Christmas in Morocco

Fly overnight to Casablanca and transfer to your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival the rest of the day is yours to start soaking up the local culture, perhaps catching a refreshing Atlantic breeze with a stroll along the city’s vibrant Corniche.

Travel to Rabat, Morocco's stately capital. Enjoy a cultural city tour, beginning at the evocative Hassan Tower before viewing the juxtaposition of traditional and modern at the mausoleum of Mohammed V. Visit a female-run weaving cooperative in the old medina, and learn how they preserve ancestral techniques and empower women. Explore the medina further before a tea and pastry break in a beautiful riad while listening to a local expert speak on Moroccan traditions, hospitality and women’s roles.

Transfer to the station and board the sleek and swift Al Boraq, Morocco’s high-speed train, bound for the port city of Tangier. Begin exploring the unique blend of cultures and influences visiting Cap Spartel, Hercules Caves and the atmospheric kasbah. Stop for a mint tea at the iconic, clifftop Café Hafa, looking across the Strait of Gibraltar, before a wander through the colonial-era Marshan district.

Perched high among the peaks of The Rif, the mountain village of Chefchaouen is famous for its blue-washed buildings. Discover the cobblestone medina, visit the historic Outta Hammam and the picturesque Ras El Ma. Dinner this evening will be in a riad followed by a Hadra Chawnia music performance, a sacred Sufi ceremony.

Today you will take part in an indigo dying workshop, learning how natural dyes have colored the city’s walls for centuries, using traditional techniques. Spend the afternoon discovering the city on your own.

Set off for Fez stopping at Volubilis, Morocco’s oldest Roman site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site,. Here, you can admire ancient mosaics that have been preserved in situ, and stroll the streets while listening to tales told by a local historian. Continue to Fez, where you can venture out to start soaking up the city’s vibrant atmosphere.

Fez was founded in the 9th century and was long a centre of culture and learning. Today is packed full of its plentiful sights; visit the artisans of the Chouara Tanneries and watch craftsmen at work using centuries-old methods, then explore the UNESCO-listed old medina, where you’ll see renowned medresas – theological colleges - intricately decorated mosques and bustling souks.

This morning will be dedicated to a cooking class that take place on the scenic rooftop of a palace. Visit a local market to select your ingredients then prepare a traditional Moroccan dishes, guided by a chef, for lunch. This afternoon, visit a pottery atelier for a hands-workshop, enjoying a cup of tea with the artists and trying the wheel for yourself.

It's Christmas Eve! Travel to Marrakech, a place of great colour, energy and creativity. This evening, sip a drink on a rooftop overlooking the bustle of the city, before sitting down to a special Christmas Eve dinner accompanied by traditional Moroccan music, in a warm and elegant atmosphere.

Get swept up into Marrakech’s fast-paced bustle as you spend the day discovering its rich history and colourful culture. Start with a walking tour through the medina, followed by Christmas lunch in Riad.. Then, wander the Majorelle Gardens, a psychedelic vision of cobalt blue and 300 species of plants, and learn about its creator Jacques Majorelle and its connection to Yves Saint Laurent. Celebrate Christmas with a festive dinner inside a 16th‑century former sugar factory restored into an opulent palace, reminiscent of Arabian Nights.

Hop in a 4x4 and travel into the High Atlas Mountains to spend a day surrounded by spectacular scenery. Invited into the home of a Berber family, learn all about their rural lifestyle, take part in a tea ceremony and enjoy a traditional lunch. Continue to a mountain village and get involved in a Berber bread making session before wandering through the whimsical botanical space that is Anima Garden. Return to Marrakech.

Enjoy a morning at leisure before a delicious lunch among the enchanting gardens of the Beldi Country Club. Then, head into the Agafay Desert, exploring among its dramatic rocky expanse. As the sun sets and twilight falls, sip on a sundowner in an atmosphere set by Gnawa music. There’ll be a traditional local barbeque dinner to tuck into, followed by a star reading under the glorious desert night sky.

Return to Casablanca by road, where you’ll have a leisurely final day. Take a guided tour of the striking Hassan II Mosque with its towering minaret. The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish – a walk along the Corniche is a lovely way to pass some time. Your farewell dinner this evening will be at Rick’s Café, inspired by the fictional saloon in the 1942 film Casablanca.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home, arriving back to Australia the following day.