5 Things You Should Know About Visiting Morocco With Kids
Thinking of travelling to Morocco with kids? The burning question many people have about Morocco is whether it is safe for families and we can understand why.
It’s not far from the UK and it is very close to mainland Europe and yet culturally, it is worlds apart.
Our first visit to Morocco was an assault on all of our senses but there was something we loved about it.
Maybe it was the beautiful Moorish architecture with those amazing doors or the surprising contrast of the busy cities to the perfectly peaceful countryside.
We’ve been back a few times now and highly recommend spending a few days in Marrakech to start with before exploring more of the country.
We try to visit different parts of Morocco each time we go and on our last visit, we took the kids on a week long trip to Morocco.
The highlights of that trip were hiking in the Atlas Mountains, enjoying some of the more chilled things to do in Essaouira and watching Morocco play Burkina Faso in their national stadium!
We have also been to central Morocco and loved it! See here for our 7 day central Morocco itinerary.
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Traditional Moroccan Berber village on a road trip to the Atlas Mountains
When we told people we were taking the kids to Morocco, the first thing we were asked was ‘is it safe to travel to Morocco with kids?’
Having been to Morocco many times before, we knew it could get a bit hectic for the kids but we weren’t concerned in terms of general safety.
If ever you are unsure about travelling to Morocco for the first time and would like a little guidance, you always have the option of booking a reputable Moroccan tour.
If you’ve decided to travel to Morocco under your own steam, there are just a few basic things you need to consider. These are the kind of things you need to consider when travelling anywhere with a family, not just Morocco.
We’ve tried to outline the main things you need to be aware of when undertaking any Morocco itinerary, particularly one with kids.
In terms of how safe is Morocco to travel to at any particular point in time, we always recommend checking the government advice before travelling.
Here are the top 5 things you should know about visiting Morocco with kids.
1. Crime in Morocco
Morocco is a safe place to visit. You just need to be aware of petty crime like pick-pocketing or bag snatching, particularly in the busy areas like the souks.
If you’re a woman travelling on your own (and even if you are with a partner), you may get more attention than you would like while wandering around the medina and the souks but we didn’t experience any of this when visiting Morocco with kids.
We also didn’t have as much hassle from people trying to sell us stuff we didn’t want. A quick and firm ‘no thank you’ was enough.
It’s not really a crime, more of a scam, but watch out for people in the main square, Jemaa el-Fnaa, with Barbary monkeys. They try to put them on you for you to have a photo and then ask you for money.
Please be aware that these monkeys are poorly treated and giving them any money just encourages them. The same can be said of the snake charmers.
We didn’t go near them because I’m terrified of snakes but the snakes are also treated very badly.
Finally, the henna ladies can be quite persistent. They will try to grab your hand and start painting them and then charge you.
So, whilst not crimes, there are plenty of scams around. Just be sure to exercise the same level of caution you would when travelling anywhere unfamiliar.
Try not to travel with valuable possessions and try to avoid flashing anything valuable in crowded areas.
Snake Charmers in Jemaa el Fnaa
2. Driving in Morocco
Driving in Morocco is very easy once you’re out of the main cities. We love to hire a car as it gives us so much more independence.
You might want to take your own car seats with you because the standard of car seats provided with your car rental is very variable.
We always travel with our Trunki Boostapak seats because they’re so compact and easy to travel with. You must just check the guidelines to see whether they would be age-appropriate for your child.
You should also be aware of a potential scam run by the police. During our road trip, we were stopped by traffic police with a speed gun who tried to claim that we were speeding and wanted us to pay an on the spot fine.
We knew that we weren’t speeding so we declined to pay and said that we didn’t have any cash on us anyway.
They said that they would have to take our drivers licence so we called their bluff and agreed for them to take it.
At this, they rolled their eyes and let us go. We later found out that this was quite a common scam but we also heard that things have improved in recent years and it is not so common.
We highly recommend getting out and about and seeing the sights of Morocco under your own steam. Here’s a great article with more tips on driving in Morocco.
Some of our favourite places to visit in Morocco with kids are Essouaira, Chefchaouen and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains as they are beautiful and much more low key than Marrakech.
We also more recently did an epic 7 day road trip from Ouarzazate. It included ancient kasbahs, lush palmeraies, gorges and sand-boarding in Zagora.
Sights of Morocco
3. Food in Morocco
The food in Morocco is safe to eat and is very tasty. There are lots of fantastic restaurants in Morocco but it always pays to do your research.
The staple food in Morocco is a tagine (usually lamb or chicken) which is a couscous based dish with vegetables, dried fruits and spices and cooked in a tagine dish.
You’ll also find grilled meats and bread. We advise staying away from salads and only eating fruit that you can peel or vegetables that have been washed, peeled and cooked well.
If you haven’t managed to do your research and are looking for somewhere to eat on the hop, try to go where there are lots of locals.
There were international supermarkets in Marrakech like Carrefour, but once you leave Marrakech, it is harder to find snacks that the kids like.
If you have space in your luggage, we’d recommend bringing some of these snacks that are good for road trips with kids.
Typical Moroccan tagine
4. Water in Morocco
Tap water in Morocco is meant to be safe to drink for the most part, but we wouldn’t recommend drinking it.
In places like Morocco where the tap water is just not quite good enough to drink, especially when you have little ones with you, we like to use our Sawyer water filter or Lifestraw filter bottle.
We always carry our reusable Camelbak water bottles with us and can then filter the tap water. We much prefer this to buying bottled water as it’s cheaper and better for the environment.
In case of an upset stomach, it’s always good to have rehydration medicine in your travel first aid kit.
If you have to buy water and are staying in the same place for a while, try to source the largest bottle that you can practically carry and decant it into your reusable water bottles.
On the subject of drinks in Morocco, we highly recommend trying the freshly squeezed orange juice from one of the stalls in Jemaa el Fnaa in Marrakech.
Fresh Orange Juice from a stall in Jemaa el-Fnaa
5. Kids in Morocco
Morocco is a fascinating place for kids and although it can be a bit overwhelming for them, it is not unsafe (from our experience).
Moroccans adore children and your experience visiting Morocco with kids will be very rewarding.
Having said that, there are a few things that we would recommend doing during your holidays to Morocco with kids to feel more comfortable.
We would recommend doing these same things in a lot of other countries – not just Morocco.
- when visiting busy places like Jemaa el-Fnaa and the narrow streets of the souks, make sure to dress them in bright colours. You may be surprised how easy it is to get distracted by someone trying to sell you something or for a little one to get distracted by something at their level.
- Keep your kids close to you so that you can shield them from unwanted attention. Whilst we love for our kids to interact with locals and they love the attention, for the most part, they can get a bit overwhelmed in very busy places. It is safe as Moroccans love children, but it can be a bit much at times.
- Make sure your child has your phone number written somewhere, whether on a wristband or a little piece of paper in a pocket so that if you get separated, you can be reached.
- If you’re unsure about taking them into the Medina in Marrakech, you could try staying in Meknes instead. It’s very similar to Marrakech but on a smaller and less hectic scale.
And just a little anecdote of our experience of visiting Morocco with kids. Ed wanted to take our eldest son (who was 5 at the time) to a Morocco football match (Morocco v Burkina Faso).
It was a spur of the moment decision as the stadium was just opposite our hotel and the hotel manager mentioned that there was a game on.
I stayed at the hotel with our 3-year-old because it was an evening game. I was a little anxious that it may not be safe as this is not something I had anticipated or researched.
As it turns out, there were apparently more police than spectators.
The crowd were very friendly and Ernie came away with some great memories. They picked up some fun Moroccan football memorabilia including a Morocco flag that got waved at anyone and everyone we passed and was greeted with big smiles.
Moroccan football supporters on a hike in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains
Top tip for staying in Marrakech
Although a night in a riad in the Medina is an experience not to be missed, you might not want to spend your entire time there if you are visiting Morocco with kids.
Here are some lovely riads in Marrakech for you to take a look at.
As you can see, the riads are incredibly beautiful, there aren’t many that can accommodate more than two people in a room.
You will also hear the call to prayer early in the morning which may wake the kids. We recommend having a night in one for the experience and then checking in to one of the larger hotels in the Palmeraie area.
Family rooms are much easier to find and you’ll have a swimming pool which is ideal if you’re visiting Marrakech during the summer months.
After a visit to the souks, you’ll all want some downtime around the pool.
We stayed at the Appartement Mehdi Vizir Center Marrakech at the beginning of the trip and at the Kenzi Club Agdal Medina for a couple of nights at the end of the trip.
Both had great family apartments and large pool areas and we can highly recommend them.
Kids on holidays in Morocco
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I absolutely love these tips. I hear a lot about Morocco and I’ve never been, but sometimes I hear people say it isn’t very easy to travel there due to the touts/attention, both of which I had bad experiences with traveling as a woman in Istanbul.
This was super helpful!
-Lily
This was a brilliant read and encouraging me to take kids to Morocco!
Did the children have any immunisations before they went? Thanks!
Hi Kate – glad to hear it was helpful. Our kids have had all their childhood immunisations plus others like Hep A for travels to various countries. We didn’t get anything specific for Morocco as they are pretty covered already. It is best to check with your medical practice to see what your kids will need for Morocco. Have a great time!
Good day,
Which months did you travel to Morocco ? Do you think June would be too warm with a child ?
We’d really love to go to Morocco but are concerned about the heat for our child mostly. We live in a humid climate which gets hot in the summer but many say it’s so hot in Marrakech and the desert that were now hesitating.
Thanks
Thanks for your question Maggy. It does indeed get very hot in Marrakech in the summer months. We went with the kids in April and it was very pleasant – although the pools were a little cold. We have been to Morocco in the summer without kids (one of those times when I was 5 months pregnant in May) and found it warm but the dry heat was fine. The coast would be a lovely place to go in the summer (Essaouira) or you could get up into the Atlas Mountains which is a lot cooler.
Hi. Most helpful post.
I am plannig a trip with a 7 and a 1o yo and looking at different destinations as we can fly into quite a few.
Essaouira doesn’t seem to be one of them unfortunately.
How would you get there? Fly into Marrakesh and then drive?
Hi, when we visited Essaouira, we flew into Marrakech and drove (just under 3 hours). Essaouira does have an airport though and you can fly direct from the UK at certain times of the year with Easyjet and Ryanair.
Hi there,
In May 2023, we will be finishing up one month trip in the South of Spain. We would love to spend about 2 weeks in Morocco although this is flexible. I have no idea where to visit with 2 young kids (3.5yrs and 6 months)? Generally we prefer slow travel, one place, one week. I know Marrakesh is a must, but where else would you recommend? Trying to figure out whether it makes sense to fly from Malaga, or catch the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier.
Thanks, Ash
Hi Ash, thanks for contacting us. I would say that Chefchaouen is a must. It is fairly small, easy to navigate and just beautiful. It’s not far from Tangier. Marrakech is kind of a must, be Meknes (and Fez) are also just as nice and a little less hectic. We also loved Essaouira and down in the Atlas Mountains by Ouarzate but I think this would be a bit far if you only have 2 weeks and prefer slow travel. I would prefer to take the ferry to Tangier and then work my way down to Marrakech via Chefchaouen, Fez/Meknes. I hope that helps. Best wishes, Jacs
Hi
We are planning on visiting Morocco in January 2024 with a 4 year old and 15 month old. We will be travelling from the south of Spain and plan to get the ferry. We would have about max 4/5 days. Where would you suggest to visit? Is it worthwhile bringing our own car over as we will have our car with us in Spain from the UK. Thanks
Hi Rachel, if I had 4/5 days with kids that age, I would take the car across and make a loop including Chefchaouen, Fes and Meknes. The souk in Meknes is similar to Marrakech but much less hectic. I wouldn’t feel the need to drive all the way down to Marrakech.
This is awesome blog. Thank you for sharing