The Moroccan Cuisine and Flavours, Self-drive

After clearing customs at Marrakech Airport, our agent/driver will be waiting for you outside the airport, in front of the Arrivals exit, holding a sign with your name on it. Please do not leave the pick-up area without having met the agent/driver first. Our representative will then provide you with all the vouchers and transfer you in an air-conditioned vehicle from to airport to your selected hotel. Check in and spend the rest of the day at leisure. You can step out into the colourful streets of Marrakech and admire its top monuments, charting the history of the city, such as the magnificent Koutoubia Mosque, the beautiful Bahia Palace with its exceptionally decorated Saadian Tombs, and the walled Medina and its maze of alleys and side streets. Wrap it all up by enjoying a fantastic Moroccan dinner show in the Medina.

• Overnight in Marrakech. 

After breakfast, pick up your rental car and enjoy some time at leisure, before you will be picked up from your hotel to go to your Moroccan cooking experience. Enjoy a welcome tea and pastry upon arrival before meeting the cook and learning what menu you are going to prepare. Then it’s time to don your apron and start getting your hands dirty. Learn all about Morocco’s most popular spices and how to use them. During the cooking workshop, prepare three sorts of salads, a traditional couscous with chicken, and crepes for pudding. After the session, taste a variety of local specialties for lunch and relax before returning to the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to spend at leisure. We suggest you visit the Marrakech Gardens, the Gueliz, the New City, the Hivernage neighbourhood or the Ourika Valley.

• Overnight in Marrakech.

Wake up to breakfast at your hotel in Marrakech before departing on a leisurely drive along the foothills of the Atlas Mountains towards Beni Mellal. Make a stop on the way for an optional lunch at Khenifra. Beni Mellal is a busy agricultural hub situated at an altitude of 625 metres in the Middle Atlas range. Join a brief tour of the city and contemplate its most cherished sights and attractions before continuing on your way to Fez. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and have dinner before spending the night.

• Overnight in Fez. 

Breakfast at your hotel is followed by a second cooking workshop at the Dar Bensouda or similar. Today you will learn how to make couscous like a real dada (‘cook’). At the end of each workshop comes the anticipated moment where you get to taste the dishes you just prepared. The rest of the day is for you to spend at leisure, so why not visit the little city of Moulay Driss and Idris’ Mausoleum? Idris was the legendary founder of Morocco. The village of Bhalil with its house-caves and the ancient Roman city of Volubilis are two more good destinations for you to explore.

• Overnight in Fez. 

Take to the road after breakfast at the hotel and drive toward Rabat. Spend the rest of day at leisure. In the evening, attend a Gastronomical Dinner in the restaurant Dar Rbatia or similar. Dar Rbatia first opened its doors to the public in 1989. Located in the heart of the Medina of Rabat, the building dates back to the 18th century, having been subsequently transformed into a typical Moroccan restaurant thanks to local artisans who use the most ancient methods. Come taste Morocco’s cuisine, typically rich in flavours, while sipping a delightful cup of mint tea in a traditional setting and surrounded by a friendly atmosphere.

• Overnight in Rabat.

After breakfast at the hotel, hop back into your car and drive towards Casablanca, a city whose name evokes classical Hollywood glamour, but is in fact the kingdom’s commercial powerhouse. Discover the charms of this cosmopolitan coastal capital, visit the elegant boulevards of the French colonial Ville Nouvelle neighbourhood and set eyes upon the majestic Hassan II Mosque, which stands regally between the city and the sea (exterior view).

• Overnight in Casablanca.

Breakfast at the hotel is followed by an entire morning for you to spend at leisure. At midday, however, a gastronomic lunch awaits in Dar Marjana (closed on Tuesdays), an originally Andalusian family house built in the heart of the medina back in the early 19th century. This riad was transformed in 1980 by Chauqui d’Kaier and Louis Charles Bacconier into a restaurant. It quickly became an unmissable, authentic place in which to dine in Marrakech. Actors, singers, artists, politicians and others have left their signature in the guestbook, which you can browse on the spot. Return to Marrakech after lunch and spend the afternoon wandering through its souks and admiring the rich craftsmanship of their wares. Then arrive at Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, the beating heart of Marrakech. Marvel at this bustling hive of activity as the sun sets over this vast space packed with stalls and heaving with snake charmers, gnawa musicians and a myriad of colourful characters. You will return your rental car at the hotel; delivery time will have been agreed with our agent on day 2.

• Overnight in Marrakech.

After one last breakfast at the hotel, bid farewell to Morocco as you’re transferred to the airport where you’ll catch your onward flight.

Breakfast included.