4-Day Imperial Cities Loop: Marrakech to Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes & Fes — Self-Launched
4 days · Morocco
Morocco Trip Travel charges £460
No-markup version: ~£218 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Morocco Trip Travel's 4-day Imperial Cities tour, doing the same Marrakech → Casablanca → Rabat → Meknes → Fes → Middle Atlas → Marrakech loop using Morocco's excellent train network plus a couple of grand-taxi/CTM bus hops and locally booked city guides. You'll cover the Hassan II Mosque, the Corniche, Rabat's Kasbah of the Oudayas and Hassan Tower, Meknes' Bab Mansour, the Fes medina with its tanneries and madrasas, and the cedar-and-Ifrane run through the Middle Atlas. Expect guesthouse/riad-budget and simple 3-star hotels rather than 4-star blocks, dinner on your own except where you choose it, and total costs of roughly £200-230 — a big saving on the operator's US$579 (~£460). All figures are approximate per person, assuming two people sharing a twin/double; add roughly 20-25% if travelling solo without sharing.
Day-by-day
Marrakech → Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque & the Corniche
Casablanca
Start early: take the ONCF Al Boraq high-speed train from Marrakech to Casablanca (about 2h20, roughly £15 in second class if booked a few days ahead at oncf-voyages.ma — slower Al Atlas trains are cheaper at ~£8 but take 3-4h). From Casa Voyageurs station, hop on the modern tram (a few dirhams) or a petit taxi to your hotel near the centre. In the afternoon do the operator's panoramic loop yourself on foot and by tram: Place de la Ligue Arabe, the Anfa district with its palm-lined boulevards, and the walk along Corniche Ain Diab at sunset with its beach cafés and seafood grills. Time your visit around the Hassan II Mosque's guided interior slots (roughly 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm and 3pm; ~120 MAD / £10, book at the ticket office or via GetYourGuide) — the interior tour is well worth it and the operator only offers the exterior. Grab dinner at a cheap local spot near the Corniche or in the Habous quarter.
🚌ONCF train Marrakech → Casablanca (Al Boraq ~£15 / Al Atlas ~£8); tram or petit taxi locally (~£1-2)
🛏Budget 3-star hotel or guesthouse near Casa Voyageurs or the old medina (twin/double, ~£22-28 pp/night). Options like Hotel Guynemer, Hotel Transatlantique or a medina riad-guesthouse.
- →Hassan II Mosque exterior + guided interior tour (~£10)
- →Place de la Ligue Arabe & Anfa district walk (free)
- →Corniche Ain Diab sunset stroll (free)
- →Habous quarter wander (free)
Casablanca → Rabat → Meknes → Fes
Fes
A long but easy rail day. Take the morning train Casablanca → Rabat (1h, ~£4). Store your bag at Rabat Ville station or just keep it light, then walk or taxi to the Medina: the Kasbah of the Oudayas (free garden and blue-and-white lanes), then the Hassan Tower and Mohammed V Mausoleum (free entry, closed to non-Muslims' prayer hall but the exterior and guards are the draw). The Royal Palace (Dar El Makhzen) can only be admired from the ceremonial gate — it's a short taxi hop. Lunch on a cheap tagine near Rue des Consuls. Then train Rabat → Meknes (about 2h with a change at Kenitra or via Sidi Kacem, ~£6). In Meknes do a quick self-guided circuit of Bab Mansour el Aleuj, the Heri es-Souani granaries and Agdal pond (small entry fees, ~£2), and the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum (free, respectful dress required). Finish with the afternoon train Meknes → Fes (45 min, ~£4). Check in, then dinner in the Ville Nouvelle or a cheap grill in the medina.
🚌ONCF trains: Casablanca→Rabat ~£4, Rabat→Meknes ~£6, Meknes→Fes ~£4; local petit taxis ~£1-2 each; left-luggage ~£1
🛏Budget riad or guesthouse inside or just outside the Fes medina (twin/double, ~£20-26 pp/night), or a simple hotel in Ville Nouvelle.
- →Kasbah of the Oudayas (free)
- →Hassan Tower & Mohammed V Mausoleum (free)
- →Royal Palace gate exterior (free)
- →Bab Mansour Gate, Heri es-Souani & Agdal Pond (~£2)
- →Moulay Ismail Mausoleum (free)
Fes Medina: madrasas, tanneries and artisan workshops
Fes
Give the whole day to Fes el Bali. The operator's guided medina tour is replaced with either a self-guided walk or a small-group walking tour booked on GetYourGuide/Klook (roughly £15-20 for 3-4 hours with a licensed guide — highly recommended, the medina is a maze). Hit the highlights: Bab Boujloud, the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas (~20-70 MAD each, £2-6), the Al Quaraouiyine mosque courtyard (non-Muslims view from the doors), the Nejjarine wood museum and its square of workshops, and the Chouara tanneries — view from a leather shop terrace and tip the guide with the mint sprig ~20-30 MAD. Browse the pottery and textile souks around Place Seffarine and the henna souk. Lunch at a cheap medina sandwich/msemen stall or Café Clock (a splurge at ~£8). Optional afternoon: climb to the Borj Nord ramparts for the sunset view over the medina (small fee). Dinner at a riad or a cheap grill near Bab Boujloud.
🚌All on foot inside the medina; petit taxi to Bab Boujloud ~£1-2
🛏Same Fes riad/guesthouse (~£20-26 pp/night)
- →Licensed medina walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£17)
- →Bou Inania & Al-Attarine madrasas (~£5 total)
- →Chouara Tanneries viewpoint (~£2 tip)
- →Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts (~£3)
- →Borj Nord medina viewpoint (~£2)
Fes → Ifrane → Middle Atlas → Beni Mellal → Marrakech
Marrakech
The operator does this leg in a private minibus; the public equivalent is either the direct CTM/Supratours coach Fes → Marrakech (roughly 7-8h, ~£15-18, book at ctm.ma or supratours.ma a day ahead) or — the more scenic and backpacker-friendly option — a morning CTM bus Fes → Ifrane (about 1h15, ~£4) to see the 'Moroccan Switzerland' alpine town, a short grand-taxi hop to Azrou to walk among the Barbary macaques in the cedar forest (~£3-5 shared), then reconnect to the Marrakech-bound coach from Azrou or Khenifra (Khenifra is a good lunch stop, as the operator notes). If you want the full Middle Atlas scenery without faffing, split it: bus to Beni Mellal (~£7), leg-stretch and lunch, then bus on to Marrakech (~£6), arriving early evening. Trains don't run this route, so buses are the way. Arrive Marrakech by 6-7pm, taxi to your riad in the medina, and finish with dinner in Jemaa el-Fna.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Fes→Ifrane ~£4, shared grand taxi Azrou ~£4, Azrou/Khenifra→Marrakech coach ~£10, or direct Fes→Marrakech coach ~£17; local taxis ~£2
🛏Budget riad or guesthouse in the Marrakech medina (twin/double, ~£20-26 pp/night) if staying on; drop-off point otherwise.
- →Ifrane alpine town stop (free)
- →Cedar forest & Barbary macaques near Azrou (~£4 shared taxi)
- →Khenifra/Beni Mellal lunch stop (~£4)
- →Jemaa el-Fna evening (free)
Self-launched vs. Morocco Trip Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morocco Trip Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£218 | £460 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £242 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morocco Trip Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£218
estimated per person
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 4-Day Imperial Cities Loop: Marrakech to Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes & Fes — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £218 per person for 4 days in Morocco. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Morocco Trip Travel?+
Yes — Morocco Trip Travel charges around £460 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £218 — a saving of roughly £242 (53%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Morocco.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Morocco, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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