Atlas Mountain Tour starting from Marrakesh with Kids
We are trying to stay low-budget but after reading some of the reviews on the tours starting from Marrakesh and going in to the Atlas Mountains we had to try it – and we got to ride camels too! This is such a great family trip and perfect for the kids. If you are in the area – definitely add this to your bucket list.
3 Valleys tour by 4×4 camel
The tour company that we used was www.4x4camel.com and we went on the 3 valley day trip. There are several groups that do similar tours but I do recommend the guides we used. They were great. We just picked them at random from TripAdvisor reviews.
Our guide met us at our riad and we drove outside of town and in to the mountains. On the way in to the mountains we drove by the city walls and palace (beautiful), through a new part of town (also beautiful), and through several smaller cities. Even this part of the drive was pretty cool.
Looking for another great area to see in Morrocco? Consider Chefchaouen. Click Here for more information on this beautifully blue city.
Our First Stop – Camel Rides
The kids really didn’t care about any of our planned activities except for riding camels (I probably could have saved a lot of money by just finding a zoo). We stopped along the side of the road and all five of us rode around a pretty valley near some schools. Mia spent most of the ride petting the camel behind her. She would love to take one home – but – no room in the suitcase. It was decently nerve-racking getting on and off – they are taller than they look – but it was also really fun and a great experience.
Next Stop – Argon Cooperative
Our next stop was the Aron Cooperative. This business employs single women so they can make money for their household. The process of making Argon is very labor intensive. The women have to go through many steps to make a finished product. Argon is used from many things from food to face and hair care. I bought some face cream (we’ll see how it works). My youngest two gave the grinding a try – they may need a back up career one day.
The Best Part – Berber Lunch
The highlight of the tour was lunch in the mountains at a traditional Berber house. The route that the drivers normally took was closed due to snow. The back up route was fairly snowed in but we made it anyway. The driver made a comment that he had not seen this much snow on this road before. B wasn’t that happy about the road (I got a little nervous too) but it was an amazing experience and we all made it safe and sound. The drive was beautiful and the views for lunch were just breathtaking. We had fresh bread from the fire oven, couscous, veggies, chicken, mint tea, and cake. It was such an awe-inspiring location and I think the experience will be a highlight of our trip.
I of course took some time to get a few pics – I don’t think it’s possible to get bad pics with this view but these photos make me smile.
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We’re a family of 5 taking a gap year from normal life to travel. For blog posts, locations, and more information on how we did it and how you can to click here.
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Ohh Morroco! How fun to read about your experiences at the Atlas mountains! It really look like you had a really great 3 days! I especially like the lunch at the traditional barber house, what a feast and view!
We have been talking about spending our winter months in Morroco this winter but it is still undecided. But I will read some of your Morroco posts for some more inspiration …