Best of Morocco Family Holiday - 12 Days

Salaam Alaikum! Welcome to Morocco. Your adventure will begin in thriving Marrakech with a welcome meeting at 5 pm. After, join your leader and fellow travellers to visit Djemaa el-Fnaa in the Old City as the sun descends for a local street food experience. This is the largest public square in the world and it almost has the atmosphere of a medieval fair – so the kids are sure to love it! Street performers vie to entertain and the delicious smells waft by as food stalls cook up their local delicacies – you’ll no doubt want to try as much as you can for dinner tonight! You'll also be able to buy some snacks for the train journey tomorrow.

Today, travel by train to the city of Fes. When you arrive, check in to your hotel and enjoy some time to relax. This is the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco – vibrant, noisy and a feast for the senses. With a huge, well-preserved Old Town that's the mother of all medinas, there’s plenty to see and do in Fes! The afternoon is free to explore the winding streets and hustle and bustle of this amazing city – there'll be something to surprise and entertain the family at every corner, just ask your local leader for tips.

After breakfast, take a guided walking tour of the Old City, known locally as Fes el Bali. Step back into the Middle Ages as you explore the medina's labyrinth, which buzzes with craftspeople, markets, tanneries and mosques. After passing donkeys navigating the car-free streets, you’ll stop to watch some traditional potters at work in a ceramics studio. Then, head to a pottery workshop to make something of your own! This activity supports the local artisans and a skilled craftsman will teach you all about their craft. The kids will love to get their hands dirty as you watch your ideas come to life using the traditional methods of sculpting and modelling. After, explore the speciality sections of the souq and see the dye pits at the Chauwara Tannery. Tonight, you’re free to maybe get together with the other families and enjoy a local feast of harira (chickpea soup) and chicken-stuffed pastilla with couscous.

Today it's time to leave the city behind and head for the beauty of the Middle Atlas Mountains. Take a private transfer through fertile valleys, pine forests and barren, rocky landscapes. Tell the kids to look out for wandering nomadic shepherds as they tend to their flocks – you might even catch a glimpse of barbary apes – North Africa's only monkey. Midelt is a market town originally built as a base for mining and surrounded by farms and orchards. Enjoy a guided walk through one of the nearby villages for spectacular scenery and an insight into the local farming life before settling down for a peaceful evening of rest.

This morning after breakfast, take a private transfer to the mighty Sahara, stopping to take in the views of kasbahs and palmeries (lush valleys with date palms, fields and orchards) along the way. As you pass through Erfoud and Rissani, you'll see the scenery change between barren mountainsides and fertile valleys until you reach the small Saharan village of Merzouga. When you arrive, leave your baggage, pack a daypack and saddle up for a 1-hour camel ride into the desert at the Erg Chebbi dunes – huge windswept dunes just 20 km from the Algerian border. Ride your camels into the edge of the Sahara at sunset – this is a core memory waiting to happen! The dunes are truly breathtaking as the evening light sets off the deep colours of the desert. Tonight, you’ll camp out in traditional style under the North African stars.

If you’re game, rise and shine early enough to catch sunrise over the dunes. This morning, take a scenic drive past ancient kasbahs, former military outposts, mountains, valleys and fields that will take you to Ait Benhaddou. For lunch, stop at Ouarzazate. Does it look familiar? This location is used for many Hollywood blockbusters – be sure to ask your local leader about what's been filmed here! Arrive in Ait Benhaddou – once a crucial stop for caravans as they carried salt across the Sahara. – once a crucial stop for caravans as they carried salt across the Sahara. Today, its grand kasbah has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and you'll see all it has to offer during a tour this afternoon. The rest of today is free to relax, until a group dinner tonight at the hotel.

Today is all about enjoying the moment and taking in the incredible scenery. This morning, you’ll join a local artist to create your very own masterpiece using tea leaves and other natural materials – another activity for the kids to get creative! Then, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy however you choose. The hotel pool is a favourite hang out for kids and a perfect way to relax. Your leader will also be able to provide suggestions for other activities if you're feeling a little more adventurous. For dinner, enjoy some classic Moroccan tajine and couscous with your group.

Make your way to the High Atlas Mountains, passing Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2260 m above sea level) and Toubkal National Park. Along the way, snow-capped mountains and valleys in full flower will fly by your window – don’t worry, you’ll make a couple of stops for photos! When you arrive in the town of Aroumd, the kids can climb aboard donkeys and make their way to Imlil (the adults will be on foot and the walk takes about an hour). Witness traditional mountain village life far from the reach of the modern world and arrive in the remote village of Imlil – sitting on a rocky outcrop, this town has amazing views across the High Atlas Mountains and a unique opportunity to experience traditional Amazigh culture. You’ll spend the night in a family-run mountain home (or gite). Surrounded by the smell of woodstoves and bread, you’ll meet the host family and enjoy some traditional Amazigh hospitality and homecooked food as you swap stories and learn about their lives in the village.

Bread has always been an important element in Amazigh cuisine and today, you’ll have the opportunity to watch a bread-making demonstration for breakfast. Watch how it’s prepared and cooked by your hosts and then, if the kids feel up to it, maybe take an early morning walk around the village of Imlil. Head west towards the Atlantic Coast and the old fishing town of Essaouira – a city where the medina brushes up against the Atlantic Ocean. Sandstone walkways contrast with whitewashed houses, bright blue sky and the sand of the surrounding beaches and dunes. With your free afternoon, you might want to head to the waterfront and see the day’s catch. Tonight, maybe catch up with your group to share a seafood dinner.

After breakfast, join your leader on a walk around the town. The remainder of today is free for you to explore Essaouira as a family. Everything in the small centre is within walking distance, and the coast is perfect for a beach day. Why not wander the harbour and its adjacent fish markets, where you can watch the daily auction. A fresh-cooked plate of the day's catch is highly recommended. This town is also becoming renowned for its burled Thuya wood, delicately formed and inlaid in tiny shops. The scent of the oils used to polish the richly coloured wood permeates the air and makes walking through the streets incredibly rich for the senses!

Leaving Essaouira behind, make the journey back to Marrakech. When you arrive this afternoon, head out for a tour of the bustling medina, trying some local Moroccan sweets and fresh orange juice on the way. Then, you’ll have free time to explore the sights or purchase any souvenirs. As is usual in a souq, individual trades and crafts are concentrated in one street or area, so the shoemakers are all next to each other, as are the jewellers, potters and weavers. This is the best place in Morocco to sharpen your bargaining skills, and you’re sure to be tempted by some of the extraordinary merchandise on display – maybe a pair of traditional Moroccan slippers? Meet up with your group for a final evening and toast to a wonderful adventure discovering the best of Morocco.

Your family adventure comes to an end this morning. There are no activities today you’re free to depart the accommodation at any time. If you’d like to extend your family holiday, just get in touch with your booking agent head of time.