Eat Smart Culinary and Cultural Tour to Morocco -  May 17 to May 28, 2024

To sign up and get the Reservation Form and payment details, please click on the Details link below. For more information, please email us at [email protected].

Join us in getting to the heart of Moroccan culture through an exploration of its tantalizing cuisine. We will discover the secrets of Moroccan dishes by watching renowned chefs prepare classic creations such as stew-like tagines; hearty, well-spiced soups; salads of raw or cooked vegetables in flavorful olive oil dressings; savory and sweet pastry delights; and signature dishes such as bestila, which is made with almost translucent pastry sheets, and the classic Berber couscous.

Also included will be talks on culinary topics and visits to bustling markets to learn about the herbs, spices, and condiments that are prevalent in Moroccan cookery. We will also see the major tourist sights, yet still have time to shop and relax along the way.

​The minimum number of participants is 6; the maximum number of participants is 12.

• Intinerary
  
• Details
• Leaders

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FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 PARTICIPANTS, MAXIMUM OF 12 PARTICIPANTS
Price starting from $4,175* per person, double occupancy with 12 participants. 
Single Supplement $750.

* The tour will proceed if we have a minimum of 6 participants. Final price to be determined by number of participants and will be discussed with confirmed participants prior to final tour commitment and payment of deposits to Morocco tour operator.

We will be staying at lovely 4* and 5* Riads and hotels, and a boutique camp in the Agafay desert.
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Included Services:
• Accommodations in Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Marrakech and luxury camp in the Agafay desert (including breakfast)
• First day and last day of tour airport transfers, as group (extra charge for separate transfers)
• Land transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Professional English-speaking guide for all of the featured group tours
• Services of tour leaders Joan Peterson and Susan Chwae
• Entrance fees to museums and historical sites included in the group day tours
• All cooking demos, classes, breakfasts, lunches and dinners, unless specified
• Copy of Eat Smart in Morocco eBook
• Water or soft drink during lunches and dinners
• Bottled water on bus

Services not included:
• International flights*
• Travel Insurance*
• Wine during lunch and dinner unless specified in the itinerary
• Tips for guide and driver
• Tips for porters at hotels
• Tips for wait staff

General Notes: On this tour there is moderate walking on uneven surfaces, so you will want to pack good walking shoes. 

* Tour leader Susan Chwae (based in US) can help you obtain international flights and Travel Insurance (minimum coverage required).

Highlights from our Culinary Tour to Morocco

Moroccan Cuisine is the culinary star of North Africa. Imperial and trade influences have been filtered and blended into Morocco’s culture. Being at the crossroads of many civilizations, the cuisine of Morocco is a melange of Arab, Berber, Moorish, French, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean African, Iberian, and Jewish influences. Moroccan cooking is enhanced with fruits, both dried and fresh. Lemons preserved in a salt-lemon juice mixture bring a unique face to many Moroccan chicken and squab dishes. Moroccan sweets are rich and dense confections of cinnamon, almond, and fruit perfumes that are rolled in filo dough (warka), soaked in honey, and stirred into puddings. The cooks in the royal kitchens of Fes, Meknes, Marrakech, Rabat, and Tetouan refined Moroccan cuisine over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today. 
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Friday · May 17th
Depart for Tangier

​Saturday ·May 18th
After arriving at the Tangier airport and being welcomed by your guide, you will be accompanied to your Riad. Depending on the flight schedules, a panoramic tour of Tangier will be arranged. We will meet with a specialist who will give us an introduction of Moroccan cuisine before our welcome dinner. Overnight at Riad.

Sunday · May 19th
After breakfast at the hotel we will meet our guide for our tour of Tangier, including the American Legation and the Mandoubia, followed by a visit to a local market with vegetables, desserts, and spices. We will enjoy a break at the Continental Hotel to taste a glass of tea with fresh mint and Moroccan pastries. The Continental Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Tangier. It is located in the Medina area of the city center. We will enjoy lunch at a local seafood restaurant. It is an ideal place to enjoy fresh fish and seafood from the Bay of Tangier. Afternoon at leisure before we meet for our cooking class, including dinner. Overnight at Riad.

Monday · May 20th​
After breakfast at the Riad and checking out, we will meet our guide and drive to Chefchaouen, a small city situated southeast of Tangier. The blue and white city, with its crowned houses of red tiles, is one the most charming cities of northern Morocco, famous for its vivid blue-rinsed houses. Founded in 1471, Chefchaouen took in a number of Morisques, Spanish Muslims who were expelled from Spain. Their influence is manifested in the choice of the colors, manners, handicrafts, and architecture of the city. Upon arrival in Chefchaouen, we will have a short visit of the city including the Grand Mosque, the Medina, the Kasba, and explore winding lanes and narrow alleys which are home to numerous souks offering cuisine and artisan works, such as woolen items, intricate embroidery, and goat cheese; all native to the North and not found anywhere else in Morocco. We will then check in to our hotel and enjoy lunch at leisure in one of the many popular restaurants near Houta Square. In the afternoon you will go back to the medina to meet with a local family. We will enjoy mint tea followed by a demonstration of making local bread and a cooking demonstration of tajine with chicken and vegetables. Our dinner will be with the family. Overnight at hotel.

Tuesday · May 21st
After breakfast and checking out of our hotel, we will begin crossing the Rif mountain chain. We will stop to visit the Volubilis Roman Ruins dating from the first century CE. Then we will drive to Meknes via Moulay Idriss, a picturesque village hanging on the hills and sheltering the tomb of Moulay Idriss Ist, the founder of Fes. Meknes is famous for its impressive walls and horses of pure Arab blood. Meknassa al-Zitoun was founded by the Berbers in the ninth century, but did not take its true character until 1069 when the Almoravids built a moat and fortress in the city. Besieged, conquered, abandoned, and rebuilt over the centuries, Meknes entered its golden age under King Moulay Ismail, contemporary of French King Louis XIVth in the XVIIth century - who made it the country’s first capital. We will enjoy a demonstration and lunch of tajine with meatballs and eggs with a wine tasting option. After lunch, we will visit Meknes, including the Ramparts, Bab Mansour, the Old Mellah (Jewish quarter) and the Mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismael, to which can be added Dar Jamai Museum, a beautiful palace dating back to the late XIXth century, and displaying a number of artifacts and art objects from the city and other regions in Morocco. We will then drive directly to Fes by the motorway, arriving in Fes by the end of the day. We will have a talk on Moroccan herbs and spices and a special dinner. Overnight at Riad. 

Wednesday · May 22nd
After breakfast at the Riad, we will go to see a demonstration of making delicious sweet Moroccan pastries. We will have a light lunch at a popular lunch spot in the medina, enjoying the brochette of minced meat & chicken that we will prepare there. After lunch we will depart for a panoramic tour of Fes, including the Old Ramparts (South and North Towers), the Batha Museum (traditional Moroccan arts and crafts), the Mellah, and the Royal Palace Quarter. We will meet at a local restaurant for a demonstration of briouates - small, plump triangles made of thin sheets of pastry dough (warka) wrapped around sweet or savory fillings. Dinner, including our own briouates. Overnight at Riad.

Thursday · May 23rd
After breakfast at the Riad, we will depart for an in-depth exploration of the Medina of Fes, an architectural masterpiece representing the heritage of twelve centuries. Starting from the Bouanania Medersa, we will see the dyers, the coppersmiths, the Chouara Tannery, the Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, the Nejjarine Square, and the Nejjarine Foundouq, which is now the museum of wooden arts and crafts. We will have lunch with a demonstration of preparing Chicken Trid. This dish is based on shredded pastilla sheets drizzled with a broth made from chicken and lentils. In the afternoon we will visit the Achabin Square and Attarine Souk for spices, Chemaine Square for dried fruits, the Joutya for salt, eggs, and fish, the Kissaria for hand-women textiles and other locally produced goods, the Henna Souk, the Maristan (an old hospital built in 1286 now with vendors selling a variety of items), and the Attarine Medersa (a Koranic school dating back to the XV century). Dinner at your leisure. Overnight at Riad.

Friday · May 24th
After breakfast and checking out of the Riad, we will drive across the varied landscapes of Morocco, the Middle Atlas Mountains and the rich agricultural plains of Beni Mellal to fabled Marrakech, Morocco's most popular city. Light lunch in Beni Mellal at leisure. We will arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon and visit the famous Jemaa el Fna Square where we will see it transform from a lively area of acrobats and other entertainers into a vast eatery of food stalls. We will experience a special dinner on Djemaa El Fna, sampling the food from selected stalls. Overnight at Riad.

Saturday · May 25th
After breakfast at your Riad, we will tour Marrakech and its historical sights including Bahia Palace. Built in the late 19th century, the name literally means 'brilliance' and was intended to be the greatest palace of its time. We will also visit the Saadian tombs, only recently discovered in 1917 and restored. Because of the beauty of their decoration, the tombs have become a major attraction. We will meet for a private demonstration on breads, and various types of Moroccan pancakes and crêpes, with lunch afterwards. Continuation of our visit in the Medina. Then we will depart for a demonstration of making bestila, Morocco's lavish 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 including your own bestila. Overnight at Riad.

Sunday · May 26th
After breakfast, visit the beautifully restored Medersa Ben Youssef. Following is the visit of the charming “Jardin Secret,” well hidden in the souks, followed by lunch. Afternoon at leisure. In the early evening, we will be transferred by chauffeured 4x4 to our Bedouin Bivouac dinner and overnight stay in the Agafay desert. We will just need an overnight bag as we will return to our Riad in Marrakech the following day.

Monday · May 27th
After breakfast and checking out of our camp, we will transfer back to Marrakech for the visit of the Mellah Market and the Dar Si Said Museum. Lunch and afternoon at your leisure. In the evening we will have a demonstration of couscous followed by our farewell dinner including our own couscous. Overnight at Riad.

Tuesday · May 28th
Transfer to Marrakech Airport for Departure After breakfast and checking out of the Riad, you will be transferred to the Marrakech airport for your departing flight. End of services.

FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 PARTICIPANTS, MAXIMUM OF 12 PARTICIPANTS
Price starting from $4,175 per person, double occupancy with 12 participants. 
Single Supplement $750.
The tour will proceed if we have a minimum of 6 participants. Final price to be determined by number of participants and will be discussed with confirmed participants prior to final tour commitment and payment of deposits to Morocco tour operator.

Included Services:
• Accommodations in Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, Marrakech and luxury camp in the Agafay desert (including breakfast)
• All airport transfers and group transfers
• Land transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• Professional English-speaking guide for all of the featured group tours
• Services of tour leaders Joan Peterson and Susan Chwae
• Entrance fees to museums and historical sites included in the group day tours
• All cooking demos, classes, breakfasts, lunches and dinners, unless specified
• Copy of Eat Smart in Morocco eBook
• Water or soft drink during lunches and dinners
• Bottled water on bus

Services not included:
• International flights*
• Wine during lunch and dinner unless specified in the itinerary
• Tips for guide and driver
• Tips for porters at hotels
• Tips for wait staff

General Notes:
• On this tour there is moderate walking on uneven surfaces, so you will want to pack good walking shoes. 

* Assistant tour leader Susan Chwae (based in US) can help you obtain international flights and Travel Insurance (minimum coverage required).

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Eat Smart Culinary Travel is proud to partner with the following destination management on their Eat Smart Culinary and Cultural Tours to Morocco:

Unitour Maroc
Appartement 10, résidence Ahlam, entrée C, Rue du Pacha, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
+90 212 212 32 84
+212 5244-46913

As a full service travel agency, we can assist with pre- and post-tour extensions, flights, and travel insurance. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Joan Peterson is the author of the compact and portable EAT SMART series of guidebooks designed for travelers and cookbook lovers like herself who want to get to the heart of a country's culture through its cuisine. To date she has written or co-written guides to the cuisines of Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Morocco, India, Norway, Sicily, Portugal, and Peru, and they include, as always, a primer on food history and regional specialties—in addition to authentic recipes, useful phrases for ordering meals and shopping in the bustling local food markets, shopping tips and two extensive bilingual dictionaries to make navigating menu and market a breeze. She has traveled extensively for many years, and has led culinary tours to Turkey, India, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Sicily, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Peru, and Morocco.

Susan Peterson Chwae began her career in the travel industry in 1997 when she joined the family’s publishing company. Since the inception of the company’s tour business, Susan has worked intimately with destination management companies and tour operators to create luxury culinary and cultural travel experiences. She has been co-leading or leading her own tours since 2005.