Culinary tour of Morocco

Moroccan cuisine is said to be of the four best in the world! This reputation is probably due to the different influences received along the centuries, from the Romans and the Phoenicians to the Portuguese, the Spanish and the French! But even more than that, subtle use of the spices and a great tradition of home cooking by the mother of the family account for it. Even today, you will find the best Moroccan food in families’ homes rather than restaurants. Hence we have included « family cuisine » in our programme, and you will undoubtedly lick your fingers!

Day 1: Casablanca

Arrival in Casablanca and welcome by your English-speaking guide. He will accompany you to your hotel conveniently located in the city centre, time permitting, according to your arrival schedule, a first visit to the food markets in the Medina.

17.30: meet in the restaurant where you will have dinner later, but before give a hand in the preparation of Harira, the rich comfort soup that breaks the fasting days of Ramadan.

Overnight at your hotel.

Day 2: Rabat

08.30: departure after breakfast for Rabat, the modern capital of Morocco. Visit the food market of Rabat and then check in at your hotel. Lunch at « Tagine wa Tangia » followed by the visit to the Oudayas Kasbah and famed « Rue des Consuls ». Afternoon visit to the Hassan tower and the Kings’ Mausoleum. Around 17.00 Meeting with the Chef in your hotel. Take part in preparing a tagine of chicken with olives and preserved lemons, followed by dinner at the restaurant, including your tagine of chicken. Overnight in your hotel.

Day 3: Fes

After breakfast, leave for Meknes and visit this former capital of Morocco, under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismael, a contemporary of French King Louis XIV. Demonstration and lunch of tagine with meatballs and eggs in Palais Terrab. In the afternoon, drive to Fes, the oldest of Morocco’s imperial cities, via the village of Moulay Idriss, a national pilgrimage site housing the tomb of Moulay Idriss, the founder of Morocco’s first indigenous Islamic kingdom. Fes’ Medina is among the world’s most prominent living medieval cities. Sneak a preview of the Medina before dinner. In the evening, appreciate a special dinner with a Moroccan family and overnight in their home in the Old City. Enjoy a Talk on Moroccan herbs and spices.

Day 4: Fes

09.00: After breakfast, departure for the discovery of Fes. Starting from the Andalous quarter, cross the bridge over to the Kairouan District: see the Dyers, the Coppersmiths, the Karaouyine Mosque, the Achabin Square for spices, the Chouara Tannery, Chemaine Square for dried fruits, the Joutya for salt, eggs and fish, the Kissaria, the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, the Nejjarine Square and the Nejjarine Fondouq which is now the Wood Museum, then the Henna souk, the Attarine souk (spices) and the nearby Maristan, and the Attarine Medersa (Koranic school dating back to the XV century). Take a light lunch on the way, then back to your Moroccan home after the visit for some time at leisure. Then meet the lady chef of the family to get your hands at preparing the « Chicken Tagine » that you will enjoy for your dinner. Overnight in the private home.

Day 5: Marrakech

Drive to fabled Marrakech, Morocco’s most famous city, across the varied landscapes of Morocco: the Middle Atlas Mountains and the rich agricultural plains of Beni Mellal. Light lunch in Beni Mellal. On arrival, check-in at your Riad, and late afternoon, visit the famous Jemaa el Fna Square to see the square transform from a lively area of acrobats and other entertainers into a vast eatery of food stalls. Capture the excitement of the evening before a special dinner at « Stylia », one of the five forks restaurants in Marrakech. Overnight in Marrakech in a charming riad in the Médina.

Day 6: Marrakech

08.30: After breakfast, a morning visit to Marrakech and its historical sights. 11.30: meeting at Al Amal, an associative restaurant to train young Moroccan ladies to be cooks, for preparing a couscous « Tfaya » (with raisins et ice sugar). Lunch of your couscous at the restaurant, then continue the visit to the Medina and its souks. 16.30: restaurant Dar Marjana for a demonstration of making «B’stila», Morocco’s sumptuous signature dish of squab or chicken in a lemony egg, almond and spiced onion sauce within layered sheets of « Warka » (flaky, paper-thin dough), topped with cinnamon and sugar. Dinner at Dar Marjana of your B’stila. Overnight in your Riad.

Day 7: Marrakech

After breakfast, visit the 13th and 15th-century Mellah Markets and the Dar Si Said Museum. Lunch on your own. Enjoy a demo with participation on Moroccan pancakes and 1001 holes crepes in a private home for an afternoon snack with mint tea in the afternoon. Farewell dinner tonight on « Moroccan Nouvelle Cuisine » at Dar Moha: a man who is truly wise to the ways of gastronomy. Chef Moha has been able to use his skills and knowledge to breathe new life into Moroccan cuisine, reinventing traditional dishes still bursting with exquisite flavours. Overnight in your Riad.

Day 8: Marrakech

After breakfast, transfer to Marrakech airport and Bon Voyage!

Please note that all timings and mileage are given for a return trip based on Google Maps data and itinerary availabilities. Trek itineraries are also not displayed as precisely as planned because Google Maps does not yet provide this type of information; you should then refer to the “day by day” program for accurate details.