Flavours of Morocco (16 days)

Overview

This 16-day culinary journey explores Morocco through its regional cuisine, local markets, home cooking, and everyday eating culture.

Travel from Casablanca to the Sahara Desert, through Fes, the Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, and Marrakech, and experience how the Moroccan cuisine changes from region to region. Each area has its own ingredients, cooking styles, and traditions shaped by geography and daily life.

The focus is on eating where locals eat, cooking with families, and understanding Morocco through its food - not just its sights.

Food Highlights

Throughout the trip you will experience:

Fresh seafood at Casablanca and Essaouira ports
Traditional medina street food and pastries (chebakia, sfenj, msemen)
Fes dishes including pastilla, harira, and Fassi sweets
Home-cooked tagines and couscous with Berber families
Sahara desert meals including medfouna (Berber pizza)
Atlas Mountain cooking experiences in local homes
Argan oil tastings and Moroccan wine experiences
Marrakech street food in Jemaa el-Fnaa (tangia, kefta, mechoui, snails)

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival – Casablanca (1 night)
Your warm welcome to Morocco begins in Casablanca. In the evening, we gather for a relaxed welcome dinner at Rick’s Café, where classic Moroccan dishes like fragrant tagine and couscous set the tone for the journey.

Day 2: Casablanca Food & Culture
Discover the beauty of the Hassan II Mosque, enjoy freshly prepared seafood straight from the port by local chefs, and wander through the lively Habous Quarter for street food tastings and local flavours.

Day 3: Casablanca → Chefchaouen via Rabat (1 night Chefchaouen)
Travel north through Rabat, exploring its landmarks and enjoying a coastal seafood lunch before continuing on to the magical blue-washed streets of Chefchaouen.

Day 4: Chefchaouen Food Experience
Spend the day feeling at home in Chefchaouen. Cook a traditional tagine alongside a local family, then wander the blue medina and sample comforting street food along the way.

Day 5: Chefchaouen → Fes via Volubilis & Meknes (2 nights Fes)
Journey through history with a visit to the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes. Enjoy a countryside vineyard lunch with wine tasting and seasonal Moroccan dishes before arriving in Fes.

Day 6: Fes Food Tour
Step into the heart of the medina for a guided tasting walk. Visit the famous tanneries, sample delicate Fassi pastries, warming harira soup, and the iconic pastilla, all while soaking in the atmosphere of old Fes.

Day 7: Atlas to desert – Atlas Mountains to Sahara Desert (1 night desert camp)
Travel through the cedar forests and mountain landscapes of the Atlas before stopping for a hearty lunch in the Ziz Valley. Continue into the Sahara for a traditional desert dinner under vast, star-filled skies.

Day 8: Sahara Food & Nomad Experience
Share a meaningful meal of medfouna (Berber pizza) with nomad families. Experience true desert hospitality through music, storytelling, and traditional cooking.

Day 9: Merzouga → Ouarzazate via Todra Gorge (1 night)
Journey through dramatic landscapes including Todra Gorge and the Dades Valley, stopping for a fresh, locally prepared lunch in the valley and exploring the famous rose region along the way.

Day 10: Ouarzazate → Imlil via Ait Ben Haddou (1 night)
Cross the High Atlas Mountains and visit the legendary Ait Ben Haddou. Enjoy a warm Berber meal in a mountain home, with tagine, couscous, and freshly baked bread prepared by a local family.

Day 11: Imlil Cooking Experience → Essaouira (2 nights)
Begin the day by cooking couscous with a Berber family, sharing a meal together in a truly personal setting. Then continue toward the Atlantic coast and the relaxed charm of Essaouira.

Day 12: Culture & Food Tour of Essaouira
Explore the lively seafood market, taste street food in the medina, and enjoy oceanfront dining. Choose fresh fish at the port and have it grilled just for you, alongside local favourites like sfenj and harcha.

Day 13: Countryside wine tasting → Marrakech
Enjoy a leisurely wine tasting in the countryside with stops for argan oil sampling before arriving in Marrakech for an evening exploring the vibrant Jemaa el-Fnaa square.

Day 14: Food & Culture of Marrakech
Discover palaces, souks, and hidden corners of the medina. Along the way, enjoy traditional dishes such as tanjia, rfissa, msemen, and beghrir, each offering a taste of Marrakech’s rich culinary heritage.

Day 15: Free day in Marrakech
A relaxed day to enjoy at your own pace—perhaps a traditional hammam, optional cooking class, café-hopping, or simply continuing your street food discoveries through the medina.

Day 16: Departure
Enjoy a final cup of sweet Moroccan mint tea before your transfer to the airport.

Pricing: Small Group Tour (6 to 8 guests): From NZ$5,400 per person

Included:

Airport transfers on arrival and departure
15 nights accommodation (handpicked riads, hotels, desert camp, and homestays)
English-speaking local driver and tour coordination
Private air-conditioned transport throughout Morocco
10 Dinners: day 1, day 3, day 5, day 7, day 8, day 9, day 10, day 12, day 13, day 15.
Lunches: Day 2, day 3, day 4,day 5, day 6, day 7, day 8, day 9, day 10,day 11, day 12, day 13, day 14
All breakfasts and selected lunches and dinners as part of the food journey
Local guides in key cities (Casablanca, Fes, Marrakech, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Atlas Mountains)
Tasting Food experiences in Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes, and Essaouira
Hammam experience in Marrakech
Wine Tasting in Meknes and near Essaouira
Camel trekking and sandboarding in the Sahara
Entry fees to cultural and historical sites included in the itinerary
Food experiences including market tastings, street food tours, and home dining
Wine tasting experience (Meknes / Essaouira region)
Argan oil cooperative visit and tasting
Bottled water during travel days

Not Included:

International flights to and from Morocco
Visa fees (if applicable) and travel insurance
Some dinners and lunches not specified in the itinerary
Alcoholic beverages (unless included in specific tastings)
Personal expenses (souvenirs, extra snacks, drinks, etc.)
Tips for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
Optional activities not listed in the itinerary (e.g. hot air ballooning, spa treatments)