6 Days Imperial Cities: Tangier to Marrakesh (Self-Launched)
6 days · Morocco
Desertbrise Travel charges £1,630
No-markup version: ~£273 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Desertbrise Travel's 6-day Imperial Cities tour, hitting the same classic northern circuit: the blue lanes of Chefchaouen, Roman Volubilis and Meknes, the Fes medina, Rabat's kasbah and Chellah, Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, and a full day in Marrakesh — all on Morocco's cheap, frequent trains and CTM buses, with local guides booked directly along the way. You'll sleep in the same style of riads but at guesthouse rates, eat in the medinas rather than at set tour restaurants, and keep total spend to roughly a third of the package price. Costs are approximate per person, sharing a twin/double where noted.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tangier & on to Chefchaouen
Tangier → Chefchaouen
Land or arrive by ferry into Tangier and head straight to the CTM or Supratours bus station (both near the port/Ville Nouvelle). The direct CTM bus to Chefchaouen takes about 3 hours (roughly £7–9); if timings don't suit, take a bus or train to Tetouan first and a shared grand taxi onward (about £2). Check into a riad or guesthouse inside the medina, then spend the golden hour wandering the blue-washed lanes and the Spanish Mosque viewpoint above town for sunset. Dinner at a small medina eatery — tagine and bread for around £4–6.
🚌CTM/Supratours bus Tangier–Chefchaouen, ~£7–9, 3 hrs
🛏Medina riad or guesthouse in Chefchaouen (dorm £8–12, private double £20–30)
- →Blue medina orientation walk (self-guided)
- →Sunset at Spanish Mosque viewpoint
- →Medina souk browsing
Volubilis & Meknes, then Fes
Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes
Leave bags at your riad and take an early bus or shared grand taxi to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis (about 1.5–2 hrs, £4–6). Walk the Roman ruins of Volubilis independently — the House of Orpheus, Decumanus Maximus, Triumphal Arch and the Dionysus mosaics are all signposted; entry is around £6. Continue by grand taxi to Meknes (£2–3), see Bab Mansour and the medina, then catch an afternoon train to Fes (2 hrs, £4–5). Settle into a Fes medina guesthouse — note that taxis can only drop you at a medina gate, so pack light.
🚌Bus/grand taxi Chefchaouen–Volubilis ~£5, grand taxi to Meknes ~£2, train Meknes–Fes ~£4
🛏Fes medina guesthouse/riad (dorm £9–13, private double £22–32)
- →Volubilis Roman ruins (self-guided with site map)
- →Moulay Idriss Zerhoun viewpoint
- →Bab Mansour & Meknes medina
Fes medina deep dive
Fes
Book a small-group or private half-day medina walking tour through GetYourGuide or directly with a licensed Fes guide (roughly £25–35 for a group tour, more for private). You'll cover the Bou Inania madrasa, the 9th-century Kairaouine Mosque and university quarter, the Nejjarine fountain and woodwork museum, and the tanneries from a terrace. Skip the famous-but-pricey set lunch and eat at a medina spot like Café Clock or a local sandwich shop instead. In the afternoon, climb to a rooftop for the city panorama and browse the souks without the tour-guide shop commissions.
🚌On foot in the medina; petit taxi back to the gate ~£1–2
🛏Fes medina guesthouse/riad
- →Half-day licensed medina walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£30)
- →Kairaouine Mosque exterior & Nejjarine fountain
- →Batha Museum / Bou Inania madrasa
- →Rooftop panorama of Fes
Train to Rabat: kasbah, Chellah & Hassan Tower
Fes → Rabat
Take a morning ONCF train from Fes to Rabat Ville (about 3.5 hrs, £10–13 second class). Drop bags at a hostel or guesthouse in the medina or Agdal, then work through Rabat's sights on foot and by tram: the Kasbah des Oudaias and its Andalusian gardens, the Chellah Necropolis (£4), and the Hassan Tower with the Mausoleum of Mohammed V (free). Finish with a walk along the Bou Regreg riverfront and dinner in the medina for £6–9.
🚌ONCF train Fes–Rabat, ~£11, 3.5 hrs; tram/petit taxi in town ~£2
🛏Rabat medina hostel or guesthouse (dorm £10–14, private double £25–35)
- →Kasbah des Oudaias & Andalusian Gardens
- →Chellah Necropolis
- →Hassan Tower & Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- →Bou Regreg riverfront walk
Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, then Marrakesh
Rabat → Casablanca → Marrakesh
Early train to Casablanca (1 hr, £3–4) and join a timed guided interior visit of the Hassan II Mosque — these run a few times a day and cost about £12–14; book ahead on the official site or via GetYourGuide as slots sell out. Wander the Habous quarter and the corniche, grab a cheap lunch, then take the afternoon train from Casablanca to Marrakesh (about 3.5 hrs, £9–11) or a CTM bus if the train is full. Arrive in Marrakesh in the evening and stay in a medina riad — expect to walk the last stretch with your bag.
🚌Train Rabat–Casablanca ~£3.50, train Casablanca–Marrakesh ~£10
🛏Marrakesh medina riad or hostel (dorm £9–14, private double £22–35)
- →Hassan II Mosque interior guided visit (~£13)
- →Habous quarter stroll
- →Evening at Jemaa el-Fna
Marrakesh: palaces, gardens & souks
Marrakesh
Do Marrakesh independently with a combined ticket day: Medersa Ben Youssef (recently restored, ~£9), Bahia Palace (~£6) and the Majorelle Garden (~£13, timed entry — book online in advance as walk-ups often fail). Between sights, wander the leather, tinsmith and coppersmith souks and haggle for lunch at a cheap medina grill. Finish with a rooftop mint tea over Jemaa el-Fna as the square comes alive, then either fly out from Marrakesh Menara or continue onward — a Marrakesh–Tangier train back is about £20 if you're looping.
🚌On foot plus petit taxi (~£2–3); optional train onward from £20
🛏Marrakesh medina riad or hostel
- →Medersa Ben Youssef
- →Bahia Palace
- →Majorelle Garden (pre-booked slot)
- →Souks & Jemaa el-Fna by night
Self-launched vs. Desertbrise Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Desertbrise Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£273 | £1,630 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,357 per person (83%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Desertbrise Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£273
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 6 Days Imperial Cities: Tangier to Marrakesh (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £273 per person for 6 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 £1,630 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £273 — a saving of roughly £1,357 (83%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 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, city-breaks, 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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