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After visiting Morocco for the first time for our anniversary last year, we were enamored with the Northern African Country – from its beautiful and diverse landscapes to its rich history.  There were so many great memories made, new things learned, and new experiences had that we vowed to bring our daughter with us on a return trip. As fate would have it, a flight deal (under $500 roundtrip) hit the wire that we just could not pass up, and there we were in Morocco for nearly two weeks exposing our 6-year old to the same experiences that made us fall-in-love with the country during our visit, and more. Below we share our reasons to take kids to Morocco for vacation.

Morocco is Full of History & Education at Every Turn

Kids brains are sponges. It is better to let those sponges soak up historical facts rather than sitting in front of the television watching cartoons or on their tablets playing games. What can your kids learn from a visit to Morocco? you ask. Morocco is full of history that goes back to the 2nd millennium BC, with many of the buildings and monuments that exist dating from the 11th century and older. With influences from Spain, Rome, and religions like Christianity and Judaism there is plenty to learn and see. Kids will be able to learn about how the different cultures and religions have influenced Morocco’s art, architecture, sociology, languages, geography, cooking techniques, farming and more!

Morocco culture and history

One of our favorite historical sites visited during our trip was the Roman ruins of Volubilis. It was like walking back through time as we learned about Roman influence within Moroccan culture. Volubilis was a Mauritian capital built on fertile grounds, founded in 3rd Century BC, which later became the capital of Idris I, founder of the Idrisid dynasty, who is buried at nearby Moulay Idris. It was amazing to see the extensive aqueducts, the ornate designs of what remained of floor tiles to what used to be extravagant homes.

Walking through Volubilis Roman ruins.

Another cool thing we got to see was how argan oil is made.

Argan Oil Making Essaouira

Visiting Morocco Exposes Kids to Various Languages

Did you know that many Moroccans speak at least four languages?  Some of these languages include, but are not limited to English, French, Spanish, Berber, Arabic, and even Japanese and Chinese. During our 12-day trip, our daughter was exposed to all of these whether during a tour of a historical site or at a restaurant. Research shows that the earlier kids are exposed to new languages the easier it is for them to learn them.  Before we went on this trip, my husband would go over Arabic words with our daughter, which she surprisingly retained. Additionally, our driver was helpful in teaching us common statements and words, too.

Walk Through a Movie Set or Two

Ouarzazate, a city in Morocco that is home to one of the largest movie studios in the world – Atlas Studios – where films like Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Cleopatra, Asterix & Obelix and many more. Our driver told us that right before we came Vin Diesel was in the area shooting a film. Cool, right?  In addition, there is Aid Ben Hadou where scenes from Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and The Queen of the Desert was filmed.

taking your kids to Morocco ait ben haddou

On our way to Agadir, right in the middle of nowhere was the abandoned set from the gas station scene of 2006 release The Hills Have Eyes. We were able to walk through the set, even the grocery store, which remained unchanged since being used in the movie.

taking your kids to Morocco Hills Have Eyes

Morocco is Full of Diverse Activities for Families

Morocco is a country with an extremely diverse landscape.  You will see lush, green, rolling hills, snow-topped mountains, beaches, desert and more.  All of these landscapes give way to a variety of activities you and your children can experience during a family vacation.

Camel Riding Kids travel to morocco

Of the places we visited, Essaouira, Agadir, and Rabat had beaches where locals swam and surfed.  Instead of your kids reading about the Sahara, they can trek through it on a camel just as we did. Unfortunately, we visited Morocco during the summer months but had we gone during the winter, we could have skied down some slopes in Ifrane, which is also known as the Switzerland of Morocco. Although we could not ski, we were able to see Berber Monkeys.

Ifrane Morocco Berber Monkey

Morocco Has Things Not Seen Anywhere Else

Aside from a photograph, have you ever seen goats in trees? If you haven’t been to Essaouira, you would answer, “No.” If you ask our daughter what one of the coolest things she saw during our family vacation in Morocco, she would probable excitedly state it was seeing the goats in the trees. Goats climb the argan trees to eat the argan nuts. How do they get down? We have no idea. But, it was cool to see. Our daughter was psyched to return to school to show her teacher, who also couldn’t believe her eyes. Take your kids so you all can see this for yourself.

Moroccans Love Kids

Our daughter was treated like a princess during our entire trip. The Moroccans we encountered were so loving towards her, patient, and playful. Our greatest experience of the Moroccan love for children was during our stay at Riad Gallery 49 in Marrakesh where the women catered to our daughter from the moment we walked in. They carried her to her room, gave her a spa treatment, played with her. It was cute and she loved every minute of it.

Moroccans Love Kids

Now that we’ve shared our reasons that you should take kids to Morocco for vacation, we hope you are ready to book your family vacation to Morocco to see what it has to offer. Armed with our tips on long-haul travel with kids, your family vacation to Morocco will be a breeze! Trust us, you will not regret it.

What are your thoughts on taking your kids to Morocco on a family vacation?

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