Toddler friendly holiday to Morocco
| country: | Morocco |
| departures: | 2009: 29 Dec 2010: 11 Feb, 25 Mar, 1 Apr, 15 Apr, 27 May, 21 Oct, 28 Oct, 23 Dec 2011: 17 Feb, 7 Apr, 14 Apr, 21 Apr, 26 May, 20 Oct, 22 Dec |
| price: | From £669 - £849 (8 days) per adult and from £559 - £749 per child including flights from the UK. From £459 - £529 per adult and from £359 - £529 per child excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 3 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
An exciting, small child-friendly taste of exotic Morocco combining city, mountains and beaches
Colourful Marrakech
Marrakech is an exotic and vibrant world - only a few hours from London but a different universe. You’ll see the city from the comfort of a horse-drawn calesh and discover the colourful main square filled with jugglers, musicians and acrobats.
Berber Villages
Leaving the bustle behind, you head up into the Atlas Mountains where you’ll experience something of the Berber way of life. Explore local villages on foot (with mules for the children) and enjoy plenty of fresh mountain air.
Essaouira Beach
An old Portuguese port and pirates' lair, Essaouira offers a beautifully preserved walled town with a maze of narrow streets, and a long stretch of sandy beach. Kick back, enjoy fantastic seafood, watch the fishermen bringing in the catch and play on the beach!
Colourful Marrakech
Marrakech is an exotic and vibrant world - only a few hours from London but a different universe. You’ll see the city from the comfort of a horse-drawn calesh and discover the colourful main square filled with jugglers, musicians and acrobats.
Berber Villages
Leaving the bustle behind, you head up into the Atlas Mountains where you’ll experience something of the Berber way of life. Explore local villages on foot (with mules for the children) and enjoy plenty of fresh mountain air.
Essaouira Beach
An old Portuguese port and pirates' lair, Essaouira offers a beautifully preserved walled town with a maze of narrow streets, and a long stretch of sandy beach. Kick back, enjoy fantastic seafood, watch the fishermen bringing in the catch and play on the beach!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart London After your flight, you transfer to your first two nights’ accommodation in Marrakech and check in. Even today, the name Marrakech conjures up images of scenes from the Arabian Nights; alleyways, souks, stalls and markets. This remarkable city, dating from the 11th century, never fails to satisfy the curiosity of adventurous travellers. The graceful architecture of the renowned Koutoubia Minaret, dominates the skyline. Hotel with swimming pool - 2 nights The hotel is located just outside the city walls around the old Medina. It is about a 25 minute walk to the main square Djemaa el Fna but close to local shops and restaurants |
| Day 2: | Marrakech city tour; calesh ride This morning starts with a horse-drawn calesh ride which makes a comfortable tour of the city and takes in the main sights. Then you make your way into the sprawling souk. As is usual in a souk, individual trades and crafts are concentrated in one street or area, so the shoemakers are all next to each other, as are the jewellers, the potters, weavers etc. This is the best place in Morocco to sharpen your bargaining skills, and you’re almost certain to be tempted by some of the extraordinary variety of merchandise on display - perhaps a pair of traditional Moroccan slippers, or some exotic spices. The Djemaa el-Fna provides the throbbing atmosphere of a medieval fair; it always seems full of life and continues late into the night. In this great open square at the heart of the medina, snake charmers and jugglers are among those who vie to entertain you. In the evening wonderful smells waft by as food stalls cook up their local delicacies. Each time of day seems to carry a distinct character, so do keep popping back for more! You then have the option to transfer by bus back to the hotel or stay in the city to explore further and make your own discoveries. The tanneries around Bab Debbagh still cure leather in a way that has not changed for hundreds of years, and are extraordinarily photogenic. If you’d like to experience the relaxation of a traditional bath, your Group Leader will advise where to find the nearest hammam; for just a few dirhams, you’ll be steamed and scrubbed until you shine! (B) |
| Day 3: | Ourika This morning, you journey into the Atlas Mountains. Your destination, the hamlet of Ourkia, lies 50km (a one hour drive) from Marrakech, set in a valley at 1000m. You stay in a mountain inn which offers peace and quiet in a breathtaking landscape. In springtime the almond blossom provides a colourful spectacle. This is an excellent base from which to explore the mountains in easy rambles. Hotel with swimming pool - 2 nights (BL) |
| Day 4: | Ourika; walks & mule trek in Atlas mountains Today you trek into the mountains with mule support; small children can either walk or ride mules. You will walk or ride for around 1 ½ hours. The fresh mountain air will give you a hearty appetite for your picnic lunch under the shade of the trees. After some time to relax you will return to your base. (BL) |
| Day 5: | Essaouira; walled port and beach Today you set off to the coast for a change of scenery. The journey is approx 4 hours. Arriving in Essaouira you find yourselves in one of Morocco’s most attractive coastal cities. The wild waves of the Atlantic crash remorselessly onto the rocky coastline of this old pirate’s hideout. Portuguese, Berber and French battlements encircle the maze of narrow lanes with tiny cafes looking out onto small squares. Two fortresses look out over the ocean, and on an offshore island stands another, even larger castle. As befits a seaport, the pace of life is more relaxed here, and the whitewashed streets lend a seemingly Mediterranean air to the city. Hotel - 2 nights (B) |
| Day 6: | Essaouira; walled port and beach This morning you can stroll around the lively old port, which is full of colour and interest. The early morning is the best time - when fishermen can be seen bringing in their catch or mending their nets. The harbour was once the lair of pirates who sailed out to plunder richly laden ships that passed along the coast; after all, this was the main trade route round the Cape of Good Hope to Western Europe. It later became a free port, when it had a small international community of merchants. The cosmopolitan mixture of different influences makes it a wonderful place to explore and it is full of visual surprises. The whole day is free to relax and wander as you please. Take a leisurely stroll along the ramparts, visit the little workshops which specialise in ornate inlaid work using thuya wood (a local conifer), spend time on the glorious beach where you can take an optional camel ride or enjoy a meal of freshly-cooked sardines down on the quayside. (B) |
| Day 7: | Marrakech Leaving Essaouira behind, you journey inland by private charter bus back to Marrakech (journey time approx. 3 hours) for a last chance to raid the souks. Hotel with swimming pool – 1 night (B) |
| Day 8: | Fly To London Trip ends for Land Only clients. Those travelling on our group flights transfer to the airport and fly to London. (B) |
travellers' tales
The most memorable part of the trip was without doubt the mountain trek on the mules -the scenery was fantastic and our 2 boys had a most wonderful time with their donkeys and their guides who resembled Jawa's from star wars which is every boy's fantasy! (more)
this holiday is designed for infants
Due to demand from parents with children younger than five years old who want adventure, these are trips especially for families with children who are at least two years old. The departures are scheduled to operate both in and out of school holidays and as there is no upper age limit, families with both infant and school age kids are welcome. The itineraries have been carefully designed and the accommodation selected bearing in mind the needs of parents and young children.how this holiday makes a difference
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On this trip: We have joined forces with Kasbah du Toubkal and Room to Read to assist in providing educational books for schools in Morocco. If you would like to offer your support to the project, please bring with you any educational books that will appeal to students from ages 5-18.
Books can be in any range of subjects: children's story books, basic literacy and numeracy, geography, history, Tin Tin.... English/French dictionaries or any other educational equipment, pens, pencils, calculators, writing pads etc would also be gladly received. Please bear in mind when making your choice of books that Morocco is an Islamic country. Your group leader will take your contribution from you on arrival and happily tell you more about the project. For further details see www.roomtoread.org. Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |