Get a real insight into Moroccan food with a home-cooked dinner in the Blue City, Chefchaouen. Prepared with seasonal ingredients – enjoy a dish that’s bursting with flavour and made with love.

Do it yourself during hands-on cooking classes and demonstrations where you’ll learn how to make cous cous, pastilla, stuffed medfouna and local salads.

See behind the scenes when you meet local producers of goat’s cheese in Chefchaouen, follow tasting trails through Fes and Marrakech’s medinas and visit a women's cooperative producing argan oil.

Hit up Morocco’s highlights, including the Blue City of Chefchaouen, the ancient medina of Fes, the Sahara Desert and the buzzing city of Marrakech.

Grab a fork and dig into Morocco’s most iconic dishes – tagine, pastilla, cous cous and camel burgers await!

Morocco is a great food destination for vegetarians. With wonderful fresh produce and many delicious local dishes, you'll have a great time on this trip. For vegans we recommend reviewing the itinerary and inclusions to ensure that you will be able to fully participate and enjoy this trip. We also have many other trips to the Morocco which can accommodate a range of dietary requirements.

As this trip covers quite a lot of ground there are some long drives. These are excellent opportunities to get to know your fellow travellers, catch up on some reading, or simply appreciate the scenery.

On Days 8 & 9 you'll visit M’Goun Valley. This remote area of Morocco is an amazing place to discover on foot, but to do so you'll need a moderate level of fitness and have the relevant footwear and clothing with you. Don’t worry if trekking isn’t really your thing, there are plenty of other activities to do in the valley.

The weather in Morocco can be extreme. Summer temperatures can be uncomfortably hot, especially for those who aren't accustomed to the heat, so please consider carefully what time of year you travel.

Although you shouldn’t expect any aggressive selling techniques in Morocco, please be aware that you may be approached by shop owners and street vendors offering their goods to you on regular occasions.

Ramadan is an annual month-long festival, during which travel can be a rewarding cultural experience, however some regular services may not be available during the day, such as restaurants or cafes, and occasionally travel can be disrupted by events. Your leader will adjust the itinerary accordingly, but please consider this when selecting your travel dates. 

Day 1: Casablanca

Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Morocco. Your adventure begins today with a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you'll meet your tour leader and fellow travellers. As there's little free time included in Casablanca on this trip, consider coming a day early to fully explore the city. Modelled after Marseille in France, the city is famous for its art deco buildings. A pleasant way to spend a day exploring Casablanca is to wander the old medina and the city walls, then jump in a taxi to visit the Quartiers des Habous, the new medina. Then perhaps take a walk along the Corniche, watching the locals play football on the beach, or take it easy with a glass of sweet mint tea in one of the many great cafes. This evening, join your group for a welcome dinner of delicious traditional specialties.

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Dinner

 Included activities

• Casablanca - Welcome Dinner

Special information: It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Some travellers have reported being approached by locals offering excursions before their trip commences. This has been particularly prevalent in and around the hotels used by Intrepid. These guides are in no way connected to our tour operator and we cannot guarantee the safety or quality standards of their tours. We strongly advise customers against joining any tour offered by the unauthorised guides. For a choice of thoroughly designed and safety assessed excursions in Casablanca, please ask us for more information.

Day 2: Meknes to Moulay Idriss

Say goodbye to Casablanca and take an early train to Meknes. In the 17th century, Sultan Moulay Ismail turned Meknes from a provincial town to a spectacular Imperial city. On arrival, get to know Meknes on an orientation walk with your leader. For lunch, visit a friendly local restaurant in the medina and try a Moroccan delicacy – a deliciously rich camel burger! Next, drive on to Moulay Idriss and settle in at a local guesthouse, where the art of hand-rolled couscous is lovingly demonstrated along with an authentic Moroccan meal.

 Accommodation: Guesthouse (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast: Lunch, Dinner

 Included activities

• Meknes - Medina walking tour
• Moulay Idriss - Couscous Demonstration and Dinner

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 4 hours.

Accommodation tonight is at an atmospheric guesthouse. Bathroom facilities are shared and rooming may be triple or quad share.

Day 3: Chefchaoeun

This morning, drive to Chefchaouen, or the ‘blue city’ – arguably one of the prettiest places in Morocco. Set against a wide valley and nestled between two peaks in the stunning Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen may take you by surprise. Its medina has been lovingly cared for with striking blue and whitewashed houses, red-tiled roofs and artistic doorways. Much of Chefchaouen was recreated by Andalusian refugees escaping the Reconquista, so you might feel like you're in the hills of Spain while exploring its streets. Ease into the relaxed pace of life in this rural retreat. This evening you’ll get a real insight into Moroccan food with a home-cooked dinner prepared with seasonal ingredients – bursting with flavour and made with love.

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

 Included activities

• Chefchaouen - Home-cooked Dinner

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 3.5 hours.

Day 4: Fes

Enjoy your morning in Chefchaouen, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the medina, the shops in the square selling woven goods and small sweets, and, most importantly, enjoy a taste of the town’s famous goat’s cheese. Herds of goats wander the sparse hillsides that surround Chefchaouen, and their cheese is sold in great fresh rounds in the street markets. In the afternoon travel to Fes, the most complete medieval city in the Arab world. Fes is the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco – vibrant, noisy, fascinating and overwhelming – a visual and pungent feast for the senses. You’ll have free time for the rest of the day to explore. This evening is a great time to seek out Moroccan specialities like harira (chickpea soup).

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast

 Included activities

• Chefchaouen - Goat Cheese Tasting

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 4 hours.

Day 5: Fes

Take a guided group walking tour of the old city, known locally as Fes el Bali. Step back into the Middle Ages as you explore the labyrinth of the Medina, which is alive with craftsmen, markets, tanneries and mosques. Pass donkeys piled high with goods (this is one of the largest car-free urban zones in the world) and explore the specialty sections that divide the souk. Look out for the Medersa Bou Inania, one of the city's most beautiful buildings, which has recently been restored and is now open to tourists. Also, visit a ceramics factory where you can see traditional handmade pottery being made. Your local leader will guide you on a 'tasting trail' along the way today before enjoying an evening cooking demonstration, where you’ll learn how to create one of the city's signature dishes – pastilla (or bastilla) – a salty and sweet pastry parcel.

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

 Included activities

• Fes - Medina Tasting Trail including Pastilla Demonstration
• Fes - Guided walking tour

Day 6: Midelt

Start the day right with a tasty street food breakfast of msemmen (flatbread) with olive oil and boiled egg or omelette paired with coffee or mint tea. Then, leave the intensity of the city behind for the simplicity of the scenic Middle Atlas Mountains. On the way, stop at a local supermarket and get a broader view of the contemporary food habits of modern Moroccans. Here, you’ll get an everyday-life insight into the culture, and your leader will pick up some local popular snacks for the group to enjoy. Drive south, inland, through varied and spectacular scenery – fertile valleys, cedar and pine forests and barren, rocky landscapes. The area is populated with wandering nomadic shepherds attending to their flocks. Pass through cedar forests, home to North Africa's only monkey – Barbary apes – and on to your destination of Midelt. Nestled in a valley, Midelt is a market town, originally built as a mining base and surrounded by farmland and orchards. Stretch your legs as you explore the nearby village of Bremmen and take a closer look at local farming life. In the evening, a special meal will be prepared using the aromatic herbs native to the region.

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

 Included activities

• Midelt - Supermarket stop
• Fes - Street food breakfast

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 4 hours.

Day 7: Merzouga

Enjoy a scenic drive towards the Sahara Desert with plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the panoramic views of the kasbahs and palm groves (valleys lush with date palms, fields and orchards). You may also have a chance to pause in some of the frontier towns such as Erfoud and Rissani before reaching your destination, the small Saharan settlement of Merzouga. Enjoy a demonstration of medfouna (also called 'Amazigh pizza'), a traditional stuffed bread prepared with meat, herbs and spices by the nomadic peoples of the High Atlas. Traditionally prepared by women to feed local farm workers, this hearty delicacy is a great introduction to the cuisine of the desert region. Later today you will leave your gear at a simple auberge and then ride camels to the edge of the Sahara Desert, enjoying a spectacular sunset along the way. The dunes are stunning, especially as the evening light plays across them and sets off the colours. Dinner this evening at your desert camp will be a traditional spread of Moroccan soup, tajine and seasonal fruit.

 Accommodation: Desert Camp (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 Included activities

• Merzouga - Medfouna cooking demonstration

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 5 hours.

Day 8: M'Goun Valley

After breakfast prepare for a scenic drive filled with stunning landscapes on the way to the M'Goun Valley. The journey will take you past ancient kasbah ruins, former colonial military outposts, austere mountains and valleys of palm trees and irrigated fields. Dinner tonight is an Amazigh tagine prepared in a traditional clay pot cooked over an open fire.

 Accommodation: Gite (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 5 hours.

Day 9: M'Goun Valley

While the early morning holds the option of exploring the nearby village souk of Kelaat M'gouna or witnessing Moroccan bread-making techniques in action, today’s adventure will take you out on foot to explore the beauty of this largely untouched Moroccan backcountry. Accompanied by a local guide, pass through Berber villages, meeting local people along the way. You’ll take a trail that undulates slightly but isn't too challenging if you have a basic level of fitness. The walk takes approximately 3 hours, and the scenery is certainly worth the walk! Pass through agricultural land and learn about the produce grown in the region, then find out first hand over a plant-based dinner this evening. Tomatoes, beans, walnuts, almonds, figs, apples and grapes are all grown in the M'Goun Valley, which you might enjoy in tagine, couscous, Moroccan soup and seasonal fruit platters.

 Accommodation:Gite (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

 Included activities

• M'goun Valley - Guided Half Day Hike

Day 10: Marrakech

Today, head to your final destination – Marrakech. On the way, you’ll stop by a women's cooperative, where they produce locally grown argan oil. A product that’s endemic to Morocco and used for both culinary and cosmetic purposes, you’ll see the trees that produce the argan oil and learn the process of how the workers extract it. Learn about how it’s used and all the benefits before continuing to Marrakech. When you arrive, a local guide will take you on an orientation walk and tasting trail through the medina. Visit a locally-owned coffee shop for an insight into how this cultural practice uses hot sand to brew a unique, spiced coffee. This evening, maybe join the crowds for dinner at the famous Djemaa el-Fna – one of the largest public spaces in the world and unique to Marrakech. When night falls on this square, it transforms into a hive of activity, with henna painters, performers and storytellers sharing the square with a street food bazaar (where you can try snail soup)!

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast

 Included activities

• Tichka - Argan Oil Cooperative Visit
• Marrakech - Tasting Trail
• Marrakech - Spiced Sand Coffee

Special information: Today’s total travel time is approximately 6 hours.

Day 11: Marrakech

Start your day by learning to prepare splendid Moroccan salads, a staple of the table, at the amazing Amal Women's Cooking Centre – a non-profit empowering women through culinary skills and education, then feast on your creations for lunch. The afternoon is free to explore the sights of the city – you might like to drop by the Koutoubia Mosque or the dazzling Bahia Palace. In the evening, perhaps ascend the stairs of one of the surrounding restaurants for a birds-eye view of the action or head back into the medina for some shopping, where every step brings a new smell, a new sight or a new gift to buy. This evening, you may like to join your group for a farewell dinner.

 Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 Included activities

• Marrakech - Moroccan Salads Cooking Class

Day 12: Marrakech

Your food adventure across Morocco comes to an end this morning. If you are extending your stay, perhaps stroll through the tropical gardens of the French painter Jacques Majorelle, or return to the medina. The Saadian tombs are another recently uncovered gem of the medina. Be sure to take a break from the bustle to sip on tea or eat a tagine, filled with the quintessential flavours of Morocco.

 Meals: Breakfast

 Add on activities:

• Marrakech - Asni & Ouirgane day trip with lunch - MAD1806
• Marrakech - Medina, Palaces & Tombs Urban Adventure - MAD630
• Marrakech - Ourika Valley Day Tour - MAD1817
• Marrakech - Oukaimeden Day Tour - MAD1882
• Marrakech - Cascades d'Ouzoud Day Tour - MAD2207
• Marrakech - Luxury Spa Hammam & Massage - MAD750

Please note: itinerary may be subject to change.

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 2 (Guesthouse), Day 7 (Desert Camp) and Days 8 & 9 (Gite) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

2. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip.

3. Where we are unable to provide an experience due to Ramadan closures, your leader will ensure an alternative activity is provided, highlighting the food traditions of this festival.

Price is per person, based on 2 sharing,  and includes:

• 12- day Morocco Real Food Adventure tour
• Meals: 11 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 8 dinners
• Transport: Private Vehicle, Train, Taxi
• Accommodation: Hotel (7 nights), Guesthouse (1 night), Gite (2 nights), Desert Camp (1 night)
• Included activities:
  • Casablanca - Welcome Dinner
  • Meknes - Medina walking tour
  • Moulay Idriss - Couscous Demonstration and Dinner
  • Chefchaouen - Home-cooked Dinner
  • Chefchaouen - Goat Cheese Tasting
  • Fes - Medina Tasting Trail including Pastilla Demonstration
  • Fes - Guided walking tour
  • Midelt - Supermarket stop
  • Fes - Street food breakfast
  • Merzouga - Medfouna cooking demonstration
  • M'goun Valley - Guided Half Day Hike
  • Tichka - Argan Oil Cooperative Visit
  • Marrakech - Tasting Trail
  • Marrakech - Spiced Sand Coffee
  • Marrakech - Moroccan Salads Cooking Class

• Flights- we'll find the best fare for your chosen departure airport and date
• Single rooms available at a supplement (where available)
• Travel Insurance

Subject to availability. Terms & conditions apply.

For more information please call us on 021 427 7094 or 01 696 5135, email info@shandontravel.ie, request a call back using the red button, or submit an enquiry through the form below.