Arabic Immersion Language Tour—Morocco (12 Days)

Your International Studies Abroad Program Director will meet your group at the airport, and your private coach will be waiting to transfer you from Casablanca to Meknes.

Known locally as Casa, Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city, both in population and economy size, and host to the country's primary naval base. No longer a haven for pirates, Casablanca is now a thriving, rather European-feeling, center of industry, art, and fashion.

See the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco and the 13th largest in the world—its minaret is the world's tallest at 689 ft.

Spend time in the Mohammed V Square, at the heart of Casablanca. This square consists of many buildings from the 1920s, most of them with Hispanic-Muslim architecture and Art Deco influences. Look carefully at its elegant arcades and white façades, adorned with gold-colored stone. One of its most striking buildings is the Prefecture (Wilaya), inaugurated in 1930 by Mohammed V, who was then the Sultan.

This afternoon, you’ll travel from Casablanca to Meknes.

Meknes provides visitors and residents intimate views of its unique blend of Islamic and European influences. While Meknes' population is 713,609, the city has a smaller-town feel to it and remains easy to navigate by foot. Unlike other Moroccan cities such as Marrakech, Casablanca, Fes, and Rabat, Meknes sees relatively few tourists, providing visitors a better opportunity to interact with locals and experience an authentic Moroccan lifestyle. Located in the rich plains below the Middle Atlas Mountains, any culinary experience in Meknes will be crafted from the freshest ingredients. The abundant grains, olives, and citrus fruit native to this region remain Meknes’ economic stronghold.

Attend an orientation meeting to learn relevant information and useful tools for familiarizing yourself with the host country and the program ahead.

You’ll also be introduced to your host families—your home for the next six evenings will be with your homestay family, where breakfast and dinner will be provided daily.

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

During your tour, your group will gain the knowledge and insights of half-day local guides in Morocco.

For the next five mornings, you’ll participate in Arabic language and culture classes.

A marvel of Islamic architecture, the madrasa is considered one of the best monuments the Marinids have left. Its columns and doors have wonderful decorations, including the writings of carved ornaments.

A visit to the final resting place of the sultan who made Meknes the capital in the 17th century should be a rite of passage for those traveling through town. Entry is through a series of austere, peaceful courtyards meant to induce a quiet and humble attitude among visitors.

Continue your Arabic classes to enhance and practice your linguistic skills.

Fes is the spiritual heart of Morocco and the most ancient of the country's imperial cities. Within its medina’s walls lies the world's largest, intact medieval city where narrow streets and dim alleyways wind endlessly up, down, and around, crammed with people, music, sounds, and aromas.

This is the world's largest car-free urban area, where donkeys cart goods down the warren of alleyways as they have since medieval times. Seemingly blind alleys lead to squares with exquisite fountains and streets bursting with aromatic food stands, rooftops unveil a sea of minarets, and stooped doorways reveal the workshops of tireless artisans.

See the Bouinania Madrasa, a group of buildings built between 1350 and 1356 by Sultan Abou Inan that provide an excellent example of Marinid architecture. The madrasa simultaneously functioned as both an educational institute and a congregational mosque.

Visit traditional Moroccan souks, where you can pick up some traditional gifts.

Continue your Arabic classes to enhance and practice your linguistic skills.

Take a walking tour of the Medina (Old Town), which is home to the 12th-century Grand Mosque. Pass through the Bab el-Mansour, the grandest of all imperial Moroccan gateways, into the heart of the Meknes medina at the Place el-Hedim. Before Moulay Ismail swept through town, a kasbah stood on this spot, but once the bab (gate) was erected the king ordered for it to be demolished in favor of a broad plaza from which the gate could be better admired.

Create authentic local foods and sit down to savor your delicious creations. Moroccan cuisine is influenced by the country's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries—a mix of Mediterranean, Arabic, Andalusian, and Berber.

Continue with your Arabic classes to enhance and practice your linguistic skills.

Volubilis was founded in the 3rd century B.C. as the capital of the Roman province, Mauretania (not to be confused with the modern West-African country of the same name). Built in a beautiful fertile area, the site of Volubilis is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Discover the Roman ruins at Volubilis, which represent the best-preserved archaeological site in Morocco, with only half of the 40-hectare site having been excavated. The city is famous for its mosaics and some of the finest are in the House of Venus, once home to King Juba II. Its Forum includes a series of plinths carved with Latin inscriptions—try to imagine what this ruin once looked like when the plinths were topped by statues of the Roman Empire's great and good.

Today is the final day of your Arabic language classes in Morocco. You’ll participate in activities and lessons to demonstrate what you’ve learned over the past week.

The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the area and to spend time with your host family.

Travel from Meknes to Marrakech. Your group will have a private coach and driver while touring for the next four days.

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

Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Visit a local Argan oil cooperative.

The two-and-one-half-acre Majorelle Garden in Marrakech is both a botanical garden and an artists’ 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."

Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Visit the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, located in Majorelle Garden. The museum is made up of an exhibition hall dedicated to the famous designer and features some of his most famous designs as well as temporary exhibits.

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 sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty that originated in the valley of the Draa River.

Enjoy a guided tour of Marrakech on foot. See the Koutoubia Mosque’s minaret that dominates the city, the gardens of the beautiful Menara Pavilion, and the exterior of the Saadian Tombs, a true masterpiece of Hispano-Moresque art.

Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Enjoy an exciting adventure as you spend the morning riding a camel.

Travel by private coach from Marrakech to Casablanca. Your accommodations for the night will be in Casablanca, where breakfast will be provided at the hotel.

Take a walking tour of Casablanca’s seaside, made famous by the classic Hollywood movie of the same name.

Enjoy a special dinner in Casablanca with traditional Moroccan music.

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 Arabic Immersion Trip in Morocco. We’ll also discuss how these experiences may be most relevant for us all as we return home.

Your rewarding and enjoyable Arabic Language Immersion Tour in Morocco comes to an end as your Resident Director accompanies your group to the airport on your final day.