6 Days Morocco: Fes, Sahara Desert & Marrakech (Self-Launched)
6 days · Morocco
Imago Travel charges £950
No-markup version: ~£425 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Imago Travel's 6-day Fes-to-Marrakech loop, covering the Fes medina, the Middle Atlas, the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, Todra Gorge, Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech. Instead of a private guided group departure, you book your own budget riads and a shared desert camp, use CTM/Supratours coaches and grand taxis between towns, and pick up local guides on arrival in each medina. Costs are backpacker/mid-budget estimates in GBP and assume shared rooms and self-arranged transport.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Fes — medina orientation
Fes
Land at Fes–Saïss Airport and take a petit taxi to your riad in the old medina (roughly 120–150 MAD / £10–12, fixed-ish price — agree it before getting in, or use the airport bus to the main gate for about 20 MAD). Check in, then spend the afternoon getting lost on purpose in Fes el-Bali: Bab Boujloud, the blue gate, the tanneries viewpoint terraces and the lanes around Talaa Kebira. Eat dinner at a cheap local grill near Bab Boujloud — harira, brochettes and bread for around £5–6. Book your onward CTM coach ticket to Midelt this evening either at the CTM office or online.
🚌Petit taxi from Fes airport to medina (~£10) — or airport bus ~£2
🛏Budget riad or guesthouse in Fes medina (dorm or twin room, ~£18 pp)
- →Self-walk Fes el-Bali medina and Bab Boujloud
- →Tannery viewpoint terraces
- →Evening food stalls near Bab Boujloud
Fes medina guided walk, then coach to Midelt
Fes – Midelt
Hire a licensed medina guide for a half-day walking tour — book through your riad or a local guide association the night before, roughly 300–400 MAD (£25–33) for a group of up to 4, so share if you meet other travellers. Cover Al Quaraouiyine University (exterior — non-Muslims can't enter the prayer hall), Bou Inania Madrasa (entry ~70 MAD), the Chouara tanneries and the artisan quarters. Mid-afternoon, take the CTM coach from Fes to Midelt (about 4 hours, ~100 MAD / £8). Overnight in Midelt, a small Middle Atlas town that works well as a break before the desert.
🚌CTM coach Fes → Midelt, ~4h, ~£8 (book in advance, they sell out)
🛏Simple guesthouse or hotel in Midelt (~£15 pp)
- →Half-day licensed medina guide (share cost)
- →Bou Inania Madrasa
- →Al Quaraouiyine University exterior
- →Chouara tanneries
Over the Atlas: Midelt → Merzouga dunes
Merzouga
Catch the morning coach or a shared grand taxi along the N13 through the Ziz Valley, passing the cedar forest near Azrou if you break the journey at Ifrane (worth a 1-hour stop for the alpine-style town and Barbary macaques). Continue to Merzouga at the edge of Erg Chebbi, arriving late afternoon. Book a shared desert camp in advance via Booking.com, GetYourGuide or directly — nomad-style camps with dinner, Berber music and a mattress/tent run around £30–40 pp including the camel or 4x4 transfer to the camp. Sunset from the dunes, tagine dinner, drums around the fire.
🚌Coach/shared taxi Midelt → Merzouga via Ziz Valley, ~5–6h, ~£18–22
🛏Shared desert camp at Erg Chebbi (tent, dinner + breakfast included, ~£35 pp)
- →Ifrane and cedar forest stop
- →Ziz Valley viewpoint
- →Camel trek to desert camp
- →Sunset on Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Berber music at camp
Merzouga sunrise, Todra Gorge, on to Ouarzazate
Merzouga – Todra Gorge – Ouarzazate
Wake for sunrise over the dunes, then head back to Merzouga village. Get to Tinghir by shared taxi or coach, then a grand taxi to Todra Gorge (~30 min each way) — the gorge itself is free to walk, with rock climbing and a shallow river running through it. Push on to Ouarzazate in the late afternoon; there are direct CTM coaches from Tinghir but they're infrequent, so shared taxis split between 4–6 people are the practical option (~£15–20 pp for the long leg). Dinner and a wander around Ouarzazate's film-town streets.
🚌Shared taxi / coach Merzouga → Tinghir, grand taxi to Todra Gorge, shared taxi on to Ouarzazate (~£25 total)
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Ouarzazate (~£18 pp)
- →Sunrise on the dunes
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Dades Valley scenic drive
- →Ouarzazate evening walk
Ait Benhaddou kasbah, over the Tichka Pass to Marrakech
Ouarzazate – Ait Benhaddou – Marrakech
Optional morning at the Atlas Film Studios / Cinema Museum in Ouarzazate (~80 MAD). Then a shared taxi or local bus 30 km to Ait Benhaddou (~£3–4), where you can hire a local ksar guide for around 200–300 MAD shared, or just pay the modest entry and cross the river on foot. Midday, take a shared grand taxi or the CTM coach from Ait Benhaddou/Ouarzazate over the Tichka Pass to Marrakech (~4–5h, ~£10–14 — the pass has endless photo stops). Arrive Marrakech, check into a riad near Jemaa el-Fna, and eat cheap at the night food stalls.
🚌Shared taxi Ouarzazate → Ait Benhaddou (~£4); coach Ait Benhaddou → Marrakech over Tichka Pass (~£12)
🛏Budget riad in Marrakech medina (~£20 pp)
- →Ait Benhaddou kasbah and ksar walk
- →Atlas Film Studios / Cinema Museum (optional)
- →Tichka Pass drive
- →Jemaa el-Fna night food stalls
Marrakech — palaces, gardens and departure
Marrakech
Self-launch a full day of Marrakech's classics. Buy a combined-ticket option or pay individually: Bahia Palace (~70 MAD), Saadian Tombs (~70 MAD), the exterior of Koutoubia Mosque (free), and the Majorelle Garden (~150 MAD — book your timed slot online in advance, it sells out). Lunch on the terraces around the spice square, then an afternoon in the souks or the Mellah. If you have an airport transfer, a petit taxi from the medina runs 70–100 MAD (£6–8); Marrakech Menara Airport is about 15–20 minutes away. Budget flights back to the UK (Ryanair/easyJet) often start around £30–60 if booked ahead — not included in this estimate.
🚌Petit taxi to Marrakech airport (~£7)
🛏Not included — night 6 assumes evening departure, or add ~£20 pp for one more night
- →Bahia Palace
- →Saadian Tombs
- →Koutoubia Mosque exterior
- →Majorelle Garden (pre-book online)
- →Souk and Mellah wander
Self-launched vs. Imago Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Imago Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£425 | £950 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £525 per person (55%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Imago Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£425
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 Morocco: Fes, Sahara Desert & Marrakech (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £425 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 Imago Travel?+
Yes — Imago Travel charges around £950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £425 — a saving of roughly £525 (55%) 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 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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