Your Trip at a Glance

Trace the living legacy of The Ornament of the World across Spain and Morocco. From the synagogues of Toledo to the blue medina of Chefchaouen and the grand mosque of Casablanca, this journey follows the cultural bridges that once united Jews, Christians, and Muslims under a shared sky of art, learning, and faith.

• Dates: October 2–12, 2026 (11 days / 10 nights)

• Theme: Exploring the legacy of convivencia through art, music, and architecture

• Countries: Spain & Morocco

• Major Cities & Stops:

  • Madrid (arrival) → Toledo → Seville (2 nights)

  • Córdoba → Granada (2 nights)

  • Málaga → Chefchaouen (2 nights)

  • Volubilis → Fes (3 nights)

  • Casablanca (1 night)

• Highlights:

  • Walk through Toledo’s “City of Three Cultures”

  • Visit Seville’s Real Alcázar and Cathedral

  • Explore Córdoba’s Mosque-Cathedral and Medina Azahara

  • Discover Granada’s Alhambra and attend a Zambra flamenco show

  • Fly across the Mediterranean to Chefchaouen, the “Blue Pearl”

  • Meet a local Andalusian music band and explore musical links between Spain and Morocco

  • Stop at the Roman ruins of Volubilis en route to Fes

  • Create your own piece in a zellij tile workshop

  • Join a food tour through the flavors of Fes

  • Visit Casablanca’s monumental Hassan II Mosque

  • Optional Marrakech Extension available after Day 11

This journey is inspired by María Rosa Menocal’s acclaimed work The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. In vivid, accessible prose, Menocal traces the centuries when Córdoba, Seville, and Granada flourished as centers of learning, art, and coexistence — offering a vision of a shared past that still resonates today.

📖 You can find the book here at Barnes and Noble or at most major booksellers.

Welcome to Spain! We’ll meet you at Madrid Airport and start heading south toward Andalusia. On the way, we’ll stop in Toledo, known as the City of Three Cultures. Here, Jews, Christians, and Muslims once shared daily life — and you’ll feel that mix as you step into the Synagogue of El Tránsito, where Hebrew inscriptions dance across walls carved in Islamic style.

In Toledo, we might chat about how these spaces — the synagogue, mosque, remains, and cathedral — reflect Menocal’s idea of convivencia.

By evening, we’ll arrive in Seville and enjoy a relaxed welcome dinner together.

Overnight: Seville

Today, we delve into Seville’s history, beginning at the Real Alcázar, an Islamic palace later transformed by Christian monarchs. We’ll also visit the Cathedral — the world’s largest Gothic church — and stroll through Santa Cruz, the old Jewish neighborhood full of narrow, winding streets.

In the evening, we’ll meet at the Fundación Tres Culturas, located in the old Morocco Pavilion from Expo ’92. A local expert will discuss convivencia — was it genuine harmony, intelligent coexistence, or perhaps just a beautiful myth?

Let’s think together: When sacred and royal spaces are repurposed, do they preserve coexistence or erase it?

Overnight: Seville

We leave Seville for Córdoba, once the shining capital of the Muslim world in the West. We’ll explore the ruins of Medina Azahara, the city of poets, scholars, and philosophers, then stop for lunch in a Sephardic restaurant that revives old Jewish recipes and flavors.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Mosque-Cathedral, where Islamic arches and Christian chapels intertwine — a perfect symbol of layered history. A short walk through the Jewish Quarter completes our day before we continue to Granada.

What happens when a sacred space is layered with new meanings instead of destroyed?

Overnight: Granada

Morning visit to the Alhambra, the Nasrid palace that captures the very soul of Andalusian beauty — poetry carved in stone. After lunch, we’ll wander through the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter with its white houses and views of the Alhambra, then up to Sacromonte, where flamenco was born among Gypsy families.

Tonight, we’ll experience a Zambra flamenco show in a cave — raw, emotional, and deeply connected to the spirit of this land.

Can flamenco be considered a living heir to convivencia?

Overnight: Granada

Depart Granada for Málaga, stopping at Gibralfaro Castle for a panoramic view before catching your flight to Tangier, Morocco. Upon arrival, meet your Moroccan team and travel directly through the Rif Mountains to Chefchaouen, the “Blue Pearl.”

As you ascend toward the medina, you’ll sense the quiet harmony that defines this Andalusian-inspired town — a place of refuge for exiles after 1492, where memory and color still mingle in the mountain air.

Overnight: Chefchaouen

Spend the morning exploring Chefchaouen’s peaceful blue medina, learning how this town became a sanctuary for Andalusian and Jewish families after their exile from Spain. In the afternoon, meet with a local Andalusian music ensemble to experience the melodies that connect northern Morocco with southern Spain. Through rhythm, poetry, and shared instruments, you’ll uncover how centuries-old traditions from Córdoba and Granada continue to echo across the Rif Mountains.

Reflect on how music serves as a bridge between cultures, carrying history and emotion across generations and borders.

Overnight: Chefchaouen

Leave Chefchaouen after breakfast and travel south through the rolling hills of northern Morocco. Stop for a guided visit at Volubilis, the ancient Roman city known for its remarkably preserved mosaics and panoramic views over the plains. Continue onward to Fes, arriving by late afternoon.
Check into your riad and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure to rest and settle in.

Reflect on how Volubilis, once Roman and later Islamic, illustrate Morocco’s layered history and the continuity of civilizations?

Overnight: Fes

Begin the day exploring the Mellah, Fes’s Jewish Quarter, and the Ibn Danan Synagogue, one of the oldest in North Africa. Continue to the Jewish Cemetery, then meet a local historian to discuss Morocco’s enduring traditions of tolerance and protection for Sephardic Jews.

After lunch, enjoy the rest of the day to rest, journal, stroll in the medina.

Reflect on Morocco’s welcome of exiled Andalusian and Sephardic communities enrich its cultural and spiritual life?

Overnight: Fes

This morning, take part in a zellij tile workshop, learning the intricate geometric techniques that have decorated Moroccan architecture for centuries. As you work alongside local artisans, reflect on how these patterns echo those seen in Andalusian palaces and mosques — a visual language of shared heritage.

Sample traditional dishes — from warm breads and olives to fragrant tagines and pastries — and learn how food, like music, carries memory and identity through time.

Overnight: Fes

After breakfast, depart Fes and travel west across Morocco’s countryside toward Casablanca, the country’s largest and most cosmopolitan city. Upon arrival, visit the magnificent Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world and a masterpiece of modern Moroccan craftsmanship. Built partly over the Atlantic Ocean, it stands as a powerful symbol of Morocco’s continuing dialogue between tradition and modernity.

Spend the afternoon strolling along the Corniche or relaxing at your hotel before gathering for a farewell dinner overlooking the sea — a fitting close to a journey that has bridged continents, cultures, and centuries.

Evening Reflection: Standing at the edge of the Atlantic, how does Morocco’s openness to the world echo the spirit of The Ornament of the World — where beauty and belief met in shared creation?

Overnight: Casablanca

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before transferring to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) for your departing flight.

Join the group for a final farewell ceremony, where you’ll reflect on the journey — from Andalusian courtyards to Moroccan medinas — and celebrate the memories, friendships, and insights you’ve shared along the way.

Important note:

(Travelers continuing on our Marrakech Extension will begin their journey south today - Extension details are under "add-ons")