A family city guide to Marrakech

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

The melodic song of the call to prayer bouncing off the honeycomb-coloured medina walls; the hammering of metal and bray of a donkey in the winding souqs; the whine of a pungi flute in the Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk — there’s much to enchant kids in Marrakech’s ancient heart. This North African destination might not be the most likely of family city breaks, but it’s guaranteed to burrow deep into your children’s memories. The compact historic centre — with its fountains, palaces and lively markets — is easily walkable and provides endless fascination for enquiring minds.  

Beyond the city, there are many excellent day trips, from gentle hikes and waterfall excursions in the High Atlas Mountains to quad biking in the Agafay desert and kid-friendly cooking classes surrounded by village farms. Many families choose to stay in hotels with pools outside central Marrakech, but there’s so much to explore in the medina (old town) itself that those with older kids or more adventurous appetites should consider atmospheric, traditional-style riad hotels close to the thrumming beats of the Jemaa el-Fnaa and its evening entertainment — a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any age, at the heart of a city that deserves far more than a day’s exploration.

(A family city guide to Paris.)

Marrakech’s medina is a hot spot for things to do, no matter the age and size of your family.

Photograph by Buzz Pictures, Alamy (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Moment Open, Getty Images (Bottom) (Right)

What to do in Marrakech with kids

Toddlers: The Arabian Nights fairytales have nothing on Marrakech’s medina. Glistening platters of honey-soaked pastries, rainbow displays of babouche slippers and the whir and hammer of toiling craftsmen all offer joyful distractions for tots. The best time to wander the souk is at dusk, when the sun loses its bite and local families come out to stroll and shop.

Late afternoon to early evening is also a good time to let kids explore Marrakech’s many gardens. They’ll be in good company with all the local children, who come for family picnics in the shade of palm trees. The gardens surrounding the Koutoubia Mosque are the closest to the medina, but Cyber Park a five-minute walk northwest has a more local vibe, as do the Menara Gardens a little further west. Adventurous parents could also try the public hammam — every neighbourhood in Marrakech medina has one, and they’re usually full of mothers and children during the women’s bathing sessions.

Children under 10: To see something of the Rose City’s past, take your kids to the Badi Palace, a medieval ruined fortress perfect for energetic scrambles. Long-legged storks have built huge nests on its lofty ramparts, providing a fascinating sideshow. History-lovers may prefer the Bahia Palace, which leaves less to the imagination as it’s been partially restored to show how former sultans lived amid richly tiled courtyards and ornately carved rooms.

After around 2pm, the Jemaa el-Fnaa is closed to traffic, orange-juice stalls pack away and the medina’s main square is transformed into a huge street-food market. It’s not just a good place for dinner come dusk, but also live entertainment with magic tricks, gnaua drumming and high-pitched pungi flutes drawing locals and travellers alike.  

A wealth of kid-friendly day trips can be organised from Marrakech, too. Take your little ones out for a donkey trek in the High Atlas Mountains with a stop for lunch in a traditional Amazigh village, scramble up to a waterfall with locals or book onto a country cooking class at Atelier Chef Tarik, which operates on a laidback farm. Here, children can get involved with kneading dough for fresh bread or mixing semolina for couscous — and the cooking school supports training and education for young women in the local villages.

Artsy teens will love the blue and yellow ex-home of French designer Yves Saint Laurent.

Photograph by Derek Harris, Alamy

Tweens and teenagers: Marrakech has a wealth of museums, tours and activities for every interest. Active kids can whizz around on a quad bike in the arid Agafay scrub and desert just 40 minutes from the medina. Social enterprise Pikala, meanwhile, runs bicycle tours through the medina or Palmeraie (a palm oasis outside of Marrakech) that support local kids by training them as mechanics while promoting bicycle transport for local youths.

Arty teens can visit Jardin Majorelle  — the beautiful, chic gardens and house once owned by Yves Saint Laurent  — and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent fashion and design museum next door. There’s also the Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum, exploring Morocco’s spices, the Jewish influence on Moroccan food and other aspects of the country’s unique cuisine, which will reel in budding chefs. If all else fails, teenagers may enjoy shopping for trainers and other gear in the medina souks. Try Naturom for organic local beauty products or Max & Jan for cool clothing, accessories and room decor.

Where to stay in Marrakech with kids

Toddlers: Traditional medina riads are beautiful but sound travels easily in these intimate courtyard hotels and parents of toddlers may prefer more space and privacy. Jnane Tamsna, in the Palmeraie area just north of central Marrakech, is an excellent, family-friendly alternative with two heated pools, lush palm-shaded walkways and delicious home-cooked meals. It also has a TV and games room with a DVD library for downtime. For something a little more central, look for a contemporary pool-framed hotel in the quiet, upmarket suburb of Hivernage, just outside the medina.

Children under 10: Beldi Country Club, a 15-minute taxi ride south of the Jemaa el-Fnaa, is a fashionable option with rose gardens and several pools, including two for kids, plus child-friendly activities such as pottery and cooking classes, an outdoor cinema and horse-riding. For medina atmosphere, try Riad Nesma — a Moroccan-owned traditional hotel with four-person rooms. The big selling points are its small rooftop dip pool, friendly staff and easy-to-find location on one of the main streets 10-minutes’ walk south of the Jemaa el-Fnaa.

Tweens and teenagers: Older kids will appreciate being in the thick of the action. Try Riad L’Orangerie, which has an easy-to-find location surrounded by shops and cafes on one of the medina’s main arteries. On balmy nights, the walled pool area is strung up with a projector for movie nights. Riad Noos Noos, in the mellow Mellah — ancient Jewish quarter — is a good-value option with a couple of family suites and a pool table room; it’s just off lively Place de Ferblantiers and has a small suntrap roof terrace overlooked by nesting storks.

The Bahia Palace has been restored to show visitors how its former sultans once lived.

Photograph by Ian Dagnall, Alamy

Where to eat in Marrakech with kids

Toddlers: The casual-dining atmosphere of the Jemaa el-Fnaa makes it a laidback spot for snacking and quick bites with whirlwind small children — fried fish, kebabs and freshly squeezed orange juice are all likely to appeal. Pizza is always a good fallback — Kasbah Café Marrakech is a well-located spot serving giant pizza wheels on its straw-umbrella-shaded rooftop, close to the Saadian Tombs and Badi Palace.

Children under 10: Whisk kids up to the waterfall terrace seating at Zeitoun Café overlooking the Jemaa el-Fnaa; there’s a kid’s set menu including ice-cream, plus crowd-pleasing seasonal juices, kefta meatball sandwiches and omelettes, which kids can munch on while checking out the street hawkers and snake charmers below. Café Clock, in the southern Kasbah area of the medina, is a cultural space and cafe with a warren of art-splashed rooms and terraces and gnaua music nights, storytelling and cinema events — adventurous kids might like to try the camel burger with a date milkshake.

Tweens and teenagers: The Marrakech Henna Art Cafe, south of the Jemaa el-Fnaa, is a popular lunch stop for families; let your kids choose a natural plant-based henna design and then stay for juices, vegan wraps and salads as local women paint henna designs onto hands and feet. For dinner, ascend the stairs to the terraces at Nomad, just north of the medina. Its cool soundtrack, fairy-lights and woollen Moroccan capes for chilly nights are a good accompaniment to the inventive Moroccan menu featuring dishes such as fried Agadir calamari and spiced beef-and-lamb burgers with smoked aubergine.

Did you know?

Morocco has two official languages — Arabic and Amazigh (a Berber language, known as Tamazight). The latter is the language of the Indigenous people of North Africa. It was only designated an official language in 2011 and uses the Tifinagh alphabet, an unusual-looking ancient script that you can look out for around the Marrakech medina on alternate street signs. French is also widely spoken in Marrakech because of the period Morocco spent as a French protectorate (1912-1956); in the north of the country, once ruled by Spain, locals are more likely to speak Spanish as a third language.

When to go

Seasonality is an important factor in deciding when to book a trip to Marrakech. Temperatures in July and August average 37C, so it’s not advisable to travel then. The best months to visit are in spring and autumn, around April and May or October — this is also when hotel prices are highest (along with the New Year period). Temperatures usually hover around the late teens to early 20Cs into winter months, though in December and January it can get chilly at night.

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