9 Days Morocco: Marrakech to the Sahara, Fes & the Rif — Self-Launched

Fly into Marrakech Menara (RAK). Public bus line 19 runs to Jemaa el-Fnaa for about 30 MAD (£2.40); a petit taxi should be 70–100 MAD (£6–8) — agree the price first. Check into a hostel or small riad in the medina (pinned on offline Google Maps before you arrive — the lanes are a maze). Spend the afternoon wandering the souks and the Koutoubia gardens, then join the sunset crowds on Jemaa el-Fnaa. Optional paid entry: Bahia Palace (~70 MAD) or the Saadian Tombs (~70 MAD). Eat at a cheap grill stall or a local sandwich shop rather than a terrace overlooking the square.

🚌Airport bus line 19 or petit taxi from RAK; everything else on foot

🛏Hostel or budget riad in the Marrakech medina (dorm £10–15, private room £20–30)

• →Self-guided walk of the Marrakech medina and souks
• →Koutoubia Mosque and gardens (free exterior)
• →Sunset at Jemaa el-Fnaa
• →Optional: Bahia Palace or Saadian Tombs (~£6 each)

This is the big transfer day and the hardest leg to do independently — plan it the night before. Take a CTM or SUPRATOUR bus from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (roughly 4–5 hrs, ~100–130 MAD / £8–10, morning departures) over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. From Ouarzazate, get a shared grand taxi or local bus to Ait Ben Haddou (30 min, ~30 MAD) and walk up to the ksar — the UNESCO village itself is free to enter, though a local guide at the gate is 100–150 MAD if you want the history. Continue by shared taxi or bus to Boumalne Dades (about 2 hrs, ~60–80 MAD). Stay in a family-run guesthouse in the Dades gorges; ask them to arrange dinner (usually 80–120 MAD) — the tagine here is a highlight.

🚌CTM/SUPRATOUR bus Marrakech–Ouarzazate (~£9), shared grand taxi Ouarzazate–Ait Ben Haddou–Boumalne Dades (~£7 combined)

🛏Family guesthouse in Dades Valley/Boumalne Dades (£15–22 incl. breakfast)

• →Tizi n'Tichka pass views from the bus
• →Ait Ben Haddou UNESCO ksar (free entry, optional local guide)
• →Optional: Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate
• →Evening in the Dades gorges

Morning shared taxi or local bus from Boumalne to Tinghir (30–40 min, ~25 MAD), then a grand taxi up to the Todra Gorges — a short canyon walk between the 300m walls is free and worth the detour. From Tinghir, take the bus or a shared taxi onward to Rissani/Merzouga (2.5–3 hrs, ~70–100 MAD). Pre-book a desert camp online (GetYourGuide, Klook, or direct with a Merzouga operator) — the standard package includes camel trek in at sunset, dinner, Berber drumming and breakfast, typically £35–55 per person. Leave your big bag at the camp office and take only a daypack onto the camel.

🚌Shared taxi Boumalne–Tinghir (~£2), grand taxi to Todra Gorges return (~£4), bus/shared taxi Tinghir–Merzouga (~£7)

🛏Desert camp in Erg Chebbi (standard Berber tent, dinner + breakfast included)

• →Walk the Todra Gorges canyon
• →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset
• →Berber camp dinner and drumming
• →Stargazing in the Sahara

Up before dawn for sunrise over the dunes, breakfast at camp, then back to Merzouga village. The Merzouga–Fes run is the longest day of the trip: CTM/SUPRATOUR buses leave mid-morning and take 8–9 hours via Rissani, Midelt and the Ziz Valley gorges, through Azrou's cedar forest and Ifrane, arriving in Fes in the evening (~180–200 MAD / £14–16). Book this seat a day or two ahead online or at the Merzouga/ Rissani agency. Pack snacks and water. Fall straight into a riad in the Fes medina and eat near your door.

🚌CTM/SUPRATOUR bus Merzouga–Fes (~£15, 8–9 hrs)

🛏Budget riad or hostel in the Fes medina (£15–25)

• →Sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes
• →Ziz Valley and gorges from the bus window
• →Middle Atlas cedar forest and Ifrane
• →Evening arrival in the Fes medina

Fes is where a guide genuinely earns their fee — the medina has 9,000 lanes and touts. Book a licensed guide through your riad or a GetYourGuide/Klook small-group walking tour (£20–30, 3–4 hrs) covering Bab Boujloud, the Bou Inania madrasa, al-Qarawiyyin and the Nejjarine area, plus the Chouara tanneries (expect a hard sell at the leather shop above — no obligation). The Attarine museum and madrasa entries are ~20–70 MAD each. Afternoon free: buy a cheap lunch in the medina, then walk the Ville Nouvelle for a coffee and a break from the crowds.

🚌On foot in the medina; petit taxi to Ville Nouvelle ~20 MAD

🛏Budget riad or hostel in the Fes medina (£15–25)

• →Guided walking tour of Fes el-Bali (booked via GetYourGuide/Klook or your riad)
• →Bou Inania madrasa and al-Qarawiyyin
• →Chouara tanneries viewpoint
• →Bab Boujloud and the medina craft workshops

Take a morning train or CTM bus from Fes to Meknes (train ~45 min, 30–40 MAD), then a shared grand taxi from Meknes's Institut Agricole stand to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis (about 30 min, 15–20 MAD per seat, or ~150 MAD for the car). Volubilis entry is 70 MAD and a site guide at the gate is 100–150 MAD — worth it for the mosaics. Return to Meknes, then take a CTM/SUPRATOUR bus or shared taxi onward to Chefchaouen (2.5–3 hrs from Meknes, ~70–90 MAD). Evenings in Chefchaouen are magic — climb to the Spanish Mosque for sunset over the blue rooftops, free.

🚌Train Fes–Meknes (~£3), shared taxi Meknes–Volubilis return (~£4), bus/shared taxi Meknes–Chefchaouen (~£7)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in the Chefchaouen medina (£15–22)

• →Volubilis Roman ruins and mosaics (entry ~£6)
• →Moulay Idriss Zerhoun viewpoint
• →Sunset at the Spanish Mosque
• →Outa el Hammam square in the evening

Morning free in Chefchaouen: the Kasbah (60 MAD), the medina and the riverside washing spots. Midday, take a CTM bus or shared grand taxi to Tetouan (about 1.5 hrs, 30–50 MAD). Tetouan's UNESCO medina is smaller and far less touristed than Fes — the archaeology museum and the Royal Palace exterior are free or cheap, and street food here is excellent. A short local guide (100–150 MAD, arranged at the medina gate) is worthwhile since signage is sparse. Late afternoon, bus or shared taxi to Tangier (1 hr, 25–40 MAD). Stay near the medina; dinner is cheap grilled fish at the port.

🚌Bus/shared taxi Chefchaouen–Tetouan (~£4), bus/shared taxi Tetouan–Tangier (~£3)

🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Tangier's medina (£18–28)

• →Chefchaouen Kasbah and medina
• →Tetouan UNESCO medina and Royal Palace exterior
• →Tetouan spice souks
• →Tangier medina and port at dusk

Early start: local bus or taxi out to Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules (taxi ~100–150 MAD return; entry ~60 MAD, free at low tide on the beach side). Back in town, take the train to Asilah (30–40 min, ~25 MAD) for a wander inside the whitewashed Portuguese walls, then continue by ONCF train to Rabat (about 3 hrs from Asilah, 90–120 MAD). Rabat is a fast, walkable stop: Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Oudaya Kasbah and the Chellah (70 MAD) are all within a couple of kilometres. Final train Rabat–Casablanca is 1 hr, ~40 MAD. Sleep near Casa Voyageurs or the old medina.

🚌Taxi to Cap Spartel/Caves (~£12 shared), ONCF train Asilah–Rabat (~£10), train Rabat–Casablanca (~£3.50)

🛏Budget hotel in Casablanca, near Casa Voyageurs or the medina (£18–28)

• →Cap Spartel and the Caves of Hercules (~£5 entry)
• →Asilah's walled medina
• →Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V (free)
• →Oudaya Kasbah and Chellah in Rabat

Book the Hassan II Mosque interior tour early (first English slot around 10:00, 140 MAD) — it's the only way inside Morocco's biggest mosque and the ocean-side plaza is impressive regardless. Then walk the corniche and the art-deco old town. Take the ONCF train Casablanca–Marrakech (about 3 hrs 20, 120–150 MAD second class, roughly hourly) to finish the loop. If you have hours to spare in Marrakech before your flight, Majorelle Garden (~150 MAD, book a slot online) or a hammam is a good last stop, and the airport bus or a taxi gets you back to RAK.

🚌ONCF train Casablanca–Marrakech (~£11), airport bus line 19 or taxi to RAK (~£2.50–8)

🛏None included — onward travel or optional final night in Marrakech (£10–25)

• →Hassan II Mosque guided interior tour (~£11)
• →Casablanca corniche and art-deco centre
• →Optional: Majorelle Garden or a hammam in Marrakech