Marrakech

Marrakech Family trip can be an amzing experience , like no other .

Discovering  Marrakech as a family means immersing yourself in a city vibrant with colors , sounds and smells .

Strolling through the souks , sipping mint tea, feasting on tagines and gazelle horns, you will fall under the spell of the red city.

Here are our favorite and our best family addresses.

Marrakech with the family: practical guide

What you will love to do in Marrakech with your family

Stroll with the family in Jemaa El Fna Place :

It is impossible to miss Place Jemaa el Fna , perhaps the most famous spot in Morocco .

During the day, the square comes alive at the end of the afternoon:  a treat for the children!

You can spend hours in this huge square, observing everything that is happening.

Musicians, water  sellers , monkey tamers  , and above all, snake charmers are all there for the show .

The bravest kid  can touch  some monkies   or even put them on their shoulder.

Above all don t miss  the snake charmers and make sure to have some coins for the sake of pictures.

to sum it up : all roads lead to the square and if you get lost , the locals will show you the way to it .

Bargain slippers in the souk :

Inside the Market ,  there are so many small stalls of  slippers, carpets, pottery, djellabas, jewelry, metals .

Of course , there are no fixed prices and that’s why you have to bargain for what interests you.

Therefore , Marrakech Family Trip  experience can be very challenging  for children .

Patience is the keyword.

In any case, this is where they will find plenty of little treasures to bring back home .

Get a traditional henna tattoo, a small original souvenir to bring back from Marrakech!

 You can choose the Henna pattern from an album that henna artists have .

The henna makers  apply  scorpions  tattoo on the boys hand , or a first name in Arabic.

 the precision of the gesture is impressive!

You have to take the time to let it dry well  for a while . The tattoo will wear off in a  week or 2 .

For better results choose traditional “red” henna .

If you want to know more about henna , check our blog  .

Admire the sunset over the Koutoubia :

To get the best view, you can sit on the terrace of the famous Café de France, on the 2nd floor, and savor mint tea.

Besides , make sure not to  miss the chaos of  food stand owners in  the square .

Not far away from  the Square  , the Koutoubia minaret  stands out against the orange sky, a miraculous view.

Relax by the pool :

Yes after spending some hours  in the souks of Marrrakech ,it is time to relax and take a dip in a swimming pool.

In our blog , we recommend the Oasiria water park and you kids will love it , popular with children .

slides, a beach, Aquaboulevard-style water games are all available in this park .

Another option is Beldi Country club or simply your own hotel if it has one for your kids.

Take a carriage ride :

When every one is tired of walking , you can go for a ride in a horse carriage .

The kids will love the ride , making it more interesting  around the ramparts of  the old medina , jack majorelle garden .

Ride a camel :

For children who want to take a camel ride, it is possible to do it  in front of the Menara garden or the palmery .

La Ménara garden is a very beautiful place about 3 km from the medina, with a large basin and an olive grove.

favorite places in Marrakech to spend time with the family

The Majorelle garden :

Garden is outside the medina, a bit of a walk with children.

You can take a taxi from Jamma El Fna, or much more fun, take a horse-drawn carriage back and forth!

The Place des Epices (Rahba Qedima) :

The herbalists  sells  the “classics” pepper, cumin, saffron, cinnamon … and many more .

Snake skins, goat horns, or even caged hedgehogs and chameleons that you can even touch!

Kids love all this , for sure .

Our blog recommend Cafe des Epice for you in case you need some soft drinks or light salads.

Mederasa Ben Youssef :

The school was once the largest Koranic school in the Maghreb.

Built in the 16th century, it could accommodate up to 900 students in the building’s 150 cells.

Today, you can wander  through the very small cells, easily imagining how education was at that period of time .

The Mederasa is  under restoration and is closed .

The Bahia Palace :

Your kids may love the beauty of the palace if you visit it early in the morning .

The whole place has more than 150 rooms , several patios  and terrific gardens .

If you have any chance to book a certified tour guide , your kids will learn  alot about the history of Marrakech.

Your kids can also have a joyful time outside the city away from the hustle and bustle of the city .

Ourika Valley :

A  green valley with  mountains , snow , water falls and many more .

There are excurtions every day from Marrakech to Ourika valley .

If you are interested , book the tour with us .

Ouzoud waterfalls :

If you are a nature lover , the Ouzoud is the right place for you and your children .

You can swim at the foot of the waterfalls , ride mules along the river  or stay in the shade of olive trees .

It still takes a good three hours to get there (170 km from Marrakech). 

It is long for the children to make the round trip during the day.

Therefore , you can  spend a night there and experience the riad  (a guesthouse ) .

Where to sleep in Marrakech with the family?

You can stay in hotels outside the old medina , calm and peaceful .

Otherwise , opt for a riad inside the old medina and get closer to narrow streets and markets .

If the family is big , you can book the whole riad which is so full of charm and beauty .

Where to eat ?

My favorite places for lunch in Marrakech with the family:

. Cafe des Epices : good for sandwichs , fresh salads , typical Moroccan juice .

You can go with your kids to cafe des Epice , a nice recommendation .

. The Jardin  :  has  charming decoration, a pretty garden! Perfect for a light lunch, and a great place to relax.

Your kids can play with some turtles , an experience not to miss .

.La Pâtisserie des Princes : you can taste  fresh and still warm gazelle horn with a cup of mint tea.

Where to dine in Marrakech with the family?

Our blog recommends Foundouk:

A very nice decoration, low prices for a slightly chic place, and delicious tagines .

(You  can  share one with  the children  and it is more than enough!).

Book to dine there, the place is very successful (deserved).

Furthermore , the guide will lead you , lantern in hand through the alleys of the medina  to the restaurant door…. a charming arrival!.

Another charming place in the medina: the Terrasse des épices, which belongs to the same owners as the Café des épices.

Installed on a large terrace, under the stars, tagines and grills at reasonable prices for a superb setting.

The best season to discover Marrakech  Family Trip with the family?

All year ! Not so good anyway: February when it rains often.

Marrakech is an ideal destination for a great family weekend! The trip is not long (few  hours by plane).

With very attractive prices for direct flights, for example on Transavia, the low-cost of Air France.

To find the best deals, you can use price comparison sites.

Local transport: on foot, or by taxi in the Medina. To be honest, It is very hard to drive there by car. If you are at the Palmeraie, you will easily find taxis to go back and forth to the center. Many taxis park south of Jamaa El Fna Square. Take a “grand taxi” (= large car); they are authorized to transport 4/5 people and to leave the city; set the price before. A rental car is only useful when leaving Marrakech, in the Ourika Valley for example.

What to  put in the suitcase for Marrakech Family trip ?

an ideal book to keep busy, have fun, and discover lots of things about Morocco.

a sweater or a “pashmina” for the evening (ideal for concealing a neckline or a golden shoulder …).

The days are hot but the nights are cool!

Avoid tight-fitting dresses, prefer loose pants and tunics.

Earplugs and a mask to sleep if you are in the medina and you are a light sleeper: the rooms are rather poorly soundproofed, and the song of the muezzin is early in the morning …

Take a small first aid kit with you, just in case …

in the children’s suitcase, a few games for them to occupy in quiet moments.

We hope that  our blog Marrakech Family Trip will be useful   to have a good trip to Morocco.