Morocco Grand Loop: Marrakech to the Sahara, Rif & Atlantic Coast (Self-Launched)
9 days · Morocco
Marrakech Dream Trips charges £1,275
No-markup version: ~£565 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Marrakech Dream Trips' 9-day fully guided Morocco loop — Marrakech, the High Atlas, Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley, Todgha Gorges, a night in the Erg Chebbi dunes, Fez, Volubilis, Chefchaouen, Tangier, Rabat and Casablanca. Instead of a private A/C vehicle and guide the whole way, you piece it together with shared grand taxis, the CTM/SUPRATOURS coach network, the ONCF train and a couple of short-booked local guides where they genuinely add value (Fez medina, Volubilis). Same route, same sights, roughly a third of the price. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Marrakech — medina & Jemaa el-Fna
Marrakech
Land at Menara Airport and take bus #19 or a petit taxi (about £3-4) into the medina rather than a pre-booked transfer. Check into a budget riad in the Mellah or Mouassine area and spend the afternoon getting lost: Koutoubia Gardens, the souks, Bahia Palace (£6) or the Saadian Tombs (£6). Book your Fez medina guide and any desert-camp upgrades online tonight, then eat cheap grilled skewers and harira at a Jemaa el-Fna food stall after dark (around £5).
🚌Airport bus #19 or petit taxi from Menara, ~£3-4
🛏Budget riad in the Marrakech medina, twin/dorm from £22
- →Koutoubia Mosque & gardens (free)
- →Bahia Palace or Saadian Tombs
- →Souks & Jemaa el-Fna at dusk
High Atlas & Ait Ben Haddou to the Dades Valley
Ait Ben Haddou / Dades Valley
Take an early CTM or SUPRATOURS coach from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (about 4 hrs, £9-11), crossing the Tizi n'Tichka pass through the High Atlas. From Ouarzazate, a shared grand taxi to Ait Ben Haddou village costs about £4 — the ksar itself is free to enter and you can climb it independently; a local guide at the gate charges roughly £8 if you want the history. Continue with a shared taxi or onward coach to Boumalne Dades (£8-10) and stay in a guesthouse on the valley rim. Dinner at the guesthouse is about £8.
🚌CTM coach Marrakech-Ouarzazate £9-11 + shared grand taxi £4 + shared taxi to Boumalne £8-10
🛏Dades Valley guesthouse, from £20
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass views
- →Ait Ben Haddou UNESCO ksar
- →Optional: Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate
- →Optional: Taourirt Kasbah
Todgha Gorges, Erfoud & camel trek into Erg Chebbi
Todgha Gorges / Merzouga
Share a grand taxi from Boumalne to the Todgha Gorges in the morning (£5-6), walk the cultivated river banks and the narrow canyon floor at your own pace, then take a shared taxi on to Erfoud and Merzouga (£8-10). In Merzouga, book a one-night desert camp direct with a local operator or via GetYourGuide — standard camps with dinner, Berber breakfast and a camel trek run £40-60; luxury camps £70-90. Camels leave mid-afternoon for the dunes, followed by tagine dinner and drumming around the fire.
🚌Shared grand taxis Todgha-Erfoud-Merzouga £14-16
🛏Desert camp in Erg Chebbi (dinner + breakfast), £50
- →Todgha Gorges walk
- →Fossil workshop in Erfoud
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Berber drumming at camp
Sunrise dunes, Ziz Valley & the coach to Fez
Merzouga / Fez
Wake for sunrise on Erg Chebbi, eat a Berber breakfast, then get a shared taxi or the local bus from Merzouga to Rissani (about £2) and pick up the CTM/SUPRATOURS coach onward via Midelt and the Ziz Valley to Fez (roughly 7-8 hrs, £15-18). If you're travelling by shared taxi, ask the driver to stop briefly at the cedar forest near Azrou for the Barbary macaques. Arrive Fez in the evening and check into a riad inside the medina (£18-24).
🚌Shared taxi to Rissani £2 + CTM coach to Fez £15-18
🛏Fez medina riad, from £20
- →Sunrise on the dunes
- →Ziz Valley & Middle Atlas scenery
- →Cedar forest monkey stop (if by road)
- →Fez medina evening wander
Fez medina with a local guide
Fez
This is the day a guide genuinely pays for itself — the Fez medina is the largest car-free urban area in the world and unguided wandering eats hours. Book a half-day licensed medina guide direct or through GetYourGuide (£20-30 per group, split between you) covering the Bou Inania madrasa, Al-Attarine, the tanneries viewpoint, the Nejjarine fountain and the craft quarters. Afternoon is yours: the Jewish quarter and Ibn Danan synagogue, or a hammam (£10-15). Eat at the cheap medina stalls — a full lunch is £4-6.
🚌On foot inside the medina; petit taxi to Bab Boujloud ~£2
🛏Fez medina riad, from £20
- →Half-day guided Fez medina tour
- →Bou Inania & Al-Attarine madrasas
- →Chouara tanneries
- →Nejjarine Square & fountain
- →Mellah / Jewish quarter
Volubilis Roman ruins & on to Chefchaouen
Volubilis / Chefchaouen
Take a train (ONCF, about 45 min, £3) or shared taxi to Meknes, then a shared grand taxi out to Volubilis (£3-4). Entry is £6 and a licensed site guide is ~£10 — worth it for the mosaics and Tingis gate. Back to Meknes, then coach or shared taxi north to Chefchaouen (via Ouazzane, roughly 3.5-4 hrs, £8-10). Spend the evening in Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the blue-washed lanes; the Grand Mosque exterior, the ethnographic museum (£2) and the Ras el-Ma river walk are all free or near-free.
🚌Train to Meknes £3 + shared taxi to Volubilis £7 + coach/shared taxi to Chefchaouen £9
🛏Chefchaouen guesthouse, from £22
- →Volubilis Roman ruins & mosaics
- →Meknes medina (optional)
- →Chefchaouen blue streets
- →Plaza Uta el-Hammam
- →Ethnographic Museum
Over the Rif to Tangier
Tangier
Morning hike up to the Spanish Mosque for the classic Chefchaouen view, then take the coach or shared taxi through the Rif Mountains to Tangier (about 3-4 hrs, £9-11). In Tangier take a petit taxi out to Cape Spartel lighthouse and the Caves of Hercules (£4-5 return, cave entry £1), then return to the Kasbah Museum (£3) and the Petit Socco. Cheap and excellent seafood at the port market — a grilled fish plate is £6-8. Shared hostel or budget hotel in the ville nouvelle from £22.
🚌Coach/shared taxi Chefchaouen-Tangier £9-11 + local petit taxis £5
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Tangier, from £22
- →Spanish Mosque viewpoint hike
- →Rif Mountains drive
- →Cape Spartel & lighthouse
- →Caves of Hercules
- →Kasbah Museum & Tangier medina
Asilah, Rabat & train to Casablanca
Rabat / Casablanca
Take a morning train from Tangier to Asilah (40 min, £3) for the whitewashed ramparts and street art, then continue on the ONCF line to Rabat (about 3 hrs, £11-13). Spend the afternoon on foot in Rabat: the Oudaya Kasbah and Andalusian gardens, Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the Chellah necropolis (£3). Finish with the 1-hour train to Casablanca (£4-5) and stay near the old medina.
🚌ONCF trains Tangier-Asilah £3, Asilah-Rabat £12, Rabat-Casablanca £5
🛏Budget hotel in Casablanca, from £24
- →Asilah ramparts & murals
- →Oudaya Kasbah & gardens
- →Hassan Tower & Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- →Chellah necropolis
- →Rabat medina souks
Hassan II Mosque & back to Marrakech
Casablanca / Marrakech
Join the timed Hassan II Mosque interior tour (£12-13, book a slot the night before — it's the only way inside), walk the Corniche and the Art Deco old medina, then take the ONCF train back to Marrakech (about 3 hrs, £9-11) or an evening CTM coach (£8). If you have hours to spare in Marrakech, the Majorelle Garden (£13, book online) and the Koutoubia are close to the station. Airport bus or taxi out for your flight.
🚌ONCF train Casablanca-Marrakech £9-11 + airport bus £3
🛏Not included — onward travel
- →Hassan II Mosque guided interior tour
- →Casablanca Corniche & old medina
- →Optional: Majorelle Garden, Koutoubia, Bahia Palace in Marrakech
Self-launched vs. Marrakech Dream Trips
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Marrakech Dream Trips | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£565 | £1,275 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £710 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Marrakech Dream Trips-style trips? Check them out here.~£565
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 Morocco Grand Loop: Marrakech to the Sahara, Rif & Atlantic Coast (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £565 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 Marrakech Dream Trips?+
Yes — Marrakech Dream Trips charges around £1,275 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £565 — a saving of roughly £710 (56%) 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 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.