Unique experiences
Unique Experiences in Morocco
Morocco is best understood through its people. I design experiences with the artisans, bakers, farmers, musicians, women’s cooperatives and families I have known for years, so that you sit at their table and work beside them instead of watching from a distance.
Every experience is private, can be added to any of my tours or booked on its own in Fez, and is shaped around your interests, your pace and the age of your group.
Artisan workshops
Learn a Craft with a Master Artisan
Fez is still a city of workshops. In each of these you work with an artisan for two to four hours, make something with your own hands, and learn why the craft matters here. I only suggest workshops where the artisan welcomes visitors and where there is no pressure to buy.
Pottery and ceramics
Shape clay on the wheel or paint a traditional design, and learn why Fez ware is known for its cobalt blue. Pieces need a few days to be glazed and fired, so they are usually delivered or shipped afterwards.
Zellige mosaic
Zellige is hand cut glazed tile set into geometric patterns. You see how a craftsman chips each piece by hand and try to assemble a small design.
Leather and the Chouara tannery
Look down on the dye pits from a leather shop terrace, take the mint sprig at the door for the smell, and learn how hides become bags and jackets.
Babouche slipper making
Cut, stitch and shape your own pair of leather babouche under a cobbler’s guidance, then wear them home. A workshop takes about three hours.
Embroidery and textile work
Learn the stitches of traditional Fez embroidery with the women who keep it alive, and take a small piece home. Ask me for a visit to a women’s cooperative.
Brass and copper engraving
Watch metalworkers hammer and engrave trays, lanterns and teapots, and try a few strokes of the chisel yourself.
Woodwork and cedar carving
Fez and the Middle Atlas town of Azrou are known for carved cedar. Meet a carver, learn about the tools, and try a simple pattern.
Loom weaving and carpets
Sit at a loom, learn how wool is spun and knotted into a rug, and see why each Amazigh pattern carries a meaning. A short session lasts about an hour, a longer one up to four.
Bhalil silk buttons
In Bhalil, where I grew up, women weave the silk buttons used on traditional djellabas. I can introduce you to families who still make them, and we can walk through the cave houses afterwards.
Arabic calligraphy
Learn the shape of the letters, hold a reed pen and write your own name in Arabic, in a session of two to three hours.
Cooking and baking
Learn to Cook the Fez Way
Fez has a reputation as the capital of Moroccan cuisine. A class begins at the market and ends with everyone sharing the meal.
Cooking class at a riad
Choose vegetables and spices in the market, then cook salads, a tagine and a dessert in a traditional riad kitchen. A class lasts about four hours, and vegetarian meals are easy to arrange.
Bread baking
Many neighborhoods still bake in a shared oven. Knead your own dough, carry it to the oven the way families do, and eat it warm.
Mint tea ceremony
Learn how green tea, fresh mint and sugar are brewed and poured from a height, and why tea is the first sign of hospitality.
Spice and herb market tour
Walk the medina with me to learn the spices in a tagine, from cumin and ginger to saffron, and how to choose them.
Culinary
Tasting Trails and Farm Visits
Food is the quickest way into a culture, and in Morocco it is always shared.
Tasting trails in the medina
A walking tour of the old city with stops for street food, fresh bread, olives, pastries and mint tea.
Farm and vineyard visits
Saffron and lavender farms, a goat cheese farm, olive groves and a lunch at a winery, depending on the season and your route.
Cultural
Artisans, Music and Village Life
You meet the people behind the crafts and stay long enough to learn something from them.
Artisan workshops in Fez
Watch potters, weavers, leather workers and metal engravers at work, and try the craft yourself under their guidance.
Bhalil, the village where I grew up
Walk the lanes of Bhalil with me, see the cave houses that are still lived in, and take tea in a local home.
Amazigh village visit
Spend time with a family in the Atlas Mountains, learn about daily life and nomadic traditions, and share a meal.
Desert nights and live music
Ride a camel into the dunes at sunset, sleep in a camp, and listen to Gnawa and Amazigh music around the fire.
Time to relax
Hammam and Henna
After days of walking, a hammam is the traditional remedy, enjoyed by men and women all over Morocco.
Traditional hammam
A local public bath with black soap, a scrub and a rinse, as Moroccans do it every week. I will tell you what to expect before you go.
Modern spa hammam
A private spa in a riad or hotel with a hammam, massage and mint tea, for a quieter and more comfortable experience.
Henna art
A henna artist paints a traditional design on your hands, and you learn what the patterns mean.
Gardens of Fez and Marrakech
Slow walks in historic gardens such as Jnan Sbil in Fez and Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, planned at an easy pace.
Specialty tours
Tours Built Around Your Passion
If you travel for a particular reason, I can design the trip around it.
Photography tours
Medinas, mountains and dunes at the best light, with time to stop and wait for the shot.
Hiking tours
Walks in the Middle Atlas, the Dades and Todra gorges, and the Rif mountains near Chefchaouen.
Birdwatching tours
The Northern Bald Ibis, desert larks and owls, and the cedar forest endemics, on a private 16 day tour from the Atlas to the Sahara and the Atlantic.
Yoga retreats
Small private retreats in calm settings, arranged with your own teacher or one I can introduce.
How it works
1. Tell me what you love
Food, crafts, music, gardens, hiking or rest. I will suggest what fits your days.
2. I arrange it privately
Only your group takes part, with your driver guide, and the host families and artisans I trust.
3. Add it to your tour
Add an experience to any itinerary or book it on its own in Fez. Prices depend on the group, so I quote after your request.
Which experience should I add to your trip?
Send me your dates and interests, and I will reply within 48 hours with ideas and a written quote.