A Wonderful 8 Days Casablanca Jewish Heritage Tour

8 Days Tour From Casablanca Overview:

Morocco has an exotic atmosphere, beautiful landscapes, picturesque markets, and a Jewish community with strong ties. When traveling to Morocco for a Jewish heritage Tour sightseeing, you have a valuable opportunity to discover the old Jewish quarters (Mellah), and their Andalusian architecture, the Jewish cemeteries, the Synagogues, and Jewish families’ anties.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN CASABLANCA

Welcome to Casablanca where you will be greeted by your driver and transferred to your hotel in the center of the dynamic economic capital of Morocco.

Casablanca is home to the largest Jewish community in Morocco and has numerous congregations, active communal institutions, and many highly recommended kosher restaurants. Check-in at the hotel for the overnight with dinner.

DAY 2: CASABLANCA – RABAT

Today you begin your Jewish tour of Casablanca with a visit to the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, an architectural masterpiece, and a symbol of Islam open to the world sitting pretty on an outcrop overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. During your guided tour inside the mosque, you will admire the intricate marble work, gilded cedar ceilings, and stone and wood carving.

We drive to visit the Temple Beth-El, the main Jewish Synagogue, famous for its uniquely beautiful stained-glass windows attracting tourists from around the world. Not just this, but experience the Jewish culture by paying a visit to witness the ethnography in its finest form at the Museum of Moroccan Judaism. Move to the Habous Quarter in the New Medina, a mix of European art deco and Moorish style, pre-dating the French protectorate.

DAY 3: RABAT – MEKNES – FEZ

Today we leave the main capital Rabat towards another Imperial city of Meknes “the Moroccan Versailles” where the Jewish presence is evidenced by Hebraic epitaphs dating from the Christian era as well as Greek inscriptions that still appear in local Synagogues and a place of pilgrimage where the tomb of Rabbi’ David Benmidan, “The Patron of Meknes” is located.

After lunch, you will tour Meknes starting from the ornamented gate of Bab Al Mansour to the old and new Mellah to see the past and new life conveyed through the historic Jewish names retained by many of the streets. We leave Meknes towards Fez with a stop at Volubilis, a well-preserved Roman city, where archaeologists found the first traces of Jewish settlement in Morocco. We arrive in the medieval city of Fez for the overnight with dinner at the hotel or Riad.

DAY 4: FEZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Today is devoted to a guided tour of the ancient Fez Medina, a fascinating old religious Morocco’s capital surrounded by nine miles of ramparts, strategically positioned on the old caravan trading crossroads that once connected the Saharan empires with Europe. Start your guided tour from the impressive Royal Palace with its magnificent seven glorious bronze gates.

From here you walk to the Mellah with its intense atmosphere and fine Mauro-Hispanic architecture and continue to the nearby Jewish cemetery and the Ibn Danan well-kept synagogue, which testifies to the importance of the Jewish community Fez.

You will head south to enjoy the panoramic view of the old Medina. The next visit is the ceramics quarter where you learn about the unique local pottery handicraft and see the old kilns.

DAY 5: FEZ – BHALIL – SEFROU – BENI MELLAL – BIN OUIDANE

Today you will have a daytime out not far from the medieval city Fez so the force won’t be too long and that would supply you more time to experience our destination which is Sefrou, the capital of cherries. This city was recognized as the Little Jerusalem due to its high percentage of Jews and its well-developed non-secular life.

En route to Sefrou, we will make a short stop in Bhalil to visit the cemetery where Rabbi Lahou Harroch and Rabbi Raphael Moshe Elbaz are buried. This village is exclusive for its specific cave homes located in the ancient phase of the town and for its blend of colored homes, linked collectively by way of a network of bridges.

Some of the cave homes in Bhalil are routinely open to travelers to visit however, these homes are swiftly disappearing as the village modernizes.

DAY 6: BIN OUIDANE – OUZOUD WATERFALLS – MARRAKECH

Today you get outdoors in the fresh air for your breakfast is the escape you will need to rejuvenate and start your day with full energy and positive vibes to embark on the next chapter of your tour in Morocco.

You will have some time at leisure to enjoy the lake and an optional boat tour of the lake. The impressive 133-meter-long, 285-meter-long ridge allows for a nostalgic view of the surroundings of the dam.

From there you will be on your way to the Ouzoud Waterfalls they are natural wonders that must be earned. Ouzoud Waterfalls are one of the most beautiful waterfalls in North Africa; about 110 meters high, its waters bounce on several levels and project fine droplets into the air. The cascades are almost always highlighted by a beautiful rainbow and monkeys; it is like a little piece of paradise.

DAY 7: MARRAKECH SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Today you will have a sightseeing tour of Marrakech, home of a thriving strong community of native Jews, specialized in commerce and handicrafts, famed for their rabbinical schools and scholars.

We will visit the Mellah with its synagogues, The Negidim synagogue built at the end of the 19th century, and the other synagogue of the is the Salat el Alzama, built at the turn of the century.

Then you will see the cemetery where Rabbi Hanania Ha-Cohen, the Lion of Marrakesh, and Rabbi Pinhas Cohen are buried. Your guided tour continues to the 19th Century Bahia Palace, and the 16th-century Ben Youssef Madrasa Islamic School to appreciate the exquisite Zellij, the carved cedar ceilings, and the calligraphy. Wander around the labyrinth of narrow alleyways to indulge your senses and explore the colorful bustling souks of Marrakech.

Then move next to the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque and the lavishly decorated 500-year-old Saadian Tombs. From here drive to explore the Majorelle Gardens – one of the must-see attractions in Marrakech, famous for its botanical growing plants and trees from around the world. We finish your guided tour in the Djemaâ El Fnaâ Square before heading to the hotel for the overnight with breakfast.

DAY 8: MARRAKECH – BACK TO THE AIRPORT

Transfer to the Airport of Marrakech or Casablanca to take your flight home with a good and amazing experience and the best memories about the Jewish Heritage Tour in Morocco.