Morocco is one of the most rewarding family travel destinations we know — and one of the most underestimated. Most families arrive through Casablanca, and the gateway city is a gentle first day to shake off the flight: the soaring Hassan II Mosqueon the seafront (open to visitors on a tour), the breezy Corniche at Ain Diab with its beach and easy cafés. The sensory richness, the warmth towards children, the sheer variety of landscapes within a single country, and the genuine novelty of the experience make it deeply memorable for children who might be unmoved by another European city break. It does require planning. Here is what we have learned from years of designing family itineraries.
Where in Morocco is best for families with children?
Marrakech, a short train or drive inland from Casablanca, is the natural base — compact enough to manage, rich enough to hold attention for three to five days. The Jemaa el-Fna square is a natural theatre that children find spellbinding in the early evening: acrobats, storytellers, snake charmers (best observed from a café terrace), and the sheer organised chaos of the food stalls setting up. The souks are better tackled with a guide and older children who can keep pace. The Saadian Tombs and the Bahia Palace read as palaces and treasure houses to young imaginations.
The High Atlas — a two-hour drive from Marrakech — offers cooler temperatures in summer, Berber village walks at gentle elevation, and mule rides that delight children aged four and up. The village of Imlil is a comfortable base; several guesthouses here have been designed with families in mind.
The Draa Valley and the Sahara are the trip highlight for most families. The drive south through the Tizi n' Tichka pass, down through kasbahs and palmeries, to the red dunes of Merzouga, is one of the great road journeys. Children who have ridden a camel at sunset and slept in a canvas tent under Saharan stars tend to speak of it for years.
Essaouira on the Atlantic coast is a calmer alternative to Marrakech — a blue-and-white medina by the sea, with a long sandy beach, reliable surf schools for older children, and an unhurried pace that suits families who want breathing room between sightseeing days.
How should you pace a family itinerary in Morocco?
The single most common mistake in Morocco family travel is over- programming. Morocco rewards slow movement. A family with children under ten is well served by two to three nights in each location, with one active excursion per day and one long unstructured afternoon at the riad. We typically build in a pool afternoon every second day; most Marrakech riads have a plunge pool or rooftop terrace, and children need the decompression.
For a ten-day trip: three nights Marrakech, two nights High Atlas or Ouarzazate, two nights Sahara (Merzouga), two nights heading back via the Dades Gorge, one night Marrakech. This is a full circuit and works well with children aged six and above. Younger children benefit from a simpler itinerary: four nights Marrakech, two nights Essaouira, two nights Atlas, two nights Marrakech.
What are the best riads for families in Marrakech?
Riads — the traditional courtyard houses that now serve as the city's boutique hotels — are ideal family accommodation. The interior courtyard removes street noise; the architecture is naturally child-friendly (corridors to explore, roof terraces to breakfast on); and the staff-to-room ratio is typically high, which means attentive service. Look for riads with a plunge pool enclosed by a courtyard wall, a family suite with connecting rooms, and a kitchen willing to adapt menus. We pre-inspect every riad we recommend. See our destinations guide for our current shortlist.
What should children eat and drink in Morocco?
Moroccan food is broadly child-friendly. Tagines with chicken, olives and preserved lemon; couscous with seven vegetables; harira soup; kefta (spiced minced lamb) grilled on skewers; and msemen (griddle-fried flatbreads) with honey and argan oil are all approachable, lightly spiced and made from fresh ingredients. Most riads will prepare simpler dishes on request — grilled chicken, plain rice, eggs — for young children.
Water: drink bottled water only. Tap water in Morocco is chlorinated and technically safe in cities, but the mineral balance is unfamiliar to foreign digestive systems and causes stomach upsets in a significant proportion of visitors. Fresh-squeezed orange juice from the Jemaa el-Fna stalls (US$0.50–1 a glass) is safe and excellent. Avoid ice in cafés unless you are certain it is made from bottled water.
What practical tips make travelling with kids easier in Morocco?
- Book private transport throughout — shared taxis and buses are fine for adults but exhausting with children and luggage.
- Carry a child-specific sun cream rated SPF 50+. Moroccan summers are intense; spring and autumn are more forgiving.
- Pack oral rehydration sachets as a precaution; pharmacies in Marrakech stock them, but having your own is reassuring.
- A lightweight carrier or structured backpack carrier is more practical than a pushchair in the medina's unpaved lanes.
- Brief children aged five and up on bargaining before entering the souks — it removes confusion and turns it into a game.
- Carry small MAD notes (10 and 20 dirham coins) for children to hand over during transactions — it gives them agency and makes the experience tangible.