Morocco · Private and tailor-made
A Private Family Journey Through Morocco
Ride a camel into the Sahara dunes at sunset, then fall asleep under the stars in your own desert camp.
Suggested length
10 days
Price guide
From $7,926 per person, excl. international flights, based on two sharing. Family rates for 2+ children under 21.
Includes hotels, private guiding, experiences and transfers
When
March to May and late September to early December, with winter holidays by the campfire
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American precision with local expertise · Planned from Europe since 2002 · 17,000+ American travelers · Never cancelled a journey
Ten days from Fez to Marrakech for the whole family, with two nights in the Sahara and a pace shaped around your children.
- Ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset, then sleep two nights in a private desert camp
- Sandboard down the dunes and drum along with Gnawa musicians in Khamlia
- Spot Barbary macaques in the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas
- Hold fossils hundreds of millions of years old at a workshop in Erfoud
- Climb the earthen lanes of Aït Benhaddou, where Gladiator was filmed
- Toast the trip with fresh orange juice on Jemaa el-Fna as the storytellers gather at dusk
“Hi from Europe. After planning luxury travel from Iberia since 2002, we have key relationships across our destinations and the judgment to tailor trips wisely for our discerning clients. Get our experience, relationships and insider savvy on your side. See our reviews and request a custom itinerary.”
Dan O’Beirne, American Founder · Iberia-Based Travel Specialist · Travel Leaders Network member. As featured in USA Today, & Euro Business News · Game of Thrones location consultant.
A Journey Designed Just for You
Our resident experts wrote this itinerary as a starting point, and your planner shapes every day around your interests, pace and travel style.
What do our American travelers say?
The 10-day family itinerary at a glance
Your family spends three nights in Fez, two in a private camp among the dunes of the Sahara, one in the palm oasis of Skoura and three in Marrakech. Day one runs from Casablanca airport to Fez by road, about 4 hours, with one stop of your choice in Casablanca or Rabat. Day four is the longest drive of the journey, about 8 hours with stops, across the Middle Atlas to the dunes. Day six runs about 6 hours to Skoura by way of the Todra Gorge, and day seven crosses the High Atlas to Marrakech in about 5 hours.
You stay in a choice from our vetted luxury five-star or deluxe four-star boutique hotels, with connecting rooms, family suites or riads matched to your room plan. In the desert, the family sleeps in tents with real beds and private bathrooms. Our planners confirm the bed type based on the hotel and room category you prefer.
March to May and late September to early December suit this route best, with warm days in the cities and cool, clear nights in the dunes. Spring break and the Thanksgiving and winter holidays work well, with crisp desert evenings by the fire.
Licensed guides we work with travel with the family across the country, a private driver handles every road, and our team in Marrakech looks after the family from the first transfer to the last.
Why the route runs from Fez to Marrakech
Most American families land in Casablanca after a night in the air. Driving straight to Fez gives the whole family three nights in one hotel to settle in before the long road south. The route then moves in one direction, over the Middle Atlas to the dunes and back across the High Atlas, so nobody retraces a road. It ends in Marrakech, where the pool, the gardens and the souks close the trip at an easy pace.
Families with younger children who prefer shorter drives choose the 8-day Marrakech, Agafay, High Atlas and Oualidia tour instead, with the Agafay desert an hour from Marrakech. Families who want more time add three nights in the mountains and by the sea, described at the end of this itinerary.
Journey at a glance
Length
10 days
From
$7,926 per person, double occupancy
Family rates for 2+ children under 21
Route
Fez, Volubilis, Meknes, Sahara Desert, Todra Gorge, Skoura, Aït Benhaddou, Marrakech
Your planner adjusts every day to your dates.
Day One
Arrival and the Road to Fez
Your private driver meets the family at Casablanca airport, and the road runs inland to Fez with one stop of your choice. Stand under the 210-meter minaret of the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the Atlantic, or stretch your legs in Rabat, where storks nest on the Roman ruins of Chellah. Families who connect through Europe fly straight into Fez instead. Check in for three nights, and let the pool and a quiet dinner close the day.
Day Two
Fez Medina: Donkeys, Dyers and a Mosaic Workshop
Your licensed guide leads the family into Fes el-Bali, one of the largest car-free cities on earth, where donkeys and mules still carry the loads through the lanes. From a terrace above the Chouara Tannery, children look down on stone vats of red, saffron and indigo dye, a sprig of mint held to the nose. Watch artisans chip tiny zellige tiles by hand at a mosaic workshop. Where available, Omar, a leather artisan we work with, shows the family how he cuts and stitches leather.
Day Three
Roman Volubilis and the Horses of Meknes
Drive about an hour to Volubilis, a Roman town on a hillside of olive groves, where children walk under the Arch of Caracalla and find Orpheus charming the animals on a mosaic floor. In Meknes, the gate of Bab Mansour glows with green zellige, and the vaulted granary and stables of Sultan Moulay Ismail were built, the story goes, for 12,000 horses. The family is back in Fez by mid-afternoon, with time for the pool.
Day Four
Cedar Forests, Macaques and the Road to the Dunes
Today brings the longest drive of the journey, about 8 hours with stops. Climb past the alpine roofs of Ifrane into the cedar forest, where Barbary macaques watch from the branches. Cross the high plateau at Midelt and follow the palms of the Ziz Valley south. In Erfoud, children hold fossils hundreds of millions of years old at a workshop. A 4x4 carries the family over the sand to camp, in time for a camel ride into the dunes at sunset.
Day Five
A Day in the Sahara: Sandboards, Gnawa Drums and Stars
Wake early for sunrise over Erg Chebbi, when the dunes turn from rose to gold. Children sandboard down the slopes, then the 4x4 heads to Khamlia, where families of Gnawa musicians play drums and qraqeb, iron castanets, and invite everyone to join in. Lunch is medfouna, a stuffed bread baked in the hot sand. The afternoon stays slow in camp, and after dinner, on clear nights, the Milky Way stretches from dune to dune.
Day Six
The Todra Gorge and the Palm Oasis of Skoura
Leave the dunes for the road along the foot of the High Atlas, about 6 hours with stops. In the Todra Gorge, the rock walls close in to a few meters apart, and children paddle in the shallow stream that runs between them. The road follows the Dades Valley past mud-brick kasbahs and fields edged with roses to Skoura, a palm oasis, and a kasbah hotel with a pool for one night.
Day Seven
Film Sets, Aït Benhaddou and Over the Atlas to Marrakech
Drive about 40 minutes to Ouarzazate, Morocco's film town, where the Atlas Studios lot keeps sets from Hollywood epics to wander through. At Aït Benhaddou, your licensed guide leads the family up the earthen lanes of the UNESCO-listed ksar, seen in Gladiator, to the old granary at the top. The road then climbs the Tizi n'Tichka pass, 2,260 meters high, and winds down to Marrakech by early evening, about 5 hours on the road in all.
Day Eight
Marrakech: Palaces, Souks and Jemaa el-Fna at Dusk
Your licensed guide paces the medina for young legs. Start at the Bahia Palace, with its painted cedar ceilings and courtyards of orange trees, then wind through the souks to the spice square, piled with cumin and saffron. In the afternoon, circle the ramparts in a horse-drawn calèche, or rest by the pool. At dusk, Jemaa el-Fna fills with storytellers, musicians and smoke from the grills, and children toast the trip with fresh orange juice from the stalls.
Day Nine
Balloons, Gardens or a Morning With the Artisans
Shape the day around your family. For children old enough to fly, a hot-air balloon lifts off at sunrise over the plains outside Marrakech, with the Atlas on the horizon. Later, wander the Jardin Majorelle among cacti and cobalt-blue walls. Families who love making things spend the morning in a ceramics workshop with Jamal, an artisan we work with, where available, or cook a tagine at a family cooking class. In the evening, our team reserves a family table on a riad rooftop.
Day Ten
Departure, or Three More Nights in the Mountains and by the Sea
A last breakfast and a swim, then your private driver takes the family to Marrakech airport, about 20 minutes away. Families who want more time stay three more nights, one in the High Atlas foothills and two on the calm Atlantic lagoon at Oualidia, and fly home from Casablanca. The extension is described below the itinerary.
Getting around
- Day 1: Casablanca airport to Fez by road, about 4 hours plus one stop of your choice, the Hassan II Mosque or Rabat. Families who connect through Europe fly into Fez, about 25 minutes from the medina.
- Day 2: A walking day in the Fez medina, with your private driver for the transfers.
- Day 3: Fez to Volubilis, about 1 hour 15 minutes, then Meknes, about 40 minutes, and back to Fez, about 1 hour.
- Day 4: Fez to Erg Chebbi by road, about 8 hours with stops in the cedar forest, Midelt and Erfoud, then a short 4×4 ride to camp. This is the longest day of the journey.
- Day 5: The desert by 4×4 and on foot, with no long drives.
- Day 6: Erg Chebbi to Skoura by road, about 6 hours with a stop in the Todra Gorge.
- Day 7: Skoura to Marrakech by road, about 5 hours with stops at Ouarzazate, Aït Benhaddou and the Tizi n’Tichka pass.
- Day 8: A walking day in the Marrakech medina, with a calèche ride and your driver on hand.
- Day 9: Short drives in and around Marrakech, or a sunrise balloon flight about 45 minutes from the city.
- Day 10: Hotel to Marrakech airport, about 20 minutes.
What does a 10-day Morocco family vacation itinerary include?
A 10-day Morocco family vacation itinerary with our team covers Fez, two nights in a desert camp at Erg Chebbi, the Todra Gorge, Skoura and Marrakech. Each full day carries one main outing, such as the Fez medina and a mosaic workshop, Roman Volubilis, a camel ride and sandboarding in the dunes, or the palaces and souks of Marrakech, with a licensed guide throughout. A private driver handles every road, and a 4×4 covers the last stretch over the sand. Day nine stays flexible, so the family chooses between a balloon flight, the Majorelle garden, a workshop or the pool.
How do you plan Morocco with kids around long drives and downtime?
Morocco with kids works best when the long drives carry their own small adventures. Your driver stops for macaques in the cedar forest, fossils in Erfoud and a paddle in the Todra Gorge, so the road days feel like part of the trip. In the cities, your guide starts mid-morning and wraps up near lunch, leaving the afternoon for the pool or a nap. Moroccan food suits children well, from couscous and grilled brochettes to warm bread and fresh orange juice, and your planner reserves earlier dinner tables on request.
How does a multigenerational trip to Morocco work?
A multigenerational trip to Morocco works when each generation gets a day built for its pace inside one shared plan. Because the journey runs privately for your family alone, your licensed guide adjusts each walk on the spot. Grandparents rest on a riad terrace while the children climb Aït Benhaddou, or watch the sunset from camp while the grandchildren sandboard. Your planner chooses a vehicle with room for everyone and hotels with ground-floor rooms where needed.
This 10-day family journey or a shorter Morocco trip?
Ten days suits families with children from about six who want the real Sahara without rushing. Families with toddlers or a week to spare look at the 8-day Marrakech, Agafay, High Atlas and Oualidia tour, which trades the long desert drives for the Agafay desert near Marrakech and the Atlantic lagoon. Families who want to combine two countries look at the 16-day Madrid to Marrakech journey, and families planning Spain first compare the 10-day private family tour of Spain.
Couples and adult groups following the same route compare this journey with the 10-day private Morocco tour from Fez to Marrakech, which adds a wine estate and the Jewish heritage of Fez at an adult pace. Every option on our Morocco journeys page runs privately and adjusts to your dates.
Who this journey suits
Families with children from about six to fifteen get the most from the route as written. They handle the road days with stops, love the camel ride and the sandboards, and remember the night sky in the dunes. Families with teenagers add a longer camel trek, quad bikes on the desert edge on request, or the balloon flight over Marrakech.
Families with toddlers keep the cities and swap the deep Sahara for the Agafay desert near Marrakech. Grandparents traveling with grandchildren get the private vehicle, a guide who lets each generation peel off and rejoin, and three-night bases at each end of the route. Extended families of eight or more travel the same way, with the vehicles, tents and rooms sized to the party.
The people behind the route
Where your dates allow, Youssef or Amine, two of the licensed guides we work with, travel with the family from Fez to Marrakech. They know the country end to end, pace the medinas for young legs and save the stories children remember, from the dyers’ vats to the caravan towns of the Sahara. In the workshops, families meet artisans we work with, such as Omar, a leather artisan in Fez, and Jamal, a ceramic artisan in Marrakech, where available. Our team selects guides on this route for their experience, knowledge and engaging personalities, not egos.
What the 10-day family journey costs and what it includes
This private family tour of Morocco starts from $7,926 per person, double occupancy, for the 10-day route as written. The from-price covers seven nights in a choice from our vetted luxury five-star or deluxe four-star boutique hotels, two nights in a desert camp with real beds and private bathrooms, a private driver and vehicle throughout, the 4×4 to camp and the sunset camel ride, private guided visits with licensed guides, and the planning time of our team in Marrakech.
Several things move the price. Travel in spring break, Thanksgiving and winter holiday weeks costs more than quieter weeks, because hotels, like airlines, price by demand. A desert camp reserved for your family alone, extra rooms or suites for a larger family, and the room plan for the children all change the per-person figure. Activities your planner arranges on request, such as the balloon flight, a cooking class, babysitting or quad bikes, add to the total, and so does the three-night extension. Your planner sends a full quote once the ages, dates and room plan are clear.
How do we extend this family trip with the mountains and the Atlantic coast?
Add three nights after Marrakech and finish with mountain air and the ocean. This is the extension we suggest for families with 13 days.
- Day 10: Drive about an hour into the High Atlas foothills for a night at a kasbah such as Kasbah Tamadot near Asni. Walk between Berber villages with a mule to carry the picnic, and share mint tea with a village family, where available.
- Day 11: The road runs about 4 hours west to Oualidia, a fishing village on a calm, sheltered lagoon. Children kayak and paddleboard on still water while the Atlantic breaks beyond the sandbar.
- Day 12: A slow day on the lagoon by boat, or an hour’s drive to El Jadida, where the vaulted hall of the Portuguese Cistern stands mirrored in a thin sheet of water.
- Day 13: Your private driver takes the family to Casablanca airport, about 2 hours, for nonstop flights home to the United States.
Families with older children who prefer a lively town choose Essaouira instead of Oualidia, with ramparts lined with old cannons, a harbor of blue fishing boats and surf or kite lessons on the windy beach, then fly home from Marrakech, about 3 hours back by road.
When you know your dates and the ages of everyone traveling, speak with our team in Morocco about shaping this route for your family.
Questions families ask about this Morocco itinerary
Is Morocco a good destination for a family vacation?
Yes. Moroccan culture centers on family, and children are welcomed warmly in riads, restaurants and medinas. The country packs camel rides, sand dunes, Roman ruins, film sets and lively markets into short distances, and a private journey lets the pace follow your children. Your guide is glad to advise on suitability for the youngest travelers before booking.
What ages suit a private family tour of Morocco?
Children from about six to fifteen enjoy this route most as written, because the Sahara days involve long drives with stops. Teenagers add a longer camel trek, quad bikes or a balloon flight. Families with toddlers usually choose the 8-day route around Marrakech, the Agafay desert, the High Atlas and Oualidia, which keeps every drive short.
How long are the drives, and how do you make them easy for children?
Day four, Fez to the dunes, is the longest at about 8 hours with stops, followed by about 6 hours to Skoura and about 5 hours to Marrakech. Your private driver breaks each road day with real stops, such as the macaques in the cedar forest, a fossil workshop in Erfoud and a paddle in the Todra Gorge. Your planner chooses a roomy vehicle and packs water and snacks for the road.
What is the desert camp like for a family?
The family sleeps two nights in a camp among the dunes of Erg Chebbi, in tents with real beds, linens and private bathrooms. Your planner reserves tents side by side or a family tent to match your room plan, and a camp reserved for your family alone is available on request. Dinner is served under canvas or by the fire, and desert nights turn cool, so pack warm layers.
Can young children ride the camels?
Yes. A cameleer leads each camel on foot, the pace is a slow walk, and younger children share a camel with a parent. The sunset ride lasts about an hour, and your guide shortens it for the youngest riders. Families who prefer to stay on the ground walk alongside or watch the sunset from the top of a dune.
What will the children eat in Morocco?
Moroccan food suits most children. Couscous, grilled chicken and lamb brochettes, fresh bread, flaky msemen pancakes and fresh orange juice turn up everywhere, and tagines come in mild versions. Your planner shares any allergies or dietary needs with hotels, camps and restaurants ahead of time, and reserves earlier dinner tables on request.
Do you provide car seats for young children?
Your planner arranges car seats and booster seats on request to suit each child’s age, height and weight, for every road transfer on the route. Please send each child’s height and weight when you book. If the family prefers its own car seat, your planner tells the driver in advance.
Do you arrange babysitting or kids’ activities?
Your planner arranges on request a babysitter at the hotel for an evening, so the adults enjoy a dinner of their own. Several of the hotels we suggest in Marrakech run their own kids’ clubs. Your planner also arranges on request activities built for children and teenagers along the route, such as a family cooking class, a mosaic or ceramics workshop, quad bikes or a balloon flight.
What should our family pack for Morocco?
Pack light layers for warm days and a fleece or jacket for cool desert nights, plus sun hats, sunglasses and comfortable closed shoes for the medinas. Clothing that covers shoulders and knees suits the medinas and the Hassan II Mosque visit. Your planner sends a full packing list with your travel documents.
When is the best time for a family trip to Morocco?
March to May and late September to early December suit this route best, with warm city days and cool, clear nights in the dunes. Spring break and the Thanksgiving and winter holidays work well, with crisp evenings by the fire in camp. In midsummer, your planner points families toward the Atlantic coast and the High Atlas instead of the Sahara. Hotels, like airlines, price by demand, so peak weeks cost more.
Can we add the mountains and the beach to this trip?
Yes. Our suggested extension adds three nights after Marrakech, one in the High Atlas foothills at a kasbah such as Kasbah Tamadot and two on the calm lagoon at Oualidia, then a drive of about 2 hours to Casablanca airport for nonstop flights home. Families with older children choose Essaouira instead of Oualidia and fly home from Marrakech.
Who do we contact if something goes wrong or we want a change?
Your planner designs your journey with you and stays in touch after you land. For the fastest response at any hour, message your private WhatsApp group, where our 24/7 support team works alongside Rachel, Inés, Sofia or Dan. Because we begin no more than five journeys per country each week, peak spring and fall dates fill early, and that limit is what lets us stay this close to every trip.
We keep a list of vetted four- and five-star hotels, well located and enjoyed by our past travelers and by our own team.
Examples for each overnight stop on this route. Choose a deluxe boutique hotel or a five-star stay, and your travel advisor matches each night to your wishes, the season and availability.
Fez
Boutique: Riad Fès, Relais & Châteaux. A restored medina palace with tiled patios and a 14-meter pool, a short walk from the souks.
Five-star: Hotel Sahrai. A contemporary hotel on the hill above the medina walls, with an infinity pool and rooms with space for a family to spread out.
The Sahara, Erg Chebbi
The family sleeps in a desert camp among the dunes, in tents with real beds and private bathrooms. Your planner reserves tents side by side or a family tent, and a camp reserved for your family alone is available on request.
Skoura
Luxury: Dar Ahlam. A kasbah guesthouse in the palm grove, where each meal is staged in a different spot.
Also consider: a smaller kasbah lodge among the palms, chosen for its family rooms and pool.
Marrakech
Five-star: Four Seasons Resort Marrakech. Gardens, pools and the Kids For All Seasons club, a short ride from the medina.
Ultra-luxury: Royal Mansour Marrakech. A walled estate of 53 private riads by the medina ramparts, each with a rooftop plunge pool.
What's Included
A personalized itinerary, built around you and your schedule
Hand-picked luxury and boutique hotels
Insider experiences, inspiring sightseeing and magical upgrades
Private touring with your own personal expert guide
Private luxury transfers from airports and train stations
Full breakfasts, plus food and wine tasting options
Your choice of activities on “Design Your Days”®
Expert advice, restaurant ideas and reservations
24/7 support and concierge service from Spain, Portugal and Morocco
Magical is an award-winning luxury travel agency
Private journeys with soul & stories
Excellent independent reviews
Your private WhatsApp group with our 24/7 team and Rachel or Dan
Hidden gems, insider fun & vetted hotels
Your private guide, deluxe vehicle & flexible pace
24/7 concierge-style support
Life is short, vacation memorably
American Precision, Local Soul
Our Unforgettable Trips Are Tailored Just For You
Hi from Europe,
Along with our local partners across Portugal, Spain, Morocco and beyond we believe that our clients deserve the truly tailor-made private luxury trips, not generic "one-size-fits-all" plans.
Get inspired with our sample trips then get in touch about an expert-made personalized custom luxury itinerary, just for you.
Kind regards,
Dan O'Beirne & the MPT team
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