How to get the most out of a Morocco family holiday

Last updated on May 20, 2026

Our Morocco trip with kids wasn’t always easy, but the experience was well worth it. And with some adjustments, it could have been much smoother. We made the mistakes so you don’t have to!

We have a whole section of posts on Morocco, and this is the one to read first: a full guide to how to plan a family trip to Morocco with kids. We’ve tried a few different styles, from all-inclusive resorts to multi-stop road trips, so you can choose the type that speaks to you most.

The key thing is to shape it around what suits your family best: pick the right places, build in downtime, manage your expectations and don’t try to fit in everything. With the right planning, it’s an incredible family trip.

Also see our full 14-day Morocco road trip itinerary, and our guides to things to do with kids in Morocco, and the most special places to stay.

Is Morocco good for families?

Yes, Morocco is great for kids, but you do need to think carefully about the kind of travelling you’re comfortable with, including pace, comfort, ease and temperature. For example, a multi-stop road trip is obviously more challenging than staying in a single resort. But if you pitch it correctly to your needs, Morocco is an incredible destination for children and offers a rich cultural experience within easy reach of Europe.

Some of the reasons it works so well:

• Moroccans are genuinely warm and welcoming towards children
• There’s a huge amount of exciting sensory stimulation, from the colours and sounds to the animals and food. While sometimes overwhelming, if you get the balance right for your family, it’s a really enriching cultural experience.
• There are lots of soft but exciting adventure options, including surfing, mountains, and desert-lite experiences.
• Kids tend to love shopping in the souks, which are like an Aladdin’s cave of exciting treasure.
• There are some incredible places to stay as a family, including plug-and-play resorts to uber-stylish family-friendly riads, and self-catering pool villas.

All that said, it can also feel intense, and there are risks to be aware of. A trip to Morocco is definitely doable with kids, but it’s a place that requires some thoughtful preparation. And that brings me to the next question around the safety of travelling to Morocco with kids.

Is Morocco safe for families?

This is one of the most common questions, and the short answer is: yes, Morocco is generally safe for families. We felt safe, especially in terms of the people and their kindness, but there are things you need to be aware of.

Motorcycles whizz through the narrow souks, rabies is a genuine risk, and water- and food-borne illnesses are common. It’s a country where you need to have your wits about you.

A few practical ways to manage safety in Morocco with kids:

• Keep a close eye on younger kids in busy areas. Tell them about the dangers of motorbikes and walk close to the walls in the souks.
• Make sure you’re up to date with the necessary vaccinations.
• Stay away from stray dogs and cats, and warn your children not to pet them. In some areas, there are excellent vaccination drives, and animals are clearly tagged to show they’re rabies-free. It’s not strictly required, but we all had the rabies vaccination before travelling. However, even with this, it’s important to be treated ASAP if you come into contact with an unsafe animal.
• Don’t drink the tap water, and be careful with ice and fruit juices, especially on the streets. Despite our best efforts, our eldest still got a tummy bug while we were there. We don’t know what caused it – it could have been ice or fruit juice from a hotel/nice restaurant, a contaminated swimming pool, or perhaps just him putting his fingers in his mouth too much! Either way, it wasn’t serious, and he recovered quickly.
• Keep valuables tucked away and avoid having phones out constantly.
• If you have allergies or asthma, bear in mind that the air in Morocco can be very dusty, especially in the cities and desert areas. It can be quite irritating for sensitive airways, and I developed a lingering cough while there. Bring any inhalers or allergy medication you might need, even if your symptoms are usually mild.

Do you get hassled a lot in Morocco?

Compared to when we travelled to Morocco as a couple 15 years ago, we found that people hassled us far less in the souks and let us shop more peacefully. I think that’s in part due to a cultural shift in how people approach tourists in the more popular areas, but also because we were travelling as a family and given more space.

I also found it fairly uncomfortable travelling there as a young woman 15 years ago because of all the unwanted attention, but as a 40-something mum, this wasn’t a problem at all.

Where to go on a Morocco family holiday

As with many places, one of the biggest mistakes people make in Morocco is trying to see too much, especially when travelling with kids. The distances between places can be huge, especially if you’re keen to visit the Sahara, which is a 7.5-hour drive from Marrakech. Bear in mind how you’d travel these distances: are you happy to drive a car, or would you need to hire a driver/take a tour? And think about the pace you’re comfortable with. I’ve suggested a few different itineraries in the section below. Plus, here’s a link to our full 2-week Morocco road-trip itinerary.

In terms of the places to choose from, here are some of the different areas to consider visiting in Morocco with kids.

Marrakech

Marrakech is a place that hits the senses with its colours, scents and sounds, but nowadays it’s a far less intense experience than it once was. There’s still the chaos of its labyrinthine medina, where people, donkeys and motorbikes jostle for space amid the souks. But tourism has changed the city over the years and we found people far less pushy than when we first visited 15 years ago. Gentrification has also seeped in and there are some refined pockets of the city, filled with beautiful stays and restaurants (we loved Bab Doukkala).

Ours loved the markets and were enchanted by the spectacle of it all. It gets more intense and far less charming the closer you get to the notorious Jemaa el-Fnaa square, but there are pockets of Marrakech we adored.

Bear in mind that a visit to Marrakech can look very different depending on where you stay. You could opt for a resort and simply dip into the city occasionally, or immerse yourself in it by staying in a riad.

It’s also a good place to pair with a visit to the nearby Agafay Desert or Atlas Mountains.

Essaouira

Essaouira is a coastal city, offering a more compact and calm alternative to Marrakech. The medina is largely traffic-free, save for the odd rogue bike, and it’s right on the sea with a huge, sweeping beach. Life moves more slowly here, and it’s a place that has attracted many artists over the years. It’s famously windy, so kitesurfing is the local sport, along with surfing, especially in nearby Sidi Kaouki.

While the wind is part of its character, there’s also no doubt it’s sometimes a pain, especially in the cooler months when it brings a chill. Choose somewhere well sheltered to stay, and you’ll be much more comfortable.

Essaouira is a lovely place to spend a relaxed holiday with kids, and there are some beautiful places to stay (some of the best we found in all of Morocco).

Agadir, Taghazout and Tamraght

If you’ve looked into package holidays, Agadir will likely be on your radar. The modern coastal city is lined with resorts and makes for an easy beach holiday with fairly reliable sunshine and plenty of family-friendly facilities. For something with a little more character, head 30 minutes up the coast to the surf towns of Taghazout and Tamraght.

Taghazout is the more established of the two, a fishing village turned surf hub, with an increasing number of larger resorts alongside smaller surf houses and guesthouses. It has a main village area right on the coast and is a largely walkable destination.

Tamraght, on the other hand, is spread across a hillside set back from the beach. It still feels like a work in progress, with new cafés, surf houses and yoga spots appearing all the time. It definitely has a trendier feel than Taghazout, but skews more towards people in their 20s and 30s than families.

While Essaouira and Marrakech are more obviously culture-filled, you can still pair a beach holiday in this region with activities like farm visits, the Agadir souk, and trips to Paradise Valley or the Timalin sand dunes.

One of the main downsides of the surf towns is that they seem to be growing faster than the infrastructure can keep up with. Refuse collection is a particular issue, and the amount of rubbish on some streets and beaches can feel pretty depressing.

Imsouane

Imsouane is our favourite surf village in Morocco, and many people would agree – so much so that some now consider it ruined. Having never been there before, we still found it magical, but I imagine 20 years ago it was sublime.

The village is famous for having one of the longest waves in the world, which you can ride for up to 800m, so surfing is the main draw. Part of the town was demolished in 2025 in a controversial move by the government to reclaim land that had been built on without permits. It was a major blow to the community and has changed the face of parts of Imsouane, but its spirit remains and the town is slowly rebuilding.

It’s a lovely place to spend a few days, truly switching off and connecting with the ocean. This is far from a resort destination, but there are comfortable family-friendly surf houses and a good handful of cool cafés and restaurants. The sunsets are breathtaking.

Agafay Desert

The Agafay Desert is the easiest way to experience a desert landscape without the long journey to the Sahara. Just 45 minutes from Marrakech, it’s a rocky, lunar-style desert rather than rolling sand dunes, but it still has that same sense of vast open space and escape from the city.

Most people visit Agafay for a night or even just a day trip. There are plenty of desert camps, ranging from simple setups to more luxurious glamping with pools, proper beds and restaurant-style dining. It can feel more curated and less wild than the Sahara, but that’s also part of what makes it so easy with kids.

Our boys loved the novelty of it. Camel rides, campfires and stargazing all ticked the “adventure” box without being too demanding. It works especially well as an add-on to a Marrakech stay when you want a change of scene without committing to long travel days.

Atlas Mountains

The Atlas Mountains feel a world away from Marrakech, despite being just an hour or so from the city. It’s a place of terraced hillsides, Berber villages and cooler mountain air, offering a welcome break from the heat and intensity of the medina.

This is a great option if your family enjoys being outdoors. There are walks for all levels, from easy village strolls to more challenging hikes, and many hotels can arrange guides and even donkeys for younger kids.

The accommodation here tends to be smaller-scale and nature-focused, from boutique mountain lodges to simple guesthouses with sweeping views across the valleys. It pairs nicely with Marrakech and adds a completely different dimension to a Morocco trip without requiring too much extra travel.

We actually left the Atlas Mountains off our family itinerary as the kids aren’t good hikers, but Steve and I visited before the kids and absolutely loved it, staying at the iconic Kasbah Toubkal.

Sahara Desert

The Sahara is the Morocco many people dream of, with its vast golden dunes and atmospheric desert camps. But it’s also the biggest commitment in terms of time and logistics. From Marrakech, you’re looking at around 7–8 hours of driving each way (usually split over two days), which can feel like a lot with younger kids.

For families who are happy with the journey, it can be an unforgettable experience. Sleeping in a desert camp, watching the sunset over the dunes, sandboarding and stargazing are all pure bucket-list material.

There are camps for all budgets, from simple tents to more luxurious setups with proper beds and en-suite bathrooms. It’s one to weigh up carefully: magical, but not essential if you’d prefer an easier-paced trip.

Other places to consider for a Morocco family holiday

There are plenty of other regions worth considering depending on your time and travel style. The Dades Valley and Ouarzazate often feature as stop-offs en route to the Sahara, with dramatic landscapes and kasbahs that feel straight out of a film set.

Chefchaouen, the famous blue city in the north, is undeniably beautiful but harder to fit into a shorter itinerary. And Fez offers one of the most atmospheric medinas in the country, more traditional and arguably more intense than Marrakech.

Rabat, the capital, is another increasingly popular option. It’s more polished and laid-back than other cities, with wide boulevards, a coastal setting and a medina that feels far less intense. It can be an easier introduction to Moroccan city life with kids.

Suggested Morocco family holiday itineraries

If you fancy a road trip/multi-stop holiday, I’ve put together a 14-day Morocco itinerary. I stripped out the mistakes from our own itinerary to put together one that I’d definitely recommend! See the full 14-day itinerary here.

And here are some variations for if you have more or less time.

One-week cultural adventure

A simple, well-paced introduction with a good mix of culture and downtime.

• Marrakech (3-4 nights)
• Essaouira (3 nights)
• While in Marrakech, include a day trip or overnight stay in Agafay
• If you have older kids, include a night in the Atlas Mountains too

One-week relaxing beach/resort holiday

A way to maximise your relaxation time with some day trips for culture.

• Choose a resort in Marrakech, Essaouira or Agadir/Taghazout
• Do day trips from the resort
• If in Marrakech, I recommend spending at least one night in a riad

One-week coastal road trip

A coastal trip from Agadir to Essaouira.

• Taghazout/Tamraght (2 nights)
• Imsouane (2 nights)
• Essaouira (3 nights)

10-day road trip

You can adjust the amount of time in each location depending on your priorities in this good all-rounder.

• Marrakech (3 nights)
• Atlas Mountains and/or Agafay (1 night)
• Essaouira (3 nights)
• Taghazout and/or Imsouane (3 nights)

7-10-day trip to the Sahara

This is for those who really want to experience the desert, but it does involve more driving, so best suited to families who are happy to be on the move.

• Marrakech (3 nights)
• Atlas Mountains or Aït Benhaddou (1 night, to break up the journey)
• Sahara Desert camp (1–2 nights)
• Dades Valley or Ouarzazate (1 night, on the return journey)
• Marrakech (1-2 nights to relax before flying home)

Best things to do on a Morocco family holiday

There are so many memorable ways to experience Morocco with kids. I’ve made a full guide to the best things to do in Morocco, but some of the highlights include:

• Exploring the souks and shopping for treasure
• Surf lessons on the coast
• Camel rides on the beach or in the desert
• Staying the night in the desert
• Visiting the Atlas Mountains
• Sandboarding
• Craft or cookery lessons
• Visiting waterparks

The key is mixing activity with downtime, a morning exploring followed by an afternoon by the pool can go a long way in making your trip feel more manageable.

Where to stay on a Morocco family holiday

My speciality is finding beautiful places to stay and Morocco is full of them. Here’s my full guide to special places to stay in Morocco. It includes family-friendly riads, boutique resorts, desert glamping, and hidden gems along the coast.

Be careful, because a lot of the photos on hotel websites look nicer than the reality and there are a lot of fake reviews out there. We arrived to a few disappointments. But we also hit the jackpot with many of our stays.

I personally recommend pairing a riad stay with a boutique resort for the best of both worlds. Bear in mind that most pools in Morocco aren’t heated, so if you’re travelling in the cooler months, you might want to prioritise finding places where they are.

Practical tips for a Morocco family holiday

A few things can make a big difference to a successful trip to Morocco with kids.

When to go to Morocco

Morocco is often thought of as a year-round destination, but the reality can be more nuanced, especially with kids in tow. We visited in April and were surprised by how cool it could be, particularly on the coast. It was warm in the sun, but rarely hot, and definitely not the guaranteed “pool weather” we’d imagined. Many pools aren’t heated, which means quite a few were too cold for comfortable swimming. Even in Marrakech, where it was much warmer, you still needed a heated pool in April.

On the coast, wind is a big factor. Essaouira is famously breezy (it’s part of its charm), but we also experienced strong winds in other coastal spots. It can make beach time feel a bit less relaxing, especially outside the peak summer months, and you definitely need a full wetsuit in the ocean.

That said, spring and autumn are still great times to visit for sightseeing and exploring without the intense heat of summer. Just go prepared for variability – Morocco isn’t quite the predictable sun destination many people expect.

Getting around on a Morocco family holiday

Getting around Morocco is one of the bigger considerations when planning your trip, especially with kids. Distances can be long and journeys often take longer than you’d expect.

Private transfers or hiring a driver are often the easiest, most comfortable options. It takes the pressure off navigating unfamiliar roads and means you can simply enjoy the journey.

Self-driving is definitely possible and that’s what we did. The roads are generally in decent condition, but there are many hazards to be aware of, from motorcyclists (often with no helmets) to stray dogs. Police stops are common and we were pulled over for “speeding” and given an on-the-spot fine of around €15, which seems to be a fairly standard experience.

One firm piece of advice: don’t drive in the Marrakech medina. We tried it and instantly regretted it. The narrow streets, pedestrians, motorbikes and general chaos make it incredibly stressful. We ended up returning our car to the airport early and relying on taxis for the rest of our stay. There’s really no need for a car once you’re in the centre – we only had one because it was the last stop on our road trip.

Taxis are cheap and widely available, but not always ideal with young children as many don’t have seat belts. It’s something to be aware of and plan around depending on your comfort level.

Packing for a Morocco family holiday

There are two main things to bear in mind when packing for Morocco: modesty and variable weather. Layers are key, so you can adapt as the temperature changes. A fleece is a really good idea for shielding from the wind or warming up when the temperature dips.

While Morocco is relatively relaxed in places like Marrakech, and especially in the little surf towns, dressing modestly as an adult can help you feel more comfortable and respectful of the culture. Anything goes in the resorts though.

Another tip is to bring a shorty wetsuit for the kids, so they can tolerate the unheated swimming pools. That said, ours still didn’t last long!

For us, it was one of those destinations where we wore everything we packed, from warm fleeces to shorts. I’ve put together a full Morocco packing list based on our trip, which goes into more detail.

What to eat in Morocco with kids

Food was one of the trickier parts of the trip with kids, particularly for us as vegetarians. While Moroccan cuisine is rich and flavourful, it can feel a bit repetitive over time, and not always the easiest for picky eaters.

Our kids ended up eating a lot of msemen (a delicious flaky Moroccan pancake), pizza and chips. Breakfasts were generally easy with eggs, pancakes and plenty of bread-based options. We all fell in love with msemen.

We enjoyed tagines, especially at the start of the trip, but after a couple of weeks they did start to feel a bit samey. It’s worth seeking out more varied restaurants in bigger towns to mix things up.

It’s also worth noting that alcohol isn’t part of everyday life in Morocco, as it’s a predominantly Muslim country. You can still find it in many hotels, riads and higher-end or tourist-focused restaurants, but it’s far from a given, especially in smaller towns or more local spots. It also tends to be quite expensive.