4 Days Exploring Marrakesh & Essaouira — Self-Launched

Land at Mohammed V Airport (CMN) and walk straight into the station beneath the terminal — no need for a taxi. Take the ONCF train to Casablanca Voyageurs (about 45 min, ~£2), then the high-speed Al Boraq or a standard express train on to Marrakech (~2h30–3h, ~£10–15 second class). From Marrakech station, take a petit taxi to the medina edge (~£2–3) and walk the last bit to your riad — most cars can't enter the narrow derbs. Settle in, then wander out for your first evening on Jemaa el-Fna: juice stalls, grilled skewers, gnawa musicians and snake charmers. Book a licensed local guide for tomorrow via GetYourGuide (from ~£20–25) or ask your riad to arrange one.

🚌ONCF train: CMN Airport → Casablanca Voyageurs (~£2) + Casablanca → Marrakech (~£12); petit taxi station → medina (~£2.50)

🛏Riad or guesthouse inside the Marrakech medina (dorm bed or budget double), £15–22/night

• →Train transfer Casablanca Airport to Marrakech
• →Evening wander of Jemaa el-Fna square
• →Arrange local guide for Day 2

Start early to beat the crowds and the heat. Buy a combined ticket at Bahia Palace (~£6) and walk 10 minutes to the Saadian Tombs (~£6) — go before 10am when the queue is short. Pass the Koutoubia Mosque minaret on the way (non-Muslims can't enter, but the gardens and exterior are the photo). Lunch at a cheap medina spot — a tagine or harira plus bread and mint tea runs ~£5–7. In the afternoon, join a small-group or private walking tour of the souks through GetYourGuide (~£20) or hire a local guide in the square for a half-day (~£25–30 for the group) — the souks are genuinely disorientating and a guide adds real value. Finish with sunset from a rooftop café over Jemaa el-Fna.

🚌All on foot; occasional petit taxi ~£1–2

🛏Same riad/guesthouse in the Marrakech medina, £15–22/night

• →Bahia Palace entry (~£6)
• →Saadian Tombs entry (~£6)
• →Koutoubia Mosque exterior & gardens
• →Guided souk walk (~£20)
• →Rooftop sunset over Jemaa el-Fna

Take the CTM or Supratours bus from Marrakech to Essaouira (~2h45, ~£8–10; book the day before — morning departures sell out). Several services pass the argan cooperatives along the N1; if you want the full experience, ask the driver to stop at a women's argan oil association near Essaouira, or simply visit one in town — entry is free and a small bottle of oil is ~£8. Drop bags at a guesthouse inside the ramparts (worth it for the atmosphere), then explore the UNESCO-listed medina on foot: the Skala de la Ville ramparts, the fishing port with its blue boats, and the beach. A local medina guide can be booked same-day for ~£15–20, or use a free walking-tour map from your guesthouse. Seafood dinner straight off the boats is the move — grilled sardines and sea bream ~£8–10.

🚌CTM/Supratours bus Marrakech → Essaouira (~£9)

🛏Small guesthouse or riad inside Essaouira's medina, £15–22/night

• →Bus through argan forest country
• →Argan oil women's cooperative visit (free)
• →Self-guided medina & ramparts walk
• →Essaouira fishing port and beach

Breakfast at your guesthouse, then take the morning bus or shared grand taxi down the coast to Safi (~1h30, ~£4–5) — potteries and the sea-walled medina are worth a quick stop. Continue north to El Jadida (~1h30, ~£4) and walk the Portuguese Cistern and ramparts (entry ~£1.50), then catch a train or CTM bus on to Casablanca (~1h30, ~£5). If you're flying out the same day, allow a comfortable buffer and take the train from Casablanca Voyageurs back to Mohammed V Airport (~45 min, ~£2). If you have a late flight, the Hassan II Mosque exterior and the corniche make a good final hour. Note: the operator's private car does this stretch in one go with photo stops — on public transport, pick Safi or El Jadida rather than both if you're on a tight schedule.

🚌Bus/grand taxi Essaouira → Safi (~£5) + Safi → El Jadida (~£4); train El Jadida → Casablanca (~£5) + Casablanca Voyageurs → CMN Airport (~£2)

🛏None included (onward travel day) — budget guesthouse near Casablanca Voyageurs ~£18 if you need a night

• →Safi potteries and medina
• →El Jadida Portuguese Cistern (~£1.50)
• →Optional Hassan II Mosque exterior, Casablanca