Morocco Food Tour
A CULINARY ADVENTURE THROUGH THE FLAVOURS OF MOROCCO
DATES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Join Kathryn Joel of Get Cooking Culinary School on this mouth-watering, exotic Morocco culinary tour.
Kathryn’s love of food and cooking has inspired her continued travels around the globe experiencing and exploring its diverse culinary traditions. Delight your palate on this Flavours of Morocco Culinary Adventure where you’ll have the opportunity to eat your way across this extraordinary country from ancient medinas to rural mountain villages.
This unique travel experience is ideal for anyone who is keen to connect with friendly locals while learning the fundamentals of traditional Moroccan cuisine while in an inspirational setting. Morocco is a feast for all senses with its varied scenery. The mountains, desert and coast form a unique and colourful landscape while the medieval medinas, punctuated with souks are full of colours and aromas.
Moroccan cuisine is considered one of the tastiest due to its incredible diversity of influences which are marked by the medley of spices found in its dishes, fantastic combination of vegetables and spices, and, of course, couscous. Discover the enchanting cities of Morocco, venture into rose-coloured kasbahs, and sip tea with Berber families in their mountain villages.
Experience the richness of Moroccan culture and don’t miss out on this amazing chef-led tour!
DAY 1: WELCOME TO MOROCCO
Welcome to Morocco! Upon arrival at the airport, you will meet our local English-speaking guide who will provide a brief review of your Flavours of Morocco Culinary Adventure.
Depending on your arrival time, ceremonial tea upon arrival at the hotel or at a local restaurant. Guided cultural and food tour of Rabat with dinner included.
- Accommodation: Riad Dar Elkebira Rabat
DAY 2: RABAT TO CHEFCHAOUEN
Enjoy the scenic drive to Chefchaouen as the flat plains and green hills (Spring) transform into the mountainous landscape of the Rif mountains. You’ll pass through many small towns along the way. Chefchaouen, or simply chaoeun by the locals translates to “two horns” named for the 2 peaks rising above the hillside town.
By travellers, it’s most known as “The Blue City” offering an endless winding maze of picturesque homes and streets. You’ll notice quite a difference from the Medinas of Fes and Marrakech, with a much more relaxed atmosphere and some of the friendliest people you will find in the country (quite a statement, as the bar is already very high on average). In the late 15th century the population was boosted by a number of Muslims and Jewish people fleeing southern Spain and remained mostly untouched and isolated until the last century.
After checking into our riad, we will head out for a guided cultural and food tour of the Medina with our local guide Youssef.
- Accommodation: Riad Lina & Spa
DAY 3: EXPLORING CULINARY ARTS OF THE BLUE CITY
Start your day with a traditional breakfast in a local restaurant including local mint tea, Bissara, a popular Moroccan soup prepared with dried and peeled fava beans and is often served for breakfast in winter with goat’s cheese.
Afterwards, stroll through the Souk and buy ingredients for our first cooking class with a local family, on the menu; the local goat Tagine and cheese salad.
Afterwards, we visit a goat cheese cooperative and enjoy tea with local pastries at auberge Dardara outside the city in the natural park of Bouhachem (10 minutes’ drive). In the evening, we join a local family for a traditional dinner.
Back to the riad for overnight
- Accommodation: Riad Lina & Spa
DAY 4: EXPLORING VOLUBILIS AND WINE TASTING
After breakfast, we head to Volubilis, a UNESCO world heritage site that contains Morocco’s best-preserved Roman ruins and makes for a nice detour from the hustle and bustle of Meknes.
Today you can wander the massive complex, exploring large merchant homes with visible heating systems underneath, temples, and many colourful mosaics in situ in a quite good condition.
Continue to Meknes, the country’s second imperial city, also known as the capital of Morocco’s main wine-producing region. Visit a famous winery and participate in a wine tasting before enjoying a gourmet lunch.
Leave this little haven of peace to reach the Medina, where you can stroll through the Souks and contemplate the impressive and mythical Bab El Mansour gate. Under the reign of Moulay Ismail (1672–1727), Meknes grew from a small town to a magnificent capital. In the Ville Imperiale area, you can explore gardens, palaces, The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, and the Royal Stables.
Continue to Fes in the late afternoon and enjoy dinner in the riad or a local restaurant.
- Accommodation: Riad Salam
DAY 4: EXPLORING VOLUBILIS AND WINE TASTING
Morning guided visit of the religious capital of Morocco. Panoramic view of this splendid site from the South Borj or the North Borj. Then visit we visit: Fez el-Jdid and its mellah (former Jewish quarter), doors of the Royal Palace. Discovery of the unique atmosphere of the medina of Fez el-Bali: Bou-Inania and Attarine Medersas (subject to a Medersa that can always be closed), Karaouiyine Islamic University, Nejjarine fountain, souks, Nejjarine museum of arts and woodworking (in a former caravanserai).
Afterwards, we participate in a cooking class with a local chef, an expert in cooking Pastilla (Moroccan Pie) then free time for our own sightseeing.
Evening dinner with a local family in the Medina.
- Accommodation: Riad Salam
DAY: 6 DRIVE THROUGH THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS
After breakfast, we’ll leave Fes via the Middle Atlas Mountains, the most intriguing and beautiful natural regions of Morocco. Starting from Imouzzer which is a steep climb through a variety of woods to the famed cedar forests inhabited by endangered Barbary Apes. Our trip continues alongside the trailing edge of the Cedar Forest to – Ifran – an orderly and modern city, that feels more like Switzerland relocated to the Middle Atlas.
Afterward, we’ll travel through the appealing routes in the region passing by Berber towns populated by Berber natives, especially Zayn’s tribe. We’ll enjoy a delicious lunch in a local family’s home, then head to the town of Beni Mellal before we head towards Bin Elouidane Mountain Lake for our overnight stay.
- Check-in at Hotel Chems du lac and dinner.
- Accommodation: Hotel Chems du lac
DAY: 7 COOKING WITH LOCAL BERBERS AND RELAXATION AROUND THE LAKE
After a short drive along the beautiful lake of Bin Elouidane, we reach the Berber town of Ouaouizaght where we join a local family for a unique culinary experience that involves a traditional outdoor cooking workshop.
Lunch and tea ceremony then time to explore the mountain lake of Bin Elouidane at the heart of the Atlas Mountains.
Enjoy a free afternoon exploring many different activities in the lake, including kayaking in the lake or in the river, fishing (Carp, Zander, Black bass, Pike, and more) etc.
In the evening, we sample the famous Moroccan steamed lamb Mechoui at the hotel accompanied by various salads and patisseries.
- Accommodation: Hotel Chems du lac
DAY 8: DRIVE THROUGH OUZOUD WATERFALLS TOWARDS MARRAKECH
We leave Bin Elouidane towards the waterfalls of Ouzoud which belong to the Mgoun Geopark area. Time for lunch in a local restaurant facing the falls, refreshment, and exploring the falls and the surrounding village before heading towards Marrakech.
Afternoon, we continue onto vibrant Marrakech. Dinner in a local restaurant in Medina.
- Accommodation: Riad les Sources Berberes & Spa
DAY 9: SIGHTS, SOUKS & TASTES OF MARRAKECH
Escape from the bustling city. Learn how to prepare and cook a Moroccan meal while enjoying the non-touristy countryside relaxation. The cooking class takes place in a Garden located about 29 km from the city of Marrakech. Upon arrival, time to visit the organic farm then start the cooking workshop.
After lunch, drive back to Marrakech and join your guide for a 3 hour guided tour of Ochre city. You’ll start out by visiting the Koutoubia Mosque, the iconic sight of Marrakech. Then tour the Bahia Palace and Saadian Tombs, where you’ll be in awe of the traditional Moroccan architecture and tile mosaics of former imperial dynasties. Stop by the Mellah, or former Jewish Quarter, to learn about Morocco’s little-known, but very important Jewish heritage. Maybe you’ll head to Djema El Fna square for a spectacle unlike any other – with snake charmers, musical performances, and acrobats, storytellers, fortune-tellers, henna tattoo artists, musicians, and food vendors, all of which combine to create a place of unparalleled energy combining for a circus of activity!
Afterwards, start our evening food tour beyond the square. We’ve curated some of our favourite places in the streets and back alleys of the medina.
- Accommodation: Riad Les Sources Berberes & SpaC
DAY 10: ARGAN & WINE EN ROUTE TO ESSAOUIRA
Say goodbye to the Red City and travel to Morocco’s west coast, following a route that takes you over vast rolling plains. Along the way, pass through an Argan tree forest (argan oil), endemic to this part of the world. You may even see goats dining on the argan fruit, up in the tree branches. Time to visit an Argan Women’s Cooperative and wine tasting at Domaine Val d’Argan winery before reaching our riad in the Medina.
Arrive in the port city of laid-back Essaouira, a nice contrast to frenetic Marrakesh, and spend the rest of the day as you choose. Walk the Skala de la Kasbah (the 18th-century seafront ramparts) along the coast. Designed by European engineers, old brass cannons line the walls and offer to view access over the Atlantic. Explore the UNESCO-listed medina before making your way to the windswept beach. Walk back to the Medina and enjoy a meal of fresh-caught seafood.
- Accommodation: Riad Villa Maroc
DAY 11: EXPLORING THE CITY OF MOGADOR & COOKING CLASS
Enjoy a walking tour of the souks with Khadija. The cooking class begins with a tour of Essaouira’s fish market, the spice souks and sound advice on what to purchase in local markets – a guide for veggies, fruits, spices and preserved lemons. Then everyone returns to the kitchen for mint tea and to roll up their sleeves and start cooking a fish Tajine with Argan oil and many local salads!
Afternoon free time for sightseeing then dinner in a local restaurant.
- Accommodation: Riad Villa Maroc
DAY 12: DEPART MARRAKECH
Drive to Marrakech, upon arriving in the red city, complete any last-minute gift and souvenir shopping before heading to the airport for your departure flight.
OPTION TO EXTEND
• extra nights in Marrakech
• multi-day excursion to the Sahara
Ask us for options.
Kathryn Joel
Kathryn Joel (the owner of Get Cooking) describes herself as a cook and a traveller. She is excited to combine her culinary training and experience with her love of travel, as a culinary guide for Finisterra Travel.
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu London and of Leiths School of Food and Wine, Kathryn has lived in England, Scandinavia, the United States, and Canada. She finally settled in Alberta, where she founded Get Cooking in Edmonton in 2011.
At Get Cooking, Kathryn’s cooking classes draw on her passion for the culinary traditions of the world as well as her commitment to supporting local producers and suppliers with the use of fresh, local and artisanal ingredients.
As a guide, Kathryn’s ambition is to infuse her tours with her own passion for the culinary traditions of the world, as we dig deeply together into those traditions to discover the flavour and terroir of each place that we visit. Together with Kathryn, you will explore both the traditions and the future of food as it influences the cultures that we experience.
Tour Exclusions
IMPORTANT NOTES
PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change. Although we always do our best to stick to the itinerary, due to the ever-changing nature of Morocco, activities, hotels, and visits are subject to change due to forces beyond our control.
FLIGHTS: Please do not purchase your flights until this tour is confirmed.
PASSPORTS: Must be valid for at least 6 months upon return date to your home country. Proper documentation is the responsibility of each traveller.
VISAS: (responsibility of the traveller)
Travel Insurance
Cancellation, Travel, Flight, and Health insurance are required and are the responsibility of the participant to research and secure the appropriate coverage. Click HERE for a Travel Insurance Quote or please email nicola@finisterra.ca for a quote.
Check with your local travel agent /insurance provider/health plan for advice about traveling overseas.
Waiver Form
All participants will be required to sign a Waiver Form prior to departure.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Even though we wish you a flawless trip, things can happen, especially nowadays. Make sure you are prepared with a Travel Insurance policy that is right for you. Finisterra recommends Manulife Insurance or John Hancock Please feel free to ask us about Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance, Cancel for Any Reason Policies, Travel Medical Insurance, or any other questions you may have.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR CANADIANS
Travel with confidence knowing that you’re covered with Manulife Insurance.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR AMERICANS – JOHN HANCOCK
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WHY TRAVEL WITH US?
At Finisterra Travel we help you discover, push personal boundaries, and explore the unknown.
We are super passionate about sustainable, transformational, and adventure travel. Definitely not “armchair travellers”, we have firsthand experience of where you’ll be heading.No one wants to feel like a tourist which is why when we plan a custom travel experience for you, we strive to make your adventure as authentic as possible. We offer an array of Small Group Adventures & Custom Trips, and have something for every type of traveller.
Our unique itineraries are designed to best showcase some of our favourite destinations around Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. All itineraries are fully-customizable.Not your typical online travel agency, nor are we quite a tour operator, we are international travel designers with a flair for unique experiences. We’d love to hear from you!
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