Morocco: Marrakech to Sahara, Fes & Chefchaouen — Self-Launched
6 days · Morocco
Morocco Sahara Desert Travel charges £1,060
No-markup version: ~£295 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic 6-day Marrakech–Sahara–Fes–Chefchaouen–Casablanca loop. Instead of paying for a private driver and group departures, you follow the same route using Morocco's excellent CTM/Supratours coaches, shared grand taxis, a locally booked Sahara camp, and independent medina guides. You'll still cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass, walk Ait Ben Haddou, sleep in a Berber tent under the Erg Chebbi dunes, explore Fes and the Rif Mountains in Chefchaouen, and finish at Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque. Expect long travel days on the road — this is a fast-paced loop that covers a lot of ground — but you control the pace and the budget.
Day-by-day
Marrakech → Ait Ben Haddou → Dades Gorges
Marrakech / Ouarzazate / Dades
Book a place on a shared minibus or coach heading over the High Atlas — CTM and Supratours run daily services from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (~£8-10, 4.5-5h) via the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass; many hostels also sell seats on the shared tourist minibus for ~£15. Stop at Ait Ben Haddou (a UNESCO ksar used in Gladiator and Game of Thrones) — entry is free, and a local guide at the gate will take you up to the granary for ~£8-10 tip. Continue by shared grand taxi or local bus from Ouarzazate to Boumalne Dades (~£6-8) and stay in a guesthouse near the Dades Gorges rock formations. Catch sunset over the switchback road before dinner.
🚌CTM/Supratours bus Marrakech→Ouarzazate ~£9; local bus or grand taxi Ouarzazate→Boumalne Dades ~£7
🛏Guesthouse in Boumalne Dades / Dades Gorges (£15-22)
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass viewpoint stop
- →Ait Ben Haddou ksar walk with local guide
- →Skoura palm grove (en route)
- →Dades Gorges sunset viewpoint
Dades → Todra Gorges → Merzouga & Sahara camp
Todra Gorges / Merzouga
Early departure toward Tinghir — local buses and shared taxis run from Boumalne to Tinghir (~£3, 1.5h). Walk the 300m canyon walls of Todra Gorges (free) and grab lunch by the river. Continue to Erfoud/Rissani and on to Merzouga by shared taxi or local bus (~£6-8, 3h). Pre-book a desert camp direct with a Merzouga operator (or through your guesthouse) — most include the 1.5h camel ride in at sunset, Berber tent, dinner and drum music for £25-45 per person including breakfast. Ask for a camp a decent walk from the village so you get real dunes and real dark-sky stars.
🚌Shared taxi/bus Boumalne→Tinghir ~£3; Tinghir→Merzouga shared taxi ~£8
🛏Berber desert camp, Erg Chebbi (included in camp package, £25-45 pp with dinner + breakfast + camel)
- →Todra Gorges canyon walk
- →Sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Berber camp dinner and drum music
- →Stargazing in the Sahara
Merzouga sunrise → Ziz Valley → Fes
Merzouga / Midelt / Fes
Wake for sunrise on the dunes and camel back to Merzouga village for breakfast. Then head north: shared taxi or bus to Rissani/Errachidia, connecting to Midelt through the dramatic Ziz Valley gorges (~£10-12 total). Optional stop at the Cedar Forest near Azrou to see the Barbary macaques (free — ask your shared taxi driver to pause, or hop off at Azrou and rejoin). Arrive Fes by early evening; CTM runs Errachidia→Fes for ~£12 if you prefer a single comfortable coach. Check into a riad in the medina and eat dinner in the Ville Nouvelle or at a medina terrace.
🚌Camel out + shared taxis Merzouga→Errachidia ~£5; coach Errachidia→Fes ~£12
🛏Medina riad or hostel in Fes (£15-25)
- →Erg Chebbi sunrise from the dunes
- →Ziz Valley viewpoint
- →Cedar Forest macaque stop (Azrou)
- →Fes medina evening wander
Fes medina deep dive
Fes
Full day on foot in the Fes el-Bali medina — the world's largest car-free urban area. Hire a licensed local guide for a half-day (~£20-30 per person if shared, ask your riad to arrange) or self-navigate with a map. Hit Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate), the Royal Palace gates, the Mellah (Jewish quarter), Al-Qarawiyyin (the world's oldest continuously operating university), the Chouara tanneries (free from the terrace, expect a mint sprig and a tip), and the tile and pottery cooperatives. Climb to a Borj rooftop for the panoramic view over 9,000 streets. Lunch on pastilla and harira in a medina café.
🚌On foot; petit taxi across town ~£1-2
🛏Medina riad or hostel in Fes (£15-25)
- →Guided/self-guided medina walk
- →Bab Boujloud & Royal Palace gates
- →Mellah Jewish quarter
- →Al-Qarawiyyin University exterior
- →Chouara tanneries viewpoint
- →Medina rooftop panorama
Fes → Chefchaouen (Rif Mountains)
Chefchaouen
Take the CTM coach Fes→Chefchaouen (~£8, 4-4.5h, usually a morning and an afternoon departure — book a day ahead online or at the CTM office). Dump your bag at a cheap guesthouse inside the blue medina and spend the afternoon getting lost: Place Outa el Hammam, the Kasbah, the Spanish Mosque viewpoint for sunset, and the blue-washed alleyways that get better the further up you climb. Browse the wool blankets, goat cheese and kaftans in the souk — haggle gently. Dinner at a rooftop restaurant over the Rif peaks.
🚌CTM coach Fes→Chefchaouen ~£8
🛏Guesthouse in Chefchaouen medina (£14-20)
- →Blue medina wandering
- →Kasbah & Place Outa el Hammam
- →Spanish Mosque sunset hike (free)
- →Souk shopping: wool blankets, goat cheese
Chefchaouen → Rabat → Casablanca (or Marrakech)
Rabat / Casablanca / Marrakech
Leave early by CTM coach Chefchaouen→Rabat (~£9, 4h). Spend 2-3 hours walking Rabat's free highlights: Bab Challah, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, Hassan Tower and the Oudaya Kasbah. Then take the frequent train Rabat→Casablanca (~£2.50, 1h) to see the Hassan II Mosque from the esplanade (exterior free; guided interior tours ~£12 at set times). From Casablanca there are hourly trains back to Marrakech (~£8-10, 3h) if you need to close the loop — or finish here and fly out of Casablanca (CMN). Tip: if your flight is from Marrakech, do the Casablanca stop en route and arrive Marrakech around 19:00-20:00.
🚌Coach Chefchaouen→Rabat ~£9; train Rabat→Casablanca ~£2.50; train Casablanca→Marrakech ~£9
🛏None included — book a cheap hotel near your departure point if staying the night (~£18-28)
- →Bab Challah
- →Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- →Hassan Tower
- →Oudaya Kasbah
- →Hassan II Mosque esplanade
Self-launched vs. Morocco Sahara Desert Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morocco Sahara Desert Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£295 | £1,060 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £765 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morocco Sahara Desert Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£295
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Morocco: Marrakech to Sahara, Fes & Chefchaouen — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £295 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 Sahara Desert Travel?+
Yes — Morocco Sahara Desert Travel charges around £1,060 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £295 — a saving of roughly £765 (72%) 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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