12-Day Self-Launched Morocco Adventure: Casablanca to Tangier via the Sahara
12 days · Morocco
Morhara Morocco Tours charges £1,330
No-markup version: ~£815 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Morhara Morocco Tours' 12-day private guided Morocco circuit — Casablanca, Marrakech, the High Atlas, Ait Ben Haddou, Dades and Todra gorges, a Sahara camp at Erg Chebbi, Fes, Volubilis, Chefchaouen and Tangier. Everything the guided tour does, but booked yourself: public CTM/Supratours buses, shared 4x4s and grands taxis for the desert legs, riads and hostels instead of the operator's chosen guesthouses, and local guides hired by the hour in Marrakech and Fes instead of a full-time escort. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and assume you travel on land, share rooms where possible and eat mostly local.
Day-by-day
Casablanca to Marrakech
Casablanca / Marrakech
Start early. If you're flying in, the airport train (ONCF) drops you at Casa-Voyageurs for around £2.50. Do a quick look at the Hassan II Mosque exterior and the old medina, then catch the ONCF train to Marrakech — roughly 3.5 hours, £8-10 second class, book on oncf-voyages.ma. Arrive in the late afternoon, check into a dorm or budget riad near Jemaa el-Fna, and watch the square come alive at sunset with a £1.50 glass of orange juice.
🚌ONCF train Casablanca-Voyageurs to Marrakech, ~3.5 hrs, £8-10 second class
🛏Budget riad or dorm near Jemaa el-Fna, e.g. a medina hostel dorm or simple riad room, £12-18
- →Hassan II Mosque exterior and Corniche
- →Old medina of Casablanca walk
- →ONCF train Casablanca to Marrakech
- →Sunset at Jemaa el-Fna
Marrakech medina and palaces
Marrakech
A full day on foot in the medina. Buy a combined ticket or pay individually at El Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Koutoubia Mosque gardens — budget about £10 total. Majorelle Garden needs a timed slot (book on jardinmajorelle.com, ~£12). Skip the Menara Gardens if time is tight; they're pleasant but not essential. In the evening eat a tagine in a Jemaa el-Fna food stall for £4-6. A local guide for a half-day medina walk can be arranged through your riad for £15-25, or use a GetYourGuide walking tour.
🚌Walk / petit taxi around the medina, £2-3 per hop
🛏Budget riad or dorm near Jemaa el-Fna, £12-18
- →El Bahia Palace
- →El Badi Palace
- →Saadian Tombs
- →Ben Youssef Madrasa
- →Koutoubia Mosque and gardens
- →Majorelle Garden (timed ticket)
- →Menara Gardens (optional)
- →Optional hammam or cooking class, £15-25
Marrakech to Ouarzazate over the Tizi n'Tichka
Ouarzazate
Take a CTM or Supratours bus from Marrakech to Ouarzazate — around 4 hours, £8-10, leaving mid-morning. The route crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass with big High Atlas views. From Ouarzazate, a shared grand taxi or a local minibus will get you out to Ait Ben Haddou in 30-40 minutes (£3-5 shared). Stay overnight in the village or back in Ouarzazate. Late afternoon light on the kasbah is the reason to come. Entry to the ksar is a few dirhams; a local guide at the gate asks £5-8.
🚌CTM/Supratours bus Marrakech-Ouarzazate ~4 hrs £8-10, plus shared grand taxi to Ait Ben Haddou £3-5
🛏Simple guesthouse or auberge in Ait Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate, £12-18
- →Tizi n'Tichka Pass (from the bus window)
- →Ait Ben Haddou kasbah with local guide
- →Optional Atlas Film Studios visit, ~£6
Ouarzazate to the Dades Valley
Skoura / Dades Valley
A morning shared taxi or local bus takes you through Skoura, where you can walk the palmeraie and look at the Kasbah Amridil (£3 entry). Continue east to Kalaa M'Gouna — the rose town — then up the Dades Gorge. Accommodation in the Dades Valley is cheap; family-run hotels line the gorge road for £15-20 a night. In the afternoon walk the gorge trail and the famous switchback road viewpoint, and arrange tomorrow's onward transport with your host.
🚌Shared grand taxi / local bus Ouarzazate-Skoura-Kalaa M'Gouna-Dades Valley, roughly £8-12 total
🛏Family-run guesthouse in the Dades Gorge, £15-20
- →Skoura palmeraie walk
- →Kasbah Amridil
- →Kalaa M'Gouna
- →Dades Gorge and rock formations walk
Dades to Merzouga via Todra Gorge
Tinghir / Merzouga
Head down to Tinghir and spend a couple of hours walking in the Todra Gorge — the walls are 300m high and it's free to wander. Then take a bus or shared taxi through Erfoud and Rissani to Merzouga. This is a long travel day; connections from Tinghir onward are best arranged as a shared grand taxi or a local bus via Erfoud. Arrive in Merzouga early evening and stay in a cheap guesthouse on the edge of the dunes (£15).
🚌Shared grand taxi / local bus Dades-Tinghir-Todra-Erfoud-Merzouga, roughly £15-20 total
🛏Guesthouse in Merzouga village, £15
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Tinghir palm oasis
- →Erfoud fossil workshops
- →Rissani market (if timing works)
Sahara desert camp at Erg Chebbi
Erg Chebbi, Merzouga
Book a standard desert camp package direct with a Merzouga operator (or via GetYourGuide) — typically £45-70 including a camel trek in, dinner, Berber music around the fire, a tent and breakfast. Most packages also include the camel ride back out at sunrise. Before you go, wander to the seasonal lake and, if you're interested, a Gnawa music session in the village. Bring a headtorch, a water bottle and warm layers — the desert gets cold at night.
🚌On foot / camels; local transfers in Merzouga £5
🛏Standard Sahara desert camp tent (Sahara Star Camp-style), included in package, £45-70 all-in
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Sunset from the dunes
- →Berber music and traditional dinner at camp
- →Optional nomad tent visit and Berber handicrafts
Merzouga to Errachidia
Errachidia
Sunrise camel ride back out of the dunes, then a relaxed breakfast. Visit the Rissani souk if it's a market day (Sun/Tue/Thu) — it's the biggest in the region. Organise a shared grand taxi or local bus north to Errachidia through the Ziz Gorges; the drive along the river valley is gorgeous. Errachidia is a straightforward overnight stop with cheap hotels, £15-20.
🚌Shared grand taxi / local bus Merzouga-Rissani-Errachidia, £8-12
🛏Hotel in Errachidia, £15-20
- →Sunrise camel ride out of the dunes
- →Visit to nomadic families in tents
- →Fossil-rich grounds near Rissani
- →Rissani souk
- →Ziz Gorges (from the road)
Errachidia to Fes via Azrou cedar forest
Azrou / Fes
A long bus day. Take the CTM or Supratours line north; if you can, break the journey at Azrou to walk in the Cedar Forest and see the Barbary macaques — buses between Errachidia and Azrou run daily (roughly £10-12). Then continue to Fes, arriving late afternoon. Check into a riad in the Fes medina for £15-22 a night. Dinner of harira and a kefta tagine for £4.
🚌CTM/Supratours bus or shared taxi Errachidia-Azrou-Fes, £12-15 total
🛏Riad in the Fes medina, £15-22
- →Cedar Forest at Azrou
- →Barbary macaques in Azrou
- →Ifrane and Middle Atlas drive
Fes medina guided day
Fes
Fes is the one city where a local guide really pays off — the medina has 9,000 lanes. Hire one through your riad or a GetYourGuide small-group tour, £20-30 for a half day. Cover the tanneries (view from a terrace; ignore anyone demanding payment for the balcony), Al-Quaraouine, the Jewish quarter, the royal palace gates and the Merinid Tombs for sunset over the medina. Beware of unofficial 'guides' approaching you on the street — agree a price first.
🚌Walking; petit taxi £2-3
🛏Riad in the Fes medina, £15-22
- →Fes medina with local guide
- →Chouara tanneries
- →Al-Quaraouine Mosque and university exterior
- →Jewish quarter (Mellah)
- →Royal palace gates
- →Merinid Tombs sunset
- →Optional hammam £15 or cooking class £25
Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes and Volubilis
Meknes / Volubilis / Chefchaouen
Take an early train to Meknes (about 45 min, £3), spend the morning at Bab Mansour, the Sahrij Souani basin and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Then get a shared grand taxi or local bus to Moulay Idriss and Volubilis — the Roman ruins are the best in Morocco and entry is about £6, with another £5-8 for a local guide at the site. From Meknes, buses run to Chefchaouen (via a change at Derdara or direct CTM services from Fes); allow 4-5 hours. Arrive in Chefchaouen and check into a medina guesthouse, £18-22.
🚌Train Fes-Meknes £3, shared grand taxi to Volubilis £4-5, bus Meknes-Chefchaouen £8-10
🛏Guesthouse in the Chefchaouen medina, £18-22
- →Bab Mansour gate and Meknes medina
- →Sahrij Souani basin
- →Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
- →Volubilis Roman ruins with local guide
Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen
A genuinely free day in the blue city. Wander the medina under your own steam, climb to the Spanish Mosque for the view down over the town, and drink mint tea in the Plaza Uta el-Hammam. The Kasbah museum is £2. Optional hammam in the afternoon (£8-12). Eat at a cheap local place off the main square — a plate of pastilla or a meatball tagine costs £4-5.
🚌On foot
🛏Guesthouse in the Chefchaouen medina, £18-22
- →Chefchaouen medina self-launched wander
- →Spanish Mosque viewpoint hike
- →Kasbah museum
- →Optional hammam £8-12
Chefchaouen to Tangier
Tangier
Bus from Chefchaouen to Tangier takes about 3 hours (£6-8). On the way or once there, the Hercules Cave near Cap Spartel is worth a taxi trip — negotiate a return fare of £15-20 with a grand taxi from Tangier, or do it as a half-day tour via GetYourGuide. Finish at the Cafe Hafa terraces for a mint tea overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar before your onward flight, ferry to Spain or train south.
🚌CTM bus Chefchaouen-Tangier ~3 hrs £6-8, plus local grand taxi to Hercules Cave
🛏Not included — night before onward travel, £20 if needed
- →Bus Chefchaouen to Tangier
- →Hercules Cave and Cap Spartel
- →Cafe Hafa and Tangier medina
Self-launched vs. Morhara Morocco Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morhara Morocco Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£815 | £1,330 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £515 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morhara Morocco Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£815
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 12-Day Self-Launched Morocco Adventure: Casablanca to Tangier via the Sahara cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £815 per person for 12 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 Morhara Morocco Tours?+
Yes — Morhara Morocco Tours charges around £1,330 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £815 — a saving of roughly £515 (39%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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, backpacker 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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