In general, budget-related articles are never long awaited; I like to start with the useful information before diving into the stories. However, Morocco was a unique experience, so I preferred to first share how it went for us, what we discovered, and how we traveled with the little ones in our first African country. I took my time telling the story here.
Now, for the useful part: the travel budget and all the information I gathered for those who want to explore Morocco on their own.
The key to this trip was planning an itinerary that worked in terms of duration and sightseeing time, both for us and especially for the kids. So, after many plans and last-minute changes, our route took us from north to south, starting and ending in Casablanca, covering Meknes – Fez – Midelt – Sahara – Ouarzazate – Marrakesh – Essaouira.
We flew with Turkish Airlines, and it seemed to offer the best value for money: 1400 euros for tickets for two adults, two children, and an infant. As soon as we landed, we got in touch with Sunny Cars, who picked us up for the car rental and also helped us with a trip to an ATM, though we couldn’t withdraw any money from any of our cards.
I still don’t understand why, but we ended up withdrawing larger amounts whenever we could and preferred to carry cash, as we couldn’t rely much on card payments or their ATMs. The cost of the car was approximately 240 euros for the 9 days of rental.
The accommodations we chose, in order, were:
- Riad Safir (Meknes) – 88 euros
- Dar Drissi (Fez) – 82 euros
- Ksar Timnay Hotel (Midelt) – 108 euros
- Krich Camp (traditional tent accommodation in the Sahara Desert, Merzouga, 2 nights with half board) – 266 euros
- Hotel Marmar (Ouarzazate) – 50 euros
- Private apartment (Marrakesh) – 112 euros
- Residence La Galiote (Essaouira, 2 nights) – 138 euros
- Ibis (Casablanca) – 50 euros
The accommodations in Midelt and Ouarzazate were just stopovers; we were only concerned about cleanliness, and that was it. For one night in each place, arriving late in the evening, all we really needed was a comfortable place to sleep.
All the accommodations were clean, the staff was friendly, and the three traditional stays in Meknes, Fez, and Merzouga exceeded our expectations, making us truly feel the warmth of Moroccan hospitality.
In addition to the lodging, we were welcomed at all three places with tables full of delicious food, tips on how to fully enjoy the sights, and many, many stories—some told around the campfire in the desert—about Morocco, the people, their culture and traditions, and any other topics that interested us.
Besides food, fuel, and small purchases, including souvenirs, which cost us around 1000 euros over the 9 days, there were also costs for excursions and entry fees to various sites, which I’ll list below:
- Volubilis, the absolutely stunning archaeological site between Meknes and Fez – 13 euros (for two adults, children were free)
- Fez guide – 30 euros for 3 wonderful hours spent with a fantastic storyteller who captivated us throughout the entire tour
- Al-Attarine Madrasa, Fez – 2 euros
- Sahara desert excursion, including a visit to the militarized border with Algeria, nomadic families in the area, Tuaregs at Pigeons du Sable (with a traditional music show), an oasis, and a sunset camel ride – approximately 360 euros
- Bahia Palace – 13 euros (for adults only)
The walk at Ait Ben Haddou, the stroll along the walls of the Essaouira Medina, and all other visits to various artisans in Fez were free of charge.
Out of all the medinas, I found the one in Essaouira the best for souvenir shopping—much calmer and more spacious than the others, without merchants hassling you or unjustifiably high prices.
As for meals, we ate well and very well, enjoying all kinds of traditionally prepared dishes: the famous tagines with meat or vegetables, all sorts of pies, hummus and flavorful salads, fish and seafood, sweet syrupy pastries, and natural pomegranate and sugarcane juices.
The least we spent was in Ouarzazate at a local restaurant (around 10 euros), and the most in Essaouira at Seafood Corner, where the fish and seafood were incredibly well-cooked (about 40-45 euros for all of us, drinks included).
So, we ended up with a total cost of approximately 4000 euros for 2 adults and 3 children, with absolutely everything included (airplane tickets, car rental, accommodations for 9 days, meals, shopping, entry tickets, and fees).
I hope I haven't missed anything. Overall, Morocco didn’t seem like a very cheap country to me, as I had read everywhere—maybe because we were traveling with kids and avoided street food, skipped low-cost flights for the same reason, and chose accommodations with good to excellent reviews.
We often needed extra purchases (diapers, snacks for the road, etc.). However, for what it offers, it seemed like an attractive and budget-friendly destination for a family with children.
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