Self-Launched Morocco: 15-Day Imperial Cities & Sahara Circuit
15 days · Morocco
Morocco Custom Tours charges £1,980
No-markup version: ~£680 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Morocco Custom Tours' 15-day Casablanca round-trip: Rabat, Chefchaouen, Volubilis and Meknes, Fes, the Middle Atlas, a Sahara camp at Merzouga, Todra Gorge, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou, Essaouira's Atlantic coast and Marrakech. You travel by CTM/Supratours coach, shared grand taxis and the overnight train where it makes sense, stay in medina riads and hostels, and book local guides and desert camps directly. Costs are per person, approximate, and assume a mid-range backpacker/independent traveller style.
Day-by-day
Arrive Casablanca & on to Rabat
Casablanca → Rabat
Land at Mohammed V Airport and take the train straight to Rabat (ONCF Casa Voyageurs → Rabat Ville, roughly 1h, ~£4) rather than lingering in Casablanca. If you have time before the train, walk to Mohammed V Square and the Hassan II Mosque esplanade (exterior free; interior tours ~£12 bookable on the mosque's own site). Plusieurs riads in Rabat's medina offer dorm beds from ~£12 and private rooms from ~£25.
🚌ONCF train Casa Voyageurs → Rabat Ville ~£4
🛏Hostel or riad in Rabat medina (~£15 dorm / £28 private)
- →Hassan II Mosque esplanade
- →Mohammed V Square
- →Medina of Rabat wander
Rabat to the Blue City
Rabat → Chefchaouen
Morning at the Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V (free). Then CTM or Supratours coach Rabat → Chefchaouen via Tangier or direct, roughly 4-5h, ~£12-15. Book online a day ahead at the CTM or Supratours office. Arrive in the evening and wander the blue lanes as the day-trippers leave. Cheap guesthouses in the medina start around £15 for a private double.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach ~£14
🛏Medina guesthouse in Chefchaouen (~£16 dorm / £30 private)
- →Hassan Tower
- →Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- →Kasbah des Oudaias
Chefchaouen & Volubilis
Chefchaouen → Meknes (via Volubilis)
Hike up to the Spanish Mosque for sunrise over the blue town (free), then take a shared grand taxi or coach to Meknes (~£10). From Meknes, a shared grand taxi to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis is ~£5-7 return per person if you team up with other travellers at the taxi stand. Volubilis entry is ~£6. Sleep in Meknes medina, which is far cheaper than Fes.
🚌Coach/taxi Chefchaouen → Meknes ~£10; grand taxi to Volubilis ~£6
🛏Riad or hostel in Meknes medina (~£14 dorm / £25 private)
- →Spanish Mosque viewpoint
- →Volubilis Roman ruins
- →Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Meknes to Fes
Meknes → Fes
Morning exploring Meknes: Bab Mansour gate, the Heri es-Souani granaries and the medina. Skip the operator's horse-carriage ride and instead hire a petit taxi (~£3) or just walk. Afternoon train Meknes → Fes, 40 minutes, ~£4. Fes medina hostels and riads start at ~£12 dorm and ~£25 for a private room.
🚌ONCF train Meknes → Fes ~£4
🛏Riad/hostel in Fes medina (~£14 dorm / £28 private)
- →Bab Mansour
- →Heri es-Souani granaries
- →Place el-Hedim
Fes medina with a local guide
Fes
The operator includes a full-day guided Fes tour. Self-launch it: book a licensed local guide through a medina guide association or GetYourGuide (roughly £25-35 for a half-day private walking tour, or ~£15 on a small-group one). Cover Bou Inania Madrasa (~£2), the Kairaouine mosque courtyard, Nejjarine Square and the tanneries (view terraces are free but tip ~£1-2). Add the pottery cooperative on your own. Insist on no-shopping-stop terms upfront.
🚌Walking + petit taxi ~£4
🛏Riad/hostel in Fes medina (~£14 dorm / £28 private)
- →Bou Inania Madrasa
- →Al-Qarawiyyin
- →Nejjarine Square
- →Chouara tanneries
- →Fes el-Bali walking tour with local guide
Over the Middle Atlas to Midelt
Fes → Midelt
Take a CTM coach Fes → Midelt (~5h, ~£10). Stop off at Ifrane (Alpine-style town) if your service allows a break, and look for Barbary macaques in the cedar forest around Azrou if you hire a shared taxi from Azrou. Midelt has simple auberges at ~£15-20. Pack layers — it gets cold at altitude at night.
🚌CTM coach ~£10; local taxi to Azrou ~£4
🛏Auberge in Midelt (~£18)
- →Ifrane
- →Cedar forest near Azrou
- →Middle Atlas scenery
Into the Sahara — Merzouga camp
Midelt → Merzouga
Continue by coach/shared taxi to Merzouga (~5-6h, ~£12-15) via Erfoud and Rissani. Book a desert camp directly with a Merzouga operator (many are on GetYourGuide/Klook or via your guesthouse) — standard overnight camp with camel trek in and out plus dinner, roughly £35-55 per person depending on comfort level, versus the operator's all-in private arrangement. Sunset over the dunes on arrival.
🚌Coach/shared taxi ~£14
🛏Desert camp in Erg Chebbi (included in camp price)
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi
- →Sahara desert camp
- →Sunset over the dunes
Sunrise in the dunes & Todra Gorge
Merzouga → Todra Gorge
Wake for sunrise on the dunes, camel or 4x4 back to Merzouga village, then get to Tineghir/Todra by shared taxi or coach (~£10). Alternatively, many travellers book a 4x4 desert tour as a day-trip alternative to the camel ride (~£25). Walk the Todra Gorge in the late afternoon light — free. Guesthouses in the gorge from ~£18.
🚌Shared taxi/coach ~£10
🛏Guesthouse in Todra Gorge (~£20)
- →Sunrise in Erg Chebbi
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Palm oasis
Kasbahs and the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs
Todra Valley → Ouarzazate
Move on to Ouarzazate by shared taxi or coach (~£10). On the way, stop at Amridil Kasbah at Skoura (~£2 entry) and the palm groves. In Ouarzazate, the Atlas Film Studios tour is ~£8 (self-bookable at the gate); the Taourirt Kasbah is ~£2. Hostels in Ouarzazate from ~£14.
🚌Shared taxi/coach ~£10
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Ouarzazate (~£16)
- →Amridil Kasbah
- →Atlas Film Studios
- →Taourirt Kasbah
Ait Ben Haddou to the Atlantic
Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Essaouira
Grand taxi to Ait Ben Haddou (~£4, 30 min) and climb the ksar — free, though a local guide at the base costs ~£8 and is worth it. Then continue to Marrakech by shared taxi/coach (~£10, over the Tizi n'Tichka pass), and take a Supratours coach Marrakech → Essaouira (~3h, ~£8). It's a long travel day; alternatively sleep in Marrakech and shift Essaouira to Day 11.
🚌Grand taxi + coach ~£22
🛏Hostel/riad in Essaouira (~£16 dorm / £30 private)
- →Ait Ben Haddou ksar
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass
- →Argan forest scenery
Essaouira wind and ramparts
Essaouira
Free day in Essaouira: walk the Skala ramparts, the fishing harbour and the medina, and eat grilled sardines at the port for a few pounds. Surf or kite lessons can be booked locally on the beach (~£25 for a group lesson). Very relaxed, good place to do laundry and slow down.
🚌Walking
🛏Hostel/riad in Essaouira (~£16 dorm / £30 private)
- →Skala de la Ville ramparts
- →Fishing port
- →Medina souks
- →Optional surf lesson
Essaouira to Marrakech
Essaouira → Marrakech
Morning coach Essaouira → Marrakech (~3h, ~£8). Afternoon free to orient yourself: Jemaa el-Fna at dusk, the Koutoubia gardens, and a cheap tagine in the medina. Marrakech medina hostels from ~£12 dorm, riads from ~£28 private.
🚌Supratours coach ~£8
🛏Riad/hostel in Marrakech medina (~£15 dorm / £30 private)
- →Jemaa el-Fna Square
- →Koutoubia Mosque exterior
- →Medina wander
Marrakech guided day
Marrakech
Book a local licensed guide or a small-group walking tour (~£20-30) covering Bahia Palace (~£6), the Saadian Tombs (~£6), the Koutoubia, the souks and Jemaa el-Fna. Do the palaces early to beat crowds. Evening: street food in the square or a rooftop dinner.
🚌Walking + petit taxi ~£4
🛏Riad/hostel in Marrakech medina (~£15 dorm / £30 private)
- →Bahia Palace
- →Saadian Tombs
- →Souks
- →Walking tour with local guide
Marrakech to Casablanca
Marrakech → Casablanca
ONCF train Marrakech → Casablanca (~3h, ~£10, several daily). Afternoon exploring Casablanca's corniche and the old medina, or a proper look at the Hassan II Mosque. Hostel or budget hotel near Casa Voyageurs ~£18.
🚌ONCF train ~£10
🛏Hostel/budget hotel in Casablanca (~£18)
- →Casablanca corniche
- →Old medina
- →Hassan II Mosque
Depart Casablanca
Casablanca
Train to Mohammed V Airport (~£3) for your flight home. If you have a late flight, leave bags at the hostel and revisit the mosque or the Marché Central for a last coffee.
🚌ONCF train to airport ~£3
🛏—
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Morocco Custom Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morocco Custom Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£680 | £1,980 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,300 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morocco Custom Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£680
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 Self-Launched Morocco: 15-Day Imperial Cities & Sahara Circuit cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £680 per person for 15 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 Custom Tours?+
Yes — Morocco Custom Tours charges around £1,980 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £680 — a saving of roughly £1,300 (66%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 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, adventure, 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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