Traveling with kids can be complicated, but not if you plan it the right way. Some places are more family-friendly vacation destinations than others, but even a destination that seems less kid-friendly can turn out to be perfect for a fun vacation for grown-ups and little ones alike.
All you need to do is get advice from, or travel with, a tour operator or a travel specialist who can help you plan your trip with kids, choose the best itineraries and find the right attractions for little ones.
Morocco is one of the destinations that fits this description really well.
Traveling to Morocco with kids: the must-see stops
A trip to Morocco is perfectly doable for families with children too. Moroccans are very hospitable and welcoming to tourists, and even more so to children, so you won’t run into any particular difficulties. A trip to Morocco will be a real adventure that sparks the curiosity of adults and kids alike to discover a new culture.
How? Here are the itineraries and attractions best suited to the youngest travelers, who will already be fascinated by the sheep and donkeys they’ll spot along the streets of Morocco. But that’s just the beginning of the many surprises that will leave them wide-eyed.
Among the attractions kids love most when visiting Morocco, there’s definitely Jemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakech, a key stop on any family vacation in Morocco, because this is where you’ll find snake charmers, monkey trainers and storytellers at work. Your kids won’t be able to take their eyes off them, although I recommend not getting too close, since they’ll ask you for money, and in any case I suggest not paying for this kind of attraction so as not to encourage animal exploitation. You can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride or stroll through the medina, which has stayed the same for a thousand years.
On every street and in every alley, kids will be amazed by the colors of the handicrafts and by trades they’ve probably never seen in action: tanners, weavers, cobblers, saddlers and carpenters.
Another timeless place that offers a kid-friendly adventure in Morocco is the fortified village (known as a ksar) of Aït Benhaddou, along with the Glaoui dynasty’s kasbah in Telouet. The imperial cities of Rabat, Meknes and Fez will also capture little ones’ attention with majestic madrasas, imposing mosques and fairytale palaces.
If your young travelers love Asterix and Gladiator, you simply have to immerse them in the magic of the desert with a camel trek through the dunes of M’Hamid and Merzouga, which leads on to the film studios of Ouarzazate. On the edge of the Sahara Desert, you can visit the places where the movies “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” and “Gladiator” were filmed.
A visit to a souq, the traditional market, is also a must: let yourselves be swept away by the aroma of mint tea, the spices of tagine and the scent of bread baked under the Sahara sand, taste the dates and pick up a wooden game (chess, checkers or dominoes).
A “fun fact” young travelers need to know: those smooth, round black things scattered here and there across the desert sand that they might mistake for pebbles aren’t stones at all, but… camel poop!
Of course, Morocco has plenty of beaches where kids can cool off, around Rabat and Salé, in Agadir or in Essaouira. But the ideal spot for a swim with children is the Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo, Ceuta’s seaside leisure park, with three artificial saltwater lakes plus cafés and restaurants where you can stop and enjoy some traditional Moroccan dishes.
But the experiences to enjoy with kids in Morocco don’t end there. You can arrange donkey rides, bike tours, horseback rides and hot-air balloon flights.
Planning a trip to Morocco with kids: skip the DIY approach
Morocco is a country where getting around on your own can bring some logistical challenges or hiccups, which are easily avoided if you plan your vacation with a local expert. Tourists are often stopped by the police on the road, or approached by sly taxi drivers trying to charge them more than locals, or by fake guides (often children) looking for inexperienced foreigners to scam, asking for a coin and then taking them to the wrong place.
That’s why, by traveling with our destination expert, you’ll avoid ending up in unfamiliar situations, and your transfers will be planned so you don’t spend too many consecutive hours in the car with the kids, with breaks along the way to make the journey easier on the little ones. Not to mention discovering the heart of Morocco and its best-kept secrets with someone who knows these places well and can give you the right tips on what to do, where to go and where to eat in Morocco.
In general, though, traveling to Morocco with kids isn’t risky, you won’t feel unsafe, and you won’t come across any scary animals in the streets (cockroaches aside!). As for food, even the pickiest eaters, as kids often are, will be won over by the local food and Moroccan sweets.
A tip for those traveling with babies: leave the stroller at home. In most of the areas you’ll visit, including the city souks crowded with people, carts and donkeys, and because of the many steps connecting streets and alleys, it’s impossible to use one. You’re much better off with a baby carrier. For very young children I don’t recommend touring itineraries: cars often don’t have car seats. For kids under 5, I suggest spending a few days in one city or sticking to short journeys.
Lisa Florian
Lisa
