Morocco North to South: Cities & Atlas Hiking (Self-Launched)

Arrive in Tangier (ferry from Tarifa/Algeciras or flight) and head straight to the CTM or SUPRATOUR bus station for the ~3 hour bus to Chefchaouen (£6-8). Drop bags at a riad/guesthouse in the medina (£12-18). Spend the afternoon wandering the blue-washed medina and pay the small entry to the Kasbah garden and museum (~£1.50). Walk 20-30 minutes up to the abandoned Spanish Mosque for sunset over the valley, then mint tea and people-watching on Plaza Outa el Hammam / Zoco Chico. Optional half-day trip to Cascades d'Akchour (grand taxi ~£20 return, split between 4) for waterfalls and a swim if you have an extra morning.

🚌CTM/SUPRATOUR bus Tangier -> Chefchaouen, ~£6-8

🛏Medina guesthouse or riad, Chefchaouen (£12-18)

• →Chefchaouen medina walk
• →Kasbah and gardens (~£1.50)
• →Sunset hike to Spanish Mosque
• →Optional: Cascades d'Akchour day trip by shared grand taxi

Take an early CTM bus or a shared grand taxi to Meknes (£6-8, ~3.5 hours). From Meknes, hop a grand taxi to Volubilis (£3-5 split) and explore the Roman ruins and mosaics with an on-site licensed guide or audio guide (~£5). Return to Meknes for Bab al-Mansour, the Moulay Ismail mausoleum and Royal Stables (all free), then a train or bus on to Fes (train ~£4, 1 hour). Check into a Fes medina guesthouse (£12-18) and eat at a cheap local grill.

🚌Bus/grand taxi Chefchaouen -> Meknes ~£6-8; grand taxi to Volubilis ~£4; train Meknes -> Fes ~£4

🛏Fes medina guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Volubilis Roman ruins (~£5 with guide)
• →Meknes: Bab al-Mansour, Moulay Ismail mausoleum, Royal Stables (free)
• →Evening in Fes medina

Book a licensed local medina guide the night before via GetYourGuide or through your riad (allow £20-25 for a half day, or go it alone with a map). Cover Bab Bou Jeloud, the Chouara tannery from a terrace (free, tip the guide £1), Al-Attarine Madrasa (~£2), the Al-Qarawiyyin area (non-Muslims view the exterior and courtyard), and the mellah. Expect plenty of 'guide' offers — politely decline if you already have one. Afternoon: Fes el Jdid and a cheap dinner of tagine or harira (£5).

🚌Walking day; short petit taxi hops ~£1 each

🛏Fes medina guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Licensed medina guide (~£20-25)
• →Chouara tannery rooftop
• →Al-Attarine Madrasa (~£2)
• →Al-Qarawiyyin and mellah walk
• →Fes el Jdid

Morning train from Fes to Rabat (ONCF, ~3.5 hours, £10-12). Store bags at the station and walk Rabat: Chellah Necropolis (~£3.50), Kasbah des Oudaias, Andalusian Gardens, Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohamed V (free). Then catch a late-afternoon train to Casablanca (~1 hour, £4) and settle into a budget hotel or hostel near the centre (£15-22). Evening walk on Boulevard de la Corniche or dinner near the old medina.

🚌Train Fes -> Rabat ~£10-12; train Rabat -> Casablanca ~£4

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, central Casablanca (£15-22)

• →Chellah Necropolis (~£3.50)
• →Kasbah des Oudaias and Andalusian Gardens (free)
• →Hassan Tower and Mohamed V Mausoleum (free)

Join the morning guided interior tour of Hassan II Mosque (book direct at the mosque ticket office or via GetYourGuide, ~£12; mornings only, closed to visitors at prayer times). Afterwards take the ONCF train from Casa Voyageurs to Marrakech (~3 hours, £9-11). Check into a medina riad or hostel (£12-18), then dive into Jemaa el-Fna at dusk — snake charmers, food stalls, and a rooftop mint tea to watch it all.

🚌Train Casablanca -> Marrakech ~£9-11

🛏Medina riad/hostel, Marrakech (£12-18)

• →Hassan II Mosque interior tour (~£12)
• →Jemaa el-Fna square at dusk
• →Optional calèche ride (~£8 split)

Self-guided souk crawl: Koutoubia Mosque and gardens, then Souk el Attarin, Souk Chouari, Souk Smata and the dyers' souk (Souk des Teinturiers) before they get busy. Visit Ben Youssef Madrasa (~£4) and the Marrakech Museum nearby. Afternoon: learn to cook a tagine in a half-day cooking class (~£30-35 incl. market tour and lunch) — a much better value version of the operator's included experiences. Cheap street food dinner (£4-6).

🚌Walking; petit taxi to/from medina edges ~£1-2

🛏Medina riad/hostel, Marrakech (£12-18)

• →Souk and medina walk (free)
• →Ben Youssef Madrasa (~£4)
• →Half-day cooking class (~£30-35)
• →Marrakech Museum (~£4)

Take a local bus or shared grand taxi from Marrakech Bab Rob to Amizmiz (~1 hour, £2-3). On Tuesday market day Amizmiz is fantastic — get there early. Book a certified mountain guide in Amizmiz or in advance via GetYourGuide/a local trekking outfit (£30-40 for a day). Hike through Berber villages in the High Atlas foothills, have lunch with a local family arranged through your guide or guesthouse (~£10 incl. bread-making), and stay overnight in a village guesthouse or family homestay (£18-25) with an included Berber dinner.

🚌Local bus or shared grand taxi Marrakech -> Amizmiz ~£2-3

🛏Berber village homestay/guesthouse, High Atlas (£18-25)

• →Amizmiz market
• →Mountain guide day hike (~£30-40)
• →Lunch with local family incl. bread making (~£10)
• →Homestay with Berber family

Breakfast with your hosts, then either hike back down or take the local bus/shared taxi to Marrakech (£2-3). Afternoon of monuments: Saadian Tombs (~£6), El Badi Palace (~£6), Bahia Palace (~£6) and the mellah, or pick just one or two to keep it relaxed. Evening hammam scrub and massage at a local neighbourhood hammam (£8-12) rather than a tourist spa.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi Amizmiz -> Marrakech ~£2-3

🛏Medina riad/hostel, Marrakech (£12-18)

• →Saadian Tombs (~£6)
• →El Badi Palace (~£6)
• →Bahia Palace (~£6)
• →Local hammam (~£8-12)

Morning for Almoravid Koubba (~£2) and any last-minute souvenir shopping in the souks or at the Ensemble Artisanal fixed-price cooperative. Optional visit to the Dar Si Said Museum (~£4). Head to Marrakech Menara Airport by taxi (£5-7) or bus 19 (£2) depending on flight time.

🚌Taxi to Menara Airport ~£5-7 or bus 19 ~£2

🛏N/A - departure day

• →Almoravid Koubba (~£2)
• →Souvenir shopping at Ensemble Artisanal
• →Optional Dar Si Said Museum (~£4)