Family-Friendly Morocco Tour in One Week

Mother and daughter walking on streets of Ait Benhaddou near Ouarzazate, Morocco

What to expect on this itinerary

Handcrafted with three distinctive Moroccan destinations, this one-week tour is perfect for families who want something a little more intrepid than a standard vacation. Ancient souks arouse the senses, historical villages immerse you in tradition, and there is so much to do and see. From Sufi drumming to horseback rides and movie scenes to Berber villages, you will fall in love with this incredible country.

Countries Visited

Morocco

Places Visited

Essaouira, Marrakech, Ouarzazate

Suggested Duration

7 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Essaouira – Colorful First Impressions

Essaouira evokes many dreamy impressions of Morocco, but it is much smaller than famous cities like Marrakech and Fes. Ancient castle walls keep guard over the city center, and the streets are broad and pedestrianized. You will be met at the airport and transferred to a hotel in the medina. A local guide will take you on a walking tour orientation so that you can feast on some of the exotic flavors and scenes. You will already be able to notice the reverie that Moroccans have toward family. It will all be very exciting and much calmer than being in Marrakech. This evening, you can continue the exotic narrative with a Sufi drumming workshop.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Essaouira – Water Sports and Horse Rides

Day 3

Marrakech – Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride

Day 4

Marrakech – Family Cooking Class

Day 5

Ouarzazate – Mountain Trekking in the High Atlas

Day 6

Ouarzazate – Recreating Famous Movies

Day 7

Ouarzazate – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Ride a horse-drawn carriage through Marrakech’s evocative medina and feast your senses on the traditional scenes
  • Enjoy a family hike in the High Atlas that will have you traveling with mules between ancient Berber villages
  • Lounge around a beautiful Atlantic Ocean beach and find some solitude for sharing family time
  • Recreate a variety of Hollywood movies by visiting Ouarzazate’s studios and the setting for Gladiator
  • Learn how to craft local food with an immersive Moroccan cooking class for kids
  • Have your choice of water sports in Essaouira, which includes learning to surf, before relaxing on the town’s rooftops for a dose of traditional Morocco
  • Drum the night away with a Sufi workshop that is tailored for children

Detailed Description

Morocco is enchantment at every turn with new experiences every day. The country welcomes you to indulge in a dreamy vacation through the country’s premier family highlights with three very distinctive destinations in one week of travel. Essaouira is a charming old city that is complemented by golden beaches and an easy-going atmosphere. Marrakech will provide your cultural immersion. Then, in the High Atlas, you will savor mountain experiences and local Berber connections with a chance to venture off the beaten path.

Morocco is perfect for families. This is a country that loves visitors. The people are famously friendly and place a large focus on the family unit. Every evening, you will see local families playing on city squares. In remote areas, you will find that local women pick up their children and wave to you from their doorways.

Such a warm welcome always helps a vacation run smoothly. Morocco is also an experiential place for families. You will learn Sufi drumming and journey briefly into its mystical realm. A local cooking class will bring fun in the kitchen and plenty of exotic flavors. There can be downtime and water sports on the coast, hiking in breathtaking mountains, and dozens of famous movie locations within easy reach of each other. The country is perfect for parents who want to continue the intrepid travels of their youth with their new travel companions.

After flying to Essaouira, you will spend two nights in the town, which will include a horseback ride on the beach and a Sufi drumming workshop. Marrakech is only a short distance away, and you can celebrate most of its treasures, from a horse-drawn carriage ride to a cooking class. It is only 90 minutes from the city to the High Atlas mountains, where you will spend a day hiking between Berber villages. Ouarzazate is an offbeat and unknown place to finish, but it is perfect for families because it contains the continent’s largest movie studios. All your tours will be private and customizable, plus you can sink into some of Morocco’s finest accommodation for families.

Starting Price

$2,600 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 781 reviews

Rebecca P.
Morocco Travel Review: Marrakech, Essaouira, Agafay Desert, Atlas Mountains, Food Tour, ATV Ride, Pottery Class, Local Cuisine, 9-Day Trip

Our experience in Morocco was nothing short of amazing, thanks to the very talented team at Zicasso’s travel company. Our family was absolutely delighted with the level of care and attention to detail for each activity and lodging we enjoyed during our nine days in Marrakech, Essaouira, Agafay Desert, and, finally, our hotel in the Atlas Mountains.

Let's start with our driver, who impressed us daily with the way he navigated our very comfortable van through very challenging streets and roadways. We always felt extremely safe with him behind the wheel and he was so nice with our kids! When our youngest started to feel carsick going through the Atlas Mountains, our driver did everything he could to make the journey smooth—drove extra slow, pulled over whenever we asked for a little break, and made sure the car was always stocked with plastic bags and plenty of water. We highly recommend our driver, along with each tour guide arranged through the travel company.

Our travel specialist, and the owner, has assembled a fantastic group of people who clearly love their work. You will leave the country with an authentic cultural experience, not just a stamp in the passport. If you get an opportunity, do the backstreet food tour with our guide in Marrakech. She was so hospitable and introduced us to some truly tasty food. My children (ages seven and 12) even ate snails in the market with us! So yes, try the snails, along with whatever else she recommends.

Another tip: if you want a desert ATV experience, but do not want to trek to the Sahara, please consider visiting Essaouira and book an ATV tour there. There are some impressive sand dunes near the beach and we had an absolute blast trekking over those. The ATV route is gorgeous; you get the beach and the desert landscape in one go.

If you want an overnight desert experience, without going to the Sahara, then absolutely go to the Agafay Desert. A camel ride at sunset was a magical first for our children.

Finally, I want to say that the travel company goes above and beyond if there are travel hiccups. On our final night in Morocco, we received a text from our airline saying our flight had been cancelled (part of the massive Airbus recall). There were zero flights out of Marrakech and we needed to be back in the States in two days. My husband found a flight from Casablanca the next day and the travel specialist graciously provided transportation for us for the three-and-a-half-hour drive. We felt like booking with the our travel specialist was like having extra travel insurance! Sincere thanks to him and the entire team.

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minerva D.
Morocco Travel Review: Sahara Desert, 1-Week Trip

The trip exceeded our expectations.

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Charles D.
Morocco Vacation Review: Atlas Mountains, Marrakech, Art, 11 Nights

Zicasso’s travel specialist is a consummate professional, knowledgeable, friendly, and supportive. Excellently planned bespoke itinerary.

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Shoba K.
Morocco Tour Review: Agafay Desert, Fes, 13-Day Trip

Our experience with Zicasso’s travel specialist and the tour operator was fantastic!!

Our trip went smoothly and seamlessly, and exceeded our expectations.

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Douglas H.
Morocco Vacation Review: Marrakech, Atlas Mountains, Berber Home, Markets, 13-Day Trip

The trip was thoughtfully planned, with an excellent driver and local guides. Each of the riads and hotels chosen for the trip provided excellent service and beautiful rooms. Zicasso's tour operator was a joy to work with. The pace of the trip was perfect for us. Mary and I have not enjoyed a holiday more thoroughly than this tour of Morocco.

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James J.
Morocco Travel Review: High Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, 12-Day Trip

We recently returned from a 12-day trip to Morocco. It was an incredible trip! We started in a kasbah in the High Atlas Mountains and then traveled to Essaouira, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, and ended in Marrakech. We had excellent accommodations, transportation, and local guides.

The trip was planned and booked through the tour operator. Zicasso’s travel specialist was easy to communicate with and addressed all of our concerns. It was a pleasure to meet him in Marrakech for tea and an escort around the square. The people of Morocco were warm and kind. We look forward to returning and spending time in the desert, and we would definitely book with the tour operator again.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

29,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews