Best of Morocco Family Holiday - 13 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 Djemaa el-Fnaa in the Old City for a local street food experience as the sun descends. This is the largest public square in the world, and the kids are sure to love the chaos! Street performers vie to entertain and 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.

After breakfast, make your way to the station and board the train to Tangier, enjoying a relaxed journey across Morocco as the landscapes gradually change from the heart of the country to the northern coast. When you arrive in Tangier, transfer to your accommodation and settle in. The rest of the day is free to relax or begin soaking up the atmosphere of this historic port city at your own pace.

Today, you’ll take a half day tour of Tangier with a local guide, discovering the city’s highlights and rich blend of cultures. After, head on to Chefchaouen, the picteresque blue mountain town. When you arrive, join your leader for a short orientation walk through the alleyways and staircases bathed in shades of blue, before a free evening to wander at your own pace – maybe find a great local restaurant or just soak up the atmosphere.

You’ll have some free time this morning to explore more of Chefchaouen – if you want the best chance of getting family photos, it’s best to arise just after sunrise when the streets are quiet. After, head to Fes – the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. Vibrant, noisy and a feast for the senses, Fes feels medieval, with a huge, well‑preserved Old Town that’s the mother of all medinas. The afternoon is free to explore the winding streets and lively atmosphere of this incredible city –ask your local leader for tips and be careful of getting lost in the old medina (it’s said that only the locals know their way out of the maze!).

After breakfast, take a guided walk through 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 with the local artisans. A skilled craftsman will teach you all about their craft and the kids will love getting 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 get together with the other families and enjoy a local feast of harira (chickpea soup) and chicken-stuffed pastilla with couscous.

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, and when you arrive, you’ll take a walk through one of the nearby villages to soak up the spectacular scenery. Your local leader will also give an insight into local farming life before you all settle in for a peaceful evening.

This morning after breakfast, drive into 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 (12.5 mi) 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. Then, take a scenic drive past ancient kasbahs, former military outposts, mountains, valleys and fields to Ait Benhaddou, stopping in Ouarzazate for lunch along the way. If Ait Benhaddou looks familiar, it’s because this location was used for many Hollywood blockbusters – be sure to ask your local leader about what’s been filmed here! Once a crucial stop for caravans as they carried salt across the Sahara, today the grand kasbah has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. After your visit this afternoon, the rest of the day is free to relax until your group dinner tonight at the hotel.

Make your way to the High Atlas Mountains, passing Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2260 m/7415 ft 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 1 hour). See a slice of mountain village life, far from the reach of the modern world and arrive in the remote village that sits on a rocky outcrop. This town has amazing views across the High Atlas Mountains and offers 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. Meet the host family and soak up the warm hospitality as you tuck into a dinner of homecooked food, swapping stories and learning about their lives in the village.

Bread has always been an important element in Amazigh cuisine and today, you’ll watch a bread-making demonstration, tucking into the results 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. Then, head west to 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 skies and the sand of the surrounding beaches and dunes. When you arrive, join your leader for an orientation walk around town. Tonight, maybe catch up with your group over a seafood dinner along the waterfront.

Today is a free day for you and the family to explore Essaouira. Everything in the small centre is within walking distance, and the coast is perfect for a beach day or surfing lesson. Why not wander the harbour and its adjacent fish markets, where you can watch the daily auctions. 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 as you go. Then, you’ll have free time to explore on your own, picking up souvenirs and finding more hidden gems. 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.