Morocco Grand Tour: Self-Launched 12-Day Circuit from Marrakech
12 days · Morocco
Marrakech Tour charges £2,680
No-markup version: ~£1,055 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Marrakech Tour's 12-day private grand circuit — Marrakech, the High Atlas and Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Valley and Todra Gorge, two nights in a Sahara desert camp at Merzouga, Fes, Meknes and Volubilis, Chefchaouen, Tangier, Casablanca and Essaouira. You'll travel the same loop using Morocco's excellent CTM and Supratours coaches plus shared grand taxis, book local English-speaking guides city by city via GetYourGuide and Klook, and sleep in riads, guesthouses and desert camps. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-range estimates per person, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Marrakech — settle into the medina
Marrakech
Land at Menara Airport and take the public bus (line 19, ~£2.50) or a petit taxi (haggle to ~£6-8) to the medina. Check into a riad or guesthouse in the derb alleys north of Jemaa el-Fna. Spend the late afternoon getting your bearings: Djemaa el-Fna at dusk, a bowl of harira and some grilled skewers, and a rooftop mint tea. Buy a Moroccan SIM (Maroc Telecom or Orange, ~£8 for 10GB) at the airport or a medina phone shop.
🚌Airport bus line 19 (~£2.50) or petit taxi (~£6-8)
🛏Riad or family-run guesthouse in the medina (~£22-28/night)
- →Arrival transfer by bus 19 or petit taxi
- →Evening wander of Jemaa el-Fna square
- →Rooftop mint tea and street food dinner
Marrakech highlights with a local guide
Marrakech
Book a half-day guided medina walk through GetYourGuide (~£20-25) covering Bahia Palace (entry ~£6), the Saadian Tombs (~£6), Koutoubia Mosque gardens (free) and the souks. In the afternoon explore the tanneries and spice souks independently, then climb to a medina rooftop cafe for sunset. Guides are worth it here — the medina is a maze and it keeps the hassle factor down.
🚌Walking / occasional petit taxi (~£3)
🛏Same riad in Marrakech
- →Guided medina walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£22)
- →Bahia Palace and Saadian Tombs entry
- →Koutoubia Mosque and gardens
- →Souk shopping and Djemaa el-Fna food stalls
Over the Tizi n'Tichka to Ait Ben Haddou and Dades
Ait Ben Haddou / Boumalne Dades
The one day where a shared tour makes real sense. Book a 3-day shared desert tour (Marrakech → Merzouga → Fes) via GetYourGuide, Klook or your riad — these run ~£90-130 per person for 3 days including transport, two nights and most meals. Day one crosses the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stops for a guided look at UNESCO-listed Ait Ben Haddou kasbah and Kasbah Taourirt in Ouarzazate, then follows the Valley of Roses to Boumalne Dades for the night in a valley guesthouse.
🚌Shared minibus tour, day 1 of 3
🛏Valley guesthouse in Boumalne Dades (included in shared tour)
- →High Atlas drive over Tizi n'Tichka
- →Ait Ben Haddou kasbah visit
- →Kasbah Taourirt, Ouarzazate
- →Berber village viewpoints
Todra Gorge and into the Sahara at Merzouga
Tinghir / Merzouga
Morning stop at Todra Gorge in Tinghir for a short walk between the canyon walls (free), then on to Merzouga. Late afternoon you swap the minibus for a camel and trek ~1.5-2 hours into the Erg Chebbi dunes to a desert camp. Dinner, drumming around the fire and stargazing — the dunes are dark enough for serious Milky Way viewing. Camel trek and camp night are included in the shared tour; bring a headtorch and warm layers for winter nights.
🚌Shared minibus + camel trek
🛏Nomad desert camp, Merzouga (included)
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Desert camp dinner and Berber music
- →Sahara stargazing
Sunrise in the dunes and a day in Merzouga
Merzouga
Wake for sunrise on the sand — worth the early alarm. Camel back to the village, then a free day. Options: a 4WD excursion to the Khamlia Gnawa music village and nomadic families (~£20-25 shared), sandboarding, or just lounging in a guesthouse courtyard with tea. Two desert nights means you don't rush it; swap the second night to a village guesthouse if the camp was enough. Shared tour ends its desert chapter in the morning; you can extend by booking a 4-day variant or arrange your own guesthouse night (~£18) and take the CTM bus to Fes tomorrow.
🚌Camel + walking; optional 4WD excursion
🛏Desert camp or Merzouga village guesthouse (~£18)
- →Sunrise over Erg Chebbi
- →Khamlia Gnawa music village visit (optional, ~£22)
- →Village wander and sandboarding
- →Optional stargazing session
Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas to Fes
Merzouga to Fes
A long but stunning travel day. CTM or Supratours runs Merzouga-Rissani to Fes (~£11-14, 8-9 hours, book at ctm.ma a day or two ahead). The road climbs through the Ziz Valley palm oases, stops at Midelt under the Atlas, then crosses the cedar forests around Ifrane — the oddly Alpine, red-roofed 'Moroccan Switzerland'. Arrive Fes in the evening and check into a medina riad; eat at a cheap local grill near Bab Boujloud.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Merzouga–Fes (~£13)
🛏Riad in Fes medina (~£20-26/night)
- →Ziz Valley viewpoint stops
- →Midelt and Middle Atlas cedar forests
- →Ifrane town stop
- →Evening at Bab Boujloud, Fes
Fes el-Bali with a licensed guide
Fes
Fes is the hardest medina in Morocco to navigate alone — book a half or full-day guided tour via GetYourGuide (~£25-35) or through your riad. Cover Madrasa Bou Inania (~£2), the Kairaouine mosque courtyard and university (Muslims only inside), the Nejjarine fountain and woodwork museum, and the pottery/tanneries co-ops. Skip the hard-sell carpet shops. Late afternoon, walk to the Merenid Tombs for sunset over the city — free and the best view in town.
🚌Walking + petit taxi (~£3)
🛏Same riad in Fes
- →Guided Fes medina tour (~£30)
- →Madrasa Bou Inania
- →Kairaouine Mosque and university exterior
- →Pottery and tannery visits
- →Merenid Tombs sunset viewpoint
Meknes, Volubilis and on to the blue city
Fes to Chefchaouen via Meknes and Volubilis
Take an early train or CTM bus Fes-Meknes (~£3-4, 45-60 min). See Bab Mansour and the medina, then a shared grand taxi or local bus to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis (~£4-6 each way). Volubilis' Roman mosaics and arches cost ~£6 to enter and are a genuine highlight. From Meknes take a CTM/Supratours coach to Chefchaouen via Ouazzane (~£8-10, 4-5 hours) — or a shared taxi for the last leg. Evening in the blue-washed medina around Place Outa el Hammam.
🚌Train/bus to Meknes (~£4), shared taxi to Volubilis (~£5), coach to Chefchaouen (~£9)
🛏Guesthouse in Chefchaouen medina (~£18-24/night)
- →Bab Mansour and Meknes medina
- →Volubilis Roman ruins (~£6 entry)
- →Moulay Idriss Zerhoun viewpoint
- →Chefchaouen medina evening wander
Chefchaouen kasbah and Spanish Mosque hike
Chefchaouen
Morning in the kasbah museum (~£1) and the photography spots along the blue lanes. In the late afternoon hike 30 minutes up to the Spanish Mosque for the classic view over the blue town and the Rif mountains — free and the best thing to do here. Optional half-day guided hike to Akchour waterfalls (~£20-25 with transport) if you want more mountains. Note: a direct Chefchaouen–Tangier bus is limited, so plan on an early CTM to Tangier tomorrow morning (~£5, 3 hours).
🚌Walking; optional shared taxi for hike (~£5)
🛏Same guesthouse in Chefchaouen
- →Chefchaouen kasbah museum
- →Blue medina photo walk
- →Spanish Mosque sunset hike
- →Optional Akchour waterfalls hike
Tangier: medina, museums and the Caves of Hercules
Chefchaouen to Tangier
Morning coach to Tangier (~£5, 3 hours). Drop bags and walk the medina: the Kasbah Museum (~£2), Dar el Makhzen, the American Legation Museum (~£4) and the Petit Socco. Then take a petit taxi to the Caves of Hercules (~£2 entry, ~£4 taxi) and Cape Spartel where the Atlantic meets the Med. Eat dinner in the Ville Nouvelle — cheap, good Moroccan and Spanish-influenced food.
🚌Coach Chefchaouen–Tangier (~£5); petit taxis in Tangier (~£6)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Tangier Ville Nouvelle (~£20-26/night)
- →Tangier medina and Petit Socco
- →Kasbah Museum and Dar el Makhzen
- →American Legation Museum
- →Caves of Hercules and Cape Spartel
Atlantic coast south: Asilah, Rabat and Casablanca
Tangier to Casablanca
Take the train (ONCF) Tangier–Asilah (~£3, 45 min) for a couple of hours in the whitewashed, mural-covered old town, then continue by train to Rabat (~£8). In Rabat see the Oudaya kasbah, Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum (all free or ~£2), then a late train to Casablanca (~£3, 1 hour). If the Hassan II Mosque is your priority, shift it to early tomorrow — the guided interior visits only run at set times (~£11).
🚌ONCF trains Tangier–Asilah–Rabat–Casablanca (~£14 total)
🛏Budget hotel near Casa Voyageurs or the medina (~£22-28/night)
- →Asilah medina and ramparts
- →Rabat Oudaya kasbah
- →Hassan Tower and Mohammed V Mausoleum
- →Optional Hassan II Mosque visit
Casablanca to Essaouira, then back to Marrakech
Casablanca to Essaouira to Marrakech
Early Hassan II Mosque exterior (or a timed interior tour), then the train Casablanca–Marrakech (~£8, 3.5 hours), leave bags at the station and take a CTM/Supratours bus to Essaouira (~£5, 2.5 hours each way) — or reorder to spend the night in Essaouira and finish in Marrakech the next morning if your flight allows. In Essaouira: the fishing port, Skala de la Kasbah ramparts, the medina and a walk on the wide beach. Evening bus back to Marrakech for your onward flight.
🚌Train to Marrakech (~£8) + return coach to Essaouira (~£10)
🛏Last night in a Marrakech riad or straight to the airport (~£25)
- →Hassan II Mosque
- →Essaouira fishing port and Skala Kasbah
- →Essaouira medina and beach walk
- →Return transfer to Marrakech
Self-launched vs. Marrakech Tour
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Marrakech Tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,055 | £2,680 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,625 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Marrakech Tour-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,055
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 Tour: Self-Launched 12-Day Circuit from Marrakech cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,055 per person for 12 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 Tour?+
Yes — Marrakech Tour charges around £2,680 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,055 — a saving of roughly £1,625 (61%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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?
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.