Morocco Family Holiday Comfort

Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Morocco. You and your family will be met at Casablanca airport by a local representative and taken to the hotel. There are no activities planned until your welcome meeting at 5 pm. As there’s little free time included in Casablanca, it’s recommended you arrive a couple of days early to explore the city. Modelled after Marseille in France, this city is famous for its art deco buildings and the modern-day masterpiece, the Hassan II Mosque. If you do have time to space, maybe wander the old medina and the city walls, then jump in a taxi to visit the Quartiers des Habous – the new medina. You can also walk along the Corniche, watching the locals play football on the beach, or take it easy with a glass of sweet mint tea in one of the many great cafes.

After breakfast, take a guided tour of the impressive Hassan II Mosque before heading to Fes – the spiritual and cultural heart of Morocco. When you arrive, head into the Old City, known locally as Fes el Bali – arguably the world’s most fascinating and confounding Old City. Medieval Fes was one of the world’s great centres of education and culture, both Islamic and Jewish. Its religious institutions and libraries are legendary, its mosques of great renown. This afternoon is free, so you might want to relax and take the kids for a swim in the pool.

This morning, you and your family will take a walk through the twisting streets and alleyways of Fes, passing donkeys piled high with goods. Explore the specialty sections that divide the souk, filled with historic khans, madrasas and dye-pits, stalls loaded with fruits, herbs and soups, and where the smell of spice fills the air. Spend the day exploring the Old City, visiting Medersa el-Attarine and the local tanneries. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon and maybe spend the evening relaxing in this calming oasis, away from the buzz of the medina.

Today it’s time to leave the city behind and embrace the simplicity and beauty of the Middle Atlas Mountains. Journey in a private minibus through fertile valleys, pine forests and barren, rocky landscapes. You may see wandering nomadic shepherds as they tend to their flocks, or even catch a glimpse of barbary apes – North Africa’s only monkey – before arriving in Midelt. This is a market town, originally built as a base for mining in the area. It is also surrounded by farms and orchards, so you’ll walk through a Berrem village for an insight into the local farming life and also enjoy a special home cooked lunch. The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax or enjoy swimming in the hotel pool.

Travel by private minivan toward the mighty Sahara, stopping along the way to take in the views of kasbahs and palmeries (lush valleys with date palms, fields and orchards). As you pass through frontier towns like Erfoud and Rissani, you’ll see the scenery alternate between barren mountainsides and fertile valleys until you reach the small village of Merzouga. When you arrive, leave your baggage, pack a daypack and saddle up for a one-hour camel ride into the desert at sunset – the kids will love this! Erg Chebbi is home to huge windswept dunes that are quintessential Morocco and tonight you’ll sleep in a luxury desert camp under the stars. The locals will prepare a hearty feast tonight, so all you and your family need to do is sit back, relax and take in the Milky Way.

Return from the desert and drive to Todra Gorge. On the way, you’ll visit the oasis museum of El Khorbat, before continuing to the beautiful Todra Valley, which follows the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and is dotted with mud-brick villages sitting on hillsides. The remarkable scenery – sprawling green valleys and rocks sculpted into stunning formations by the wind – will be your home for the next two nights.

After breakfast, you’ll have some free time to wander and explore the Todra Valley. A guided hike through the gorge and over a nearby mountain pass is highly recommended here – the most popular choice is a 10 km circuit that takes about 4 hours and isn’t too challenging if you have a basic level of fitness. On the walk, you’ll pass villages and meet locals along the way – you may even get a chance to share a cup of mint tea with some of them! The surrounding mountains and the famous Rose Valley in the distance make for a gorgeous setting. For lunch, join some local ladies in their mudbrick kasbah to see how people live in this largely unchanged culture. The rest of the afternoon is then free to hike (if you didn’t in the morning) or simply lounge by the hotel pool with views over the lush palmeries and soaring cliff faces.

Today travel south to Ait Benhaddou. The scenic drive will take you past ancient kasbah ruins, former military outposts, mountains and valleys of palm trees. You’ll pass through Ouarzazate, where productions such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy and Aladdin were filmed (ask the kids if they recognise anything!). On arrival to Ait Benhaddou you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at a local NGO restaurant. Located between the river and the palm trees, the restaurant is run by an all-women co-op called the Tawesna Association. After lunch have fun learning how to make Moroccan pancakes (baghrir) and other sweet treats with the local women in a hands-on cooking class. Later you will have the opportunity to explore the UNESCO World-Heritage-listed kasbah. Centuries ago, this fine example of clay architecture was an important stop for caravans carrying salt across the Sahara. Tonight enjoy a delicious dinner of Morocco’s most famous cuisine: couscous and tagine!

It’s an early morning start as you make the journey to Marrakech – a feast for the senses. Be enticed by the alluring scents and brilliant colours of the spice markets, the sounds of the musicians, the rich folds of carpets, the delicious food and perfumed gardens. The afternoon is free to recharge. In the late afternoon, head to Djemaa el-Fna – one of the largest public spaces in the world. When night falls, it transforms into a hive of activity – henna-painters, performers and storytellers share the square with a street food bazaar, packed with stalls loaded with Moroccan delicacies, including snail soup. Your street food dinner tonight might include some Moroccan pastries with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Maybe finish your day with a cup of tea on one of the roof-top restaurants overlooking the square.

Your family’s adventure comes to an end and there are no activities planned after breakfast. If you have more time, it’s highly recommended you book an additional night in Marrakech to explore this fascinating city further. Maybe take the chance to get to know Moroccan food better with Urban Adventures. Become a spice guru and savour a traditional dinner on ‘A Taste of Marrakech: Inside the Medina’ as a local shares their insider knowledge and shows you the best hidden food souks in the city. Find out more at urbanadventures.com.