5-Day Self-Launched Morocco: Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes & the Sahara to Marrakech
5 days · Morocco
Moroccan Best Tours charges £1,035
No-markup version: ~£415 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of Moroccan Best Tours' 5-day private Casablanca-to-Marrakech loop: the Hassan II Mosque, blue-washed Chefchaouen, the Fes medina, a night under the stars in Erg Chebbi and the long scenic haul over the Tizi n'Tichka to Marrakech. Instead of a private driver-guide and pre-booked hotels, you'll use Morocco's excellent CTM/ Supratours coaches and the ONCF train, stay in hostels, riads and a budget desert camp, and book a local medina guide and desert transfer directly. Honest note: the operator's private 4x4 lets you cover this loop in 5 days comfortably — on public transport the same route is tight and involves 8-10 hour coach days, so many independent travellers add a day between Merzouga and Marrakech (flagged in Day 5). Costs are approximate per person and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque & the old medina
Casablanca
Land at Mohammed V Airport and take the ONCF train (the airport station is under the terminal) into Casa Voyageurs or Casa Port, ~50 MAD (£4), 35-45 min. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near the old medina or Gauthier. Spend the afternoon walking the Habous-style new medina and the seafront corniche, then take the timed guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque (the only way non-Muslims can enter) — book online or turn up for a slot, ~140 MAD (£11). In the evening eat a cheap tagine or grilled sardines in the Marché Central area. Note: the original tour puts the mosque and Mohammed V Square on Day 2, but seeing it on arrival day buys you an earlier coach out.
🚌ONCF airport train ~£4; walking + tram/taxi within the city
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Casablanca old medina / Gauthier (~£20 dorm or £32 private double)
- →Hassan II Mosque guided interior tour
- →Casablanca old medina & Marché Central
- →Corniche seafront walk
Casablanca → Rabat → Chefchaouen (long coach day)
Chefchaouen
Early ONCF train Casablanca to Rabat Ville, ~30-60 MAD (£3-5), 1 hour. Walk Rabat's Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum (free entry, closes early afternoon) and the Almohad kasbah walls, then continue by tram or taxi to the CTM/Supratours coach station. Direct Rabat–Chefchaouen coaches are limited; the reliable option is a CTM coach Rabat or Casablanca → Tangier (4-5 hrs, ~£12) then a local bus or grand taxi to Chefchaouen (2.5 hrs, ~£5). Total travel 8-9 hours — the original tour stops at Mohamed V Square in Casablanca too, which you'd squeeze in before the train if you're quick. Arrive after dark, dump bags in a medina guesthouse and eat at a rooftop terrace. Book tomorrow's onward coach the moment you arrive.
🚌ONCF train Casablanca–Rabat ~£4; CTM/Supratours coach Rabat–Tangier ~£12; local bus/grand taxi Tangier–Chefchaouen ~£5
🛏Guesthouse/riad in Chefchaouen medina (~£20-28)
- →Hassan Tower & Mohammed V Mausoleum, Rabat
- →Kasbah of the Udayas viewpoint
- →Chefchaouen medina at night
Blue Chefchaouen at dawn → Fes medina
Fes
Get up early: the blue-washed lanes of the medina are empty and photogenic before 9am — hike up to the Spanish Mosque for the classic view over the town (free, ~20 min uphill). Mid-morning take the coach Chefchaouen → Fes (CTM, roughly 4-5 hrs via Ouazzane, ~120-150 MAD, £10-13). Check into a riad or hostel inside or just outside the medina walls. Late afternoon, do the medina on foot with a licensed local guide booked via GetYourGuide or through your riad (~£25-35 per group, split it) covering Al Quaraouiyine, Madrasa El Bouinania, the Nejjarine fountain square and the tanners' pits; the Mellah and Royal Palace gates are free to walk past. If you skip the guide, the medina is doable solo with a map — but expect to get lost, which is half the fun.
🚌CTM coach Chefchaouen–Fes ~£11; medina on foot
🛏Riad or hostel in/near Fes medina (~£18-30)
- →Spanish Mosque viewpoint, Chefchaouen
- →Fes medina half-day guided tour
- →Al Quaraouiyine & Madrasa El Bouinania
- →Tanners' District & Nejjarine Square
Fes → Midelt → Merzouga: camel trek & night in the dunes
Merzouga / Erg Chebbi
Today is the transfer day that makes the Sahara work independently. Take an early CTM/Supratours coach Fes → Meknes or Fes → Errachidia/Rissani, then a shared grand taxi or local bus on to Merzouga; simpler and safer for a solo traveller: pre-book a Merzouga-based desert camp that includes a shared pickup or the short 4x4 transfer from the village (~£45-70 per person for camp + dinner + breakfast + camel trek — shop around on Booking.com/GetYourGuide or directly with camps like those around Hassi Labied). The route via Ifrane, the Azrou cedar forests (Barbary macaques) and the Ziz Valley is spectacular from a coach window; if you want the scenery stop-offs, look for a shared 3-day desert tour departing Fes (~£60-90) but check it doesn't backtrack. In the late afternoon ride a camel (or 4x4) ~1.5 hrs into Erg Chebbi for sunset over the dunes, sandboard if the camp has boards, and eat a tagine dinner around a fire with Berber drumming.
🚌CTM coach Fes–Errachidia/Rissani ~£12-15 (7-8 hrs); shared taxi to Merzouga ~£5-8; camp 4x4/camel transfer included
🛏Standard desert camp, Erg Chebbi (~£30-45 including dinner & breakfast; upgrade costs more)
- →Ifrane & Azrou cedar forest (en route)
- →Ziz Valley viewpoint
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi
- →Sunset over the dunes
- →Sandboarding
- →Berber music & dinner at camp
Sunrise in the dunes → Todra Gorge, Ouarzazate & Marrakech
Marrakech
Wake for sunrise on the dunes, breakfast at camp, then transfer back to Merzouga village for the long haul west. The public-transport version: shared grand taxi or bus Merzouga → Rissani/Tinejdad → Tinghir (Todra Gorge; a short taxi detour lets you walk the gorge's 300m canyon walls, free), then Tinghir → Ouarzazate by coach (~£8-10) and Ouarzazate → Marrakech by CTM coach over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (5-6 hrs, ~£10-12). This is a genuinely brutal 12-14 hour day — the tour's private 4x4 does it far faster. Two better independent options: (a) add an extra night in Tinghir or Ouarzazate (the original reviewer's own advice) and finish the run to Marrakech the next morning, or (b) book a shared seat-in-van transfer Merzouga → Marrakech via Todra and Ait Benhaddou (~£25-35), which is cheaper than the tour and far faster than coaches. Arrive in Marrakech and celebrate in Jemaa el-Fnaa.
🚌Shared taxi/coach Merzouga–Tinghir ~£8-10; Tinghir–Ouarzazate coach ~£9; Ouarzazate–Marrakech CTM ~£11; alternatively shared van Merzouga–Marrakech ~£30
🛏Hostel or budget riad in Marrakech medina (~£18-30)
- →Sunrise over Erg Chebbi
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Tinejdad & Kalaat M'Gouna palm oases (en route)
- →Ouarzazate (film studios optional)
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass
- →Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech
Self-launched vs. Moroccan Best Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Moroccan Best Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£415 | £1,035 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £620 per person (60%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Moroccan Best Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£415
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 5-Day Self-Launched Morocco: Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes & the Sahara to Marrakech cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £415 per person for 5 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 Moroccan Best Tours?+
Yes — Moroccan Best Tours charges around £1,035 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £415 — a saving of roughly £620 (60%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 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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