Morocco Family Vacation Package – 8 Days: Desert, Kasbahs & Marrakech
- Private vehicle & driver — Pick-up at your riad, pace set by you
- Local licensed guide — Licensed guide nº2898 · since 2011
- Book on WhatsApp — Reply within 1 hour · no payment at this stage
- Ouarzazate, the desert film capital — from Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator
- The restored Taourirt kasbah — secret stairways and carved cedar ceilings
- 5,000-year-old petroglyphs at Aït Ouazik and the quiet dunes of Foum Tizza
The 8-day Morocco family vacation package costs from $3000 per person, with children’s rates and room configurations stated in the written quote before you commit — kasbah hotels, oasis guesthouses, a family desert camp and a Marrakech riad, half-board, with a private driver-guide throughout. The route runs desert-first, city-last, on child logic: Ouarzazate’s film studios and the Taourirt kasbah’s secret stairways open the trip, the camel caravan reaches the quiet dunes of Foum Tizza — your family will likely be the only one on them — with 5,000-year-old petroglyphs at Aït Ouazik en route, then the Draa’s hundred kilometres of palms lead to Aït Ben Haddou before Marrakech lands as a grand finale rather than an overwhelming start. No drive exceeds four hours and every day has a run-around stop. The camp night works beautifully from about age six.
| Duration | 8 Days |
| Price | From $3000 per person — car, driver and accommodation included |
| Departures | Your dates — every departure is private, never a shared group |
| Languages | English- and French-speaking driver-guides; licensed city guides where included |
| Booking | WhatsApp +212 661 454 738 — written quote within 1 hour, no payment at this stage |
The architecture of the trip is its secret: it opens in Ouarzazate rather than a mega-city, so the first days are film studios, fortress mazes and 5,000-year-old rock carvings rather than traffic. The desert night happens at Foum Tizza, dunes so quiet your caravan will probably be the only one on them. Only then, with the Draa’s palms and Aït Ben Haddou banked, does Marrakech get its two nights — arriving as a grand finale instead of an overwhelming start.
Choosing a family format: this 8-day package is the desert-centred trip for families short on time; our 15-day Morocco Family Tour adds Fes, the coast and a slower unwind. For very young children, the Agafay desert — 45 minutes from Marrakech — stands in for the deep Sahara.
- Ouarzazate, the desert film capital — from Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator
- The restored Taourirt kasbah — secret stairways and carved cedar ceilings
- 5,000-year-old petroglyphs at Aït Ouazik and the quiet dunes of Foum Tizza
- A family camel caravan into the Sahara, with the guides' songs and drums at dusk
- Dawn over the dunes with mint tea — then fennec-fox stories on the ride back
- The Draa Valley's 100 km of date palms to Aït Ben Haddou
- Jemaa el-Fna by night — snake charmers, magicians and kebab stalls
Itinerary
Open a day to see the detail: transport, accommodation, meals and activity time.
Day 1 Ouarzazate: a world away
The family lands in the 'door of the desert', a Berber town spread between three valleys. Ouarzazate wears its film history openly — Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator — and the first afternoon takes the lively souk and, for the curious, the Atlas film studios next door.
Day 2 Taourirt kasbah, then the oasis of Tazzarine
The morning belongs to the Taourirt kasbah, the Glaoui clan's restored fortress-city: mysterious stairways, carved plaster, cedar ceilings — a UNESCO-grade maze children genuinely love. The private road then crosses the Tizi n'Tichka's shoulder country to the Tazzarine oasis.
Day 3 Petroglyphs, henna fields and the camel caravan
Around the oasis: henna fields, the rock carvings of Aït Ouazik — hunters and beasts scratched in around 5,000 BC — and the rarely visited dunes of Foum Tizza. At dusk the camel caravan sets out, the guides singing and drumming the family into the Sahara for the night.
Day 4 Dawn on the dunes
Up before the sun to watch the dunes burn red, pink and gold over mint tea. The camels walk the family back to the oasis while the guide fills the ride with desert-wildlife stories — fennec foxes first among them.
Day 5 The Draa Valley to Aït Ben Haddou
North along the Draa and its hundred kilometres of date palms to Aït Ben Haddou, Morocco's greatest kasbah. The red-walled citadel — oldest buildings 17th century — is made for small explorers, and the granary at the summit pays the climb with the full valley view.
Day 6 Over the High Atlas to Marrakech
The Tizi n'Tichka lifts the family over the High Atlas, with Toubkal's 4,167 m massif in profile near Imlil. Marrakech receives you through the Bab Agnaou gate; the evening is Jemaa el-Fna at full tilt — snake charmers, magicians, storytellers and kebab smoke.
Day 7 Marrakech, the family legend
A guided day in the medina and souk — carpets, babouches, mountains of spices — then the 19th-century Bahia Palace, whose courtyards, fountains and cedar ceilings were designed to dazzle foreign dignitaries and work just as well on children.
Day 8 Last stories, and home
A final breakfast to the sound of the square and the trip's best stories retold, before the private transfer to the airport.
The route is deliberately backwards: it starts at the desert end, when the children are freshest, and saves city stimulation for last. The dunes at Foum Tizza see almost no traffic — your caravan will likely be the only one — and the camp night works wonderfully from about age 6. Drives are short (the longest is under four hours) and every day has a run-around stop. Ouarzazate connects by air via Casablanca; tell us your arrival plan and we will shape the pickup.
Included in your tour
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with English/French-speaking driver-guide — 8 days
- Pickup at Ouarzazate airport or your hotel
- Night 1: kasbah hotel in Ouarzazate — half-board
- Nights 2 & 4: oasis guesthouse in Tazzarine — half-board
- Night 3: family desert camp — full board, camel caravan included
- Night 5: guesthouse facing the Aït Benhaddou ksar — half-board
- Nights 6-7: family riad in the Marrakech medina — half-board
- Guided visits of the Taourirt kasbah, Aït Ouazik petroglyphs and Marrakech medina
- Children's rates and room configurations stated in the written quote
Not included
- International flights
- Lunches and beverages
- Entrance fees to monuments and historical sites (optional — pay directly)
- Tips for guide and driver
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance (recommended)
Explore more
Desert tours Family vacation Marrakech Zagora & the Draa High Atlas Ouarzazate
Questions travellers ask
How much does Morocco Family Vacation Package – 8 Days: Desert, Kasbahs & Marrakech cost?+
From $3000 per person, per person. The price includes private air-conditioned vehicle with english/french-speaking driver-guide — 8 days, pickup at ouarzazate airport or your hotel, night 1: kasbah hotel in ouarzazate — half-board. You receive a written itemised quote before paying anything — no hidden fees.
How long is this tour and when does it depart?+
8 Days, departing on the dates you choose — there is no fixed schedule, because every departure is arranged for you alone.
Is this a group tour or private?+
Fully private: your own vehicle, driver and licensed guide, never seat-in-coach and never mixed with other travellers. The daily pace flexes around you.
What ages does Morocco suit best?+
All of them, with different trips: toddlers do best on short loops (Marrakech + Agafay or Zagora), 6–12s adore the full desert circuits, and teenagers wake up for sandboarding, quads, surf lessons and souk bargaining money. We shape the route to the youngest passenger.
Are child seats available?+
Yes — request seats or boosters at booking and they are fitted before pickup. Long stages are broken deliberately; the record for 'are we there yet' on our 4-day desert loop is held by a parent.
Will picky eaters survive?+
Comfortably: bread is magnificent, skewers and chips are everywhere, omelettes appear on request and oranges finish every meal. Riads and camps happily cook plain for children — we brief kitchens ahead.
Is the desert camp really doable with kids?+
It is the highlight — family tents, patient camel handlers, drums to bang and dunes that are one giant sandpit. For under-sixes we suggest the closer Zagora dunes; over that age, Merzouga's big erg is pure wonder.
More answers in the “Family travel” chapter of our Travel FAQ →
Itinerary and prices last updated October 2026.
