Things to do · Marrakech
Marrakech is one of the best cities in the world to learn Moroccan cooking: most classes begin with a guided walk through the souks for fresh produce, then move to a riad kitchen or rooftop to cook tagine, couscous and bread by hand. From hands-on workshops to street-food crawls and patisserie tastings, here are the food experiences worth booking.
12 experiences
The signature Moroccan experience: learn to layer meat or vegetables, preserved lemon, olives and ras el hanout in a conical clay tagine, then slow-cook it over a brazier. Classes typically last three to four hours and end with eating what you made.
Knead and shape khobz, the round daily bread Moroccans carry to communal wood-fired ovens, alongside flaky msemen and baghrir pancakes. A hands-on session focused on the everyday staples that underpin every Marrakchi meal.
Begin with a chef-led tour of a local souk to choose vegetables, herbs, olives and spices, learning to haggle and identify quality, before carrying your basket back to a riad kitchen to cook a full lunch or dinner from scratch.
Cook over the medina rooftops with the Koutoubia minaret and Atlas on the horizon. Small-group sessions in a traditional riad pair a hands-on tagine or couscous lesson with mint tea and views across the old city.
Master Morocco's celebrated sweet-savoury pie: layers of paper-thin warqa pastry wrapped around spiced chicken or pigeon and almonds, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. A more advanced class for cooks who want a showpiece dish.
Couscous is the traditional Friday meal across Morocco, steamed three times by hand over a bubbling seven-vegetable stew. Learn the hand-rolling and steaming technique behind the dish families gather around after midday prayers.
An evening walk through the medina to taste harira soup, grilled brochettes, snail broth, sheep's-head sandwiches and freshly squeezed juice, usually finishing among the food stalls of Jemaa el-Fna where locals eat shoulder to shoulder.
A guided visit to the spice and apothecary stalls of the Mellah and Rahba Kedima square, learning to blend ras el hanout, identify saffron and argan, and smell cumin, paprika and rose. Tastings and a tea stop are usually included.
Learn the ritual of atay: brewing gunpowder green tea with fresh spearmint and sugar, then pouring from a height to create the signature foam. A short, sociable workshop into the drink offered in every Moroccan home and shop.
Shape almond-and-honey sweets such as kaab el ghazal (gazelle horns), chebakia and ghriba alongside Moroccan biscuits served with tea. A dessert-focused class ideal for travellers with a sweet tooth and an eye for fine handwork.
Moroccan cuisine is rich in plant-based dishes: zaalouk aubergine dip, taktouka pepper salad, vegetable tagine and lentil-based loubia. A dedicated class for vegetarians and vegans built around the country's abundant produce and spices.
Combine a multi-course Moroccan feast with live entertainment, from the fantasia horsemen and folklore troupes at Chez Ali on the city's edge to the belly dancing and music at the long-running Comptoir Darna in the Hivernage.
Most hands-on classes run three to four hours, including a market visit where offered. You typically cook a starter, a main such as tagine or couscous, and sometimes bread or dessert, then sit down to eat everything you have prepared.
Many do. Market-to-table and several tagine classes start with a guided walk through a local souk to buy fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, which is one of the most memorable parts of the experience. Confirm when booking, as some classes use a pre-stocked kitchen.
Yes. Moroccan cuisine has a deep repertoire of vegetable dishes, salads and pulses, and most schools happily adapt classes for vegetarians and vegans. Dedicated plant-based classes are also offered in the medina and the Palmeraie.
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