New Year's in Morocco: Self-Launched 11-Day Marrakech Loop
11 days · Morocco
On The Go Tours charges £960
No-markup version: ~£750 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of On The Go Tours' 11-day New Year's in Morocco loop — same Marrakech→Ait Benhaddou→Dades Gorge→Sahara→Ouarzazate→Taroudant→Agadir→Essaouira→Marrakech route, but booked piece by piece. You'll travel the classic Tizi n'Tichka road by CTM/SUPRATOURS bus and shared grand taxi, join a small shared 3-day Sahara desert tour from Marrakech (the cheapest and easiest way to cover Ait Benhaddou, Dades and the camel trek), stay in riads and guesthouses, and see in the New Year in Essaouira. Costs are rough per-person backpacker estimates; the big win is skipping the group markup while keeping the same landscapes.
Day-by-day
Arrive Marrakech — medina orientation
Marrakech
Fly into Marrakech Menara (RAK) and take bus 19 or a petit taxi (~£3-4) to the medina. Check into a riad or guesthouse in the medina or Gueliz. Spend the afternoon getting lost in Jemaa el-Fnaa, the souks and the Koutoubia gardens. Book your shared 3-day Sahara tour tonight (many hostels and agencies around Jemaa el-Fnaa sell seats for £70-110 including transport, two nights' accommodation and some meals).
🚌Bus 19 or petit taxi from RAK airport (~£3-4)
🛏Medina riad or guesthouse dorm/private room (~£15-20/night)
- →Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk
- →Koutoubia Mosque and gardens
- →Souks browsing
- →Book shared Sahara tour
Marrakech → Ait Benhaddou → Skoura (Sahara tour day 1)
Ait Benhaddou / Skoura
Early start over the Tizi n'Tichka pass in a shared minibus. Stop at Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO ksar used in Gladiator and Game of Thrones — walk up to the granary for the view, then continue to Skoura for the night. If you're going fully independent instead, CTM/SUPRATOURS run Marrakech–Ouarzazate buses (~£7-9, 4-5 hrs) and you can take a grand taxi onward to Skoura.
🚌Shared minibus over Tizi n'Tichka (included in tour) or CTM bus ~£8
🛏Skoura guesthouse (included in shared tour) or local guesthouse ~£15
- →Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass
- →Ait Benhaddou ksar walk
- →Skoura palm oasis
Skoura → Dades Gorge via Kasbah Amridil
Dades Gorge
Visit Kasbah Amridil, a beautifully preserved 17th-century kasbah, then drive the Valley of Roses and the Dades Gorge. Walk the gorge trail in the afternoon and stay in a guesthouse overlooking the valley — a cheaper, quieter alternative to the group hotels.
🚌Shared minibus (included) or grand taxi from Skoura ~£10
🛏Dades Gorge guesthouse (~£15-20) or included in tour
- →Kasbah Amridil visit (~£2 entry)
- →Dades Gorge viewpoint and walk
- →Valley of Roses
Dades → Todra Gorge → Merzouga: camel trek into Erg Chebbi
Merzouga / Erg Chebbi
Drive via Tinghir and the Todra Gorge (a short walk between the canyon walls is free), then on to Merzouga. Late afternoon camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes to a Berber desert camp — sunset on the sand, tagine dinner and drumming around the fire. Desert camps range from basic (£20-30 incl. camel + dinner) to luxury; book direct with a Merzouga camp or through your hostel.
🚌Shared minibus (included) or CTM Merzouga bus + local transfer
🛏Berber desert camp in Erg Chebbi (included in tour, or £25-35 self-booked)
- →Todra Gorge
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi
- →Sunset over the dunes
- →Berber dinner and music at camp
Merzouga → Agdz → Ouarzazate
Ouarzazate
Sunrise on the dunes, then the long drive west via the Saghro mountains and Agdz, with its date palms and kasbahs. Arrive Ouarzazate — Morocco's film-studio town — for the evening. Atlas Studios and Taourirt Kasbah are cheap add-ons if you have time.
🚌Shared minibus (included) or CTM Merzouga–Ouarzazate bus ~£9
🛏Ouarzazate budget hotel or guesthouse (~£15-20)
- →Sunrise on Erg Chebbi
- →Saghro mountain drive
- →Agdz kasbahs
- →Ouarzazate Taourirt Kasbah
Ouarzazate → Taliouine saffron → Taroudant
Taroudant
Continue west through Taliouine, Morocco's saffron capital — a cooperative visit explains the harvest and you can buy a small vial cheaply. Stop at a carpet cooperative in Tazenakht if you like, then reach Taroudant, the walled 'little Marrakech' of the Souss Valley. The shared 3-day tour ends back in Marrakech, so from here you're on public transport: CTM or SUPRATOURS Ouarzazate–Taroudant/Agadir (~£10, 5-6 hrs).
🚌CTM/SUPRATOURS bus Ouarzazate → Taroudant ~£10 (or grand taxi segments)
🛏Taroudant riad or guesthouse (~£15-20)
- →Taliouine saffron cooperative
- →Tazenakht carpet cooperative
- →Taroudant ramparts at sunset
Taroudant souks → Agadir
Agadir
Morning wandering Taroudant's Arab and Berber souks inside the red walls — far less touristy than Marrakech. Then a short bus or shared grand taxi to Agadir (~1 hr, £2-4). Afternoon on Agadir beach or at the fishing port, with grilled sardines for dinner.
🚌Bus/grand taxi Taroudant → Agadir ~£3
🛏Agadir budget hotel or hostel near the beach (~£18-22)
- →Taroudant souks
- →Agadir beach
- →Agadir fishing port and fresh fish dinner
Agadir → Essaouira
Essaouira
Bus up the coast to Essaouira (~3-4 hrs, £6-8). Check into a medina riad or hostel, then explore the walled medina, the Skala ramparts and the fishing port where blue boats unload their catch. Buy your own supplies for a New Year's Eve picnic or book a table at a cheap seafood grill for the 31st if you're travelling on the actual holiday dates.
🚌CTM/SUPRATOURS bus Agadir → Essaouira ~£7
🛏Essaouira medina riad/hostel (~£15-22)
- →Essaouira medina
- →Skala ramparts
- →Fishing port
- →Beach walk
Essaouira — New Year's Eve
Essaouira
A full free day: windsurfing or surf lessons on the famously breezy beach (~£20-25 for a group lesson), hammam, art galleries in the medina, or a long walk south along the sand. In the evening, join the New Year crowd — beach bonfires, bars and riad parties. Book a seafood dinner and drinks yourself (expect £15-25 for dinner plus drinks) rather than a group gala.
🚌On foot
🛏Essaouira medina riad/hostel (~£15-22)
- →Surf or windsurf lesson
- →Hammam
- →Medina art studios
- →New Year's Eve beach and bar celebrations
Essaouira → Marrakech via Argan cooperative
Marrakech
Bus back to Marrakech (~2.5-3 hrs, £6-8), stopping in an argan oil cooperative en route if you take a shared minibus or hire a grand taxi for the run. In Marrakech, take a cheap guided medina walk (free walking tours tip-based, or a £10-15 GetYourGuide medina tour) covering the Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs and souks, then a final night in the medina.
🚌CTM/SUPRATOURS bus Essaouira → Marrakech ~£7
🛏Marrakech medina riad or guesthouse (~£15-20)
- →Argan oil cooperative
- →Guided medina walk (Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs)
- →Final souk shopping
Marrakech — depart
Marrakech
Last morning for mint tea, pastries and souvenir shopping in the souks, then bus 19 or a petit taxi to Menara airport for your flight home.
🚌Bus 19 or petit taxi to RAK (~£3-4)
🛏—
- →Souk souvenir shopping
- →Café breakfast in Gueliz
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£750 | £960 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £210 per person (22%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more On The Go Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£750
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does New Year's in Morocco: Self-Launched 11-Day Marrakech Loop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £750 per person for 11 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 On The Go Tours?+
Yes — On The Go Tours charges around £960 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £750 — a saving of roughly £210 (22%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 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, hiking 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.