10 days in Morocco with your family

10 days in Morocco with your family

10 days in Morocco with your family: With the kids, we left for 10 days without Richard but with a friend to discover Morocco in October/November during the All Saints’ vacation. We started with a 5-day Morocco tours in the desert before discovering Marrakech. We loved this new and unforgettable experience! It’s a country that’s easy to get to, with a change of scenery, close to home, friendly locals and magnificent scenery.

Morocco really is a family-friendly destination, and even when we were alone with the loulous, we made the most of it. Of course, we would have preferred to go with all 4 of us, but unfortunately Richard didn’t have any time off. It’s a country that’s still affordable, even if prices are rising like everywhere else. In spite of everything, Morocco is a destination we recommend if you want sun, warmth and a change of scenery with your children.

Itinerary: 10 days in Morocco with children:

Day 1: Arrival at Marrakech airport. Drive to Ait Ben Haddou (first stage).
Day 2: Visit to the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou in the morning and drive to the desert to M’Hamid El Ghizlane in the afternoon. First fixed bivouac in the evening.
Day 3: Desert trek to Erg Sidi Naji with the camel caravan.
Day 4: Desert trek to the howling dunes (Erg Zahar)
Day 5: Desert trek to Ait Ounir and “Bora Bora
Day 6: End of trek in the morning and return to Marrakech in the evening
Day 7: Marrakech: Day in the Medina.
Day 8: Marrakech: Menara + Medina
Day 9: Ourika Valley
Day 10: Departure from Marrakech airport in the afternoon, arriving in Nîmes at the end of the day.

Details of our family trek in the Moroccan desert:

We chose a 5-day trek (including 4 days on foot) and 4 nights in Morocco through the dunes of the Sahara. As this was a first for us, we opted for an easy trek, even though we did a lot of walking.

Day 1: No walking. We arrived at the fixed bivouac after 7 km of 4X4 track. This allows us to enjoy the sunset and the hammam. Dinner by the fire and a sing-song before a good night’s sleep in a real bed!
Day 2: 15.8 km walk in the morning. We walk about 3h30 to 4h a day. Louise walks without a care in the world. Martin walks part of the way, but can also take advantage of a saddle dromedary that accompanies us throughout the trek. We always take a short date/mandarin break during the trek to regain our strength, as it’s very hot. Arriving at the bivouac, we have tea and cookies before lunch at around 2pm/15pm. It’s always very hearty, with large salads, kebabs, sardines, etc…. Afterwards, we can read, play games, chat and stroll before admiring the sunset. Once night falls, temperatures drop fast! We gather around the fire for bread-making and tea before dinner, which consists of soup and a hot dish. Dinner is served around 9/22pm, and we go to bed around 11pm.

10 days in Morocco with your family

We sleep under the stars every night to enjoy the magnificent sky and shooting stars. It’s also possible to sleep in a tent, depending on individual preferences.
Day 3: Waking up around 7am, the team gets everything in order to dismantle the tents and load the camel caravan. We have a good breakfast before setting off. We walk 12.4 km in the morning. set up our bivouac, have lunch and then, at around 5 p.m., set off to climb the highest of the Howling Dunes, which offer us an exceptional panorama and sunset! Return under a sublime sky and play in the desert with our guide and his team. Nature games based on dried camel droppings! Super moments of sharing. We walked a total of 17.4 km that day. We’re starting to get our first blisters!
Day 4: This is the day we do the most walking: 12.8 km in the morning with a long break before resuming at around 4pm. We walked another 7.2 km, for a total of 20 km for the day. We made this choice to be closer to the fixed bivouac and to have less walking the next day so that we could set off again for Marrakech not too late. Last evening in the desert…. Mohammed prepares sand bread for us and we sing around the fire.
Day 5: 6.5 km to the fixed bivouac, allowing us to leave at around 11 a.m. for Marrakech.

Details of our family stay in Marrakech:

We had no particular program. I already knew Marrakech, having been there with superdad a few years ago before having the kids, and my friend Agnès, who accompanied us, also knew the city. We had promised the kids that the first day would be a cool one. After a good shower and a bit of rest, we made the most of the Medina. The next day, we met up with a Moroccan friend with whom we spent 2 days. We spent a day exploring the Majorelle and Menara gardens, before returning to the Medina to enjoy our reunion.

In the evening, around 12.30am, we book a shuttle for the 9am trip to the Ourika Valley. Only in Morocco can we book a shuttle in the middle of the night and get an immediate response! We leave 2 hours late, but we’re off! We make several stops along the way (including an Argan oil factory), a waterside restaurant on the way in and then head up to discover the Setti Fadma waterfalls.

Airports + Plane tickets to travel in Morocco with your family:

We booked round-trip Nîmes-Marrakech tickets with Ryanair on the Liligo website. Direct flights each way.
A friend took us to Nîmes airport, and Dad picked us up, so there were no parking fees.

Documents required to go to Morocco as a family:
On the outward journey :

Passport
Specific health questionnaire requested on arrival in Marrakech. We picked it up at the airport and filled it in on the plane.
On return:

Passport
Important: At the time of our departure, we no longer needed a Covid test or vaccine, but always check as formalities can change.

10 days in Morocco with your family: Travel agency:

For the desert trek, we went with the Sahara Morocco Tours agency. We didn’t know this agency before, but we thought it was great! I exchanged a lot by email and on Instagram with Mila before we left, particularly for logistical questions, and she always responded promptly. Her husband Saïd runs the fixed bivouac. I sincerely recommend this agency if you’re looking for this kind of experience. Sahara Morocco Tours was also responsible for our transfers from Marrakech to M’hamid and back.

A special mention to Atman, Mohammed, Youssef and Abdou who accompanied us during our 5 days in the desert, and to Mustapha who took care of the transfers!
For the hotel in Ait Ben Haddou and the Marrakech part, we organized and booked everything ourselves.