Morocco is an amazing country and a gateway to North Africa, it’s one of the best places to visit with kids. There is so much variety in what it has to offer, from its rich history and vibrant cultural heritage through to its adventure activities such as camel trekking in the Sahara and surfing lessons on the Atlantic Coast.
Given that Morocco is one of the world’s hot destinations right now, there's a surprising lack of credible content around family travel. Some say Morocco is a little like Marmite, and I am happy to say that I love both!
Moroccans LOVE children and I would argue your trip will be even better if you do bring your kids along. This country is great for all ages and often times you’ll not only be welcomed but invited to have special experiences or get your kids involved. Also people seem to go out of their way to help parents with little ones along.
Here you'll find details of a family's itinerary and what they did along the way. Keep in mind that I’m a first-time traveler to Morocco and by no means an expert. This is simply an accounting of our family’s experience (spoiler alert: we loved it).
Map of Morocco
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Planning Your Trip
International trips that include multiple stops in remote locations, however, require meticulous planning. Add kids, and there’s a new layer of vulnerability and complexity to consider.
We’ll periodically use tour companies when planning travel to places that are completely new to us. We appreciated having family-friendly hotels chosen for us, activities planned around our interests, and drivers and guides everywhere - we were able to do and see a lot more and get a far better feel for the cultures. So we had no hesitation doing the same in Morocco.
Here are considerations for any tour operator beauty pageant:
- US/Canada Office. It’s much easier to plan a trip with native English speakers.
- Knowledge. An operator must have extensive firsthand knowledge about their destination.
- Flexibility. Every item on your itinerary is flexible and interchangeable.
- Price. Since their clients have the ability to swap in different accommodations, there is the ability to bring down pricing accordingly.
- Credibility. Their media page is full of press from the world’s most coveted travel journals, including Travel and Leisure and National Geographic Traveler.
Morocco: What to Know Before You Visit Morocco
Getting There
My first question when planning the trip was, “how do we get there?” Morocco is far, particularly coming from California, where I live. Fly direct to Casablanca, a seven-hour flight. From there, hop a plane to Marrakech, which is under an hour. Currently there are no direct flights to Marrakech and Air Maroc appears to be the only non-stop option to Casablanca.
Itinerary Ideas
Morocco has a lot to offer and it was tricky honing in on what was doable (and sane) in 12 days. After chatting with folks who’d spent time there, including one Moroccan friend, I settled on a combination of city time, adventure in the mountains and desert, and R&R at the beach.
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So at this point it’s worth mentioning that there are a lot of different ways to spend a week in Morocco, but the most popular options seem to be 1) cities only (some combination of Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen and Essaouira) and 2) a city or two and the Sahara desert.
From our time in Morocco we’ve created a fantastic 10 day itinerary to help inspire you in your Moroccan family adventure!
Chefchaouen
To get to Morocco we took our car over on the ferry from Tarifa in Spain to Tangier. Straight away we headed up into the mountains to Chefchaouen - Morocco’s famous and beautiful blue city. If you have time then you can visit Tangier, however, we kept it for the end of our family trip as we knew that we’d do it on our way to get the ferry back to Spain.
Chefchaouen is a stunning mountain city that has been painted bright blue. It is said to represent the colour of the sky and connect the city to heaven and God. There are some amazing things to do there which makes it a great first stop on your Morocco family holiday.
The best way to start your time in Chefchaouen is to explore the Medina (old town) and souks (shops) so that you can take in the vibe and the stunning blue colours all around you. In the central square “Plaza Uta el Hamman” you can enjoy a refreshing drink and a bite to eat whilst people watching. After exploring the Medina, you should head along the river to one of the cafes, order an orange juice and enjoy it with your feet in the cooling river water.
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One of the best places to head for sunset is up to the Spanish Mosque. After sunset, there are lots of great places in the main square to choose for dinner.
Fes
After relaxing in the morning, you can then drive over to Fes. On the drive there we’d highly recommend making a stop at Volubilis. This Roman ruins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to the 1st century AD. It is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a large Roman colonial town.
On arrival at Fes we went straight to the Merenid tombs. These are the royal tombs on the outside of the city and have an epic panoramic view over the city. In the afternoon Fes Medina is a great place to wander around and take in the hustle and bustle of people going about their lives.
Cameron loved the sights, smells and sounds - plus seeing other young children there as well. We found a perfect place for dinner called Cafe Clock. We enjoyed it because they were super welcoming of families with kids and we met quite a few kids there which was fun for Cam. And they also had a great menu with tasty food.
It’s got 10,000 streets in the Medina alone, so you’ll really get a lot from having a tour guide on hand. Our tour guide took us from one side of the city at Bab Boujloud through to the Chouara Tannery and back. There’s a lot to see in Fes.
After we toured the old medina and had some lunch, we wanted to cool off. We try to remember when we’re travelling with our kids, that as well as the cultural element, they also sometimes need a little kiddie fun time. The water park was good for older children as well as it had some great slides. And for younger children, there was a special area with small slides and water canons. There was also a small restaurant on site if you wanted something to eat or drink.
Sahara Desert
Between Fes and Merzouga, where the Sahara Desert tour leaves from, there is not very much to stop and see. We stopped at Ifran, the Moroccan version of Switzerland, for some drinks. There isn’t really much to see there, so you won’t want to stop for too long. And we then briefly stopped again a while later when we were in the forests and barbary monkeys were swinging from the trees. This part of Morocco is famous for monkeys.
We booked our Sahara Desert Tour with Camel Trip Morocco to start that afternoon. We arrived at our guest house for 4 pm and by 4:30 pm we were on our camel ride out to our desert camp in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Cam loved the experience of getting up high and going through the desert. And Dylan loved it so much that he spent most of the 2 hours asleep on me.
Our guide was incredible because he was welcoming and extremely caring. Plus he clearly respected his camels (he even slept with them during the night). We stopped about 20 minutes before sunset to watch the sun go down. After sunset, we ended up at our luxury desert camp.
When they say luxury it’s important to remember that these are desert camps, and so they are simple luxury. Our bedouin-style tents were great, the beds were comfortable, the showers were hot and powerful, and they were warm. After a dinner there was music, singing and dancing around a campfire.
Erg Chebbi Dunes
You’ll want to make sure that you are up for sunrise. It’s the quiet time in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, and the perfect time to spot animal prints in the sand before everyone else rises. After sunrise, no family adventure would be complete with some fun having a go at sand boarding. It’s easy to spend an hour having fun doing this.
We arranged for Carl to take him on a quad bike across the sand dunes. The quad biking can be added onto your day tour, and takes about an hour or so. They’ll kit you up in a helmet and goggles and then take you onto the sand dunes. Then you’ll bash around them doing high speed laps.
The 4x4 tour takes you through the sand dunes and out to see the Berber villages. You’ll sit with some of the locals and musicians to listen to traditional Gnaou music, which involves lot of chanting and clanking, and dancing.
Tinghir and Todra Gorge
In the afternoon you’ll need to start the drive back to Marrakech and a good place to stop is Tinghir. It’s in a valley between the High Atlas Mountains in the north and the Little Atlas Mountains in the south. Its a beautiful oasis town and makes the perfect place to stop and explore the Todra Gorge.
We found a wonderful restaurant called Restaurant Cafe Central which served fantastic Moroccan cuisine at a budget friendly price. And if your kids have some energy left, then we highly recommend heading to the public gardens opposite the restaurant.
The Todra Gorge is a series of spectacular limestone river canyons, some up to 400m hight. The last 600 metres of the Todgha gorge are the most spectacular. They are easily accessible from the main road into the gorge. Depending on the age of your kids and what sort of walking/hiking you like to do, there are lots of cools trails that you can follow. We went high up into the the gorge.
In the Tinghir oasis you’ll go through the palm grove. This was amazing as you’ll walk through an area full of palm trees, alongside a system of artificial irrigation which provides the water needed to grow food within the oasis. After lunch there is a fantastic drive into Dades Gorge.
Ouarzazate and Ait-Ben-Haddou
Dades Gorge is a zig zag of a road that takes you up into the mountains. It is famous for the film sets that are built there. The best way to end the day is to head to Ait-Ben-Haddou near to Ouarzazate for the night.
The thing that really surprised us was that it was really kid friendly. A ksar of is a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls that creates a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. Ait-Ben-Haddou, is a really well-preserved example of one which is why it is a UNSECO World Heritage Site.
The best time of day to see it, is either at sunrise or sunset. We were there for sunrise watching from our hotel terrace, and it did not disappoint - it was incredible! The ksar is free to enter as it’s a public village. However, within the village, there are some individual buildings that you can pay a small entrance fee to go inside. This drive is incredible!
Marrakech
You’ll be on a route called Tizi n’Tichka which is a mountain pass linking the south-east of Marrakesh to Ait-Ben-Haddou. It takes you through the High Atlas mountains. We absolutely loved this part of the road trip, there was so much for us to see and talk about with Cameron.
Once you arrive, you’ll find that Marrakech is a whirlwind of flavours, colours, sounds and smells! It can be chaotic and noisy and possibly quite intense for some kids (and even adults too) who are first-time visitors. So if you’ve not been before, be prepared for the intense change of pace from the calm of the last few days.
Before you arrive you’ll want to decide between staying in the medina itself, or outside the medina. We opted for a family run riad outside of the medina with a swimming pool. We’d arranged for our host, a local family, to give us a cookery lesson.
We love to arrive into a new city and take a walking tour. There are so many fun things to do in Marrakech with kids. It’s a great way to familiarise ourselves with the area before we go off and explore on our own. Our tour started off at Koutoubia Mosque and included the Jewish Quarter, souks, the palaces and gates of the old Medina.
After the tour there are lots of great restaurants, cafe and food stalls on the edge of Djemaa el Fna for lunch. We did the Saadian Tombs after our lunch when we visited. However, another good option would be to go to the Bahia Palace instead.
The Saadian Tombs are majestic tombs are above ground, and you can spend a relaxing hour wandering and exploring them. Nearby to the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace is a large playgound in the Menara Gardens that was super busy with locals kids around 4/5pm.
Djemaa el Fna
Spend three nights in Marrakech (and could have used an extra half day). It’s a bustling and vibrant city that’s much smaller than Casablanca, Fez, and Rabat. We stayed at Ryad Dyor Hotel, deep in the winding maze of cobbled streets and alleys of the Medina (the old town), many of which are accessible only by foot (and unruly motorbikes). The city is teeming with riad hotels like ours (houses built around a central courtyard that have been converted to hotels).
Visit a hammam - This is Morocco’s version of a sauna, an experience that is typically accompanied by a vigorous scrub and massage. You’ll find hammams all over Morocco, from inexpensive public baths to luxurious options at five star hotels. Hire a licensed guide in Marrakech was money well spent.
The whole family enjoyed a group class at Najlae’s Workshop that included a visit to the local food market, followed by a cooking class and lunch. Have drinks at a fancy hotel - There are some seriously opulent hotels in Marrakech, some of which are former palaces.
Imlil
Our next stop was Imlil, a mountain town about 90 minutes from Marrakech. A highlight was a day of hiking through the rocky landscape, learning about Amazigh customs, and having a tagine lunch in the home of a local family in a small village.
Essaouira
We spent two days in Essaioura, which is a walled city with a bustling souk (and less aggressive vendors than in Marrakech), plenty of cafes and restaurants, and a mashup of Moroccans and expats, along with tourists.
Essaouria has a wide horseshoe shaped shoreline that is more city beach than white sand wonder. That said, it was great for a cool dip and is famous for kite surfing (the city can get quite windy). We stayed in Villa Maroc, a small hotel tucked in the walled city. The Villa is a maze of stairways, well-appointed rooms, cozy nooks with fireplaces, and a rooftop deck where we had breakfast each morning.
Practical Tips for Traveling with Kids in Morocco
What to Pack
You don’t want to pack too much but need to have enough. Here are some essential items to consider:
- Button down shirts
- Longer dresses and skirts
- Comfortable shoes
- A small backpack and/or fanny pack
- A lightweight scarf
- Something warm
Dress Code
Morocco is a Muslim country and modest dress is the order of the day. In general, Moroccan men and women are fairly covered. And while there are no hard and fast rules on dress for tourists, given the intense sun and respect for the culture, covering more than we do at home made sense.
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