Morocco With Kids – Planning The Perfect Family Trip
Is Morocco worth visiting?
It’s hard to believe that a country only 3.5 hours away from the U.K. can feel such a world away, so much so, that we were utterly mind-blown when arriving in Morocco. An assault on the senses is the only way we can describe the plethora of sights, sounds, and smells this North African country offers, which we’re sure will enchant any child as well as adults. From ancient medinas, bustling souks, and colourful spice markets, to spectacular landscapes good enough to fulfil any travel enthusiast’s dreams, we believe it’s a fantastic country to travel with children, given its developed infrastructure for tourism, offering a wide range of affordable accommodations, easy transport routes around the country and very warm hospitable locals, eager to show you the charm of their country and always taking a kind interest in children.
Is Morocco safe for tourists?
We felt welcomed, safe, and very well looked after by our hosting country when we backpacked Morocco, feeling no uncertainty about walking around both during the day and after dark in a small group. At times we did get lost in the labyrinth of alleys making up the medinas and souks, (but isn’t that half the fun of exploring a new place?!) There were thankfully always kind locals, especially children who knew the streets like the back of their hand and were more than happy (if given a small tip) to show us the way to where we needed to get to. Remember though, be adamant if you do not wish to be guided somewhere, as many are so eager to help, before you know it, you will be guided left, right, and centre if you aren’t careful and handing out tips galore!
Due to motorbikes, mules, and donkeys being the common form of transport within the narrow walkways of the medinas and old towns, our biggest concern there was keeping Carmen out of the way. On occasions, we used our super lightweight compact stroller, Mountain Buggy Nano, but most of the time we opted to use our Ergo Baby 360 carrier.
Morocco’s geographical diversity
Morocco has it all (literally); bustling cities, beaches, mountains and deserts. Can you believe you could be shopping in the souks of Marrakech in the morning and trekking amidst the High Atlas Mountains come the afternoon? Morocco is even home to Africa’s highest ski resort, the country seriously caters to all travel types! Its biggest travel highlights are thankfully within accessible routes to each other via breathtaking land travel or internal low-cost flights.
Best time to visit Morocco
Morocco is a year-round destination, but certain months of the year are definitely more suited to travelling there with kids. We opted to visit in April during the UK two-week Easter holiday, as this coincided with Springtime in Morocco (mid-March to May). This was a perfect time to visit, with warm days with highs of 24°C and pleasant nights with lows of 16°C. The scenery is stunning, with landscapes outside of the city mesmerisingly green, lush, and full of wildflowers.
We steered clear of Morocco’s scorching summer months of July to August, where travel with children can be extremely testing due to temperatures reaching 36°C outside the Sahara and can soar to 40°C within the desert! Although Morocco’s winter months of December to February would still be a fair time to travel in our opinion, with daytime temps reaching 12°C and nights dropping to lows of 5°C, we were aware that we wanted to visit the High Atlas Mountains, which can get rather cold in winter, so we opted for a warmer season. However, if we were going to Morocco to ski, this would be our chosen season, as the ski season lasts from December to March.
How to get around Morocco
- Self Drive
- Grande taxi
- Petit taxi
- Train (including night train)
- Plane
In our opinion, the best way to travel in Morocco, is to mix it up a bit, taking different forms of transport for different legs of the journey, which we will now elaborate on. Our main criteria for travel with kids was aiming to keep travel time as short as possible, flexibility to stop off and go to suit us, and comfort for the whole group. For this reason, we decided to do the majority of our trip via self-drive and it was a fantastic decision and experience.
1. Morocco self-drive
Is It Safe to Drive In Morocco? That is the question we’ve been asked numerous times, and despite our initial fears of driving in Morocco, stemming from reading a few hair-raising stories online, we must set the record straight, self-driving in Morocco was an absolute dream. Yes – the roads within cities were busy and at times congested – but nowhere near as stressful as we had imagined, any competent careful driver, we feel, would be fine. As soon as we left the cities the drives’ were wonderful with beautiful scenery, smooth roads, and clear road signs. Those with children know that the convenience of having a car to get around with little ones is really useful. Parents have peace of mind that their child is safely strapped into their own suitable car seat, and adults in fact get a nice break from having a squirming child on their lap (especially with younger children) which will arise with bus and taxi travel.
Tips for driving in Morocco
- If travelling with children consider bringing your own car seat/booster seat, if luggage allows. When we arrived at our car rental, we were horrified as two Moroccan workers tried to secure their provided baby car seat to our hire car headrest with metal wires and pliers, as they couldn’t fathom out how to secure the car seat properly with just the seat belt! All worked out well in the end, but be mindful that road safety standards are not always met with the same level of caution as back in the UK.
- Take photos of any damage to the vehicle before driving it, no matter how small the scratch. You don’t want to incur any charges on returning the car.
- Road signs are almost identical to those in Europe, so it’s easy to understand and follow them.
- Don’t be afraid to use the horn! – Moroccans are honk happy and use their horns for a completely different reason compared to us conservative Brits. Where we use it as a last resort to let a fellow driver know we are annoyed with them, Moroccans use it as a reminder to let other drivers know of their presence. Upon overtaking, honk the horn to let the vehicle up ahead know you’re coming past. If approaching a blind bend, honk the horn to warn oncoming traffic. Most importantly don’t let others honking their horn intimidate you, they are cool, just embrace it and follow suit.
- We’d recommend not driving at night, due to being warned by locals to only travel by day, mainly due to the risks posed by other drivers. Don’t drive too close to the vehicle in front, as roads are often littered with gravel/small pebbles which can potentially crack your windscreen.
- We noticed a lot of Moroccan drivers like to drive in the middle of the entire road when there is no oncoming traffic. This is because they deem this to be the safest place away from the road side which may have a poorer road surface. When spotting an oncoming vehicle in the distance, we were initially a little worried that the driver wouldn’t move over onto their side of the road, but we soon realised they did and we always passed them smoothly without any problems. This at times made overtaking large vehicles a little difficult due to not being able to see around them sufficiently, but as already mentioned, get active with the horn.
- Don’t overtake another vehicle on a pedestrian crossing, it is a driving offence. Police often wait a little further down the road to catch any drivers committing this act.
- Use a sat nav along with Google map coordinates rather than using postcodes. These worked like clockwork when getting us from point A to point B and were very accurate in giving the correct journey time.
- Keep your driver’s license and car hire documentation close at hand in case you get pulled over by a Moroccan police officer (as we were on 3 occasions). If you do get asked to pull over, do so immediately, smile, be courteous, and hand over the needed documentation.
- Aim to book accommodation with onsite secure parking as finding safe parking on the street is a stressful task. In a few spots – for example, Chefchaouen and Fes – we had to park on the street but thankfully we contacted our accommodation on arrival, and they kindly met us and showed us where to leave our vehicle. They recommended we agree to pay a small fee upon leaving to a local man who was renowned for taking care of the vehicles parked on the nearby streets. Note however, if you do this, when you return to your vehicle, make sure you only pay the agreed person. You will most likely be approached by a few opportunists claiming to need paying for watching your car. Don’t fall for this scam.
2. Taxis in Morocco
Petit Taxis:
Petit taxis can only hold 3 passengers (plus the driver) and often stick to inner city journeys. We used these on several occasions, for short distances, and found them great value for money.
Grande Taxis:
Grande taxis can hold up to 6 passengers (plus the driver) and permit up to 2 customers to sit in the front passenger seat, along with 4 customers to share the back row. If there are vacant seats, the driver will likely stop to pick up other passengers, so bear in mind you may be squashed up against a complete stranger for the journey. These taxis are regularly used to complete city-to-city trips, and although they are a very cheap means of transport, they are notorious for being uncomfortable, cramped, and hot/stuffy with no air con. Due to there being no option for a child seat, and the thought of Carmen wriggling on our laps for 3 hours plus making us shudder, we chose to rule this taxi option out!
3. Private transfers in Morocco
The only private transfer we arranged in Morocco was from Fez to Merzouga, costing £250 for a 7-hour journey in a comfortable people carrier. Our decision to travel this way was partially due to us wanting to fly out of Merzouga when we moved onto the High Atlas Mountains after, and there was nowhere in the desert town to drop off our hire car. Secondly and most importantly for us was the uncertainty of driving to the Sahara desert, and feeling dubious of the road quality, the potential to get lost, or even have our hire car break down in an extremely hot, barren landscape. This was a risk we weren’t prepared to take with a toddler, and on reflection after experiencing this drive, we definitely made the right decision.
At times the roads went through cities and towns, however on nearing the Sahara, our driver was faced with long dusty roads with nothing in sight for miles and miles. We did wonder what on earth we would have done if we had broken down, especially with no signal, and at that point, we were so relieved to have an experienced local driver looking after us all.
4. Train travel in Morocco
Although we didn’t end up taking this form of transport, it’s worth a mention due to hearing many good reviews on Moroccan train travel, and it possibly being a good choice for families. As well as the classic first and second-class seats, passengers also have the choice of sleeping carriages which are grouped together in fours, which is handy if you want to save on a night’s accommodation. You can have air-con and it gives the added bonus of being exciting for children, allowing them the option to walk around.
5. Internal flights in Morocco
Airlines such as Morocco Air offer relatively decent value internal flights, which are a great transport choice if you are looking to visit parts of Morocco that are quite far apart. Take for example Merzouga to the High Atlas Mountains, where a 14-hour bus ride connecting the two is a non-starter with a toddler. We instead decided to take two internal flights. For £112 per person, we flew from Errachidia (1 hr 30 mins away from Merzouga) to Casa Blanca, then took a second flight from Casa Blanca to Marrakech. Each flight was roughly one hour long and from Marrakech, we drove 1 hour 30 minutes to the High Atlas Mountains. Granted it was a busy day, but it did break the journey up for all of us and was actually quite an enjoyable day travelling.
Moroccan food
Moroccan food is delightful, rich in taste, eye-catching in colour, and suited to the fussiest of eaters, due to the wide range of dishes available. We had preconceived ideas about the food being heavy in spice, which would have been a nightmare for our daughter Carmen, and also being predominantly meat-based, which wouldn’t have suited us parents being vegetarians. Once again, this couldn’t be further from the truth! We had an easy time picking from lightly fragranced vegetarian dishes, particularly falling in love with the vegetable tagines, couscous, and rice dishes, which were all very child-friendly. Moroccans also love their breads and pastries, so we were always stumbling across local bakeries serving fresh warm produce, which was amazing! On occasions we opted for more Western-style meals for Carmen, finding in most restaurants pancakes, pasta dishes, and pizza
Moroccan accommodation
No country’s accommodation has struck us anywhere near as intensely as the Moroccan riads we stayed in, they are so beautiful! Accommodation is abundant in all the areas of Morocco we visited, and easy to find and book online. It amazed us how some riads we stayed in were found right in the centre of souks, where we imagined the noise from daily hustle and bustle would make for a poor night’s sleep. In fact, once inside the centre of the riads, with all rooms looking into the centre courtyards, the noise from outside was always left behind. Every riad we stayed in we would highly recommend for value for money, great customer service and a truly authentic Moroccan experience. The decor was without a doubt the nicest we’ve seen on any trip we’ve ever been on, beautiful Islamic architecture full of detailed mosaic tiles and rustic deep North African colours. Make sure you check out where we stayed here.
Many riads found in the heart of the cities don’t offer lift access to upper floors and are accessible by thin stairways only, so bear this in mind if travelling with young children or those with mobility issues. Another thing to remember if travelling with children is, that many riads offer a swimming pool in the centre courtyard, perfect for cooling off in, after a day of exploring, but you may need to keep a very close eye on wandering little feet. We found all riads we stayed in to be very accommodating for children, and the staff were wonderful with our daughter, but within these intimate Moroccan riads, noise from guests can travel easily, so children should be reminded of this.
Click hereto find out where we stayed in Morocco.
Language in Morocco
The mother tongue in Morocco is Arabic, however, French is also spoken by a lot of the population due to the country’s colonial history. Many locals in the main cities were able to communicate in basic English also – a bonus for us.
Moroccan culture and traditions
We believe it’s important to remember when visiting any foreign country to respect the local customs and traditions, which we always tried to do in Morocco. Due to the country being a Muslim country, us adults dressed modestly, covering our shoulders and knees. This dressing rule didn’t extend to our daughter (3 years old at the time) who happily ran around in shorts and strap tops, or dresses on the warmer days and this was fine.
Best places to visit in Morocco
Chefchaouen
Is Chefchaouen worth visiting? Our answer is yes, without a doubt! The Blue Pearl is probably our favourite place we ventured to whilst in Morocco. This Northern hill town has the entirety of its old town painted a magnificent shade of blue and is a vibrant, refreshing stop-off for any trip to Morocco. We must have taken a million photos, it’s so picturesque in every direction. Sellers in the souk are much more relaxed, in comparison to those in souks found in other areas of Morocco. You’re able to browse stalls in your own time without the pressure to purchase anything. We loved dining out on rooftop restaurants, listening to the call to prayer echoing eerily across the valley. There are also some nice hikes in the surrounding hills, which make for good day trips, leading to waterfalls and points of beauty.
Click here to read Visiting Chefchaouen With Kids
Sahara Desert
You’ve got to venture here at least once, to not only witness the majestic burnt orange sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi desert but to experience desert life, it is utterly encapsulating. We’d recommend doing a minimum 2-night desert safari, where you and your family can stay in a Berber camp. Children will think they’ve struck the jack pot finding the biggest sand pit on the planet. You can ride on camels, try sandboarding, do an exhilarating dunes jeep drive, and watch the beautiful sunset. After dark, you will hear the most amazing drumming rhythms as your hosts perform for you around the campfire. This place makes for the quietest sleep, there’s literally no noise in the desert, not a sound!
Click here to read Visiting the Sahara Desert With Kids.
Fes
Ancient, rustic, and oozing with character, it’s a fascinating place to explore, and there are lots of things to do in Fes. The old media is brilliantly chaotic, full to the brim of traditional stalls and small shops selling trinkets, fabrics, carpets, crafts, and food. Getting lost in the labyrinth of alleys makes Fes a particularly exciting place to visit, not knowing what will be around the next corner, will keep everyone on their toes, hungry to explore further. Fes lacks the distinct touristy vibe that Marrakech has, and feels a lot more authentic, like you’re exploring the original untouched Morocco.
Click here to read Visiting Fes With Kids
High Atlas Mountains
If the high Atlas Mountains aren’t on your hit list, but a break to Marrakech is, bite the bullet, arrange a transfer, or better still hire a car, and make the 1.30-hour drive to this stunning mountain range, you certainly won’t be disappointed. We’d highly recommend staying in Riad Kasbah Africa, which offers stunning views across the Azzaden Valley, very attentive service, a swimming pool to cool off in, and cosy spacious rooms. It’s in close proximity to Imlil, which offers a good range of restaurant options and stunning views of the impressive valley it’s set in.
Click here to read Visiting the High Atlas Mountains With Kids.
Our Morocco road trip itinerary
We took an interesting route around the country, incorporating some of the best places to visit in Morocco, lasting 17 days in total.
Night 1: Rabat- Flight arrived in Marrakesh 10am, drove up to Rabat (3.5 hour drive)
Night 2: Chefchaouen – Left Rabat at 9am, drove 4 hours to Chefchaouen
Night 3: Chefchaouen
Night 4: Chefchaouen
Night 5: Fes – Left Chefchaouen at 9am, drove 3.5 hours to Fes
Night 6: Fes
Night 7: Merzouga – Left Fes at 9 am, drove 7 hours to Merzouga
Night 8: Sahara Desert
Night 9: Merzouga
Night 10: High Atlas Mountains- Left Merzouga at 5 am flew directly from Errachidia to Casa Blanca (1.5 hours). Then flew direct from Casa Blanca to Marrakech (50 mins). Then drove 2 hours to the High Atlas Mountains.
Night 11: High Atlas Mountains
Night 12: High Atlas Mountains
Night 13: High Atlas Mountains
Night 14: Marrakech – Left High Atlas Mountains at 2 pm and drove 1.5 hours to Marrakech.
Night 15: Marrakech
Night 16: Marrakech
Night 17: Marrakech
