Travel to Morocco with kids

Morocco is a wonderful, family-friendly destination. With a variety of activities, landscapes, and delicious foods, children of all ages won’t soon forget this magical destination.

Before planning your trip, have in mind the things your family does, and does not like to do. If you have children that hate shopping, being pulled through the market of Essaouira may quickly lose its appeal. Ultimately you’ll need to make some compromises. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Learning Kitesurf, windsurf, Surf/Sup: Our courses for kids require a minimum weight of 20–30 kg and take place in Essaouira Bay between March and September, get in touch with us for more info.
Fishing in Moulay Bouzerktoun: Getting your kids out to fish will help them appreciate nature and understand it. They also end up learning the importance of nature preservation, and of course, the fish they catch. Currently, the attention span of kids is too short. A lot of things can easily distract kids. They don’t necessarily focus well on a single task. When you take them out fishing, it requires long stretches of quiet concentration, allowing them to develop concentration on a task. Leave all electronics and any toys, which may distract their attention, at home.
Interact with the locals and enjoy their child-friendly attitudes: We know traveling with kids can feel super stressful sometimes. But when you travel with them to a place like Moulay, where family is everything and children are a language onto themselves, you will experience the warm, friendly and open locals and their welcoming attitudes towards other children. People will welcome you and will call out to their own kids to come and play with yours. Traveling with young kids is not always easy, but completely worth it for the experiences and connections it allows you to make, especially in a place like Moulay.
Visiting Had Dra the real market just 20min drive from Moulay: You are looking to teach your kids where your food comes from and introduce them to a real authentic market place, then Had Dra souk is the perfect place to do so. The market is lively every Sunday, the butcher is cutting up his meat right in front of you, children are selling bundles of freshly cut herbs, mint and olives. There are chickens and roosters crowing loudly, stalls laden with vegetables pile high and nice smells! Don’t shy away from taking your kids to the marketplaces, they will learn a lot and probably ask a lot of questions too. A visit to the marketplace can be educational and fun!
Learning Moroccan cooking: Taking a cooking class together with us is a great way to introduce your children to Moroccan cuisine and this is a family friendly activity that we highly recommend you to try in Moulay. We signed up for a two-hours cooking class with Rachida. You can also sign up for a 1 hour bread or Rghifat-making class.
Enjoy the great outdoors and the natural landscape: Morocco is blessed with a variety of natural landscapes. you will enjoy a gorgeous hike up the Middle Atlas Mountains, which included incredible mountain scenery, waterfalls, forest walks and less hair-rising passes than the High Atlas, which made it easier to do with kids.
Camel rides & treks in Essaouira: Ride a camel or a horse across Essaouira’s beaches, dunes and forests on a 2-hour guided ride. Take in the rhythmic sway of the camel’s gait from a traditional saddle, and absorb stunning views of the Atlantic coast. Camel can be ridden by two persons at the same time and children will be totally safe on their front. In small or large group, the camel ride is adapted to all!

Practical Advice:

If you’re traveling with a very young child, a small, collapsible umbrella stroller is likely to be your best friend. Larger strollers can be difficult to handle and navigate in narrow passageways. If you’ll have private transportation during your trip, you may want to bring or rent a car seat. They are not required in vehicles in Morocco and will be very difficult to maneuver if you plan to use taxis for transportation.

You should also plan to bring sun protection for your child. Whether it is winter or summer the Moroccan sun can be harsh. Along with this you may wish to prepare a small bag of over the counter medications you rely on to treat any illnesses with your child. While most medications are available in Morocco, they’re typically not offered over the counter and 24 hour pharmacies are not very common. You may also want to consider bringing motion sickness medications and anti-diarrheal medications just in case. Check with your family doctor before visiting to ensure all vaccinations are up to date and you can get any that they might recommend such as Hepatitis A.

Unless you’re in a very rural location, all cities have some medical facilities. High level hospitals and treatment centers are found in all of the major cities across the country. Overall, Morocco is a very safe country many people return to again and again.

Other useful Travel Info:

Best time to visit: Mar-Oct

How to get there: easyJet fly London Luton to Essaouira twice per week (Tuesdays and Saturdays). Lowest return price we could find is in January for £42 per person!

Currency: Dirham (Dh) divided into 100 centimes (as of Sep 2017 – £1=Dh12.32, US$1=Dh9.33, €1=DH10.80)

ATMs: Plentiful and easily accessible in the medina

Visas: Not required for most nationalities for stays of up to 90 days. Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond date of entry.

Language: Morocccan Arabic (Darija), Berber and French

Time: GMT/UTC

Government travel advice: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco

If you’re on the fence, take the leap. Morocco is a fantastic destination for all ages!

If you’re considering booking a family vacation to Morocco, get in touch with us. We can help you create an unforgettable itinerary for your entire family and assure that you will have the best possible experience.

Plan Your Family Adventure Today!