For Thanksgiving Break we spent two weeks in Morocco, exploring the country from North to South. We started in Chefchaouen, then explored Fes, the Sahara Desert and ended our trip exploring Marrakech with kids. The last time I visited Marrakech I was pregnant (click here for tips on traveling while pregnant) so it was great to return with my children.
How to Get to Marrakech with Kids Affordably
If you’re reading this and haven’t yet booked your flights to Marrakech with kids pay close attention. We decided on Morocco as our Thanksgiving trip thanks to a flight deal from Miami to Marrakech for $403 round trip on Air Europa. Flight deals are key to us planning affordable family vacations. The airline had superior service, excellent food and all four of our flights were on time. It was great because this deal also afforded us a 12 hour daytime layover in Madrid, allowing us to explore that city too. Read our Madrid layover guide here.
Things to Do in Marrakech with Kids
Marrakech does have a lot of history and sightseeing but that doesn’t mean it’s boring for kids. There are plenty of other activities to add in between the historical sites to keep the kids entertained. Here are the things that are bound to keep the little ones happy while visiting Marrakech.
Have Fun at Kidzo
If your kids are just over sightseeing or you want an activity that is truly just for them, head to the Menara Mall. Here on the top floor you’ll find Kidzo, a mix of Chuck E Cheese, Dave & Buster’s and any other kid heaven you can think of. There are games, rides, ice skating, bumper cars, and an indoor playground with slides, swings and a ball pit. We spent a few hours here and my three year old was so excited. It’s the perfect thing to do in Marrakech with kids especially on a rainy day.
Explore Palooza Park
We didn’t have time to visit Palooza Park as we chose Kidzo instead but Palooza is an amusement park in Marrakech. It’s recommended for older kids, 5 and up as a lot of rides have height restrictions.
Go on a Sidecar Adventure
If you’re looking for a historical tour that won’t bore your kids you have to book a Sidecar Adventure! The tour lasts 90 minutes and you’re whisked around the city in the coolest vintage sidecar. My kids thought it was the coolest thing and while my husband and I were equally excited, we also got to learn the history of the city. At the time of our visit the tour was 150 Euros for two people on one side car. We booked it through Dunes and Desert.
Head to the Movie Theater
Another great rainy activity or way to break up historical tours is going to see a movie. The Cinéma Mégarama shows movies in English once a day and we bought tickets for Frozen 2.
Take a Cooking Class
My kids are obsessed with cooking and taking cooking classes in other countries is a tradition of ours. Our favorite cooking classes had previously been in Costa Rica and Brazil and now Marrakech will be added to that list. This cooking class has been the most special though, as our class was taken at the Amal Women’s Training Center. This center is a non-profit organization that teaches women to cook who come from domestic violence, rape, homelessness and other terrible conditions and provides affordable housing. They learn a trade and can then go on to cook in restaurants in Marrakech or wherever while getting help in other areas to get on their feet.
Not only was the class for a great cause it was also amazing. The class included learning the proper way to make Moroccan Tea and going through a tea ceremony. Even though there were three different meals being prepared by all of the attendees we all got to learn how to make each one and take home the recipes. It was the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving abroad. The class cost 350DH per adult and 200DH per child, you can check here for updated pricing.
Enjoy Your Hotel Pool or Head to a Waterpark
Many riads in Marrakech come with a pool so if you’re visiting during summer set aside some time for relaxing by the pool. If your accommodations don’t have a pool there are resorts in Marrakech with waterparks that are open to the public. Splash down waterslides at Aqua Mirage Club & Aqua Parc, Eden Andalou Suites Aquapark & Spa, Oasiria, or any of the others. Below is the pool from our stay at Riad Yasmine which I go into more detail on below.
Like our matching outfits? Shop where we get all of our mommy and me dresses here.
Explore Majorelle Gardens
While in Rio de Janeiro we visited our first botanical gardens with the kids. We were a little worried they might be bored but they were so into it. Based on this we knew they would enjoy the Majorelle Gardens. It’s actually the most visited attraction in Morocco. It’s open daily from 8AM-5:30PM costing 70DH for adults while kids 12 and under are free. If you want to visit the Berber Museum inside, which I recommend it’s an addition 30DH.
Spa Day
I did a mother, daughter spa day in Wisconsin Dells and Brazil and since then my girls have been obsessed with spas. So when I found out they had a kid spa menu at Riad Azzouz & Spa I knew it would be great. We did the Hamman treatment followed by a massage. A Hamman is a traditional Moroccan spa treament similar to a Turkish bath. Usually done naked and given by someone of the same sex we wore bikinis and it was no problem. My daughter wasn’t that much of a fan of the exfoliation during the hamman but loved getting a massage. I think I’ve created a spa junkie!
Explore the Medina
The Medina is a whole new world. It’s busy, often loud and filled with various smells and people selling things left and right. But it’s an adventure and my girls loved it. Seeing craftsmen make things was so interesting to them. They loved smelling spices, drinking all the tea offered to them and window shopping.
Things to Do in Marrakech with Kids That Adults Might Enjoy More
Now even if you’re traveling to Marrakech with kids you’ll of course probably be interested in not so kid appealing activities. Rest assured we dragged our kids along to each of the below places as well and they still found interesting things at each place. Check out this beautiful video of our trip.
Badii Palace (Le Palais El Badii)
The Badii Palace is completely outdoors, built in the 1570s by Ahmed el Mansour. It’s open 9AM-5:00PM and cost 70DH per adult.
Bahia Palace
Right around the corner from the Badii Palace is the Bahia Palace. It’s open daily from 9:00-4:30pm and costs 70 dirhams ($7 in 2019). It took 7 years to build, completed in 1880 and ordered to be built by the grand vizier Sidi Moussa.
Koutoubia Mosque
The Koutoubia Mosque is a quick pit stop on the outskirts of the Medina as non Muslims cannot enter. If you fall into that category you’ll just admire it from the outside.
Ben Youssef Mosque
Unfortunately during our visit the Ben Youssef Mosque was closed for construction. While like Koutoubia Mosque you can’t enter unless your Muslim the parts you can see from the outside are apparently spectacular.
Dar El Bacha
One of my favorite places in Marrakech you’ll especially want to visit if you enjoy coffee. They sell top rated coffee from all over the world and most people visit for the coffee shop here. If you want to get a table to enjoy a cup on site along with snacks you’ll need to make a reservation in advance. It’s open daily from 10AM-6PM and at the time of our visit was 60DH.
Marrakech Museum
If you want to learn the history of Marrakech and even Morocco in general the Marrakech Museum is a great place to visit. My favorite part was the art work by local artists but there is beauty all around. The museum is open 9AM-6PM and costs 30DH.
Other points of interest we didn’t have time to visit were Dar Si Said and Saadian Tombs..
Take Family Photos
Marrakech is filled with beautiful backdrops so if you’re looking for your next holiday card photo this would be the perfect place to capture it. We did and got the most amazing results! Our session was booked with Shoot My Holiday.
Now I’ll say their work is gorgeous and we enjoyed our time spent with them but we’ve had a problem receiving our package. We paid a deposit up front and then had to pay the remaining balance upon the end of our shoot. We did get the pictures we ordered within a week but we also paid for a video and at the time of publishing this article we’ve yet to receive it. We’ve followed up multiple times, recently with no response while they continue to post on their Instagram account. It’s been over 5 months since we left Marrakech and were promised delivery within two weeks. The value of the video was 250 Euros and we haven’t been able to recoup that cost either.
This was our first time hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of us on vacation. Usually we take them ourselves and our extremely happy with the results. Here are our tips for taking the perfect family vacation photos.
Where to Stay in Marrakech with Kids
When talking about Morocco accommodations, Riad’s are always high on the list. They are traditional Moroccan homes with courtyards which now serve as hotels. Since we had six nights in Marrakech, we stayed in three different places in three different areas to get a better feel of the city. Read my review of each place to determine where you should stay in Marrakech with kids.
Riad Yasmine
Talk about the most picturesque place you’ve ever seen. We had the pleasure of staying in the Agafay Suite Terrace room for our first night in Marrakech before heading to Chefchaouen. Riad Yasmine is located in the Medina but away from the main action. It has a great rooftop terrace and like most Riads, breakfast is included in your stay. I arranged our airport pick up through them for 15 Euros for my daughter and I. We arrived at 1:30AM and our driver was outside with a sign waiting for us. There was a large bottle of water in our room as well which was great. You can read my full review here and check current nightly rates here.
Riad Azzouz & Spa
When we returned to Marrakech before our trip to the Sahara Desert we spent two nights at Riad Azzouz & Spa. They offer both family rooms with two beds and a room with a king bed and option for a rollaway bed. This Riad had just recently opened when we visited so everything was brand new and modern. It’s also located in the Medina but closer to the action and walking distance to many attractions. Breakfast was also included in our stay and you can purchase lunch and dinner for a fee. Their airport/train station pick up fee is 20 Euros. You can read more reviews here and check current nightly rates here.
Airbnb in Guilez
We wanted to get a feel for Marrakech outside the Medina so we booked this Airbnb for our last three nights in Marrakech. My husband and older daughter had joined us at this time and this two bedroom Airbnb gave us much more space. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge backyard, and living room with Netflix and literally every channel in the world. It was very convenient to catch a taxi and walking distance to many restaurants, however there were a few issues which I discussed in my review on Airbnb. If they fixed those things I’d 100% stay here again but if they didn’t I’d look elsewhere. New to Airbnb? Sign up here for $55 off your first stay. Nervous about Airbnb’s? Here are 8 tips to guarantee a great Airbnb experience.
How to Get Around Marrakech with Kids
You will do a lot of walking in Marrakech so if you’re traveling with younger kids I recommend bringing an umbrella stroller or carrier. I personally love my Ergobaby and used mine during our visit with our three year old. Public transportation isn’t huge so if you’re not walking taxi’s will probably be used. If you’re traveling with an infant I recommend bringing their infant car seat and getting a car seat caddy if you don’t have one. It will turn the car seat into a stroller to easily use once you’re out of the taxi. For older kids who still need a car or booster seat you can use the mifold, bumble, or WhizRider.
We had the most amazing time exploring Marrakech with kids and Morocco in general. Check out our guides to the Sahara Desert, Fes, and Chefchaouen. Did you find this article helpful? Please share it!