Quad biking in Marrakech with children
Quad biking in Marrakech with kids: passengers from 6 with an adult, drivers from 16. Which outing suits which age, what to wear and when to go.
Children can go quad biking in Marrakech from the age of 6, as passengers behind a responsible adult, and can drive a quad of their own from 16. Every ride leaves from our base in the Agafay desert, 45 minutes by road south-west of central Marrakech, and a guide stays with the group from start to finish.
This guide sets out the ages for each role, how a parent and a child share a machine, which outings suit which age, what children should wear and when to go. Prices are not repeated here: the quad biking in Marrakech and buggy in Marrakech pages hold the tables.
How old do kids need to be for quad biking in Marrakech?
Six to ride along, sixteen to drive. From the age of 6, a child rides as a passenger, sitting behind the driver, with a responsible adult throughout. From 16, a young rider can take a quad of their own, and no driving licence is needed for a quad at any age. The buggy has its own rules: its driver must be 18 or over and hold a driving licence.
| Role | Minimum age | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Quad driver | 16 | None needed |
| Quad passenger | 6, with a responsible adult | None needed |
| Buggy driver | 18 | Driving licence required |
| Buggy passenger | 6 | None needed |
These ages are the same as on each outing’s page, so you know them before the day rather than at the base.
In practice, a family falls into one of three cases:
- Children aged 6 to 15 ride behind an adult who drives, one passenger per quad.
- Teenagers of 16 or 17 can drive their own quad, with the same briefing and practice loop as everyone else.
- Children under 6 cannot ride a quad, or join any formula that includes one. The camel ride and the camel ride with dinner (from 3), the dinner with live music (no minimum age) or the balloon flight (from 3), described further down, are the outings to look at instead.
Can a parent and a child ride together on one quad?
Yes: for children between 6 and 15, it is the usual arrangement. The adult drives, the child sits behind and holds on, and the pair follow the guide with the rest of the group. The machines are automatic, so the driver has no gears to think about and can keep their attention on the track.
A shared quad still counts as two places. A quad is priced per rider, not per machine: a parent with a child behind pays for two people, and a family of four pays four places whether it takes two quads or four. A child is a place, not a discount.
A buggy works the other way round. It is priced per vehicle, and its two seats are included, so two people pay it once between them. Even so, for two people riding for an hour, two quads cost less than one buggy. The figures for every outing are in the price tables on the quad and buggy pages.
Which outings suit which ages?
The shorter the outing, the easier it is with young children. The one-hour quad ride takes about an hour and a half at the base, briefing and equipment included, and it ends before most children have had enough. The half-day programmes add a camel ride and a meal and last four to five hours.
| Outing | Length | For children |
|---|---|---|
| Quad, one hour | 1 h of riding | Passenger from 6, driver from 16 |
| Quad, two hours | 2 h of riding | Passenger from 6, driver from 16 |
| VIP pack: quad, camel and dinner | 4 h 15, at the base at 4 pm (5 pm in summer) | Passenger from 6 on an adult’s quad, driver from 16 |
| Quad and dinner | 4 h | Everyone in the group from 6 (driver from 16) |
| 1-hour quad, camel and a Moroccan meal | 4 h, leaving at 4 pm (5 pm in summer) | Everyone in the group from 6 (driver from 16) |
| 2-hour quad, camel and sunset dinner | 5 h | Everyone in the group from 6 (driver from 16) |
| Camel ride, one hour | 1 h | From 3, with an adult |
| Camel ride and dinner | 4 h | From 3, with an adult |
| Dinner with live music | 4 h | No minimum age; free under 3 |
On every formula that includes a quad, everyone in the group must be 6 or over, camel and meal included: the same age applies to the whole outing. A child of 3 to 5 who does not ride a quad can do the camel ride with dinner (from 3) or the dinner with live music instead.
For a first ride with a child of 6 to 10, the one hour is enough. The two-hour ride goes further into the valleys and suits an older child who has ridden before, or a teenager driving their own machine. The four- and five-hour programmes fill a whole afternoon or evening: a good outing for a teenager, a long one for a seven-year-old. The sunset programme and the VIP pack end after dark.
Can a child ride in a buggy with a parent driving?
Passengers must be 6 or over. A buggy seats two side by side, inside a roll cage, with a harness at each of its two seats, and the passenger sees exactly what the driver sees. The parent at the wheel must be 18 or over and hold a driving licence; bring it on the day. A buggy passenger must be at least 6, so a child under 6 cannot ride in one.
Driver and passenger can swap at a stop only if both can drive, which rules out a child. And a buggy throws up more dust than a quad.
What are the family alternatives to a quad in Marrakech?
A camel ride is the simplest outing for mixed ages. A handler leads the animals on foot for the whole hour: there is no steering, no braking and nothing to learn, and the child is a passenger throughout. Children take part from the age of 3, with a responsible adult. The camel rises back legs first, so riders lean back as it stands, and the handler says so before it happens. The ride is not advised for pregnant women or anyone with back problems — worth knowing if a parent is expecting. Camel rides in Marrakech lists the options.
The dinner with live music has no riding and nothing to drive: a Moroccan dinner at low tables under the tents, with music through the meal, over about four hours. There is no minimum age, and children under 3 eat free.
The hot air balloon flight takes children from the age of 3, with a responsible adult, at the same price as an adult. It leaves at sunrise, with a hotel pickup between 4:00 and 6:00 depending on the season, and it is run by an approved partner operator. Getting into the basket means climbing over its side.
What should children wear for quad biking?
Closed shoes, clothes that can get dusty, sunglasses and something over the face. The helmet is provided and fitted at the base; everything else comes from home.
- Closed shoes, not sandals: the ground is loose stone and the feet sit near the engine and the wheels.
- Clothes you do not mind ruining. The fine pale dust of the plateau gets into everything.
- Sunglasses, and a scarf or a buff over the nose and mouth.
- A hat and sun cream for the stops: there is little shade in the Agafay at any time of year.
- A warm layer, or a real coat from October to March if the outing ends after dark.
- Water, brought with you, for the stop.
What to wear quad biking goes through each item.
When is the best time to go quad biking with children?
In spring and autumn, or early and late in the day in summer. In July and August, average highs in Marrakech reach about 37 °C, and the middle of the day is hot on the open plateau: the morning or the late afternoon are easier on children. The 10 am departure keeps the riding out of the worst of the heat; in summer, the afternoon one is at 5 pm.
From March to May and in October and November, days run from about 23 to 29 °C, and April and October are the most comfortable months of all. In winter the days are mild, around 19 to 20 °C, but nights drop to 6 or 7 °C, and sunset comes around 5:30 pm in December against about 7:40 pm in June. An outing that ends at dusk needs a coat for each child. The month-by-month figures are in Marrakech weather month by month. The rides leave at 10 am, noon and 4 pm; the afternoon start is 5 pm from 1 April to 20 September.
How is safety handled for children on a quad?
The same way as for adults, with a responsible adult beside every child. Each rider has a helmet handed out and adjusted at the base before the first start. The briefing, in English, French or Spanish, covers the controls, braking and the spacing to keep on the track, and a practice loop on flat ground comes before the route. A guide rides with the group from start to finish, and the pace is set by the group, not by its fastest rider.
What is up to you: keep the distance given at the briefing, and say at the briefing, not on the track, if anyone would rather not drive — riding as a passenger is a normal thing to ask for. Third-party liability cover is included; wider personal accident cover is not, so check what your travel insurance says about motorised activities. Quad and buggy safety sets out what we provide and what we do not claim.
