10-Day Self-Launched Morocco: Desert & Imperial Cities from Casablanca

Land at Mohammed V Airport and take the train from the airport station into Casa Voyageurs or Casa Port (~£3, 35–45 min) — no taxi needed. Check into a medina-adjacent guesthouse or hostel. Spend the afternoon walking the corniche at Ain Diab and, if timing allows, see the Hassan II Mosque exterior at sunset (interior tours ~£12 booked direct at the mosque's own ticket office, timed slots). Buy a Moroccan SIM (Orange or Inwi, ~£8 for 10GB) and pick up a train timetable.

🚌Airport train ~£3; walkable city centre

🛏Hostel or riad-style guesthouse in central Casablanca (dorm £12–18, private room £25–35)

• →Hassan II Mosque exterior / optional interior tour
• →Ain Diab corniche walk
• →Buy local SIM card

Take an early ONCF train from Casablanca to Rabat (~1h, £6–8), then a 15-minute walk or local tram to the Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V (free entry), and continue to the Royal Palace exterior and Kasbah des Oudaias. In the afternoon, travel north to Chefchaouen: train to Tangier or Souk el Arbaa plus CTM bus, or, simplest, a direct CTM/Supratours bus from Rabat (~4.5–5h, ~£12–15). Arrive in the blue city for dinner in the medina. Note: day 2 is long — pack a day bag and leave luggage stored at the Casablanca guesthouse only if returning; otherwise carry it.

🚌Train Casablanca–Rabat ~£7 + CTM bus Rabat–Chefchaouen ~£13

🛏Guesthouse in Chefchaouen medina (~£15–22)

• →Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V (free)
• →Kasbah des Oudaias
• →Evening in the blue medina

Morning hike to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint above Chefchaouen for the classic blue-rooftop photo (free, 40 min). Then take a CTM bus to Meknes (~4h, ~£9) and a shared grand taxi or local bus out to Volubilis (~30 min, ~£2–3 each way); entry to the Roman ruins is ~£6. Hire one of the licensed site guides at the gate (~£10–15 for a small group, split it) or use an audio guide. Continue by train or bus from Meknes to Fes (~45 min, £3–5) in the evening.

🚌CTM bus ~£9 + grand taxi to Volubilis ~£5 + train Meknes–Fes ~£4

🛏Riad or guesthouse in Fes medina (~£16–25)

• →Spanish Mosque viewpoint
• →Volubilis Roman ruins with local guide
• →Meknes medina stopover

Book a half-day licensed medina guide directly through your riad or a GetYourGuide/Fes-based operator (~£18–25 per person in a small group; private guides ~£40 split between two). Cover Bou Inania Madrasa (£2), Nejjarine Fountain and museum, the Al Quaraouiyine area, Chouara Tanneries (tip the tannery guide ~£2), and the artisan and spice souks. Spend the afternoon wandering solo — the medina is safe but use a riad-recommended guide on day one, then self-navigate after. Avoid 'free' unofficial guides who demand money at the end.

🚌On foot; entry fees only

🛏Riad or guesthouse in Fes medina (~£16–25)

• →Guided Fes medina walk
• →Bou Inania Madrasa
• →Chouara Tanneries
• →Artisan and spice souks
• →Pottery cooperative visit

The long driving day becomes a shared desert-transfer day. Pre-book a 3-day/2-night shared desert tour from Fes to Merzouga (widely sold via GetYourGuide, Klook and Fes hostels for ~£80–110 per person, sleeping in a basic desert camp) — this covers the minibus, Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forest with Barbary macaques, Midelt lunch stop, the Ziz Valley viewpoints and arrival at Merzouga. Budget an extra ~£40–60 if you upgrade to a nicer 'luxury' camp with private tent and hot shower. Alternatively, CTM buses run Fes–Merzouga but the scenery stops are the point here.

🚌Shared 4x4/minibus transfer Fes–Merzouga ~£90 (included in 3-day desert package)

🛏Sahara desert camp near Erg Chebbi (~£20–30 in shared tour price, or £45–60 for upgraded camp)

• →Ifrane alpine town
• →Azrou cedar forest and monkeys
• →Midelt
• →Ziz Valley viewpoints

Sunrise over the dunes and a walk back to Merzouga if you camped deep in the erg. Daytime options booked at your camp or in Merzouga village: a 4x4 excursion to the Khamlia Gnawa music village and the Nomad village (~£20–30), sandboarding rental (~£5), or a half-day camel trek (~£20). Quads are widely offered but ride responsibly. Afternoon free for mint tea and pool time; second night in a village guesthouse or back in the camp.

🚌Camel/4x4 arranged locally

🛏Merzouga village guesthouse or second night in desert camp (~£18–30)

• →Camel trekking
• →4x4 to Khamlia and Nomad village
• →Sandboarding
• →Sunrise and sunset over Erg Chebbi

Second half of the shared desert transfer: leave Merzouga mid-morning, stop at Rissani's souk and fossil workshops in Erfoud, then wind through the Todra Gorges (a short walk between the canyon walls, free) and on to the Dades Valley for the night. If you're travelling independently without the package, take a Merzouga–Rissani grand taxi (~£4) then a shared taxi or CTM to Tinejdad/Tinghir (~£6–8) and onward to Boumalne Dades (~£5).

🚌Included in shared desert transfer, or shared taxis ~£15 total

🛏Guesthouse in Boumalne Dades or Ait Ouffi (~£15–22)

• →Rissani souk
• →Erfoud fossil workshops
• →Todra Gorges walk
• →Dades Valley viewpoints

Shared taxi or CTM bus from Boumalne Dades to Ouarzazate (~2.5h, ~£6), then a grand taxi to Ait Ben Haddou (~30 min, ~£3 shared). Entry to the ksar is ~£2; a local guide is ~£10–15 split between two. Then a shared grand taxi or bus from Ait Ben Haddou/Ouarzazate to Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (~4h, ~£8–10). Arrive Marrakech in the evening and head straight to Jemaa el-Fna for dinner stalls and street performers.

🚌Shared taxi/bus Dades–Ouarzazate ~£6 + grand taxi to Ait Ben Haddou ~£5 + Ouarzazate–Marrakech ~£10

🛏Riad or hostel in Marrakech medina (~£18–28 dorm/private)

• →Ait Ben Haddou kasbah with local guide
• →Tizi n'Tichka pass viewpoints
• →Jemaa el-Fna square at night

Build your own walking circuit: Majorelle Garden (book the timed slot online in advance, ~£13, sells out), Koutoubia Mosque exterior, Saadian Tombs (£6), Bahia Palace (£6), and the souks around the medina. A licensed guide for a half day is ~£15–20 per person in a small group via GetYourGuide, or skip it and self-navigate with maps.me. Evening hammam (~£12–18 for a local neighbourhood hammam) is a worthy splurge after the desert.

🚌On foot / petit taxi £1–2 per hop

🛏Riad or hostel in Marrakech medina (~£18–28)

• →Majorelle Garden (pre-book)
• →Bahia Palace
• →Saadian Tombs
• →Souks and Jemaa el-Fna
• →Optional local hammam

The tour ends in Casablanca: take the ONCF train Marrakech–Casablanca (~3h15, £8–12, 8 departures daily) for your flight, or fly out of Marrakech Menara (check which is cheaper — often Marrakech outbound is fine and saves the backtrack). Allow 3.5 hours before an international flight from Casablanca. Last-minute souk shopping and a farewell msemen breakfast before leaving.

🚌Train Marrakech–Casablanca ~£10, or local bus to Menara airport ~£1

🛏None (departure day)

• →Last souk shopping
• →Train transfer to Casablanca