Self-Launched Casablanca to Marrakech: 15 Days Across Morocco

Land at Mohammed V Airport and take the ONCF train (approx 45 min, ~£4) into Casablanca's Casa-Voyageurs or Casa-Port station, or go directly onward if you land early. See the Hassan II Mosque from the outside (the interior tour runs a few times daily, ~£12 if you want it), stroll the Corniche, then catch a direct ONCF train to Rabat (~1 hr, ~£5-6). Check into a medina hostel or riad guesthouse and eat cheap grilled fish or a tagine for dinner (~£6-8).

🚌ONCF train from the airport and Casablanca to Rabat (~£10 total)

🛏Medina hostel or riad guesthouse dorm/private budget room (~£15-20)

• →Hassan II Mosque exterior and Corniche walk
• →Optional mosque interior tour (~£12)
• →Evening wander in Rabat medina

Morning at the Hassan Tower and the adjacent Mausoleum of Mohammed V (free entry, ~£0). Then travel north: CTM or Supratours bus Rabat to Chefchaouen takes around 4.5-5 hours with a change in Tangier or direct services depending on season (~£12-15). Arrive in the blue city in the evening; most riads are a short uphill walk from the bus station. Grab a cheap street snack — msemen, harira soup, fresh orange juice — for under £3.

🚌CTM/Supratours bus Rabat to Chefchaouen (~£12-15)

🛏Chefchaouen medina guesthouse (~£15-20)

• →Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V
• →Bus journey into the Rif Mountains
• →Evening in the blue medina

Give the blue medina a full day. Wander the painted lanes and the Spanish-style Plaza Uta el-Hammam, hike up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset views over the Rif (40 min, free), and browse the handicraft co-ops. Optional: a half-day guided hike to Akchour waterfalls or Talassemtane National Park (~£18-25 with a local guide, arrange via your riad) or hire a guide for a medina walk (~£10-15). Rooftop cafés are cheap for mint tea and a light lunch (~£5).

🚌On foot

🛏Chefchaouen medina guesthouse (~£15-20)

• →Chefchaouen medina and Plaza Uta el-Hammam
• →Spanish Mosque sunset hike
• →Optional Akchour waterfalls hike (~£20)
• →Rooftop cafés and handicraft shopping

Take an early bus or shared grand taxi to Ouazzane/Sidi Kacem and onward to Moulay Idriss or Meknes (~£8-12 total, allow 4-5 hours). From Meknes, a shared grand taxi to Volubilis runs around £2-3 each way, with entry to the Roman ruins roughly £6. Continue by train or bus Meknes to Fes (~1 hr, ~£3-4). Check into a Fes medina riad or hostel; eat a cheap dinner near Bab Boujloud (~£6).

🚌Bus/grand taxi to Meknes, shared taxi to Volubilis, train to Fes (~£15-20 total)

🛏Fes medina riad or hostel (~£15-22)

• →Volubilis Roman ruins (entry ~£6)
• →Meknes medina and Bab Mansour
• →Arrive Fes, dinner by Bab Boujloud

Book a licensed medina walking guide through GetYourGuide or your riad (~£25-35 for a half day, split/shareable among 2-4). You'll cover the Bou Inania and Al Quaraouine (Kairaouine) areas, the Attarine medina, the leather tanneries (expect a shop visit — you're not obliged to buy), and the Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss. Afternoon at leisure in the souks; the Chaouen metalwork and ceramics workshops are worth a detour. Cheap lunch of camel burger or bissara soup ~£4.

🚌On foot / short petit taxi hops (~£3)

🛏Fes medina riad or hostel (~£15-22)

• →Guided Fes medina walk (~£30)
• →Tanneries viewpoint
• →Al Quaraouine and Moulay Idriss mausoleum area
• →Souk browsing

Morning bus or shared taxi from Fes to Ifrane (~1.5 hrs, ~£5-7), the alpine-style Middle Atlas town, for a walk and a coffee. Then continue toward Midelt via Azrou (~£5-8 on regional buses or a shared taxi). Midelt is a quiet apple-growing town with cheap hotel rooms and dramatic views of the High Atlas; a hike or a local fossil workshop visit is easy to arrange. Dinner at a local restaurant ~£5.

🚌Bus/shared taxi Fes–Ifrane–Azrou–Midelt (~£12-15)

🛏Midelt basic hotel or guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Ifrane town and cedar forests
• →Middle Atlas scenery
• →Optional local hike near Midelt

Long travel day through the Ziz Gorge and Ziz Valley palm oasis, with the Tizi n'Talghamt pass. Buses from Midelt toward Erfoud/Rissani take around 5-6 hours (~£10-14). From Rissani or Erfoud, a shared grand taxi or arranged pickup to Merzouga costs about £3-5 per person. Alternatively pre-book a 3-day desert tour from Fes/Midelt that includes Merzouga (~£70-100 including camp and transport) — this is often the cheapest way to do the desert leg. Sunset over the dunes.

🚌Bus Midelt–Rissani/Erfoud + shared taxi to Merzouga (~£15-18)

🛏Merzouga guesthouse (~£15-20)

• →Ziz Gorge and valley viewpoints
• →Erfoud fossil workshops
• →Sunset over the Erg Chebbi dunes

Morning exploring Merzouga's surroundings — the seasonal Dayet Srji lake (flamingos when there's water), a 4x4 or quad excursion to the desert villages (~£20-30), or a Khamlia village visit for Gnawa music (~£8-15 donation/entry). In the late afternoon, take a camel trek into the dunes with an overnight desert camp (~£35-55 all-in including dinner, breakfast, camel and tent) — sleeping under the stars in the Sahara is a highlight worth budgeting for. Bring warm layers for the night; it's cold from autumn to spring.

🚌On foot / camel / optional 4x4 or quad (~£20-30)

🛏Sahara desert camp in Erg Chebbi (~£35-55 with meals and camel trek)

• →Camel trek into Erg Chebbi dunes
• →Overnight desert camp with dinner and drums
• →Khamlia Gnawa music visit (~£10)
• →Optional 4x4 excursion (~£25)

Return from the desert in the morning and head west. Shared grand taxis or a hired driver from Merzouga/Rissani to Tinghir (Todra) take about 2.5 hrs (~£8-12 shared, or ~£40-60 for a car split between 2-4 people). Walk the Todra Gorge (free), then hop a shared taxi or bus to Boumalne Dades (~£3-5) for the night. Guesthouses in the Dades Valley are cheap and the sunset over the rock formations from a terrace is superb. Dinner in-house ~£7.

🚌Shared grand taxis/bus Merzouga–Tinghir–Boumalne Dades (~£12-18)

🛏Dades Valley guesthouse (~£18-25)

• →Todra Gorge walk
• →Dades Valley kasbah viewpoints
• →Sunset over Dades rock formations

Take the morning bus to Ouarzazate (~2.5 hrs, ~£5-7) and from there a shared grand taxi to Ait Ben Haddou (~£2-4, 30-40 min). Entry to the ksar is free (small optional local guide fee ~£3); the walk up to the granary viewpoint takes 20 minutes. Continue on the afternoon bus or shared taxi to Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (~4-5 hrs, ~£10-14). Arrive late, check into a hostel or riad in the medina, dinner ~£6.

🚌Bus Dades–Ouarzazate, shared taxi to Ait Ben Haddou, bus to Marrakech (~£20-25)

🛏Marrakech medina hostel or riad (~£15-22)

• →Ait Ben Haddou ksar visit
• →Ouarzazate film studios area (optional)
• →High Atlas pass views

Morning CTM or Supratours bus from Marrakech to Essaouira (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£6-8). The bus station is close to the medina gate, so it's a short walk to a coastal riad or hostel. Spend the afternoon on the ramparts and the fishing port, watch the boats come in, and eat cheap grilled sardines by the harbour (~£5). Essaouira is mellow, windy and a good break from the inland heat.

🚌CTM/Supratours bus Marrakech–Essaouira (~£7)

🛏Essaouira medina hostel or riad (~£15-22)

• →Skala de la Ville ramparts
• →Fishing port and sardine grills
• →Essaouira beach walk

Morning beach stroll or a surf/windsurf lesson (~£25-35 through a local school) before the afternoon bus back to Marrakech (~£7). On the way out of town, stop at one of the women's argan oil cooperatives along the Essaouira road — most buses will stop on request or you can take a shared taxi for a few dirhams. Back in Marrakech, cook in your hostel kitchen or eat at a cheap medina stall (~£5).

🚌Bus Essaouira–Marrakech (~£7) plus shared taxi to cooperative

🛏Marrakech medina hostel or riad (~£15-22)

• →Women's argan oil cooperative visit
• →Optional surf lesson (~£30)
• →Essaouira beach morning

Book a certified local guide for a half-day city walk via GetYourGuide (~£30-40 for a small group, or ~£50 private split between two). Cover the Bahia Palace (~£6 entry), Saadian Tombs (~£6), Ben Youssef Madrassa (~£5) and the Koutoubia gardens (free). Afternoon at the Majorelle Garden (~£12 entry — book a timed slot online in advance as it sells out). Evening at Jemaa el-Fna for street food, juice stalls and the drum circles (free, food ~£6).

🚌On foot and petit taxis (~£5)

🛏Marrakech medina hostel or riad (~£15-22)

• →Certified guide city walk (~£35)
• →Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrassa
• →Majorelle Garden (timed entry ~£12)
• →Jemaa el-Fna evening

Flexible day. Options: a day trip to Ourika Valley and the Atlas foothills with a shared minibus and local hike to Setti Fatma waterfalls (~£25-35 via GetYourGuide or arranged at your riad), an Ouzoud waterfalls day trip (~£30-40), a cooking class (~£30-40), or a slow day in the souks and neighbourhood cafés. Souk shopping tip: agree prices before you buy and walk away if it's not right. Cheap lunch ~£4, dinner ~£6.

🚌On foot / minibus for day trip (~£5-30)

🛏Marrakech medina hostel or riad (~£15-22)

• →Optional Ourika Valley or Ouzoud day trip (~£30)
• →Optional Moroccan cooking class (~£35)
• →Souk browsing and café time

Depending on your flight time, do a last mint tea in the medina or a final hammam scrub (~£15-20 for a budget local hammam). Marrakech Menara Airport is a short petit taxi ride from the medina (~£6-8) or you can take the airport bus. If you're flying out of Casablanca instead, the train from Marrakech to Casablanca takes about 3.5 hrs (~£10-13).

🚌Petit taxi to Menara Airport (~£7) or train to Casablanca (~£12)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Last medina wander
• →Optional budget hammam (~£18)
• →Airport transfer