Family holidays in Morocco travel guide

This family holidays in Morocco travel guide aims to show you all the fascinating places you can visit together, be it souks, Sahara, Kasbahs or colossal mountains. You may have young children, teenagers, be solo parents or be travelling as a multi-generational group. Whatever your family mix, Morocco is a magical place to visit en famille if you know all the tricks. And travelling with a family holiday expert is one of the best ones in the book. Read on for more ideas.

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Family holidays in Morocco travel guide

2 MINUTE SUMMARY

Visiting Morocco with young ones is like walking into the pages not only some of the finest story books but also the locations of iconic screen hits. Stay in a kasbah, and you immediately feel like A little Princess. For Arabian Nights, sleep under the stars in a Bedouin camp, falling asleep to ancient stories and songs that float away across the dunes. And more for teens, the iconic film Hideous Kinky is a must to give a whiff of the other worldliness that awaits in Marrakech. Ait Benhaddou, the extraordinary kasbah city is a feature of Game of Thrones and those vast desert landscapes will forever be enshrined in Lawrence of Arabia. Morocco is also, of course, not fantasy. It is very real. It’s in your face, but not in an aggressive way. In fact, if Morocco had a face, it would be one with a cheeky, yet charming smile. One that is reassuringly warm yet enticing you into a never ending world of adventure.

Read our family holidays in Morocco travel guide for more stories.

Best time to go on a family holiday in Morocco

HOT AND COLD, BUT ALWAYS PERFECTLY COOL

Locations: Marrakech | Essaouira | Ouarzazate

One of Morocco’s finest points is it fits into every school holiday weather wise. There are two climate zones thanks to the Atlas and the Saharan influences. You can still enjoy the lower slopes of the Atlas in winter, admiring snowy peaks from afar – but you will need layers. You need them in the desert too where temps can vary by 20^oC between day and night. Avoid the Sahara end June-end August with kids; just too darn hot. But there are lots of other Morocco adventures to be had during summer months, such as surfing or hiking in mountain gorges.

Things to do on a family holiday in Morocco

WHAT TO DO & WHAT NOT TO

Things to do on a family holiday in Morocco…

Camping and caravanning take on a whole new meaning in Morocco. Join a caravan of camels with the Berbers, and camp in the desert under the stars. Your camelteer guides will not only lead the way through what feels like totally unnavigable terrain but also set up their traditional Berber camps for a night under stars that explode in all directions across the Sahara. It is a thing of dreams. And very sweet dreams too.

Learning to digitally detox is a problem not only with kids these days, but for all members of the family. But this is the country to do it in. Morocco’s hotspots are ones where you can sandboard down giant dunes, surf equally giant waves, stay in a kasbah, trek into the High Atlas with a mule or catch sunrise from the depths of an canyon. And for true detox, of course, a traditional hammam scrub is the only way.

Meet the Berbers, the indigenous people of Morocco and some of the best travel guides you will get when travelling as a family. Warm and welcoming, their whole culture revolves around hospitality and landscape. Be guided by them through the Atlas Mountains or across the Sahara. And if you learn a few lines of Berber, you will be friends for life. A good starter is always thank you. Shukrun in Arabic is well known, but Ake Issrebeh Moulana in Berber gets top marks.

Things not to do on a family holiday in Morocco…

Agadir is not really on the responsible tourism map of Morocco, having been transformed into a world of all inclusive resorts, casinos and seedy nightlife. Don’t bother with it if you think you are going to experience real Morocco.

Morocco is vibrant country, from the colourful souks and buildings to the effervescent nature of the people. Which is why it makes us smile. But it will rarely make Moroccans smile if you stick a camera in their face without asking. Enjoy the culture but do always ask before taking photographs and please do share this good practice with the young people in your life.

Don’t ignore the fact that tipping is a major part of the culture here. Many people depend on tips as income and wages are low, so bring plenty of small change with you or pack a purseful on your first day to have at hand.

Don’t encourage unethical practices when it comes to wildlife. Snake charmers stitch the snakes’ mouths meaning they live only long enough to make a few quid out of tourism. Performing monkeys are chained and kept in cages, and some donkeys in the cities are mistreated. See the leading charity SPANA's video here, support their work and look out for their tag on donkeys’ ankles for well treated one.