6-Day Self-Launched Morocco Grand Loop: Marrakech, Sahara, Fes & Chefchaouen
6 days · Morocco
Moroccan Best Tours charges £830
No-markup version: ~£390 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Moroccan Best Tours' private 6-day Morocco getaway, done with local buses, shared taxis, grand taxis and self-booked riads instead of a private driver-guide. You'll cover the same headline route — Marrakech, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Dades Valley, Todgha Gorges, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, Fes, Volubilis and Chefchaouen — but book each leg yourself. Note that the original route finishes in Chefchaouen while the operator's end-point says Marrakech, so this version ends in Chefchaouen and you make your own way back (or fly out of Tangier/Fes). Costs are approximate budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Marrakech to Boumalne Dades via Ait Ben Haddou & Ouarzazate
Boumalne Dades
Start early at Marrakech's Bab Doukkala or CTM bus station. Take the 07:00-08:00 CTM/Supratours bus to Ouarzazate (about 4 hours, ~£8-10) over the Tizi n'Tichka pass — sit on the right for the best views. From Ouarzazate, catch a grand taxi or local bus up to Ait Ben Haddou (30 min, ~£2) and walk the ksar yourself or pay a local guide at the gate (~£5). Back in Ouarzazate, visit Atlas Film Studios entrance (~£6, self-guided) if time allows. Then take an afternoon bus or shared grand taxi along the Valley of the Roses through Kelaa M'Gouna to Boumalne Dades (~£5-7), stopping a moment at Kasbah Amridil in Skoura if your transport allows (or view it en route). Check into a budget guesthouse in Boumalne Dades and eat tagine with a view over the Dades rock formations.
🚌CTM/Supratours bus Marrakech-Ouarzazate ~£9; grand taxi Ouarzazate-Ait Ben Haddou return ~£4; bus/grand taxi Ouarzazate-Boumalne Dades ~£6
🛏Budget guesthouse in Boumalne Dades (e.g. simple family-run auberge), ~£18/night
- →Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass drive
- →Ait Ben Haddou ksar walk (UNESCO site)
- →Atlas Film Studios, Ouarzazate
- →Valley of the Roses drive-through
- →Dades Gorges viewpoint at sunset
Dades to Todgha Gorges and the Erg Chebbi dunes
Merzouga
Morning bus or shared grand taxi from Boumalne Dades to Tinghir (~£3), then a short grand taxi hop to the Todgha Gorges (~£3) — walk the canyon floor and watch climbers on the walls. Continue by bus or shared taxi to Rissani (~£4), poke around the souk and the ksar, then on to Merzouga (~£3). Book a standard desert camp (not luxury) in advance via Booking.com or a hostel in Merzouga — most include a camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset, dinner, Berber music around the fire, sandboarding and a dawn camel ride back, typically £35-55 per person all-in. Sleep in a tent under the stars.
🚌Shared grand taxis and local buses Dades-Tinghir-Todgha-Rissani-Merzouga, ~£13 total
🛏Standard desert camp in Erg Chebbi (tent, shared facilities), ~£40 incl. camel trek, dinner & breakfast
- →Todgha Gorges canyon walk
- →Tinghir oasis palm groves
- →Rissani souk and ksar
- →Sunset camel trek across Erg Chebbi
- →Sandboarding on the dunes
- →Berber music around the campfire
Merzouga to Fes across the Ziz Valley and Middle Atlas
Fes
After breakfast and the sunrise camel ride back to Merzouga village, take the CTM bus from Merzouga/Rissani towards Meknes or Fes — this is a long day (8-9 hours, ~£15-18). The route climbs through the Ziz Valley palm oasis, past Errachidia and Midelt, over the Middle Atlas, and through Ifrane (Morocco's 'little Switzerland'). Arrive in Fes in the evening and check into a budget riad or hostel inside or just outside the medina. Dinner: cheap and excellent street food around Bab Boujloud.
🚌CTM bus Merzouga-Fes ~£16
🛏Budget riad/hostel in Fes medina, ~£18/night
- →Sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Ziz Valley palm oasis viewpoints
- →Midelt (apple country) lunch stop
- →Ifrane and the Middle Atlas cedar forests
- →Evening wander around Bab Boujloud, Fes
Fes medina on foot with a local guide
Fes
Book a half-day small-group or private medina walking tour through GetYourGuide or directly with a licensed Fes guide (~£20-25), or self-navigate with a map. Cover the UNESCO-listed Fes el-Bali: Bou Inania Madrasa, Al-Attarine Madrasa, the Chouara tannery viewpoint (expect the mint sprig), Nejjarine Square and its fountain, and Dar Batha Museum (~£2 entry). Walk up to the Marinid tombs and 16th-century Borj Sud for panoramic city views (free). Pass the Royal Palace esplanade and its brass doors. Evening: rooftop mint tea and a cheap harira/bastilla dinner in the medina.
🚌Walkable medina; petit taxi across town ~£2
🛏Budget riad/hostel in Fes medina, ~£18/night
- →Guided Fes medina walking tour (GetYourGuide or licensed local guide)
- →Bou Inania & Al-Attarine madrasas
- →Chouara tannery viewpoint
- →Nejjarine Square and Dar Batha Museum
- →Borj Sud and Marinid tombs panorama
- →Royal Palace esplanade
Fes to Chefchaouen via Volubilis and the Rif Mountains
Chefchaouen
Take an early CTM/Supratours bus or shared grand taxi from Fes to Meknes (~£3), then a grand taxi to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis (~£4 each way shared). Explore the Volubilis Roman ruins yourself with a guidebook or audio guide (~£7 entry). Continue from Meknes to Chefchaouen by CTM bus or shared grand taxi (~£8-10, roughly 4 hours). Arrive in the blue city in the late afternoon, check into a cheap guesthouse in the medina, and watch the sunset from the Spanish Mosque hill above town (free).
🚌Fes-Meknes bus ~£3; grand taxi Moulay Idriss/Volubilis ~£8 return; Meknes-Chefchaouen bus ~£9
🛏Budget guesthouse in Chefchaouen medina, ~£18/night
- →Volubilis Roman ruins (UNESCO site)
- →Moulay Idriss Zerhoun hill town
- →Rif Mountains scenic transfer
- →Sunset from the Spanish Mosque viewpoint, Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen medina and onward travel
Chefchaouen
Spend the morning getting lost in the blue-washed medina: Plaza Uta el-Hammam for a coffee, the 15th-century kasbah and its garden museum (~£2), the Ras El Maa spring and old washing houses, and the craft shops. Hike up to the Spanish Mosque again if you want the classic photo, or take a half-day guided hike to Akchour waterfalls (~£15 with a local guide, taxi ~£8 shared). In the afternoon, take the bus to Tangier (~£5-6, 3 hours) for onward flights/ferries, or bus back to Fes (~£5) — the original tour's advertised 'end in Marrakech' doesn't match its own Chefchaouen finish, so plan your exit leg accordingly.
🚌Bus Chefchaouen-Tangier ~£6 or Chefchaouen-Fes ~£5
🛏None included (onward travel day) — budget ~£18 if you stay an extra night
- →Chefchaouen medina wander
- →Plaza Uta el-Hammam
- →Chefchaouen kasbah and ethnographic museum
- →Ras El Maa spring
- →Optional Akchour waterfalls hike
Self-launched vs. Moroccan Best Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Moroccan Best Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£390 | £830 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £440 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Moroccan Best Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£390
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 6-Day Self-Launched Morocco Grand Loop: Marrakech, Sahara, Fes & Chefchaouen cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £390 per person for 6 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 Moroccan Best Tours?+
Yes — Moroccan Best Tours charges around £830 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £390 — a saving of roughly £440 (53%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 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 adventure, culture, backpacker 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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