walk up the hill to the old Spanish Mosque and observe the sunset over the charming Blue Village. Throughout your morning, Adnane will unlock the village with his photographer’s eye, showing you how to take gorgeous shots and taking several pictures of you as well!
  • Enjoy an included dinner at the charming Chefchaouen medina, and spend the evening leisurely.
    Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3: Volubilis and Meknes

Overnight: Palais Amani

  • After breakfast, you’ll depart towards the splendid roman ruins of Volubilis. Imagine Morocco in the 1st Century: an epoch of tumultuous transformation, where people from all over the Mediterranean and Northern Africa were migrating to the fertile Middle Atlas Mountains. Volubilis, located about 30 kilometers from Fes, is an ancient Berber and Roman city considered by many as not only the capital of the Kingdom of Mauretania but also the administrative center of Roman Africa. On this morning, you’ll wander among the dramatic ruins up-close-and-personal through the homes, temples and public buildings of the Greek, Syrian, and Jewish city dwellers. Exceptionally well preserved, the ruins offer beautiful and colorful mosaics adorning many of the floor spaces, and you can just picture what it was like to wander the cypress-lined city in its Golden Age!
  • You’ll leave Volubilis and stop by the stunning imperial gates that dot the neighboring city of Meknes (45 minutes away from Volubilis). Then you will drive to a local vineyard to enjoy lunch and wine tasting.
  • After lunch, you’ll head out to Fes, where you will check into Palais Amani, your heavenly retreat tucked into the old medina. The former home of an old noble family in Fes, Palais Amani has been painstakingly restored with great care by its current owners, and you’ll be impressed by the expert craftsmanship in the riad’s plaster, tiles, and woodwork! Enjoy a welcome mint tea followed by dinner at your Riad (not included).
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Discovering Fes and Tasting Tour

Overnight: Palais Amani

  • After breakfast, begin touring the city and enjoy a combined tasting tour of local street foods along with a guided tour of the cities most important historical and cultural sites. During the guided tour of the city, you’ll also discover the history and culture of the city. Founded in 781AD, Fes is now considered the world’s largest car-free urban zone. Beware of mule-drawn carriages that speed through the alleyways, and check out a local pharmacy with its mysterious canisters of roots, flowers and powders. You’ll stop at the medina’s Jewish quarter, the medersas, and the legendary tanneries, where ancient techniques are still used to prepare Moroccan leather which is then used in a variety of goods from clothing to bags and other handicrafts. In addition, you’ll also stop by the world’s oldest and longest operating learning institution, the University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859AD.
  • During the afternoon you’ll also visit three different food souks allowing the chance to try traditional Moroccan street food including dried meats, milawi, harsha, briwats, spicy sardines, spicy potato cakes, soups, olives and more. At the honey souk we’re you’ll be able to taste an array of delicious wild honeys, discuss their flavors and health-giving properties and find out why honey is so important in Moroccan cooking and Islamic culture. You’ll also investigate traditional cooking methods by visiting a furnace where the water for the communal bath house ‘hammam’ is also heated, and a 400 year old ‘furan’ or communal oven and bakery. Lastly, you’ll also discover the world of spices and their uses and the secrets of the male-oriented domain of the tea den under the guidance of a culinary leader and story-teller.
  • The day will wrap up with an evening at leisure and dinner on your own. We will be happy to provide suggestions of the best restaurants to try and also make any necessary reservations.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Fessi Cuisine

Overnight: Palais Amani

  • After a leisurely breakfast, the group will meet up with the head chef of Palais Amani for a special cooking class. The class starts with shopping for ingredients in the local souqs. You’ll then return to the hotel’s rooftop cooking classroom to learn about making a special Fessi lamb shank and dried apricot Tagine. Each region of Morocco has its own delicacies and Fessi cuisine is known for its mixing of sweet and savory in a single dish. After working up an appetite in the class, you’ll sit down for a delicious and well deserved lunch.
  • The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. You can head back in the medina to explore and shop some more, or just rest at the riad.
  • Dinner this evening is on your own, but we are happy to provide suggestions of the city’s best eateries.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Into the Sahara

Overnight: Luxury Desert Camp

  • Your day begins as you embark an early morning scenic drive that will lead you to the golden dunes of the Sahara! With several panoramic vistas as well as a lunch break en route, your drive will take a total of roughly 8 hours hours and will lead you to the very end of the paved roads where you’ll hop out from the car and onto the camels that will take you on a beautiful path through the tall sand dunes arriving into your luxury camp.
  • Mint tea will be served as you arrive, after which you’ll have some time to enjoy the camp and contemplate the peaceful quiet of the Sahara. Before dinner, you’ll partake in a Berber bread baking demonstration and learn the secrets to why Berber bread is the so delicious!
  • Dinner will then be served followed by a campfire and some live music by the camp’s staff who will perform tribal music for you.
  • You can then enjoy the starlit sky before going to the sleep in the comforts of your well-appointed tent.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: The Dades Gorges

Overnight: Chez Pierre

  • Fresh from your Saharan adventure, this is the day you’ll explore the mesmerizing rock formations and twisty roads of the gorges of the Atlas Mountains! Your day begins with an optional sunrise over the dunes in your luxury camp, followed by a hearty breakfast and a departure from your camp for the Dades Gorge (about 4 hours driving) where you’ll check in at Chez Pierre and have the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
  • We wouldn’t usually dedicate a new paragraph to a meal, but this is a special exception – as you’ll understand when you get to the gorges, you will be in a very remote and rural part of the country, so you ordinarily would expect a wholesome but standard meal. Instead, the brothers who run Chez Pierre have made an art of their meal service, crafting creative dishes based on locally-sourced ingredients, and we’re willing to bet that this dinner is one you’ll remember!
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch , Dinner

Day 8: Welcome to Marrakech

Overnight: La Maison Arabe

  • Fresh from a good night’s sleep at Chez Pierre, you’ll depart by 9:30AM to head to the ancient fortress of Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou (a 2.5 hour drive). A UNESCO world heritage site located in the foothills on the southern slopes of the High Atlas Mountains, the fort of Ait-Ben-Haddou is a striking example of southern Moroccan architecture. The fort is a mainly collective grouping of dwellings, with imposing defensive walls that are reinforced by angle towers and pierced with a baffle gate. It is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings offering a complete panorama of pre-Saharan earthen construction techniques.
  • After lunch near the Kasbah, you’ll continue towards Marrakech on one of the most scenic drives you’re likely to take in your life, venturing through the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas mountains and back down on the other side into the dry flat plains of Marrakech. You should expect to arrive in Marrakech between 6-7pm.
  • Dinner this evening with be included at your riad.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Wonders of the Ochre City

Overnight: La Maison Arabe

  • After a hearty breakfast, you’ll head out for a introductory tour of the famed Ochre City, Marrakech. The tour will start with the Koutoubia Mosque (the iconic sight of Marrakech), the Bahia Palace (a stunning example of traditional Moroccan architecture), and the Saadian tombs. You’ll discover how the royalty of Morocco lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. Then you’ll head into the medina, the old walled city to visit the spice souks. You’ll meet with a master spice blender to have learn about Morocco’s famous spices, like Ras al-Hanout, are hand blended and how each spice seller has their own secret recipe. Lunch this afternoon will be on your own. You’ll then have some free time to continue exploring the souks and medina and shop to your heart’s desire.
  • Dinner tonight is included at L’ibzar which offers modern takes on the Moroccan classics.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Fashion and Culinary Arts

Overnight: La Maison Arabe

  • After breakfast, you’ll head to Marrakech more independently. Start with a guided visit of the Majorelle Gardens. Global fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent made his 2nd home in Marrakech for many decades, and his vision drove every detail behind the lush gardens. You’ll also visit the small but must-see Berber Museum. Then head next door to visit the newly opened Yves Saint Laurent Museum. It is dedicated to showcasing YSL’s most iconic designs along with up and coming local fashion and textile designers.
  • Lunch today is not included, but we recommend the nearby Grand Cafe de la Poste.
    You’ll dine on French-Moroccan fusion and maybe try a bottle of wine from their extensive cellar. You’ll then have free time to continue exploring Marrakech.
  • At 3:00 PM, head to the famous Cooking School of La Maison Arabe. When you arrive, you’ll first learn about the traditional preparation Moroccan mint tea. Then with the help of a local “dada”, or expert cook, you will dig into all of the key components of a Moroccan meal. Each guest will their own cooking station and you will prepare two different staples of Moroccan starters, a tomato and cucumber salad and a 2nd salad using eggplant (please note: the exact salads may change depending on the day’s ingredients). After that, you’ll finally learn to prepare your main course, the famous Moroccan Tagine of chicken with preserved lemons (or a Berber Vegetable Tagine for non-meat eaters). While your tagine is cooking over the fire, you’ll also prepare a delicious Moroccan dessert. Finally, you’ll sit down for a gourmet dinner and enjoy your own masterpiece.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11: Hot Air Balloon Ride & Royal Hammam Ritual

Overnight: La Maison Arabe

  • Your day will begin bright and early as your driver picks you up between 5:00-5:30 am (exact time will be determined and communicated the previous night) to head out for what is sure to be a highlight of your time in Morocco: a hot air balloon overlooking Marrakech. The whole experience will take 2 to 3 hours from start to finish, and you should be done by 11AM.
  • Later in the day, enjoy a visit and tea break at Le Jardin Secret. Rebuilt in the mid-Nineteenth century at the behest of an influential kaid of the Atlas Mountains, Le Jardin Secret has been the home of some of Morocco and Marrakech’s most important political figures. It is a place dedicated to the discovery of Moroccan architecture, art and gardens. Your lunch today is at leisure (not included) but there’s a great little cafe in the gardens we suggest.
  • You’ll also have a hammam spa appointment this afternoon. Hammam means “spreader of warmth”, and walking into a Hammam is like walking through time in a spacious and ornate sanctuary; a quiet retreat in an atmosphere of half-light, silence, seclusion and heat. Silence is an integral part of the cleansing process and helps the body and spirit liberate itself from excess and the superfluous. The ritual involves several steps to cleanse, detoxify, and help you relax. You’ll experience one of the world’s most ancient traditions, a black-soap cleanse, followed by a cascading cold-water rinse. This prepares your skin for an invigorating scrub, which leaves you soft and free of accumulated toxins and impurities. After another rinse, a Ghassoul mask of Moroccan volcanic clay is applied to the body, face and hair. The last step of this centuries-old practice of purification is the relaxing massage using pure oils, Morocco’s precious youth elixir!
  • Your dinner on this night is not included, but we recommend La Maison Arabe’s famous Trois Saveurs restaurants, which offers Moroccan, Thai and international cuisine.
    Meals included: Breakfast

Day 12: Drive to the Ocean

Overnight: Sofitel Mogador

  • Have a final leisurely morning at La Maison Arabe before hitting the road once again. You’ll drive west to Morocco’s Atlantic coast for three nights in the charming coastal city of Essaouira. Along the route is a great vineyard, Val D’Argan. Stop and enjoy lunch, a wine tasting, and tour of the vineyard. Then continue to your hotel, the Sofitel Mogador Golf & Spa, check-in and have some time to rest. While the property is much more modern than the other places you’ve been staying, it still has charming Moroccan design details and you’ll love the beautiful gardens and pools.
  • In the later afternoon, you’ll visit the city’s old ramparts, the medina, the artisan cooperatives, and the Jewish heritage sites. With its brilliant blue and white architecture, windswept beach and easy-going charm, Essaouira is a lovely change from the hectic pace of Marrakech. On your guided visit, you’ll learn all about the city’s history and the influence left over the centuries by the Carthaginians, Romans and Portuguese. Behind the 18th century sea walls are thuya wood workshops, artists’ enclaves and silent alleyways where cats sun themselves and veiled women emerge from studded doorways. The harbour is a photographer’s dream, with fishing nets laid out on the quayside, boats unloading their catches and the smell of freshly-grilled sardines and lobster in the air. End the night with a delicious included dinner at Gusto. This hidden gem serves homemade Italian food and you’ll find the Italian owners there to welcome you.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13: Exploring Essaouira

Overnight: Sofitel Mogador

  • Enjoy breakfast and a leisurely morning at the hotel. You’ll then head back into the medina to explore and shop some more. Essaouira is known for its wood carvings and pottery, so it’s a great place to shop for final gifts and souvenirs. Plus, the laid-back and more orderly feeling of its medina makes it enjoyable to explore on your own. You’ll enjoy freshly caught and grilled seafood for lunch. Try the famous sardines, hout or traditional Moroccan white fish, octopus, and even crab. It’s all grilled to order and your guide will be there to help you navigate the best stalls and place your order.
  • After lunch, the rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure. You can continue to shop or head back to the hotel and rest.
  • Dinner tonight is not included but we’ll be happy to make some suggestions.
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 14: Bringing it home from Casablanca

Overnight: Four Seasons Hotel

  • After breakfast, drive to Casablanca. You’ll arrive into the economic capital to check in at the Four Seasons and have some downtime to enjoy the seafront view, after which you’ll leave around 7pm to take a lovely stroll around the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world and constructed by the very best artisans in the kingdom! You won’t be able to visit the inside since it’s only open to visitors in the mornings, but that being said even locals agree that the best part of the mosque is the view you get from the large plaza that surrounds it. From the mosque, you’ll continue straight to Rick’s Cafe for your farewell dinner!
    Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15: Departure

  • Time to say your farewells to Morocco! You’ll check out of your Hotel and drive to Casablanca airport for your outbound flight.

Trip Details

Included in the 14-Night Trip

Accommodations

Fourteen nights in leading luxury accommodations

Food & Beverages

  • All meals as outlined in the program. Snacks and bottled water provided throughout.

Excursions

  • All transportation for the duration of your trip in a Mercedes Minivan with a professional driver.
  • All activities as outlined in the program.
  • A national guide to do all guiding and act as trip manager ensuring smooth logistics.

Transfer Details

Transfers and transportation included as per program.

Not Included

  • Alcoholic beverages (except where otherwise noted)
  • Tips (recommended at around $8-10 per person per day)

Accommodation Information

Euphoriad in Rabat.
Lina Riad in Chefchaouen.
Palais Amani in Fes.
Luxury desert camp.
Chez Pierre in the Dades Gorge.
Maison Arabe in Marrakech.
Sofitel Mogador in Essaouira.
Four Seasons in Casablanca.

Pricing & Tour Dates



Custom Trip Pricing:

14-night Program

US$8546 per person based on double occupancy


    Tour Dates

    This was a one-time departure and is longer available. Please see our other Morocco tours! Or contact us for a custom quote.

    Reviews

    There are no reviews at this time.


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