Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Morocco. Aromatic tajines, palm-spotted, red-earthed landscapes and limitless generosity define this friendly, vibrant and flavourful Berber-Arab-Spanish-Portuguese-French melting pot. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm today, where we’ll be collecting your insurance and next of kin details. You can arrive at any time during the day, as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. Modelled after Marseille in France, the bustling port city of Casablanca has a curious architectural style – famous for its art deco French-colonial buildings and Mauresque governmental institutions, an old medina and the modern-day masterpiece of the Hassan II Mosque. For those who arrive early, a pleasant way to spend the day exploring Casablanca is to wander the old medina and the city...

Try typical Casablanca street food for breakfast – choose from Msmen (layered, pan-fried bread), omelette, Khlea (a type of Moroccan preserved meat), bessara soup or a variety of other dishes to be found amongst the stalls. Breakfast will, of course, be served with mint tea, the perfect beverage to kick-start a day in Morocco. Then board a train to the former capital of Meknes (approximately 3.5 hours). In the 17th century Sultan Moulay Ismail turned Meknes from a provincial town to a spectacular Imperial city, building his own version of Versailles with labour force of over 25,000 slaves. Jump in a taxi to Moulay Idriss (approximately 1 hour). Take a walking tour of the town, sample the famous nougat candy sold at street-side stalls, and then make a stop to uncover the local olive scene. Olives are at the heart of Moroccan cu...

This morning you’ll return to Meknes by taxi and take a walking tour with a local guide, exploring the elaborately decorated public buildings that line the winding streets of the old walled section of the city. Then it’s time to eat something a bit different, a local riff on an American classic – a camel burger! Ride the rails once again as you climb aboard a train to the living museum of Fes (approximately 1 hour), 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 – with a huge, well-preserved medieval old city that’s the mother of all medinas. You’ll have free time for the rest of the day – perhaps check out the Medersa Bou Inania, a stunningly beautiful and elaborate building t...

Today head into the old city, known locally as Fes el Bali. Descending into the labyrinthine alleyways of the medina is like taking a giant step back to the Middle Ages. Walk though the twisting streets and alleyways, passing 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. Different areas of the Medina are known for specific types of food – from natural butters and fats, to pastries, to crepes and soups to dried and fresh produce. Pass dye-pits, stalls loaded with fruits, herbs and spices. With the squawk of chickens, the smell of spice and the sound of hammering copper filling the air, embark on a tasting trail to discover secret ingredients and fragrant flavours. Watch artisans craft pots, manipulate metal and tan leather wi...

Leave the intensity of the medina behind for the simplicity of the High Atlas Mountains. It’s an early departure and long drive by private vehicle to Aroumd and the heart of Berber hospitality (approximately 8 hours, leaving between 6.30-7am), so use the time to photograph snow-dappled mountains and valleys in full flower. The bus will stop every two hours, including for a lunch of grilled meat and kefta and arrive at Imlil by approximately 4pm. From Imlil, walk into traditional mountain village life with a gentle hike (approximately 1.5 hours, low gradient, approx 3kms) to your homestay. Set in an orchard, this is a special place beyond the reach of the modern world. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the remote village of Aroumd offers stunning views across the High Atlas Mountains and a unique opportunity to experience traditiona...

Lend a hand with a traditional Berber breakfast and fill the table with handmade flatbread (tafournout), cakes drizzled with honey and melted butter, and sweet mint tea and aromatic coffee. Then perhaps take a walk to Sidi Chamharouch (approximately 3 hours return) and look down on its ancient shrine. Otherwise stay in the village to relax, or get in the kitchen and help prepare lunch. Share a final mountain meal of salad, lentils and Berber Omelettes with your hosts before bidding them farewell and descending the mountain (approximately 1.5 hours). On the road to the coastal city of Essaouira (approximately 4.5 hours) taste local flavours with stops at an Argan oil cooperative and a family-owned vineyard. Argan oil is highly-prized for its culinary and cosmetic uses and is only produced in Morocco. Discover the strenuous proce...

Get into the laid back vibe of this Moroccan town with a European seaside twist. The name Essaouira means image, which is appropriate since it's such a picturesque town. This artists' town is a former Portuguese trading colony and was once home to a sizeable British and Jewish populations, and its charm has seduced people like Orson Welles and Jimi Hendrix, who (according to local legend) spent much of his time here in the 1960s. More recently, filmmaker Ridley Scott chose the ramparts as an important location for his film, Kingdom of Heaven. On a guided walk give way to the cart-haulers calling ‘ballak, ballak’ in streets of art galleries and workshops, pass the harbour filled with colourful boats which go out early every morning for the day's catch, see camels and surfers sharing the beach and finish with an exploration of ...

Chat with locals on a shared bus ride to Marrakech (approximately 3 hours), an ancient, exotic city wrapped in European modernity. Marrakech is a feast for the senses. Be enticed by the alluring scents and brilliant colours of the spice markets, the sounds of the musicians, the rich folds of carpets, delectable foods, acrobats and perfumed gardens. Surrounded by the Koutoubia Mosque and dazzling Bahia Palace, take a tastebud-tingling tour through the bustling souks, the lifeblood flowing through the medina and a place where it could almost be any century. Sniff the aromas of a spice souk, snack on olives, dates and biscuits, stop past a community oven, eat mechoui (slow-cooked lamb) cooked beneath the floorboards, and finish with a feast of harira soup and mint tea in the action-packed Djemma el-Fna, one of the largest public s...

Today, uncover the mysteries of all the food you saw last night at a unique cooking school. Learn the art of sumptuous Moroccan salads, a staple of the table, at a school that seeks empowerment for underprivileged women through cooking and literacy skills. Feast on your creations for lunch. In the afternoon perhaps see some last-minute sights or head back into the medina for some last-minute shopping, where every step brings a new smell, a new sight or a new gift to buy. Watch skilled artisans perfect their craft, practise your haggling skills or take a break from the hustle to sip on tea or share a tajine, filled with the pure scent of Morocco. A cocktail at Le Grand Café de la Poste, an iconic art deco bistro located in the city centre, gives a taste of Marrakech from the French Colonial-era. For your final evening, choose t...

Your Real Food Adventure ends this morning. There are no activities planned for your final day and you are free to leave at any time. If you decide to stay on longer, perhaps tour the impressive Saadian Tombs or relax in a hammam (Moroccan bath).