The Magical Morocco — Self-Launched
10 days · Morocco
Desertbrise Travel charges £1,780
No-markup version: ~£470 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched grand tour of Morocco from Casablanca back to Casablanca, hitting Rabat, Fes, the Sahara dunes at Merzouga, Todra Gorges, Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech. Instead of a private partially-guided tour, you'll use Morocco's excellent network of trains (ONCF), CTM/Supratours coaches, shared grand taxis and locally-booked guides in the medinas. Budget rieads, guesthouses and a Berber desert camp replace tour hotels — same experiences, roughly a third of the price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Casablanca & Hassan II Mosque
Casablanca
Fly into Mohammed V Airport and take the train (ONCF, ~£3.50, 35 mins) or a shared grand taxi into the city. Base yourself near the old medina or in Gauthier. In the afternoon join a timed guided entry to the Hassan II Mosque — the only mosque in Morocco non-Muslims can enter — book direct at the ticket office or via GetYourGuide (~£12). Evening walk along the Corniche and dinner at a cheap neighbourhood grill (tagine + bread ~£5).
🚌Airport train ONCF ~£3.50; local tram/taxi for evening
🛏Budget riead/hostel dorm or private room in central Casablanca (e.g. around the medina or Gauthier)
- →Hassan II Mosque guided entry
- →Corniche walk
- →Casablanca medina wander
Casablanca to Fes via Rabat
Fes
Buy your ONCF train ticket the day before. Catch a morning train to Rabat (~1 hr), stow your bag in the station lockers and spend 3-4 hours exploring the Kasbah of the Udayas, Hassan Tower and the medina. Then continue by train or CTM coach to Fes (3.5-4 hrs, ~£10-14). Arrive in Fes in the evening, check into a medina or ville nouvelle guesthouse, and eat at a cheap local place near Bab Boujloud. If you have time in Rabat and want the ruins, swap in a detour to Volubilis/Meknes by shared grand taxi from Meknes on a separate day.
🚌ONCF train Casablanca-Rabat ~£6, Rabat-Fes ~£8-12; or CTM coach
🛏Fes medina riead or ville nouvelle budget hotel
- →Kasbah of the Udayas
- →Hassan Tower
- →Rabat medina
- →Optional detour: Volubilis & Meknes
Fes Medina Guided Day
Fes
Book a half-day licensed local guide for the Fes el-Bali medina (~£25-35 for a small group, or join a GetYourGuide walking tour ~£20 pp). Cover the Bou Inania Madrasa, Al-Attarine souk, the Chouara tanneries (view from a terrace shop), the King's Palace gates and the pottery/zelij workshops in the hills. Lunch in a traditional medina restaurant (~£6). The medina is a maze — a guide on day one saves hours and stops you getting lost.
🚌Walking; petit taxi to medina gates ~£1-2
🛏Fes medina riead or ville nouvelle budget hotel
- →Guided Fes medina walk
- →Bou Inania Madrasa
- →Chouara tanneries
- →King's Palace gates
- →Potters' cooperative
Fes to Merzouga via Middle Atlas
Merzouga (Sahara edge)
Take the early CTM/Supratours coach from Fes to Rissani or Merzouga (7-8 hrs, ~£15-18), crossing the Middle Atlas through Ifrane, the cedar forests of Azrou (Barbary macaques) and Midelt. Arrive in Merzouga by late afternoon. Check into a guesthouse on the edge of the dunes and arrange your camel trek + desert camp for tomorrow directly with the guesthouse or a local operator (~£40-55 pp including camel, camp, dinner and breakfast).
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Fes-Merzouga ~£15-18
🛏Merzouga guesthouse (edge of Erg Chebbi)
- →Middle Atlas scenic coach ride
- →Cedar forest & Barbary macaques at Azrou
- →Arrange desert camp
Erg Chebbi Camel Trek & Berber Camp
Erg Chebbi dunes
Spend the morning relaxing or hiring a 4x4/quad for the dunes. In the late afternoon, load up and set off on a 1.5-2 hour camel trek to your Berber camp in the heart of Erg Chebbi. Watch sunset from the top of a dune, eat a tagine dinner around the fire and sleep in a tent under the stars. Bring a head torch, layers (cold at night, hot by day) and flip flops for the sand.
🚌Camel trek + optional 4x4 to the dunes
🛏Berber desert camp (tent, shared facilities)
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi
- →Dune sunset
- →Berber camp dinner & drumming
- →Stargazing
Merzouga to Todra Gorges
Todra Gorges / Tinghir
Ride the camels back to the 4x4/guesthouse for breakfast, then continue west. There's no direct public bus to the gorges, so take a shared grand taxi or a local bus to Tinghir (~£8-12) and then a petit taxi/onward taxi 15 km up to the gorge. Walk the Todra canyon between the 300 m cliffs, watch the climbers and take a cheap guesthouse or camp spot in the village. Dinner at the guesthouse (~£5).
🚌Shared grand taxi or local bus Merzouga-Tinghir ~£8-12, onward taxi to gorge ~£3
🛏Tinghir / Todra Gorge guesthouse
- →Camel return
- →Todra Gorges walk
- →Rock climbing viewing
- →Palmeraie stroll
Todra to Marrakech via Ait Benhaddou
Marrakech
This is the big transfer day. Take the bus or a shared grand taxi along the Dades valley and over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stopping at the UNESCO ksar of Ait Benhaddou (entry ~£6, local guide optional ~£15). Continue to Marrakech (total 7-8 hrs). Check into a riad or hostel in the medina or Gueliz and grab a late street-food dinner at Jemaa el-Fnaa.
🚌Bus/shared taxi Todra-Marrakech ~£12-16 with a stop at Ait Benhaddou
🛏Marrakech medina riad or Gueliz hostel
- →Ait Benhaddou ksar visit
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass
- →Jemaa el-Fnaa at night
Marrakech Guided Sightseeing
Marrakech
Join a small-group or private local guide (~£25) to cover the Bahia Palace (~£6), the Saadian Tombs (~£6), the Koutoubia gardens and the souks. In the afternoon, if you want the classic experience, book a hammam and massage (~£20-30). Evening back at Jemaa el-Fnaa — eat from the food stalls or at a rooftop restaurant (~£8).
🚌Walking + petit taxi ~£1-2
🛏Marrakech medina riad or Gueliz hostel
- →Bahia Palace
- →Saadian Tombs
- →Koutoubia
- →Souk shopping
- →Optional hammam & massage
Marrakech to Casablanca
Casablanca
Morning train from Marrakech to Casablanca (ONCF, ~3.5 hrs, ~£10-14). Afternoon free to explore the Habous quarter, the old medina or pick up last-minute souvenirs. Final night in a budget riead near the city centre or the train station. Say goodbye with a tagine and mint tea.
🚌ONCF train Marrakech-Casablanca ~£10-14
🛏Casablanca budget riead near centre/station
- →Habous quarter
- →Old medina shopping
- →Farewell dinner
Departure from Casablanca
Casablanca
Catch the airport train from Casa Voyageurs or Casa Port (ONCF, ~£3.50, 35 mins) for your flight home. Leaving in the evening? Store your bags and do a last walk along the Corniche or a Hammam before heading out.
🚌ONCF airport train ~£3.50
🛏—
- →Airport transfer
- →Optional last wander
Self-launched vs. Desertbrise Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Desertbrise Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£470 | £1,780 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,310 per person (74%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Desertbrise Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£470
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 The Magical Morocco — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £470 per person for 10 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 Desertbrise Travel?+
Yes — Desertbrise Travel charges around £1,780 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £470 — a saving of roughly £1,310 (74%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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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