Arrival Casablanca & Museum of Moroccan Judaism

Your driver-guide meets you on arrival in a private Mercedes Vito. In the afternoon, we visit the Museum of Moroccan Judaism, established in 1997 in a former Jewish orphanage building, which Lonely Planet describes as "the only Jewish museum in the Arabic-speaking world."

Casablanca is home to the majority of Morocco's remaining Jewish community; the Jewish Virtual Library notes that "the Jewish population of Morocco stands at approximately 2,500 people," most of them here.

Casablanca → Rabat → Fes

We drive north to Rabat for the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Hassan Tower, then continue east to Fes, settling into a traditional riad in the medina by evening.

Fes Jewish Heritage Day

A licensed guide leads you through the Fes Mellah, established in 1438 as Morocco's oldest Jewish quarter, to the Ibn Danan Synagogue, built in the 17th century, and the Slat Al Fassiyine Synagogue, reputed to be the oldest in the mellah and restored and reopened in 2013 after decades of disuse.

The afternoon continues into Fez el-Bali, a UNESCO World Heritage Site National Geographic describes as "a living, earthy (yet car-free) town," including the Chouara Tannery and the Bou Inania Madrasa.

Fez → Ifrane → Cedar Forest → Merzouga

We cross the Middle Atlas through Ifrane and its cedar forests, home to Barbary macaques, then follow the Ziz Valley south. We switch to a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser for the final stretch into Merzouga, where a camel ride carries you into the dunes for a luxury desert camp under the stars.

Merzouga → Todra Gorges → Dades Valley

Sunrise over the dunes, then the Todra Gorges, where towering canyon walls invite a walk along the riverbed, before an overnight stay in the Dades Valley.

Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Amezrou, Zagora

We continue south to Ouarzazate, then to Amezrou, a village on the edge of Zagora built around a rural Jewish silversmith tradition documented in the Draa Valley since at least the 11th century. Its mellah houses still carry carved Stars of David above the doorways; its small synagogue has been restored, and silver workshops in the old quarter remain active today.

Zagora → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech

We drive north to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO site UNESCO calls "a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco," then cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, arriving in Marrakech by evening.

Marrakech Jewish Heritage Day

A licensed guide leads you through the Marrakech Mellah, established in the mid-16th century, to the Lazama Synagogue, named for Jewish exiles from Spain whose first synagogue on this site dates to 1492, and the Miaara Jewish Cemetery, one of the largest in Morocco, with graves reportedly dating back roughly five hundred years.

The afternoon continues into the wider medina: the Bahia Palace and Jemaa el-Fnaa square.

Marrakech → Essaouira

A private Mercedes Vito carries us west to the Atlantic coast. Essaouira, formerly Mogador, was built in the 18th century as a planned trading port, with Jewish merchant families specifically invited to help run its international trade.

Essaouira Jewish Heritage Day

Bayt Dakira ("House of Memory"), housed in the restored Simon Attias Synagogue, documents the city's Jewish-Muslim commercial history. At its 2020 inauguration, Chief Rabbi David Pinto was quoted by Middle East Online saying, "if we are here today it's because of King Mohammed VI."

The afternoon is free to wander Essaouira's mellah and ramparts at your own pace.

Essaouira → Marrakech Departure

We drive back to Marrakech for your onward flight — eleven days from Casablanca's Jewish museum to the Atlantic coast, with the country's fuller story built in around it.