In 2018, Morocco tourism saw a jump in visitors from across the globe. Over 10 million tourists headed to Morocco to indulge in Moroccan food and see the sights that make traveling to Morocco so popular. Wondering if a Moroccan family tour would be a good fit for your family? Check out all you need to know to travel to Morocco with kids on a family tour with Intrepid Travel.
Why Intrepid Travel?
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When choosing a Morocco tour company, families have many things to consider. From food and lodging preferences to safety, picking the right fit will make it easy to travel to Morocco as a family.
I like to travel with Intrepid Travel for many reasons. First, Intrepid Travel limits the family tours to families. This means that if my kids are having an off-moment or need something, the other tour guests will understand. Secondly, it means that there will be other kids to play with. I also like that Intrepid Travel offers small group tours. Instead of losing my kids in a sea of people, I know that the one or two other parents on the trip will usually also be keeping an eye on them.
Tips for Booking a Morocco Family Tour with Intrepid Travel
Hotel Selection
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Intrepid Travel takes care of all the details regarding hotels. On family tours, Intrepid Travel books locally run hotels with family-friendly amenities. The rooms, whenever possible, have a private bathroom and air conditioning. The hotels also tend to have pools. In my experience, we have always been in the same room or been offered adjoining rooms when traveling as a family of three or four.
Dining and Moroccan Food
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As a mother to a child with allergies booking dining half-way across the globe can be stressful. With Intrepid Travel, most dining is planned by the tour guide. Separate plates of safe food for people with allergies, sensitivities or preferences are always available. On our Morocco family tour, the tour guide managed my daughter’s soy and dairy allergies in addition to ensuring meals were gluten-free for one tour member and vegan for another.
Parents will also be pleased to know that Intrepid Travel does an amazing job helping out picky eaters. Each tour guide is specifically trained to run family adventures. Our guide, Tariq, seemed to have a special gift for determining when one or two kids were getting tired of Moroccan food or not feeling adventurous. Often, he would suggest everything from fresh fruit to french fries to help manage little peoples’ big appetites.
Traveling with Other Families
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Sometimes the thought of traveling with other families on a tour can be daunting. Having completed a tour of Kenya and a tour of Morocco with Intrepid Travel, I can assure you traveling with other families, in fact, makes your vacation more fun. On our Moroccan family tour, the kids bonded quickly with a family from England. The kids were soon asking to eat meals together and sit together in the van. Even the youngest tour guest, who was five, was included in the bigger kids’ activities. Having more than one family on the tour truly enhanced our time in Morocco.
Intrepid Travel offers both a Morocco Family Holiday and a Morocco Family Holiday for Solo Parents. I traveled on the Morocco Family Holiday solo with my kids and was glad to find a friend who was doing the same. It was a nice change of pace to have another parent who was solo to pair up with to explore Morocco.
Morocco Family Holiday
Day 1 – Marrakech, Morocco
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Our family tour of Morocco began in Marrakech. We met our guide as a group at the hotel to begin our tour together. After some introductions, we headed out to the Medina (old quarter or walled city) to take in the sights and sounds of Marrakech. Here we enjoyed our first taste of Moroccan food. As a group, we ordered a variety of tangines (a traditional meal cooked in a clay pot). We devoured the traditional foods while getting to know each other.
Day 2 – Aroumd
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As someone who loves mountains, I was most excited about our trip to Aroumd. Located a little over 2 hours from Marrakech, the first stop is the village of Imlil. The drive itself is spectacular. You get to experience driving the Tizi n’Tichka Pass into Toubkal National Park. Once in the village of Imlil, you walk to the traditional mountain village of Aroumd. You can also opt to ride a mule instead, which all the kids on our tour begged to do.
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In Aroumd, you spend a night at the home of a Berber family. The Berber people have lived in Morocco since the medieval period and are the descendants of the pre-Arab people of North Africa. Their culture and independent Berber language are still very much alive today.
Our homestay had private rooms and bathrooms. Three young girls lived in the home with their parents. The home had a balcony with an incredible view of the High Atlas Mountains. Before dinner, we were taught how to make traditional bread on a woodstove. We spent the evening having dinner with the family and learning about life in Morocco. The three girls spent time doing crafts and playing games with the kids on the tour.
Day 3 and 4 – Zaouite Ifergan
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Before departing Aroumd, we walked the girls from our homestay to a local school. After that, we hiked back down the hill to the village of Imlil. Here everyone took so time to shop and explore the village. A fun aspect of the Morocco Family Tour was sharing the food we purchased in different villages in the van. We passed around dates, candied nuts, and more local treats for everyone to enjoy.
After that, we were back on the road and headed to Zaouite Ifergan. This part of the tour provides the opportunity to see various Berber villages. A highlight of the day is stopping at one of the oldest mosques in the High Atlas Mountains. The building, which no longer operates as a mosque, is stunning. Here you learn about the Saadian dynasty who ruled Morocco from 1549 to 1659, the era in which the mosque was built.
At the end of a long day, we arrived at our next hotel in time for the kids to jump in the pool.
In order to make the Morocco Family Tour easier with kids, Intrepid Travel builds in downtime. The second day in Zaouitte Ifergan is just that. Families can choose to swim in the pool, walk through the gardens of the hotel or book a donkey ride around the village.
Day 5 and 6 – Essaouira
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Essaouira is a fishing town with a deep musical history. Before arriving in town, everyone on the tour is given the option to ride a camel along the beach before indulging in a picnic lunch. This is a highlight of the tour for both young and old. Once in Essaouira, families travel into the Medina to stay at a local riad.
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On the second day of Essaouira, families have the option to explore Essaouira together or separately. We set out together as a group to visit the busy fishing port where the kids were enthralled with the seafood for sale. Later in the day, families split up; some went shopping in the Medina while others visited the nearby beach. We reconvened for dinner at a local restaurant serving freshly caught seafood where we sat on the patio to enjoy the sunset.
Day 7 and 8 – Marrakech
Photo by Sarah Pittard
Early in the morning on Day 7, the Morocco Family Tour heads back to Marrakech. After a 3 hour drive to the city, tour guests stretch their legs with a tour of the Medina and old quarter. Here we learned about Marrakech’s history and even took part in a cooking class to learn to cook traditional Moroccan food. We stayed at the Medina long into the night enjoying a variety of street food chosen by our tour guide. The evening was capped off perfectly when we rode in Tuk Tuks back to the hotel.
On the final day in Marrakech, we said our goodbyes to the other families and our guide. Some families stayed to explore Marrakech or more of Morocco while others headed to the airport. It was touching to see the friendships that were made during our time together especially between the 5 children.
Travel to Morroco as a Family Vacation
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Before embarking on the Morocco Family Tour with Intrepid Travel, I had longed to travel to Morocco. Seeing photos of the cities and tasting Moroccan food had me convinced that it was time to visit Morocco. Much of Morocco was as I expected. The Medinas were busy and came alive at night with music, lights, and entertainment. Shopping consisted of honing my bargaining skills to save a few dollars on a pair of traditional Moroccan shoes for my daughter.
What I didn’t necessarily expect was the kindness of the Moroccan people towards tourists. We ate and stayed in local homes, met children in the streets to play soccer with, and spoke about the history of both Morocco and Islam with people in coffee shops and restaurants. Morocco is an inviting country, skilled at showing its assets to tourists from across the globe. If you are looking to travel to Morocco with kids, there is no better way to do it than on a tour with Intrepid Travel.
Disclosure: This writer was hosted by Intrepid Travel to experience the Morocco Family Tour. All opinions remain her own.
Lead image by TheUjulala on Pixabay.
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