Religious Studies Tour to Morocco – Great Faiths and World Cultures

Your 24-hour Tour Director will meet you at the airport and remain with your group throughout your religious study tour in Morocco. Your group will have the use of a private coach and driver while touring for the next six days.

Marrakech is a vibrant city of marvelous contrasts, from the narrow, car-free streets of the old walled city to the French colonial areas with their more spacious feel. Experience the glorious sights and sounds of the timeless souks and the circus atmosphere of the Djemaa el Fna. The often snowcapped High Atlas Mountains are visible from many parts of the city, behind which lies the Sahara.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

"We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience." - John Dewey On every evening of the program, we will set time aside to update your Reflection Journal and share thoughts and impressions that have come up during the day.

The two-and-one-half-acre Majorelle Garden in Marrakech is both a botanical garden and an artist's landscape garden. It took French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962) 40 years of passion and dedication to create this enchanting garden in the heart of the "Ochre City".

Spend time at the Musée Berbère, which is dedicated to Berber traditions, displaying costumes, craftwork, jewels, and musical instruments.

Visit the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. The exhibition hall is dedicated to the famous designer and showcases some of his most famous designs as well as temporary exhibits.

Tonight, you’ll enjoy dinner at "the Restaurant of One Thousand and One Nights." Chez Ali offers the best dinner show in Marrakech under Berber tents in a unique atmosphere with belly dancers, acrobats, fantasia riders, fireworks, and folk music.

Today, you’ll visit a local school for a cultural exchange with its students.

Visit Bahia Palace (palace of the beautiful, the brilliant), a 19th-century palace of eight hectares in Marrakech. It is one of Morocco’s architectural masterpieces and a major monument of the country's cultural heritage.

Visit the Saadian Tombs, which are sepulchers in Marrakech dating from the Saadian dynasty—specifically the reign of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603). Among the graves are those of Ahmad al-Mansur and his family. The mausoleum is composed of three rooms, the most famous being the room with the twelve columns, and comprises the interments of about 60 members of the Saadi Dynasty that originated in the valley of the Draa River.

View the Koutoubia Mosque, which is the largest mosque in Marrakesh.

Explore Djemaa el Fna, the central square in Marrakech filled with market stalls, shops, and restaurants. Prepare to haggle!

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Essaouira is a port city and resort on Morocco's Atlantic coast. Its medina (old town) is protected by 18th-century seafront ramparts, called the Skala de la Kasbah, which were designed by European engineers. Old brass cannons line the walls that also share ocean views. Strong "Alizée" trade winds make the city's crescent beach popular for surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing. For the next two nights, your base will be in the Essaouira area. While here, breakfast will be included at the hotel.

En route to Essaouira from Marrakech, you will visit an argan oil cooperative managed by women. Argan oil is made with the fruit of the Argan tree, which grows only on the western coast of Morocco. Learn about its production and use for nutritional and cosmetic purposes.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Visit the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Pinto, who is the object of an annual pilgrimage in the week preceding Rosh Hashanah, situated in the vast Jewish cemetery adjacent to the Atlantic ocean. Next, see the Chaim Pinto synagogue, the building that was once the rabbi's home and is now a historic site.

Take a camel ride on the beach! This experience will provide you with insight into the Moroccan way of life through contact with Moroccans and seeing the country’s unspoiled natural beauty.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Known locally as Casa, Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city, both in population and economic size, and hosts the country's primary naval base. No longer a haven for pirates, Casablanca is a thriving and rather European-feeling center of industry, art, and fashion. For the remainder of the trip, your base will be in the Casablanca area.

See the Hassan II Mosque, which is the largest mosque in Morocco and the 13th largest in the world. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 689 feet.

Visit Casablanca's Old Medina, where you’ll find shops and restaurants. On the north side of the medina, facing the port, you'll see the last remains of Casablanca's 18th-century fortifications. Known as the sqala, the bastion offers panoramic views over the sea.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

This evening, you’ll make the final entries in your Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape throughout your cultural immersion experience and religion tour in Morocco. We’ll also discuss how these may be most relevant for us all as we return home.

Your rewarding and enjoyable faith-based study tour comes to an end as your Tour Director accompanies your group to the airport on your final day.