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13 Days 12 Nights

Jewish Heritage Tour

The Moroccan Jewish Community has always been, and still is, one of the largest in the Arab World. Its heritage and history are little known abroad although every part of the Kingdom records an important Jewish legend. In this tour, we are rediscovering this Jewish heritage, thereby learning more about the many sided history of Morocco. Jews have been here for hundreds of years, they have lost nothing of their ancient traditions, special customs and culture. Moroccan kings protected Jews from harm and helped some of them develop the wealth that sustained the monarchy for many years. Today many Jews who is still in Morocco are not confine to living in the Mellah but all over Morocco. This tour bring you the opportunity to explore many of the Jews heritage, amazing scenery and beautiful culture of Morocco.

Tour Highlights:

  1. Visit to 6 Unesco World Heritage Imperial Cities series of Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, Rabat, Tetouan and Essaouira,
  2. Experience the largest remaining Jewish community still living in Casablanca,
  3. Hassan 2 mosque, top 10 most beautiful mosque in the world,
  4. Ibn Danan Synagogue, the oldest exiting synagogue,
  5. Amazing Jewish history with the visit to Museum of Moroccan Judaism and Nahon Synagogue,
  6. Exploring The Mellah’s for the ambiance of Jewish trading hub,
  7. Visit the birth place of Rabbi Hayyin Ben Moses,
  8. Paying respect to Jewish cemeteries,
  9. Enjoy a spiritual evening with camel ride and gazing the star of the sky in the Sahara Desert excursion for the feel of Jewish of the bygone era experience.
  10. Beautiful horse carriage ride through the city of Marrkech
  11. Wonder at the old grannary of the bygone era
  12. Step foot to the soil of Jewish ancestors that crossing from Spain to Tangier
  13. Soak into a moment capsulated in time of unfogettable Jewish history.

Sufism came into Morocco when Islam entered Maghreb. The Sufi teachings were indivisible as Moroccans are Muslims and Sufi are part of themselves. The popularity of Sufism emergence begins with representations through education which are taught by Sufi Sheikhs who have experienced realization of the soul and share it with their students. Sufi education mushrooming at the end of 6th century and among the trend setter are Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abdelkrim who is famous as Sufi Ibn Al Kattani, and the Great Sheikh Muhi Al-Din Ibn Arabi Al-Hatami, who settled in Morocco for a period, as well as Sheikh Abu Al-Hassan al-Harali, who is a great Sufi interpreter of the Quran, and Sheikh Abu Ya’za Yellnour, and Sheikh Ali Ibn Harzam…. and others who have made Morocco a country of Sufi saints. It can be said that Sufism settled an educational system with Sheikh Abdesalam Ibn Mishish and his students such as Sheikh Abu Al-Hassan Al-Shadli.  Then, it became mature with Sheikh Abu Sulayman Al-Jazuli, who is the founder of the first Zawya and the first Sufi Order.In Morocco Sufism received the blessing of the King Mohammed VI with his royal tradition seeks to support mausoleums and Sufi shrines as the King believed that religious tolerance, moderation and harmony are omnipresent in Sufi life.

DAY
1
Arrival at Casablanca
(D)
On arrival, meet and greet and private transfer to your hotel in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest financial center and home to the largest Jewish community in the country. We will visit Hassan 2 Mosque which is the top 10 most beautiful mosque in the world.

Overnight in Casablanca.
DAY
2
Casablanca – Rabat (87 Km, 1 Hrs 40 Min)
(B/L/D)
After breakfast , we will visit to the Mellah, the Jewish quarter, with its temples and synagogues.Your guide meets you at your hotel for a fabulous tour through the Jewish past and present of the city, including a look at the only Jewish museum located inside a predominantly Muslim country. Casablanca is home to over 30 synagogues outside of the historic Jewish district. The largest of which is Temple Beth El, which can hold up to 500 people.

Continue on to the Museum of Moroccan Judaism displaying collections of religious books, costumes and artifacts documenting the rich past of the Jewish people.

After lunch we will depart for Rabat, Unesco World Heritage Imperial City. We visit Hassan Tower, and the nearby mausoleum dedicated to Mohamed V, the founder of modern Morocco and protector of the Moroccan Jewish community during World War II.  

We will also visit the Mellah with its narrow streets, colorful courtyards and beautiful synagogue.

Overnight in Rabat.
DAY
3
Rabat - Tangier (251 Km, 2 Hrs 50 Min)
(B/L/D)
After breakfast, your private transport will awaits in the lobby to take you to the northern edge of the country at Tangier. Follow the coastline and continuing across the banks of the Oued Bou Regreg to Sale. We’ll start off with a visit to Chellah and Kasbah of Oudayas  next to the old Medina. Then Visit the Mellah, where many Jewish families still live, with its narrow streets and lively courtyards. Afterwards we visit Sale, where Rabbi Hayyim Ben Moses Attar , the famous 18th century scholar and cabbalist was born.

Overnight in Tangier.
DAY
4
Tangier Day Tour
(B/L/D)
Judaism has played an important part in Tangier’s cultural heritage, with Jewish settlers originally migrating to the city after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. We start our day at the medina tour which The Nahon Synagogue, also called “Masat Moshe” and after it restoration in 1994, served as a museum. The medina is known for its old walled cities, as well as the eccentric ex-patriots who moved inside the old walls after World War II, filling the already vibrant culture with fashionable eccentricities. We then will visit Old American Legation The Tangier American Legation Museum is housed in a five-story building and was the first piece of American real estate outside of American soil. The mansion contains impressive displays of paintings depicting city life throughout the building’s history.

We continue with our exploration to the newer part of the city to Chaar Rafael. It is one of the last surviving synagogues and remnants of Tangier’s Jewish heritage. This Jewish-owned villa was built in 1919, and it was converted to a synagogue in 1954 when the owner, Raphaël Bendriahm, died. We then will continue to The Jewish Cemetery in Tangier referred to as the “old cemetery,” was in operation already in the 1910s. It has 1,000 graves, mostly white stones, some of which date back to the 16th century.

Overnight in Tangier.
DAY
5
Tangier – Tetouan (63 Km, 1 Hrs 20 Min)
(B/L/D)
After a good breakfast we depart to Tetouan. The traditions of Tetouan hold strong in this atmospheric city. Tetouan is situated amidst the growing Rif Mountains, and you can see the range casting shade over the cityscape. The mountain range rises to an elevation of 8,054 feet above sea level.

Tetouan’s medina might be one of the smallest in Morocco, but it is unquestionably it’s almost complete. A special part of the old city is also the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter where they were once lived in its Mellah that was separated from the rest of the town by gates that were closed at night. Tetouan was once home to an important Sephardic Jewish community, which immigrated from Spain after the Reconquista and the Spanish Inquisition. This Jewish Sephardic community spoke a form of Judeo-Spanish known as Haketia and it is know as “Little Jerusalem”. Visit the The Isaac Ben Walid Synagogue and the buried ground of Issac Ben Walid.

DAY
6
Tangier – Meknes (342 Km 4 Hrs)
(B/L/D)
After breakfast, we will journey to Meknes. Hills roll and lead into rugged mountain ranges on the distant horizon. Arrive at Meknes and find the bustling former glory of the 17th-century capital city. The city’s main gate, known as Bab al-Mansour, was finished in 1732 and surrounded by the large and laid-back Ladhim Square. the Jewish heritage is visible through Hebraic epitaphs dating from the Christian era in addition to Greek inscriptions that still appear in local synagogues. Meknes’ old Mellah (the Jewish quarter) is known for its historic Jewish street names, and the new Mellah is home to eleven synagogues. One of the functioning synagogues is of Rabbi Meir Toledano Synagogue, which dates back as far as the 13th century. We will pay a visit to tomb of Rabbi’ David Benmidan and the new Mellah is still the home for some of Meknes’s 50 Jews, and you can visit the beautiful synagogue, the El Krief, near the new cemetery. On the other side of the new Mellah and adjoining the old Mellah is the old Jewish cemetery. Several saints are found in the two cemeteries, including Haim Messas, David Boussidan, and Raphael Berdugo. On the left side of the Meknes road, you can see the old abandoned building of Talmud Torah—a Jewish religious school.

Overnight in Fes.
DAY
7
Exploring Ancient City Fes
(B/L/D)
Discover the secrets of the medieval medina-city of Fes El Bali (old Fes), founded in the 9th century. See the Karaouine, one of the oldest still functioning universities, the Attarine Medersa (Koranic college), a jewel of Hispano-Moorish architecture, the Najjarine Square and its beautiful fountain and the nearby Fondouq (Caravanserail), now converted to a museum of carpentry artifacts. The medieval Medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This medina tour are all conducted by walking. We too will enjoy watching the old leather making at the tannaries which survive until today and Bab Boujloud the ancient Blue Gate of Fes.
In the afternoon, visit the Mellah, the Jewish quarter built in the 14th century, once home of most influential Talmudic scholars of all times such as Rabbi Isaac Alfasi and Maimonides in the years 1160 to 1165. See the cemetery where the Rabbis and the Saints of the Jewish community are buried. Some of the tombs are over 1600 years old. Walk in the Mellah to admire the beautiful Hispano-Moorish building style brought by the Jews from Andalucia and visit the Aben Danan synagogue (17th century). The old Jewish quarter provides an interesting insight into the typical local Jewish architecture.

Before dinner, we will take a drive to Borj Nord and Merenid Tombs for the beautiful scenic town of ancient Fes on top of the hill.

Overnight in Fes.
DAY
8
Fes – Infrane (64 Km, 1 Hrs) – Midelt (135 Km, 2 Hrs) – Merzouga (263 Km, 4 hrs 20 min). Camel Trek & Overnight at Luxury Private Camp
(B/L/D)
Today our jurney got to start early departing out of the cityscape and into the Atlas Mountains, to the town of Infrane, a swiss high mountain housing and resort. We will pass by cedar forest, zig valley and berber villages landscape for photostop. Continue onward to the Sahara Desert for an evening under the stars. The white sand becomes cool at dusk; the starlight takes you into a different time when Jewish ancestry wandered across the rolling dunes for to trade and herd. Upon arrival to the camp, you may freshen up and ready for an unforgettable dinner with campfire and some Berber’s drum music.

Overnight in Private Sahara Desert Luxury Camp.
DAY
9
Merzouga – Dades Gorge (270 Km, 4 Hrs) - Ouarzazate (140 Km, 2 Hrs)
(B/L/D)
The day begins with the sunrise over the desert dunes; the sand turns to gold in the layers of color rising over the horizon. Your desert journey takes you through the Jewish quarter of Tinghir and onto the Ancient City of the Jews, known as Tiliit. Situated in the Dadès Gorge, surrounded by rising rusted cliffs and a spread of lush oasis, a single crystal creek has carved the magnificent stony mountain.

The fortress city was ruled by the Spanish-Jewish Perez family and was the center of a Jewish region until the end of the 18th-century. The city was important for trade routes venturing from the desert, or through the mountain pass. We will then make our way to Ouarzazate.

Overnight in Ouarzazate.
DAY
10
Ouarzazate – Kasbah Ait Haddou - Marrakech (196 Km, 3 Hrs 40 Min)
(B/L/D)
The rustic red of the desert shines in the early morning light. After breakfast, your private transfer will meet you at the hotel and drive you through the mountain pass en route to Marrakech. We will take a stop to admire Unesco World Heritage Kasbah Ait Haddou, a 17th century style and one of the most beautiful Kasbah in Morocco. Along this beautiful and scenic drive we will stop by Moroccan Womens Argan Co-Operative to observe the making of the most expensive oil in the world. Traditional extracted by Berber’s women using hand and it is still until today.

Overnight in Marrakech.
DAY
11
Marrakech Day Tour
(B/L/D)
After a great breakfast, we start our fresh day at the Majorelle Garden and then we continue to discover the city’s architectural attractions situated inside the Medina: the Koutoubia mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech with the oldest Almohad minarets still remaining today of 11th century. A 19th century architecture, Bahia Palace and Saadian Tombs a 16th century tomb where the buried ground for 66 of Saadian dynasty members with beautiful encased tomb.

In the afternoon, stroll through the 16th century Jewish quarter and visit the Miara Cemetary, largest Jewish cemetary in Morocco where the Kabbalist Rabbi Hanania Hacohen, Rabbi Mordekhai Ben Attar, Rabbi Pinhas Hacohel and Raphael Perez were burried here. We will visit the labyrinthine souks in the old town to explore colorful alleys and small squares, home to stalls and ateliers devoted to specific crafts. In the early evening, we will head to Djemaa El Fna, the city’s main square and the beating heart of Marrakech and enjoy a amazing horse carriage ride through the city.

Overnight in Marrakech.
DAY
12
Marrakech – Essaouira – Marrakech (191 Km, 2 Hrs 50 Min)
(B/L/D)
Today we will depart early to Essaouira on the Atlantic coast.  Visit the city of Mogador, once one third Jewish and now known as Essaouira. Visit the Jewish cemetery in the Mellah, place of annual pilgrimage to the grave of the venerated Rabbi Haim Pinto, whose home and synagogue are preserved as a historic and religious site.

We will also visit the city’s fortifications and Scala, a mixture of Berber and Portuguese architecture and the 18th century Medina with its carpentry cedar and thuya wood ateliers, before returning to Marrakech.

Overnight in Marrakech.
DAY
13
Marrakech or Casablanca – Depart for Home
(B)
After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Marrakech airport for your onward flight.

Note: If you departure city is Casablanca we will then overnight in Casablanca instead after the visit to Essouirra.
Number of pax 2 3-4 5-6 7-8 Single Supplement
Tour Price Per Pax 4 Stars € 3588 € 3080 € 2466 € 2099 € 720
Tour Price Per Pax 5 Stars € 4750 € 4010 € 3655 € 3138 € 960


Inclusion

    ✅ Private Tourisme Registered vehicles with English speaking driver

    ✅ 11 nights of accommodation with double sharing & 1 night Luxury Private Sahara Desert Camp

    ✅ 12 hotel breakfasts, 11 local lunches and 12 local or hotel dinners as per itinerary
    Hotel breakfast and dinner are usually buffet. Hotel dinner do not include water or any other drinks. Traditional accommodation will be ala carte traditional Moroccan food. Local lunch is normally set meal with soup/salad + main dish + water/mint tea.

    ✅ 1 small bottle of mineral water/person/day

    ✅ Entrance Tickets :-

    • Hassan 2 mosque
    • Museum of Moroccan Judaism
    • The American Legation Museum
    • The Grannaries in Meknes
    • Volubilis
    • Najjarine Museum of Wooden Art & Craft
    • Jewish cemetary
    • Synagogue Ibn Danan
    • Al Attarine Madrassa
    • Borj Nord Museum
    • Majorelle Garden
    • Saadian Tombs
    • Bahia Palace
    • Home of Memory Museum

    ✅ Local city guide for Fes, Volubilis and Marrakech

    ✅ Tipping for driver

    ✅ Porter service at hotel or riad

    ✅ Marrakech horse carriage ride

Exclusion

    ❌ Flight ticket

    ❌ Visa (if applicable)

    ❌ Other tipping

    ❌ Lunches

    ❌ Personal expenses

    ❌ Drinks beside what is provided during meals

    ❌ Travel insurance

    ❌ Sight-seeing, programs and activities outside this itinerary

    ❌ Medical expenses

Payment Policy

  • 30% Deposit per person must be paid as reservation fee.
  • Deposit made are non-refundable or transferable.
  • The balance or full payment must be made 30 days before travelling.

Cancellation Policy

  • Cancellation of booking must be made in writing to avoid any misunderstanding.
  • If the company receives notice cancel 31 days or more before the date of departure, tour deposit will be forfeited. Otherwise, the following charges will apply:
  • 30-16 days before arrival 60% loss of the total price.
  • 15-8 days before arrival 70% of the total price.
  • 7-3 days before arrival 80% of the total prices.
  • Less than 3 days before arrival date is 100% of the total price.