The vibrant geometric and floral designs you see adorning Moroccan ceilings, doors, and furniture are called zwaq—hand-painted with natural pigments using techniques unchanged for generations. Working with a master painter in his family workshop, you'll learn the distinctive outlined style and bold color combinations that make Moroccan painted wood instantly recognizable. You'll create your own small frame or framed mirror to bring home.

The carpets you'll find throughout Morocco tell stories—of regions, tribes, and the women who weave them. Made from hand-reared sheep's wool and locally grown agave silk, each rug carries the maker's artistic signature. At a traditional weaving cooperative, you'll try your hand at the loom, learning the rhythmic technique behind these textiles that take months to complete. Your small woven piece becomes a tactile memory of this ancient craft.

That magical rippling quality of Moroccan mosaics? It comes from imperfection—each tiny tile is hand-chipped, not machine-cut, creating surfaces that catch light in ways factory tiles never could. The colors that seem impossibly vivid are natural pigments drawn from the earth. With a zellij master, you'll learn to arrange these geometric pieces into patterns that have adorned palaces and fountains for over a thousand years, creating your own mosaic to take home.

The intricate three-dimensional plasterwork gracing Morocco's riads and palaces is called gebs—carved by hand while the plaster is still soft, requiring both precision and speed. This delicate art creates the lace-like walls and archways that make Moroccan architecture so distinctive. Working with a master carver, you'll create a small personalized plaque—perhaps your name, a meaningful number, or a geometric design—learning the meditative focus this ancient craft demands.

Just outside the bustle of Marrakech lies a dreamy garden cooking school, where women train to become professional chefs and restauranteurs—a quiet revolution happening one tagine at a time. Surrounded by gardens where much of our ingredients are grown, you'll spend the day mastering Moroccan cuisine from the ground up. Learn the art of the tagine (you'll make three varieties), the bright simplicity of traditional salads, the patient technique of proper couscous, and more. This isn't a quick demonstration—it's hands-on immersion, and of course, we'll sit down together to enjoy everything we've created.