Morocco Kasbahs and Desert — Self-Launched

Land at Mohammed V Airport and take the ONCF train from the airport station into Casa-Voyageurs or Casa-Port (about 40 mins, ~£3). Check into a medina-adjacent budget hotel or hostel. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided wander: the Hassan II Mosque exterior and corniche, the old medina, and the Habous quarter. Eat dinner at a cheap local grill near the Marché Central. Buy your onward train ticket to Fès now for an early departure.

🚌ONCF airport train ~£3; walking/taxis in town ~£3-5

🛏Budget hotel or hostel near Casa-Port / medina (~£18-25)

• →Airport train to city
• →Hassan II Mosque exterior & corniche walk
• →Habous quarter & old medina wander
• →Buy onward ONCF ticket to Fès

Take the early ONCF train from Casablanca to Meknès (roughly 3h, ~£9-12). From Meknès, hop a shared grand taxi or local bus to the Roman ruins of Volubilis (UNESCO site). Entry is about £6; you can hire an on-site licensed guide at the gate for a small group split, or use the site's own information panels. Continue to Moulay Idriss for a traditional lunch (the G Adventures version supports a women's association — you can donate directly to a local co-op instead). Then shared taxi or train onward to Fès and check into a medina riad. Note: the original itinerary runs this as a private van day; the train + grand taxi combo is slower but a fraction of the cost.

🚌Train ~£10; shared grand taxi ~£8-12; Volubilis entry ~£6

🛏Medina riad or guesthouse in Fès (~£18-28)

• →ONCF train Casablanca–Meknès
• →Volubilis Roman ruins self-guided or gate guide
• →Moulay Idriss village stop
• →Grand taxi to Fès, evening in the medina

Spend the day inside Fès el-Bali, the world's largest living medieval medina. You can book a licensed local medina guide via GetYourGuide or through your riad for around £25-35 (often cheaper per head if you share). The classic loop hits the artisan quarters, the Chouara leather tannery viewpoint from a leather shop balcony, the Bou Inania Madrasa, and endless food carts. Afternoon is free — consider the Merenid Tombs for sunset views over the old city, or a hammam. Watch for unofficial 'guides' who attach themselves to you; agree a price upfront or stick with a booked guide.

🚌Walking; local petit taxi ~£2-4

🛏Medina riad or guesthouse in Fès (~£18-28)

• →Guided Fès medina walk (bookable via GetYourGuide)
• →Chouara tannery viewpoint
• →Bou Inania Madrasa & artisan quarters
• →Optional hammam or Merenid Tombs sunset

Long travel day. Take the CTM or Supratours coach from Fès toward Rissani/Merzouga (roughly 9-10h, ~£16-20), or break it with an overnight in Midelt if you prefer. On arrival in Merzouga, check into a desert auberge or a basic Sahara camp. Around late afternoon, head out on a camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset (~£18-25 including the camel and guide, arranged through your auberge). Dinner and music under the stars back at camp — most camps include dinner in the rate.

🚌Long-distance coach ~£18; camel trek ~£20

🛏Desert auberge or Sahara camp (~£20-35, dinner included)

• →CTM/Supratours coach Fès–Merzouga
• →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset
• →Desert camp evening with drumming & dinner

Wake before dawn and walk or ride back up the dune ridge for sunrise over the Sahara — genuinely one of the trip's best moments and free if you climb on foot from camp. Breakfast at the auberge, then travel west by shared grand taxi or local bus toward Tinghir and the Todra Gorge (roughly 3-4h with a change, ~£8-12). Check into a guesthouse in or near the gorge. Spend the afternoon walking the gorge floor — the canyon walls rise to about 300m and the river path is easy and beautiful. Cheap tagine dinner in the village.

🚌Shared grand taxi / bus ~£10; local walking

🛏Guesthouse near Todra Gorge (~£15-25)

• →Sunrise from the dunes
• →Shared taxi / local bus Merzouga–Todra
• →Walk the Todra Gorge river path

Travel the classic 'Route of a Thousand Kasbahs' west toward Ouarzazate, then on to Aït Ben Haddou (shared taxi or bus, ~4-5h, ~£10-14). Drop bags at a guesthouse facing the ksar, then walk across the river to explore the UNESCO World Heritage kasbah itself — the location used in Gladiator, Babel, and Game of Thrones. Entry to the ksar area is nominal (~£2-4 with a local guide). In the late afternoon, many guesthouses offer a tagine cooking demonstration for around £12-18 — the original tour sells this as an add-on, and it's easy to book directly here.

🚌Shared taxi/bus ~£12; ksar entry ~£3

🛏Guesthouse facing Aït Ben Haddou (~£18-28)

• →Shared taxi/bus Ouarzazate route & kasbahs
• →Aït Ben Haddou ksar self-guided visit
• →Optional tagine cooking demo at guesthouse

Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass toward Marrakech — shared taxi or CTM bus, roughly 4h, ~£8-12. Arrive and check into a riad or hostel in the medina. Spend the afternoon getting lost in the souks and end the evening at Jemaa el-Fnaa square as it fills with food stalls, storytellers, and musicians. Very walkable once you're inside the medina; a petit taxi from the bus station is a few pounds.

🚌Shared taxi/CTM bus ~£10; petit taxi ~£3

🛏Medina riad or hostel in Marrakech (~£18-30)

• →Tizi n'Tichka pass crossing
• →Marrakech souks wander
• →Jemaa el-Fnaa square in the evening

Final morning in Marrakech — pick one of the must-sees: the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Garden, or a cooking class. Then take a petit taxi to Marrakech Menara Airport (about 15-20 mins, ~£5-7) for your flight home. If your flight is late, most riads will hold your bags after checkout.

🚌Petit taxi to airport ~£6

🛏—

• →Bahia Palace / Saadian Tombs / Majorelle Garden
• →Last souk shopping
• →Petit taxi to Menara Airport