Classic Morocco Highlights: Self-Launched Casablanca to Marrakesh
6 days · Morocco
Morocco Today Travel charges £1,230
No-markup version: ~£297 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Morocco Today Travel's 6-day Casablanca-to-Marrakesh highlights tour. You'll cover the same headline sights — Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque, the imperial city of Marrakesh, the High Atlas crossing at Tizi n'Tichka, the UNESCO-listed Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate's film studios and the Valley of Roses — but using CTM/Supratours coaches, shared grand taxis and locally booked guides instead of a private vehicle and driver. The big structural tip: the original runs anti-clockwise through the south before finishing in Marrakesh, but for an independent traveller the simplest and cheapest version is to do Marrakesh first, use Marrakesh as your base for Ait Benhaddou/Ouarzazate, then take the fast Marrakesh–Casablanca train at the end (or the reverse). Costs below assume an anti-clockwise route finishing in Marrakesh, matching the original itinerary order as closely as practical — allocate your own days to suit. All figures are rough backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP per person, excluding international flights and travel insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque and medina wander
Casablanca
Land at Mohammed V Airport and take the ONCF train from the airport station into Casa Voyageurs or Casa Port (~£2.50, 40 mins). Check into a medina-adjacent guesthouse or hostel. In the afternoon join a timed guided visit of the Hassan II Mosque — the only mosque in Morocco non-Muslims can enter — bookable directly on the mosque website (~£12) or via GetYourGuide. Walk the old medina and the Corniche at sunset, and eat grilled fish or a tagine in the Habous quarter for ~£6-8.
🚌Airport train ~£2.50; city trams ~£0.50/ride
🛏Medina hostel or budget guesthouse, Casablanca (~£15-20/night)
- →Hassan II Mosque guided interior visit (~£12, book direct or GetYourGuide)
- →Old medina and Habous quarter walk (free)
- →Corniche sunset stroll (free)
Casablanca to Marrakesh by train, evening in the medina
Marrakesh
Take the ONCF train from Casablanca to Marrakesh (roughly 3h15, ~£10-12 second class) — book online or at the station; it's comfortable and reliable. Drop bags at a riad or hostel inside or just outside the medina, then spend the afternoon getting lost in the souks. In the evening head to Jemaa el-Fnaa for the food stalls and street performers, and consider a rooftop hammam or a cheap henna stop. Optional self-booked walking tour of the medina (~£15-20 via GetYourGuide).
🚌ONCF train Casablanca–Marrakesh ~£10-12
🛏Riad dorm or budget riad room, Marrakesh (~£15-22/night)
- →Medina souk exploration (free)
- →Jemaa el-Fnaa evening (free)
- →Optional guided medina walking tour (~£18)
Marrakesh highlights: palaces, tombs and gardens
Marrakesh
Do the classic Marrakesh sight circuit independently: Bahia Palace (~£6), Saadian Tombs (~£6), Ben Youssef Madrasa (~£5) and either Le Jardin Secret or the Majorelle Garden (~£9-12, book Majorelle online to skip the queue). Lunch at a cheap local spot near the mellah (~£5). In the late afternoon, book a hammam and scrub (~£15-25) — the budget neighbourhood hammams cost as little as £5. Buy your Ait Benhaddou/Ouarzazate transport for tomorrow at the CTM or Supratours office or online tonight.
🚌Walking plus a few petit-taxi hops ~£4
🛏Riad dorm or budget riad room, Marrakesh (~£15-22/night)
- →Bahia Palace (~£6)
- →Saadian Tombs (~£6)
- →Ben Youssef Madrasa (~£5)
- →Majorelle Garden or Le Jardin Secret (~£10)
- →Hammam and scrub (~£15)
Over the High Atlas to Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate
Ouarzazate / Ait Benhaddou
Take the CTM or Supratours coach from Marrakesh over the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Ouarzazate (roughly 4 hours, ~£9-12). Alternatively take any coach or shared grand taxi heading to Ouarzazate and ask to be dropped at Ait Benhaddou (about 30 km before town) — most services will do this. Spend the afternoon walking the UNESCO-listed ksar of Ait Benhaddou, crossing the river and climbing to the top for sunset views; entry to the ksar itself is free, though a local guide for the granary is ~£5-8. Get a shared grand taxi or local bus back to Ouarzazate (~£2-3) for the night, or stay in a guesthouse at the ksar (~£18-25).
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Marrakesh–Ouarzazate ~£9-12; shared taxi ~£2-3
🛏Ouarzazate budget hotel or ksar guesthouse near Ait Benhaddou (~£18-25/night)
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass crossing (included in coach)
- →Kasbah Ait Benhaddou walk and summit viewpoint (free; optional local guide ~£6)
Ouarzazate film studios and the Valley of Roses
Ouarzazate / Kelaat M'Gouna
Morning at the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate (~£7 entry) and optionally the Taourirt Kasbah (~£2). Then head out to the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna (about 90 km, reached by shared grand taxi or louage-style minivan, ~£4-6 each way) to visit a rose distillery and the rose cooperative — the distilleries are small, family-run and generally free or a token £2-3 if you buy rose water or oil. In rose-harvest season (late April–mid May) this is the highlight of the trip. Return to Ouarzazate or overnight in Kelaat M'Gouna for the night.
🚌Shared grand taxi/louage Ouarzazate–Kelaat M'Gouna ~£4-6 each way
🛏Ouarzazate budget hotel or Kelaat M'Gouna guesthouse (~£18-25/night)
- →Atlas Film Studios (~£7)
- →Taourirt Kasbah (~£2)
- →Valley of Roses and rose distillery visit (free/token purchase)
Return to Marrakesh via the pass, farewell tagine
Marrakesh
Take the morning CTM or Supratours coach back over the Tizi n'Tichka to Marrakesh (~£9-12, 4 hours). Spend the afternoon on anything you missed — a cooking class (~£25-35 via GetYourGuide), the tanneries, or just a slow mint tea in a rooftop cafe. Finish with a farewell dinner in the medina (~£8-10). If you need to fly out, Marrakesh Menara Airport is a short taxi (~£5-7) or bus (line 19, ~£1.50) from the centre. If you're heading back to Casablanca instead, the train takes about 3h15 for ~£10-12.
🚌Coach Ouarzazate–Marrakesh ~£9-12
🛏Optional final night in Marrakesh riad/hostel (~£15-22) or onward travel
- →Optional Marrakesh cooking class (~£30)
- →Rooftop tea and medina last wander (free)
Self-launched vs. Morocco Today Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morocco Today Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£297 | £1,230 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £933 per person (76%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morocco Today Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£297
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Classic Morocco Highlights: Self-Launched Casablanca to Marrakesh cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £297 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 Morocco Today Travel?+
Yes — Morocco Today Travel charges around £1,230 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £297 — a saving of roughly £933 (76%) 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, adventure, 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.