Morocco Self-Launched: Blue City, Fes Medina & Sahara Desert Loop
7 days · Morocco
My Morocco Tours charges £1,390
No-markup version: ~£458 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of the classic 7-day Morocco loop from Marrakech: Casablanca and Rabat's imperial monuments, the blue-washed lanes of Chefchaouen, Roman Volubilis and Meknes, a full day in the UNESCO-listed Fes medina, then the Middle Atlas cedar forests and a camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, returning via Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley, Ait Benhaddou and the Tizi n'Tichka pass. The commercial version is a private car-and-driver tour with 4★ riads; this self-launched route uses CTM/Supratours coaches, shared grand taxis, a small-group desert camp package booked direct, and guesthouse riads — same sights, roughly a third of the price. Costs are approximate per-person estimates for a solo traveller sharing where possible.
Day-by-day
Marrakech → Casablanca → Rabat
Marrakech / Casablanca / Rabat
Take the early CTM or ONCF train from Marrakech to Casablanca (~£8-10, 3-3.5 hrs), stash your bag at Casa Voyageurs station and walk or take a petit taxi (£1.50) to the Hassan II Mosque for the exterior photo stop (guided interior visits run a few times daily, ~£12). Then catch the ONCF train on to Rabat (~£6-8, 1 hr). In Rabat, walk the Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Andalusian gardens, and peek at the Royal Palace gates — all free or a couple of pounds. Bus/train tickets can be bought on the day at the station; Morocco's rail site ONCF and CTM's site sell seats in advance.
🚌ONCF train Marrakech–Casablanca (~£9) + Casablanca–Rabat (~£7); petit taxis in town (~£2-3 total)
🛏Guesthouse/riad in Rabat medina, double/twin room ~£25-35 total per night
- →Hassan II Mosque exterior and oceanfront esplanade
- →Hassan Tower & Mausoleum of Mohammed V
- →Kasbah of the Udayas and Andalusian Gardens
- →Royal Palace gates, Rabat
Rabat → Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen
Morning CTM or Supratours coach from Rabat to Chefchaouen (~£10-12, 4 hrs, sometimes via Tangier or direct depending on season — check both operators). Arrive early afternoon, check into a small riad or guesthouse inside the medina and spend the rest of the day getting lost: the blue-painted alleys around Place Outa el Hammam, the Kasbah and its garden (entry ~£1), the Spanish Mosque viewpoint for sunset (free, 20-min walk uphill), and a mint tea on a terrace overlooking the rooftops. This is a slow afternoon by design — the town rewards wandering.
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Rabat–Chefchaouen (~£11)
🛏Small riad/guesthouse in Chefchaouen medina, ~£20-30 total per night
- →Chefchaouen medina blue streets
- →Kasbah museum and gardens
- →Sunset at the Spanish Mosque viewpoint
- →Rooftop mint tea and souk browsing
Chefchaouen → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes
Chefchaouen / Volubilis / Meknes / Fes
Take an early shared grand taxi or local bus from Chefchaouen to Moulay Idriss/Volubilis area (~£3-5), or the direct CTM coach to Meknes and a taxi out to the ruins. Volubilis entry is ~£6; the Roman mosaics and triumphal arch are best seen in the morning light. Continue by grand taxi to Meknes (~£2), and walk the medina: Bab El Mansour, El Hedim Square, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail (free, non-Muslims enter the courtyard) and the Heri es-Souani granaries (~£2). Late afternoon train or CTM coach Meknes–Fes (~£3-5, 1 hr). Check into your Fes riad near Bab Boujloud.
🚌Shared grand taxis/local bus to Volubilis (~£4), grand taxi Volubilis–Meknes (~£2), train/coach Meknes–Fes (~£4)
🛏Riad/guesthouse in Fes medina, ~£22-32 total per night
- →Volubilis Roman ruins (entry ~£6)
- →Bab El Mansour and Meknes medina
- →Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
- →Heri es-Souani granaries
- →El Hedim Square
Fes medina full day
Fes
Book a small-group or private half-day medina walking tour through GetYourGuide or directly with a licensed Fes guide (~£25-35) — this replaces the operator's included guided day and is the one place in Morocco where a guide genuinely saves you from getting hopelessly lost. Cover Bab Boujloud, the Bou Inania Madrasa (~£2), the Najjarine fountain, the Chouara tanneries (tip the terrace host ~£1), and the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque exterior, then walk through the Mellah. Independently afterwards: climb to the Borj Nord fortress for the panorama over the medina's 9,000 lanes (entry ~£2), or just drink tea in a riad courtyard. Skip the touts offering 'helpful' tannery tours.
🚌On foot in the medina; petit taxi to Borj Nord ~£1.50
🛏Same Fes riad
- →Guided Fes medina walking tour (~£30, GetYourGuide/licensed local guide)
- →Bou Inania Madrasa and Najjarine fountain
- →Chouara tanneries
- →Mellah Jewish quarter and Royal Palace golden doors
- →Borj Nord panorama
Fes → Merzouga: cedar forest, Erg Chebbi camel trek & desert camp
Fes / Merzouga
The long transfer day. Pre-book a seat-share desert transfer or small-group 4x4/van with a Merzouga camp operator (many camps bundle transport from Fes for ~£35-50 one way) — or take the CTM coach Fes to Merzouga/Rissani (~£15, 7-8 hrs). The road crosses Ifrane's alpine-style town, the cedar forest near Azrou (Barbary macaques roadside) and the Ziz Valley's palm oasis. Arrive Merzouga late afternoon, then camel trek into Erg Chebbi for sunset (~£20-30 for the trek, usually bundled with the camp) and settle into a standard desert camp: Berber tent, tagine dinner, campfire and drum music under the stars. A standard camp is ~£35-55 per person including dinner and breakfast; the operator's 'luxury' version costs considerably more.
🚌Shared desert transfer Fes–Merzouga (~£40) or CTM coach (~£15); camel trek into dunes included/extra ~£20
🛏Standard Berber desert camp, Erg Chebbi (tent, shared/private bathroom depending on camp), ~£35-55 pp incl. dinner & breakfast
- →Ifrane and Middle Atlas cedar forest with wild macaques
- →Ziz Valley viewpoint
- →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi at sunset
- →Campfire, Berber drum music and stargazing
Merzouga → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley
Merzouga / Tinghir / Dades Valley
Wake before dawn and climb the dune behind camp for sunrise (free). After breakfast, either join a shared seat-in-van transfer Merzouga–Tinghir–Dades (~£20-30) or take a local bus toward Tinghir (~£6) and a grand taxi to the Todra Gorge (~£3). Walk the gorge floor between the 300m limestone walls — no entry fee — and watch climbers on the west face. Optional detour to Rissani's Saharan market on a Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday if your timing works. Continue to Boumalne Dades, stay in a valley guesthouse and eat tagine on a terrace over the Dades switchbacks.
🚌Shared van transfer (~£25) or local bus + grand taxi (~£10)
🛏Guesthouse in Dades Valley/Boumalne, ~£18-28 total per night
- →Sunrise over Erg Chebbi dunes
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Dades Valley viewpoints
- →Optional Rissani market
Dades → Ait Benhaddou → Marrakech
Dades Valley / Ait Benhaddou / Marrakech
Early shared van or CTM/Supratours coach from Boumalne to Ouarzazate (~£5-8), then a shared van or grand taxi to Ait Benhaddou (~£3-5). The ksar itself is free to enter; a local guide is ~£10-15 and worth it for the context on the earthen architecture and film locations. Continue on the shared van/coach route over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m) to Marrakech, arriving by evening (~£10-12). If you have a day spare, linger in Ouarzazate's Atlas Film Studios (~£6) instead. Trip ends with a walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa for dinner.
🚌Shared van/coach Boumalne–Ouarzazate (~£7) + Ouarzazate–Ait Benhaddou (~£4) + Ait Benhaddou–Marrakech (~£11)
🛏Not included — hostel/riad in Marrakech from ~£18-30 per night if staying on
- →Ait Benhaddou UNESCO ksar (optional local guide ~£12)
- →Tizi n'Tichka pass viewpoints
- →High Atlas scenery
- →Optional Atlas Film Studios, Ouarzazate
Self-launched vs. My Morocco Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | My Morocco Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£458 | £1,390 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £932 per person (67%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more My Morocco Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£458
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 Self-Launched: Blue City, Fes Medina & Sahara Desert Loop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £458 per person for 7 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 My Morocco Tours?+
Yes — My Morocco Tours charges around £1,390 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £458 — a saving of roughly £932 (67%) per person.
How long is the Morocco trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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?
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