Self-Launched 9-Day Morocco Grand Loop: Casablanca to the Sahara
9 days · Morocco
Morocco Custom Tours charges £1,340
No-markup version: ~£402 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Morocco Custom Tours' 9-day private Casablanca-to-Sahara loop. Same route — Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Merzouga dunes, Todra and Dades gorges, Ait Benhaddou and Marrakech — but using CTM/ONCF buses and trains, self-booked riads and hostels, and locally hired guides in Fes and Marrakech instead of a private SUV and driver. Approximate costs only; Morocco is very cheap on the ground.
Day-by-day
Casablanca arrival & Hassan II Mosque
Casablanca
Fly into Casablanca Mohammed V airport and take the ONCF train or a petit taxi into the city centre. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in the Gauthier/Ville Nouvelle area. Spend the afternoon walking the Corniche and taking a guided interior tour of the Hassan II Mosque (the only way non-Muslims can enter — book a slot at the ticket office, roughly £12-13). Evening: cheap tagine or grilled fish near the Corniche.
🚌Airport train to Casa-Port/Casa-Voyageurs ~£1-2, or petit taxi ~£8-10
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Ville Nouvelle, Casablanca (~£15-25)
- →Guided tour of Hassan II Mosque
- →Walk the Casablanca Corniche
- →Explore Habous Quarter & central market
Casablanca to Rabat to Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen
Early train from Casablanca to Rabat (ONCF, ~45 min, ~£3-4). Spend a few hours seeing the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the Kasbah of the Udayas, then take a CTM or ONCF bus north to Chefchaouen via Tangier or direct (total travel roughly 6-7 hours). Arrive in the blue city in time for dinner on Plaza Uta el-Hammam.
🚌ONCF train Casablanca-Rabat ~£3; CTM/local bus Rabat-Tangier-Chefchaouen ~£12-15
🛏Small riad/guesthouse in the Chefchaouen medina (~£15-22)
- →Hassan Tower & Mohammed V Mausoleum
- →Kasbah of the Udayas, Rabat
- →Evening in Chefchaouen's main square
Chefchaouen medina & Volubilis to Fes
Fes
Get up early to wander the blue medina before the day-trippers arrive — the Ras El Maa spring, the Spanish Mosque viewpoint and the dye pits are all free. Then take a bus or shared grand taxi to Fes, stopping if you can at the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss (a private day-taxi from Fes or a Meknes-based tour from ~£25-35). Arrive Fes and check into a medina guesthouse.
🚌Shared taxi/bus Chefchaouen-Fes ~£8-12; optional private day-taxi via Volubilis ~£30
🛏Medina riad/guesthouse, Fes (~£15-25)
- →Blue medina of Chefchaouen at sunrise
- →Volubilis Roman ruins (entry ~£6)
- →Moulay Idriss Zerhoun viewpoint
Fes medina guided day
Fes
Hire a licensed medina guide for half a day (book via your riad or GetYourGuide, ~£25-35 per person in a small group). Cover the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas, the Chouara tanneries from a terrace, the artisan quarters and the souks. Independent travellers can also self-navigate, but a guide genuinely helps with the touts and getting your bearings. Afternoon free to drink mint tea and shop.
🚌Walking; petit taxi to medina gates ~£2
🛏Medina riad/guesthouse, Fes (~£15-25)
- →Guided tour of Fes el-Bali medina
- →Madrasa Bou Inania & Al-Attarine
- →Chouara tanneries & artisan quarters
- →Fes souks
Fes over the Middle Atlas to the Merzouga dunes
Merzouga
Long but spectacular travel day. Take the CTM or Supratours bus from Fes to Merzouga (roughly 9-10 hours, ~£15-20) — or break it in Midelt if you prefer. The route passes Ifrane, the cedar forests of Azrou (Barbary macaques), the Ziz Valley and its palm oases. On arrival, join a camel trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset and sleep at a Sahara desert camp with dinner and Berber music. Book the camp independently via Klook or Booking.com (~£30-45 with camel ride included).
🚌CTM/Supratours coach Fes-Merzouga ~£15-20
🛏Sahara desert camp, Erg Chebbi (shared tent, dinner included) ~£30-45
- →Middle Atlas & cedar forest drive
- →Ziz Valley viewpoint
- →Sunset camel trek in Erg Chebbi
- →Overnight Sahara desert camp
Merzouga sunrise, Todra Gorge & Dades Gorge
Dades Gorge
Watch the sunrise over the dunes, then shower and start the Route of a Thousand Kasbahs. Travel to Tinghir and walk the Todra Gorge (free, though a local guide for the canyon or climbing is ~£15). Continue to the Dades Gorge for the famous switchback road and an evening in a family-run guesthouse with dinner. Shared grand taxis and local buses link the towns; a private day-driver for this leg runs ~£40-60 if you want flexibility.
🚌Shared grand taxi/local bus Merzouga-Tinghir-Dades ~£10-15
🛏Guesthouse in or near Dades Gorge (~£15-25, often half-board)
- →Desert sunrise over the dunes
- →Todra Gorge walk
- →Route of a Thousand Kasbahs drive
- →Dades Gorge viewpoint
Valley of Roses, Ouarzazate & Ait Benhaddou to Marrakech
Marrakech
Drive the Valley of Roses via Kelaat M'Gouna to Ouarzazate (Atlas Film Studios, ~£7 if you're a film fan), then visit Ait Benhaddou — the UNESCO ksar from Gladiator and Game of Thrones; entry is free with a small local guide tip, or ~£2-3. Cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass and arrive in Marrakech. Late evening at Jemaa el-Fna's food stalls.
🚌CTM/Supratours bus Ouarzazate-Marrakech ~£8-10; shared taxi Dades-Ouarzazate ~£8
🛏Budget riad/hostel in the Marrakech medina (~£18-30)
- →Valley of Roses & Kelaat M'Gouna
- →Ait Benhaddou ksar
- →High Atlas Tizi n'Tichka crossing
- →Jemaa el-Fna night market
Marrakech guided city day
Marrakech
Book a small-group or private guided half-day (GetYourGuide, ~£20-30) covering Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa (reopened after restoration, ~£6) and the Koutoubia area. Spend the afternoon lost in the souks around Souk Semmarine and finish with rooftop mint tea and sunset over Jemaa el-Fna. If you'd rather self-launch it, all these sites are walkable from the medina and entry tickets are cheap.
🚌Walking; petit taxi across town ~£2-3
🛏Budget riad/hostel in the Marrakech medina (~£18-30)
- →Bahia Palace
- →Ben Youssef Madrasa
- →Koutoubia Mosque area
- →Marrakech souks
- →Jemaa el-Fna at sunset
Marrakech to Casablanca departure
Casablanca
Take the ONCF train from Marrakech to Casablanca (about 3.5 hours, ~£8-11) and connect to Mohammed V airport for your flight home. If you have time, stop for a last medina stroll or a Casablanca coffee before check-in. (Tip from past travellers: if your airline allows it, fly out of Marrakech instead and skip the backtrack entirely.)
🚌ONCF train Marrakech-Casablanca ~£8-11; airport train/taxi ~£2-10
🛏N/A — departure day
- →ONCF train Marrakech-Casablanca
- →Last-minute souk shopping
Self-launched vs. Morocco Custom Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Morocco Custom Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£402 | £1,340 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £938 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Morocco Custom Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£402
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched 9-Day Morocco Grand Loop: Casablanca to the Sahara cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £402 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 Morocco Custom Tours?+
Yes — Morocco Custom Tours charges around £1,340 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £402 — a saving of roughly £938 (70%) 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?
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