Morocco: Arabic Language Immersion

Arrive at the airport where you’ll meet your group. Check in, go through security and get to know your fellow travelers as you prepare for your journey.

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flight as an add-on service.

Arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport and meet your program leaders who’ll be with you for the duration of the program. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead and an introduction to the local culture. Eat a welcome dinner of tagine in the city’s famous main square Jamaâ El-Fna, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Wander the thousand-year-old market where you can watch snake charmers entrance their cobras and vendors hawk their wares. See everything from whale vertebrae and acrobats to ostrich eggs and orange juice stands! Then settle into your hotel or homestay for a good night’s rest.

Overnight: Hotel or Homestay, Marrakech

Sabah al-khair! Rise and shine for your first day of Arabic lessons. Take engaging, conversation-focused classes in small groups with other students at a similar proficiency level. Partner with a local Arabic speaking partner and start learning the local dialect Darija or focus your time on Modern Standard Arabic. The contents of your lessons will align with activities in the city, allowing you to practice your newly acquired language skills each day.

For each of the next days, you’ll spend your morning in Arabic classes. In the afternoons, head to the medina to explore some of Marrakech’s vibrant souqs, or marketplaces, and experience the rich culture and history on which modern-day Marrakech is built. Your afternoons will include:

• Participate in a souq scavenger hunt, putting your new Arabic skills to the test as you search for sites, find objects, and engage locals in conversation.
• Learn to cook traditional Moroccan food
• Partake in a traditional Arabic calligraphy workshop
• Hang out with Moroccan peers, and learn how your life experiences have been similar and different

Each day will wrap up with a review of your activities and discussion of what you learned about the language, culture, and people of Marrakech.

Overnight: Hotel or Homestay, Marrakech

Say goodbye to your host families and head into the foothills of the Atlas mountains for a morning of stunning views and exercise. Then travel to your desert camp for a night in the sparse, rocky landscape under the stunning tapestry of stars. The day will include a sunset camel ride –  always a highlight of the trip – and an evening enjoying the rhythmic beats of desert musicians around a campfire.

Overnight: Agafay Desert Camp

Return to Marrakech for your final day in Morocco. Pick up last minute souvenirs at the souks, and visit the Majorelle Gardens, YSL Museum, or the Bahia Palace and Secret Garden In the evening, enjoy a traditional celebratory meal, including a live concert of Gnawa music beats, and Henna tattoos. A traditional Moroccan farewell!

At the end of the program, students reflect on their experiences during a closing discussion and the traditional Rustic Ties ceremony. This unique and powerful activity allows students to capture their memories and contemplate ways to share what they’ve learned with their communities back home.

Overnight: Hotel or Homestay, Marrakech

Return to the Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), where your program leaders will help you get checked in for your flight home. We hope your time in Morocco has helped to develop your Arabic skills, and provided many meaningful experiences and beautiful memories!

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flight as an add-on service.