Day 1: Arrival to Marrakech

Welcome to the red city Marrakech which has always been a major travel destination in Morocco. You will be greeted by your private driver and transferred to your Hotel, where you will check in and relax. As soon as you feel refreshed, your driver will take you to wander through, the lively Jemaa El Fna Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its snake charmers, acrobats, storytellers and musicians. Spend the overnight with dinner at the hotel or Riad.

Meals: Dinner included

Day 2: Marrakech Sightseeing Tour

Today you will have a sightseeing tour of Marrakech, a home of a thriving strong community of native Jews, specialized in commerce and handicrafts, famed for their rabbinical schools and scholars. Start your guided tour with a visit to the Jewish Mellah with its well-kept cemeteries and synagogues; continue on to the 19th Century Bahia Palace, and the 16th-century Ben Youssef Madrasa Islamic School to appreciate the exquisite Zellij, the carved cedar ceilings, and calligraphy. Wander around the labyrinth of narrow alleyways to indulge your senses and explore the colorful bustling souks of Marrakech. Then move next to the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque and the lavishly-decorated 500-year old Saadian Tombs. From here drive to explore the Majorelle Gardens—one of the must-see attractions in Marrakech, famous for its botanical growing plants and trees from around the world. We finish your guided tour in the Djmaâ el Fnaâ Square before heading to the hotel for the overnight with breakfast.

Meals: Breakfast included

Day 3: Marrakech - Essaouira

Today we leave Marrakech west to the Atlantic coast mainly to the ancient Phoenician town Essaouira. Abandoned by the Portuguese in 1541, the mesmerizing fishing town surrounded by hand-painted blue, white and yellow houses, is famed for its ramparts, Islamic-Jewish history, skilled craftsmen, stunning art galleries, enthusiastic artist community and fresh seafood, also this awe inspiring seaside Essaouira is very well-known for its annual Gnaoua Music Festival. This coastal town invites you to wander through the narrow alleyways which make up this enchanting Medina. Leave for a walk around the Jewish cemetery, just outside the city gates, is well-kept, whose oldest known gravestone dates from 1776, with about 500 in the old cemetery and about 3,500 in the new. Jews from around the world gather here for an annual pilgrimage to visit Rabbi Haim Pinto’s grave (the hiloula of Chaïm Pinto is held in September). Even now, the home of Rabbi Haim Pinto’s stands a remarkable historic – religious site, it is an active synagogue that is used when the pilgrims visit this holy place. Stroll around the alleys of the medina to witness artisans at work making their inlaid wooden Thuya tables and boxes and sundry items in lemon or briar wood inlaid with mother of pearl – the purple dyes produced by the crushed shellfish were exported from the offshore Purple Islands by the conquering Romans to color the togas of the rich back home. Visit the fishermen port, the Mellah and its two historical synagogues – the Slat Rabbi Chaïm Pinto and Slat Attias. Spend the overnight with dinner at the hotel or Riad.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 4: Essaouira - Agadir - Taroudant

After breakfast we leave the city of Essaouira along the exquisite coast to the city of Agadir, famous for its beautiful sandy beaches and resorts, along the way you will see goats perched on the Argan trees, you may see also the White Stork and Collared Doves, Swallows and Bulbuls. In Agadir you visit the old ruined Kasbah, a small fortified communal granary and enjoy a lunch overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The drive goes to the town of Taroudant nicknamed as the “Little Marrakesh” through the scenery of Souss Valley that’s a reserve for the indigenous Argan trees. Arrive to Taroudant bordered by the dramatically Western High Atlas Plateau and to the south by the Anti Atlas, it is one of the oldest Medinas in the Kingdom of Morocco. Well-known, with its beautiful gardens, tanneries, ochre coloured ramparts, gateways, bustling and winding alleyways, colorful souks of fine tooled cotton and wool; antiques, spices and deeply-grained aromatic burl wood from the Thuja. We spend the overnight with dinner at the hotel in Taroudant.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 5: Taroudant - Taliouine - Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah - Ouarzazate

Today we leave Taroudant to the fascinating Berber village of Arazane where you will visit the interesting Dodi Synagogue before we continue south to the small town of Taliouine where you will stop for lunch to enjoy a tagine with saffron in a very old major saffron-producing area, visit the local Cooperatives of biological saffron to understand the secrets of cultivation and discover saffron’s secrets by tasting delicious saffron tea. The journey set off south to Tazenakht and from here to the Tiffoultoute Kasbah, ancient residence of Glaoui (the former Pasha of Marrakech, towards the alongside the Assif Ounila Valley to reach the magnificently exotic and the UNESCO-protected Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. Wander around the maze lanes passing by 11th-century muddy dwells before climbing up to the old Granary, a perfect spot to admire the Aït Benhaddou Kasbah and the surrounding valley. As you continue to explore the Kasbah, keep an eye out for the ancient camel caravan trade route that once connected Marrakech and the Sahara Desert and enjoy visiting places featured in some famous movies, such as the Game of Thrones, The Jewel of the Nile, the Gladiator, and the Lawrence of Arabia. We arrive to the Hollywood of Africa Ouarzazate for the overnight with dinner at the hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 6: Ouarzazate -Tinghir - Erfoud – Merzouga Desert

After breakfast, you will visit one of the world’s largest cinematographic studios of Atlas to learn how the nearby regions and breathtaking Sahara Desert landscapes have been portrayed in fiction and non-fiction movies. We leave Ouarzazate towards the palm’s grove of Skoura and the Rose valley where thousands of small, pink Damascene roses are grown. We continue driving through the arid landscapes to the small town of Tinghir where the fabulous Todra Gorges to enjoy a leisurely walk in and around the canyons and venture up between the high limestone cliffs with their exotic shaped erosions and beautiful green vegetation, Kasbahs ranging in colors from greenish black to dark red and startling lime-white. We drive onwards to the Tafilalet Oases where you will see the magical old irrigation system of the old underground water canals “Khettarat” before we arrive the gate of Sahara Desert Erfoud where meteorites fossils continue to be found. Catch the first sightings of the massive sand sea of Erg Chebbi looming on the horizon, before you will be greeted by mint tea. Hop on your camel and ride into the desert to enjoy sunset over the golden dunes in the Erg-Chebbi. Enjoy dinner and a celestial overnight in tented camp.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 7: Erg Chebbi - Ziz Oasis - Middle Atlas Mountains - Ifrane - Fez

You will rise early to witness the magical sunrise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi as one of the highlight of your Jewish heritage tour adventure. After breakfast, we will leave the Sahara Desert onwards to the medieval city of Fez with a stop in the town of Rissani to visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty before paying a visit to the 150 years old synagogue and the Jewish quarter (Mellah). We cross the spectacular valley of Ziz Palms to arrive in Midelt for lunch. During the French protectorate in the first half of the 20th century, the local Jewish community has increased here. Still, most of them have now moved to bigger cities such as Casablanca, Tangier, and Marrakech. Continue via the middle Atlas Mountains and cedar wood forest to Ifrane, a charming ski resort. En route, pass Azrou, an important Berber town specialized in cedar wood handicraft. While driving, feast your eyes on the stunning panoramic views and cherish nature the cool healthy breeze. We arrive to the glorious medieval Medina of Fez for the overnight with dinner at the hotel.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 8: Fez Sightseeing Tour

Today is devoted to a guided tour of the ancient Fez Medina, fascinating old religious Morocco’s capital surrounded by nine miles of ramparts, strategically positioned on the old caravan trading crossroads which once connected the Saharan empires with Europe. Start your guided tour from the impressive Royal Palace with its magnificent seven glorious bronze gates. From here you walk to the Mellah with its intense atmosphere and fine Mauro-Hispanic architecture, continue to the nearby Jewish cemetery and the Ibn Danan well-kept synagogue, which testifies the importance of the Jewish community Fez. You will head south to enjoy the panoramic view of the old Medina. The next visit is the ceramics quarter where you learn about the unique local pottery handicraft and see the old kilns. The amazing part is to start your walking tour of the bustling labyrinth of the ancient Fez Medina, visit the colorful tanneries and explore the narrow streets lined with fresh fruit, mounds of spices, intricately woven Berber carpets, beautiful brassware, and Jewish-originated silverware, traditional and modern Jewelry. Visit El-Attarine, El Bou Inania Medersas, and the marvelous Karaouine university-mosque. Stop for lunch at a traditional restaurant in the heart of the medina, nearby the delightful Nejjarine Square famous with its fountain and caravanserai. We end up the sightseeing tour in the blue gate “Bab Boujloud”. You will be back to your hotel for the overnight with breakfast.

Meals: Breakfast included

Day 9: Fez - Volubilis - Meknes - Rabat

Today we leave the imperial city of Fez to the well-preserved ruins of the Roman city of Volubilis where you will see a Hebrew epitaph proving the existence of a Jewish community during the Roman occupation; the World UNESCO site of Volubilis contains mansions, incredible mosaics, ancient olive presses, monumental arches and Corinthian columns. We leave to Meknes, the capital of Moulay Ismail’s empire, was once called “the Moroccan Versailles”, strategically located in the foothills of the Middle Atlas and surrounded by fertile plains and abundant water supplies. It was Birthplace of the famous 18th century scholar and cabbalist Ribbi Hayyim Ben Moses Ibn Attar. Start your tour here, driving through the Ramparts and monumental gates, visit the glorious Bab Al-Mansour, the bustling El Hedim Square, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, continue on to visit the granaries, the Royal Stables, and the House of Water. We visit the new and old Mellah, beautiful well-kept synagogues, and the old Jewish cemetery, where several saints are buried including the ‘Patron of Meknes’ Rabbi David Benmidan. Arrive to the main capital Rabat to visit Mohamed V Mausoleum, the neighboring unfinished minaret of the Great Mosque, known also as the Hassan Tower and the delightful 12th century Kasbah of the Oudayas and the King’s Palace to savor and photograph the impressive arches, redolent of the finest Islamic architecture of the. Next you arrive at the Chellah necropolis, where Jews have lived during the time of the Phoenicians. Check in at the hotel for the overnight with dinner.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 10: Rabat - Casablanca

Today we leave the administrative capital to the economic Casablanca, a home to the largest remaining Jewish community in Morocco. Begin your Jewish tour of Casablanca with a visit to the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, an architectural masterpiece, and a symbol of an Islam open to the world sitting pretty on an outcrop overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. During your guided tour inside the mosque, you will admire the intricate marble work, gilded cedar ceilings, stone and wood carving. We drive to visit the Temple Beth-El, the main Jewish Synagogue, famous for its uniquely beautiful stained-glass windows attracting tourists from around the world. Not just this, but experience the Jewish culture by paying a visit to witness the ethnography in its finest form at the Museum of Moroccan Judaism. It is truly a historic marvel! Move down now to the Habous Quarter in the New Medina, a mix of European art deco and Moorish style, pre-dating the French protectorate. After all these appealing sites, you can enjoy an optional visit to Temple Em Habanim and the Neve Chalom. In the evening, we drive alongside the Atlantic Ocean to the seaside resort of Aïn Diab. You will have a scrumptious dinner at the Rick’s café and a good night sleep at your hotel in Casablanca.

Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included

Day 11: Casablanca – Back to the airport

Transfer to the Airport to take your flight home with a good an amazing experience and best memories about Jewish Heritage Tour in Morocco.

* These are sample Jewish Heritage itineraries, customizable for each customer, prices are on request and depend on dates, accommodations level and activities Optional kosher meals can be arranged in Casablanca and Marrakech.