Morocco Jewish Heritage & Cultural Journey

Hotel: Overnight in Flight

Meet your fellow travelers at New York/JFK and depart aboard Royal Air Maroc on the overnight nonstop flight to Casablanca.

Settle in for the journey and prepare to discover a Morocco shaped over centuries by Amazigh, Arab, Andalusian, African, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

Hotel: Rabat Marriott Hotel | Meals: Dinner

Arrive at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, where your Oussaden Tours guide and driver will welcome you. Enjoy a first introduction to Morocco before traveling north along the Atlantic corridor to Rabat, the elegant capital of the Kingdom.

After hotel check-in, take time to rest from the overnight flight. Later, enjoy an orientation through Rabat's broad avenues, historic walls and neighborhoods before gathering for a Welcome to Morocco Dinner.

Hotel: Lina Ryad & Spa | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Explore Rabat's great landmarks: Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Royal Palace district and the Kasbah of the Oudayas overlooking the Bouregreg River and Atlantic Ocean.

Along the way, learn about the place of Morocco's Jewish community in the nation's history and the Jewish heritage of Rabat and neighboring Salé, associated with distinguished scholars including Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar.

Continue north through changing countryside and the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen. Enjoy an introductory walk through the Blue City's atmospheric lanes before dinner.

Hotel: Heritage Boutique Hotel - Fez | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Begin with a morning walk through Chefchaouen's blue-painted lanes, small squares, fountains and artisan workshops. Learn how Muslim and Jewish families arriving from Andalusia helped shape the culture of northern Morocco.

Continue to Meknes, one of Morocco's four Imperial Cities. Discover its monumental gates and walls and hear about the historic Mellah and the Jewish merchants, craftsmen and families who were part of the city's life for generations.

Nearby, explore Volubilis, Morocco's remarkable Roman archaeological site, before continuing to Fez, the spiritual and intellectual heart of the Kingdom.

Hotel: Heritage Boutique Hotel - Fez | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today is one of the signature days of the journey. Begin near the Royal Palace and walk through the historic Fez Mellah, once home to one of Morocco's most influential Jewish communities.

Visit the Jewish cemetery and hear the moving story of Sol Hachuel, known as Solica. Subject to access, visit a historic synagogue and learn about religious, family and commercial life within the community.

Then enter Fez el-Bali, a living medieval city of winding lanes, spice markets, neighborhood bakeries and traditional crafts. Highlights include the Chouara Tanneries, Bou Inania Madrasa, Nejjarine area, Bab Boujloud and artisan quarters. Fez is not simply a city to see — it is a city to experience.

Hotel: Luxury Sahara Desert Camp | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Leave Fez and climb into the Middle Atlas Mountains, stopping in Ifrane before continuing through cedar country, mountain villages and broad interior valleys.

Travel south toward the spectacular Ziz Valley, where a ribbon of date palms cuts through the increasingly arid landscape. By late afternoon, reach Merzouga at the edge of the great Erg Chebbi dunes.

Continue into the Sahara by camel or 4x4. Pause for sunset over the dunes, then enjoy dinner, traditional music and an unforgettable night beneath the desert sky.

Hotel: Selected Dades Region Hotel | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early risers may watch the sun rise over the Sahara before breakfast. Leave the dunes and travel through palm-filled oases and southern villages toward Tinghir.

Explore the dramatic Todra Gorge, where towering canyon walls frame a narrow valley. Continue along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs toward the Dades Valley, surrounded by extraordinary rock formations, fortified villages and mountain scenery.

Hotel: Es Saadi Marrakech Resort | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Travel through the landscapes of southern Morocco toward Skoura and Ouarzazate, a region historically linked to caravan routes connecting the Sahara with northern Morocco. Jewish and Muslim merchants were part of the commercial networks that moved goods across these routes.

Visit UNESCO-listed Aït Ben Haddou, one of Morocco's most impressive fortified villages. Then cross the spectacular High Atlas Mountains and descend toward Marrakech.

Arrive at Es Saadi Marrakech Resort, your home for the next three nights.

Hotel: Es Saadi Marrakech Resort | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Begin in Marrakech's historic Mellah, where a large Jewish community once lived beside the royal quarter. Visit the beautiful Lazama Synagogue and explore the neighborhood while learning about the rabbis, merchants, craftsmen and families who shaped Jewish life in the city.

Continue to the magnificent Bahia Palace, then explore the medina and souks filled with leatherwork, lanterns, carpets, spices and jewelry.

As evening approaches, experience legendary Jemaa el-Fna Square as food stalls, musicians, storytellers and performers bring the heart of Marrakech to life.

Hotel: Es Saadi Marrakech Resort | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Journey into the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains and the beautiful Ourika Valley, where Jewish communities once lived among Amazigh villages.

Visit the area associated with Rabbi Shlomo Bel Hensh and learn about rural Jewish traditions, pilgrimage, local synagogues, trades and the relationships that connected neighboring communities.

Enjoy the mountain scenery and lunch before returning to Marrakech. The evening is free to relax at Es Saadi or enjoy more of the city.

Hotel: Le Médina Essaouira | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Travel west to Essaouira, historically known as Mogador, a fortified Atlantic port whose story is deeply connected to Jewish merchants and international commerce.

Walk through the historic Mellah and visit Bayt Dakira — House of Memory, dedicated to preserving Essaouira's Jewish history and the story of Jewish-Muslim coexistence. Continue to synagogue heritage sites, subject to access, and the historic Jewish cemetery.

Later, enjoy the city's white-and-blue medina, fishing harbor, galleries and Atlantic ramparts, with time to appreciate a beautiful ocean sunset.

Hotel: Idou Anfa Hotel - Casablanca | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Travel north to Casablanca, the modern center of Moroccan Jewish life. Visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, whose collections preserve religious objects, clothing, photographs and community artifacts from across the Kingdom.

Continue through neighborhoods connected to Casablanca's Jewish community and visit synagogue heritage according to current access and opening schedules. Time permitting, enjoy views of the Hassan II Mosque and the Atlantic waterfront.

Visit to the Hassan II Mosque is from the outside only. An additional entrance fee of $35 per person applies for an inside guided visit.

Tonight, gather for a special Farewell Morocco Dinner and celebrate the people, stories and experiences that have made the journey memorable.

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport and board Royal Air Maroc for the nonstop return flight to New York/JFK.

Return home with memories of blue mountain towns, historic synagogues, ancient medinas, Sahara sunsets, Atlas landscapes, Atlantic shores and the remarkable story of Jewish life in Morocco.