Why Morocco, and why this trip?

Alf and I had visited Morocco 9 years ago on a self-drive adventure, so when Morocco Colourful Tours offered us a tour during the October half-term, we were over the moon.

If you’ve been in my travel community for the past 9 years, you’ll know I’ve never accepted a free experience (or anything), so this was a unique experience for us.

 
Being a more hands-on family travel planner, I wasn’t sure what to expect on a private tour.
 
We wanted a trip that felt exciting but not stressful: enough structure to make travel with family smooth, but with room for spontaneity and little discoveries along the way. This is our write-up of our Morocco Colourful Tour experience; what we did, what surprised us, and why we’d genuinely recommend them as a Morocco tour company.
 

Planning with Morocco Colourful Tours: how it felt (and why it worked)

We had great vibes from the offset.
Morocco Colourful Tours were responsive, clear, and genuinely interested in what we wanted. We never felt pushed into a set itinerary, and in fact, we changed our duration a few times as it took us a few weeks to finalise our flights.
 
We shared:
  • How many days we had in Morocco.
  • What kind of pace were we wanted happy travelling at (Some stretches can be broken into smaller chunks)
  • What we were most excited to see
  • What we wanted to avoid
 
What we really appreciated was how the itinerary was curated around our time frame and our priorities. For example, we wanted to spend a few days on the beach, so Mohammed and Amar built that into our route, and Alf wanted to stop at the Atlas Film Studios.
 
Things that stood out during planning
  • Communication: fast and friendly on WhatsApp and email.
  • Organisation: clear timings, good guidance, realistic travel times and ‘what to pack’ list.
  • Flexibility: We made small tweaks and last-minute adjustments, which were fine with Amar.

 

Our itinerary (overview)

Day 1 — Fri 24 Oct 2025 | Marrakech (arrival)
Airport pickup → check in → easy afternoon/evening in the medina.
 
Day 2 — Sat 25 Oct | Marrakech → High Atlas → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate → Dades Valley
Tizi n’Tichka pass photo stops • Aït Ben Haddou (UNESCO) • “Road of 1,000 Kasbahs” via Kelaat M’gouna.
 
Day 3 — Sun 26 Oct | Dades → Todra Gorge → Erfoud → Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)
Walk Todra Gorge • Fossils/dates near Erfoud • Sunset camel trek to desert camp • Dinner & music under the stars.
 
Day 4 — Mon 27 Oct | Merzouga area (sightseeing + ATVs)
Dune panorama • Visit nomad family (tea) • Gnawa music in Khamlia • Oasis walk • ATV/quad ride + sandboarding.
 
Day 5 — Tue 28 Oct | Merzouga → Rissani → N’Koub → Draa Valley → Ouarzazate
Rissani market • Scenic Acacia Road • Palm-filled Draa Valley.
 
Day 6 — Wed 29 Oct | Ouarzazate → High Atlas → Marrakech → Essaouira
Cross High Atlas • Midday in Marrakech • Continue to Essaouira for coastal break.
 
Day 7 — Thu 30 Oct | Essaouira (free day)
Medina, Jewish quarter, workshops/co-ops • Beach sunset.
 
Day 8 — Fri 31 Oct | Essaouira (a.m.) → Marrakech (p.m.)
Slow morning by the sea • Drive to Marrakech • Evening in Jemaa el-Fna.
 
Day 9 — Sat 1 Nov | Marrakech (guided day)
Jemaa el-Fna • Saadian Tombs • Bahia Palace • Koutoubia (exterior) • Souks • Free late afternoon/evening.
 
Day 10 — Sun 2 Nov 2025 | Depart Marrakech

Best experiences for kids (or the whole family)

100% the time in the desert. It’s magical for everyone, but particulalrly fun for kids, and riding a camel at sunset is amazing at any age.

Best food moments

We loved sampling the freshly made Berber pizza that the Nomad mother made on her open fire. It was fresh and tasty, and we were touched by how generous the lady was in sharing her food with us.

Amar took us to a lovely local place in Essaouira one evening. We played Uno, chatted about our trip, and I had the best tagine of the trip.

Best “we’ll never forget this” moment

We took the sand buggies out with a guide at around 4 pm. It was incredible, and a bit nerve-wracking at times, but in an exhilarating way. After watching the sunset and trying out a sand board (which is hard to master!), we drove back over the dunes in the dark. It was so much fun, and we all loved it.

 

What we loved most about Amar as our guide and host

Amar was brilliant. I’m not a fan of overly familiar tour guides, who try to be the Joker; Amar was NOT this. Amar is calm, friendly and very relaxed. He was always ready to share his knowledge and answer our many questions, but he was also mindful that sometimes we were happy just sitting and relaxing in the car without chatting. I loved that about him – very emotionally intelligent.
We also felt very well looked after and cared for. Amar knew that I loved enjoying a few coffees in the morning, which also meant a few extra toilet stops, which he anticipated and approached with humour. Nothing was too much trouble, and everything was seamless.
 
 

Our Top Ten Highlights

We all loved different parts of the trip, but here are a few of the things we loved the most.
  1. Visiting the Berber Nomad family – we wouldn’t have experienced this if we had planned the trip ourselves, and we loved learning about their life and also having Amar on hand to translate our questions for the family. Alf loved holding the baby goat that was born the day before we visited.
  2. A visit to the Women’s Co-operative – tucked away in the mountains, we spent some time with the women who are hand-making the traditional Berber rugs. We learnt about the symbols and patterns used in traditional designs.
  3. Aït Ben Haddou (UNESCO) – we got here early and before the crowds. We really loved learning about the village’s history and taking in the views.
  4. Camel riding in the desert to our camp – this was a highlight for all of us, something unique and watching the sunset was stunning.
  5. A night in the desert camp – we arrived expecting to see basic tents, instead we were greeted by beautiful white tents which were so comfortable. Listening to the live music around a campfire was fun and inclusive, and the stargazing was AMAZING.
  6. A night in Riad Serai. WOW! – We felt truly spoilt when we saw our room. It was bigger than my entire flat and was a real treat. Gorgeous.
  7. Sand buggies at night! – This was epic. We followed our guide up and down the dunes under the stars.
  8. Bodyboarding in Essaouira – perfect sea conditions for kids to have fun in the waves.
  9. Essaouira old town – The walled town is a maze of small winding streets lined with shops and cafes. The atmosphere is great – a real holiday vibe, and we enjoyed shopping and sampling local food here.
  10. Marrakech guided tour on foot – We had a guide for the day who took us round the palace, souks and gardens. I have been to Marrakech before, but I haven’t explored with a guide before. We saw so much and really enjoyed eating the slow-cooked lamb at Mechoui Alley (Derb Semmarine)
 

Why we’d recommend Morocco Colourful Tours (to families — and anyone)

We would recommend Morocco Colourful Tours because they are a family-run business, which made it feel very personal, safe, and well-run, without the stress that can come with planning a multi-stop Morocco trip on your own. (I did a similar self-drive route 9 years ago, and we didn’t see half of what we saw on this experience – we didn’t know where to look)
 
Reasons we’d recommend them
  • The trip was tailored to what we wanted and the time we had
  • Communication and planning were smooth
  • We felt VERY looked after from start to finish
  • The itinerary balanced “big sights” with real local moments that we wouldn’t have seen if we’d done a self-drive.
  • Amar made the experience feel easy and special, and his relaxed manner really made our trip feel super easy.
  • They can cater for all aged kids and have car seats for all ages.

Who this is perfect for

  • Families who want adventure without the stress of organising everything themselves. I could fully switch off.
  • Families who want to focus on enjoying each moment without having to be in charge. I loved not having to think about where to park, what to eat, or where to find a toilet!
  • Families who want to get under the skin of Morocco and learn about the culture and history. Amar and his brothers have a wealth of knowledge, so if you have curious kids, let the questions roll.

Get In Touch

If you’re considering a trip to Morocco and want it curated around your time and interests, we’d absolutely recommend Morocco Colourful Tours.
 
Want to ask us anything about our route/hotels / travelling with kids?
Send me an email at susannah@ourtribetravels.com, or drop Amar a line directly at moroccocolourfultours@gmail.com