Totally Morocco – 9 Days (Self-Launched)
9 days · Morocco
On The Go Tours charges £932
No-markup version: ~£437 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of On The Go Tours' classic 9-day Morocco circuit: Marrakech's medina and Majorelle Gardens, the High Atlas and Ait Benhaddou, the Todra Gorge, a camel trek and night in a Berber camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes, sunrise over the Sahara, cedar forests and Ifrane en route to Fes, a deep dive into Fes el Bali, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, Meknes, Rabat and Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque. Everything the tour does, done independently using CTM/Supratours coaches, shared grand taxis, and locally booked guides and desert camps — roughly a third of the tour price. Costs are approximate and based on budget/backpacker rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Marrakech – Djemaa el Fna at dusk
Marrakech
Fly into Marrakech Menara (RAK), take bus 19 or a petit taxi (~£3-4) into the medina. Check into a riad or hostel in the medina. Spend the late afternoon orienting yourself: Koutoubia Mosque gardens, then Jemaa el Fna as it transforms at sunset — food stalls, gnawa musicians, storytellers. Eat at the stalls (grilled skewers, harira, msemen) for around £4-6.
🚌Airport bus 19 or petit taxi ~£3-4
🛏Medina hostel or budget riad, Marrakech (~£15-25/night dorm/private)
- →Koutoubia Mosque and gardens (free)
- →Jemaa el Fna sunset and street food
Marrakech – Majorelle, Berber Museum and medina
Marrakech
Buy a combined Jardin Majorelle + Berber Museum + YSL Museum ticket online (GetYourGuide or jardinsmajorelle.com) for around £22-25 and go early (8am opening) to beat the crowds. Walk or taxi to the medina and join a small-group or private medina walking tour (bookable on GetYourGuide, ~£15-20) covering the souks, Bahia Palace area, the tanners and Ben Youssef. Afternoon free for souk browsing or a hammam (~£12-20).
🚌Walking plus petit taxis ~£4
🛏Medina hostel or budget riad, Marrakech
- →Jardin Majorelle and Berber Museum (combined ticket)
- →Yves Saint Laurent Museum (optional)
- →Guided medina walking tour via GetYourGuide
- →Optional hammam
Over the High Atlas to Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate
Ouarzazate
Take the CTM or Supratours coach from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (~£9-11, 4-5 hrs) — the route crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass with spectacular Atlas views. Alternatively, shared grand taxis can be arranged to Ait Benhaddou. Get off at Ait Benhaddou, pay the small entry (~£2) and explore the ksar on foot, climbing to the granary at the top. Continue by local taxi/grand taxi to Ouarzazate (~£2-3) for the night; the Atlas Film Studios are worth a quick look.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Marrakech–Ouarzazate ~£10 plus local taxis
🛏Budget guesthouse, Ouarzazate (~£15-20)
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass scenery
- →Ait Benhaddou UNESCO ksar walk
- →Optional Atlas Film Studios visit
Ouarzazate – Todra Gorge – Merzouga dunes and Berber camp
Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)
Shared grand taxi or bus to Tinghir/Todra Gorge (~£6-8, 2.5-3 hrs) — walk the gorge floor between the 300m canyon walls. Then continue by shared taxi or bus to Rissani/Merzouga (~£6-8). Drop bags at a guesthouse and take a late-afternoon camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes (~£20-25 including Berber camp, dinner and breakfast — book via your guesthouse or GetYourGuide). Dinner is a traditional tagine around the fire with drumming under the stars.
🚌Shared grand taxi/bus Ouarzazate–Todra–Merzouga ~£14
🛏Berber desert camp with dinner and breakfast (upgrade to en-suite camp available ~£35-45)
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi
- →Sunset over the dunes
- →Berber camp dinner and music
Sahara sunrise – Middle Atlas – Fes
Fes
Wake for sunrise over the dunes, ride or walk back to Merzouga for breakfast. Catch the CTM/Supratours coach or shared taxi via Rissani to Fes — the long transfer (roughly 7-8 hrs) passes through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. Break the journey at Ifrane, the alpine-style 'Moroccan Switzerland', and Azrou where Barbary macaques hang around the cedar woods. Arrive Fes in the evening and check into a medina riad.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Merzouga–Fes ~£14-16
🛏Fes medina hostel or budget riad (~£15-25)
- →Sunrise in the Sahara
- →Middle Atlas cedar forests
- →Ifrane and Azrou stops
Fes el Bali – tanneries, medersas and medina
Fes
Book a half-day guided tour of Fes el Bali on GetYourGuide (~£20-25) — a UNESCO-listed medina with 9,000 alleys where a local guide is genuinely worth it. See the Chouara tanneries from a terrace, Bou Inania Medersa, Al-Attarine, the Nejjarine fountain and the souks. Lunch in the medina on a medina rooftop (~£6-8). In the afternoon take a tagine cooking class (~£25-30) or return to the souks independently. Evening: Moroccan music and food at a riad restaurant (~£12-15).
🚌Walking plus a taxi or two ~£3
🛏Fes medina hostel or budget riad
- →Guided Fes el Bali medina tour
- →Chouara tanneries viewpoint
- →Bou Inania Medersa
- →Optional tagine cooking class
- →Optional restaurant with live music
Fes – Volubilis – Meknes – Rabat
Rabat
Early shared taxi or bus to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis (~£5-6, 1.5 hrs). Explore the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO site with mosaics and a triumphal arch (entry ~£5). Continue by grand taxi to Meknes (~£4), where you can see Bab Mansour, Place el-Hedim and the Heri es-Souani granaries before taking the train from Meknes to Rabat (~£6-8, 2 hrs). Arrive Rabat and stay near the medina or Agdal.
🚌Bus/grand taxi Fes–Volubilis–Meknes ~£10 plus train Meknes–Rabat ~£7
🛏Budget hotel in Rabat (~£18-28)
- →Volubilis Roman ruins
- →Meknes imperial city and Bab Mansour
- →Heri es-Souani granaries
Rabat – Casablanca – Marrakech
Rabat / Casablanca / Marrakech
Morning in Rabat: Chellah necropolis (~£4), the Hassan Tower, Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the Oudayas Kasbah and medina (free) — a short self-guided walk or a cheap local guide. Then take the train to Casablanca (~£2-3, 1 hr) and visit the Hassan II Mosque (guided entry ~£12; check times as non-Muslim visits are on set slots). Late afternoon take the high-speed Al Boraq or standard train from Casablanca to Marrakech (~£15-20, 2.5-3.5 hrs) and check back into a Marrakech riad.
🚌Train Rabat–Casablanca ~£3, train Casablanca–Marrakech ~£17
🛏Medina hostel or budget riad, Marrakech
- →Chellah and Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- →Oudayas Kasbah, Rabat
- →Hassan II Mosque guided visit, Casablanca
Marrakech – souks and departure
Marrakech
Final morning for last-minute souk shopping, a café breakfast on a medina rooftop, or a walk through the Mellah and the Bahia Palace (~£7). If you have time, the Le Jardin Secret or the Maison de la Photographie are good short visits. Bus 19 or a petit taxi back to Menara airport for your flight home.
🚌Petit taxi or bus 19 to the airport ~£3-4
🛏Departure day (pre-book an extra night if your flight is late)
- →Bahia Palace or Maison de la Photographie
- →Souk shopping
- →Medina rooftop café
Self-launched vs. On The Go Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | On The Go Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£437 | £932 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £495 per person (53%) | |
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.~£437
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 Totally Morocco – 9 Days (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £437 per person for 9 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 £932 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £437 — a saving of roughly £495 (53%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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, 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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