Morocco Grand Loop: Marrakech, Sahara & the Blue City (Self-Launched)
9 days · Morocco
Morocco tours charges £1,230
No-markup version: ~£455 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic 9-day Morocco loop: Marrakech → High Atlas & Ait Ben Haddou → Dades Valley → Todgha Gorges → Sahara camp at Merzouga → Fez → Meknes & Volubilis → Chefchaouen → Tangier → Rabat & Casablanca → back to Marrakech. Instead of a private driver-guide, you use Morocco's excellent network of CTM/SUPRATOURS coaches, shared grand taxis and the train (with the Marrakech–Merzouga leg done as a small-group 3-day desert tour, which is the cheapest way to cover that stretch). City medinas are explored with cheap local licensed guides or self-guided on foot. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Marrakech – medina orientation
Marrakech
Fly into Marrakech Menara (RAK) and take bus line 19 or a petit taxi (£2–4) to a riad or hostel in the medina. Settle in, then wander Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, the souks and the Koutoubia gardens. Book your onward desert tour and coach tickets today — CTM and Supratours offices are near the train station and Gueliz.
🚌Airport bus line 19 (~£2.50) or petit taxi (~£4)
🛏Riad/hostel in the Marrakech medina (dorm £10–15, private £25–35)
- →Walk Jemaa el-Fnaa square at sunset
- →Explore Koutoubia Mosque gardens (free)
- →Wander the souks and spice square
- →Book 3-day Sahara tour and coach tickets
High Atlas, Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou & Dades Valley
Ait Ben Haddou / Dades Valley
Start of a small-group 3-day desert tour (bookable via GetYourGuide/Viator/Marrakech hostel desks, ~£110–150 pp including 2 nights, some meals and transport). Cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stop at Telouet Kasbah, then the UNESCO site of Ait Ben Haddou (free to walk, £2–3 to enter the kasbah granary), Ouarzazate's Taourirt Kasbah, the Rose Valley at Kalaat Mgouna and finish in the Dades Valley for sunset over the rock formations.
🚌Shared minibus on a 3-day organised desert tour
🛏Guesthouse in Dades Valley (included in small-group tour)
- →Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass drive
- →Ait Ben Haddou kasbah walk
- →Kasbah Taourirt, Ouarzazate
- →Kalaat Mgouna rose valley
- →Sunset over Dades Gorges
Todgha Gorges & Sahara camp at Merzouga
Merzouga
Walk beneath the 300m cliffs of Todgha Gorges, then drive via Rissani to Merzouga. Ride a camel (~1.5 hrs) into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset and sleep in a Berber tented camp with tagine dinner and drums around the fire. A 4x4 transfer is available instead of the camel if you prefer.
🚌Shared minibus + camel
🛏Berber desert camp, Merzouga (included; upgrade to luxury camp ~£25 extra)
- →Todgha Gorges walk
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Sahara desert camp night with Berber dinner
- →Stargazing in the dunes
Desert sunrise, Ziz Valley & on to Fez
Merzouga → Fez
Sunrise in the dunes, then back to Merzouga for breakfast and a shower. The tour ends mid-morning; take the CTM coach from Merzouga/Rissani toward Fez (~7–8 hrs, £15–20) — book ahead, it's a long haul but scenic through the Ziz Valley and Middle Atlas. Alternatively stay an extra night in Merzouga and take the overnight coach. Arrive Fez in the evening and check into a medina riad.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Merzouga–Fez (~£15–20)
🛏Riad/hostel in Fez medina (dorm £10–14, private £25–35)
- →Sunrise in the Sahara
- →Ziz Valley and Ziz Gorges scenery from the coach
- →Optional stop at Azrou cedar forest (if on the tour's return leg)
- →Evening in Fez medina
Fez medina deep dive
Fez
Hire a licensed local guide for half a day (~£25–35 for 2–4 people, or join a GetYourGuide small-group walking tour ~£20 pp) to navigate the 9,000 alleyways: Bou Inania and Al-Qarawiyyin, the Chouara tanneries (view from a terrace, tip expected), the Mellah and Royal Palace gates. Afternoon: pottery/tile cooperative, and the Marinid tombs for a panoramic sunset over the medina (free).
🚌On foot + petit taxis (£1–2 per hop)
🛏Riad/hostel in Fez medina
- →Guided Fez medina walking tour
- →Al-Qarawiyyin & Bou Inania madrasa
- →Chouara tanneries viewpoint
- →Royal Palace gate & Mellah
- →Marinid Tombs sunset viewpoint
Meknes, Volubilis & into the Rif to Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen
Take the train from Fez to Meknes (~45 mins, £2–3). See Bab Mansour, Hedim Square, the Moulay Ismail mausoleum and the Heri es-Souani granaries and stables, then take a shared grand taxi or local bus to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis (~£3) for the 2,000-year-old Roman ruins (entry ~£6). Return to Meknes and take the CTM coach to Chefchaouen (~4–5 hrs, £8–10), arriving in the evening.
🚌Train Fez–Meknes (~£3) + shared taxi/bus to Volubilis (~£3) + coach Meknes–Chefchaouen (~£9)
🛏Guesthouse in Chefchaouen medina (dorm £10–15, private £22–30)
- →Bab Mansour & Meknes medina
- →Moulay Ismail mausoleum & granaries
- →Volubilis Roman ruins
- →Evening coach into the Rif Mountains
Blue city mornings & Tangier
Chefchaouen → Tangier
Get up early to photograph the blue-washed lanes before the crowds — climb to the Spanish Mosque for the classic view (free). After lunch take the CTM coach to Tangier (~3 hrs, £8–10). In the evening walk the seafront, the Ville Nouvelle and the Petit Socco. Optional day-trip detour: Tetouan's UNESCO medina is a 45-min bus ride from Chefchaouen if you skip the early coach.
🚌CTM coach Chefchaouen–Tangier (~£9)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Tangier (dorm £12–18, private £28–38)
- →Blue city lanes photo walk
- →Spanish Mosque viewpoint hike
- →Chefchaouen kasbah (entry ~£1)
- →Tangier seafront & Petit Socco evening
Cap Spartel, Asilah, Rabat & Casablanca
Tangier → Casablanca
Morning in Tangier: Grand Socco, the kasbah, Cap Spartel lighthouse and the Caves of Hercules (petit taxi round trip ~£12, cave entry ~£1). Then take a train to Asilah (~40 mins, £3) for a whitewashed-town lunch, continue by train to Rabat (~3.5 hrs, £10–12) and see the Kasbah of the Udayas, Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V (mostly free). Evening train to Casablanca (~1 hr, £4).
🚌Petit taxis (~£12) + ONCF trains Tangier–Asilah–Rabat–Casablanca (~£18 total)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Casablanca (dorm £12–18, private £28–38)
- →Cap Spartel & Caves of Hercules
- →Tangier kasbah & Grand Socco
- →Asilah whitewashed medina
- →Kasbah of the Udayas, Hassan Tower & Mohammed V Mausoleum in Rabat
Hassan II Mosque & back to Marrakech
Casablanca → Marrakech
Take the guided Hassan II Mosque tour (hourly except Fridays, ~£12) — one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Then the train back to Marrakech (~3.5 hrs, £12–15), and spend the afternoon on the Marrakech highlights you missed: Bahia Palace (~£6), Saadian Tombs (~£6), Majorelle Garden (~£13, book online) and an evening return to Jemaa el-Fnaa. Book your own last-night riad/hostel — the group tour doesn't include it either.
🚌ONCF train Casablanca–Marrakech (~£13)
🛏Riad/hostel in Marrakech medina (dorm £10–15, private £25–35)
- →Hassan II Mosque guided tour
- →Bahia Palace & Saadian Tombs
- →Majorelle Garden (pre-book)
- →Final evening in Jemaa el-Fnaa
Self-launched vs. Morocco tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morocco tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£455 | £1,230 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £775 per person (63%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morocco tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£455
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 Morocco Grand Loop: Marrakech, Sahara & the Blue City (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £455 per person for 9 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 tours?+
Yes — Morocco tours 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 £455 — a saving of roughly £775 (63%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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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