The Ultimate Self-Launched Adventure Through Morocco

Arrive at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) and take the train or a shared grand taxi into the city centre — much cheaper than a private transfer. The Airport Express train (Casa Voyageurs line) runs regularly and costs around £3. Check into your hostel or budget hotel in the city centre, then head out to explore the Hassan II Mosque waterfront and grab a welcome dinner of tagine or harira soup at a local medina restaurant.

🚌Airport Express train from CMN to Casa Voyageurs, ~£3

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Casablanca city centre (e.g. Hôtel Guynemer or a hostel in the medina area), ~£18–25pp

• →Arrive at Mohammed V International Airport (CMN)
• →Take the Airport Express train to Casablanca city centre (~£3)
• →Check in and explore the Hassan II Mosque waterfront area
• →Welcome dinner at a local medina restaurant

Take an early CTM or Supratours bus from Casablanca to Chefchaouen (roughly 5 hours, change at Tetouan if needed, ~£10–14). Arrive and check into a hostel or guesthouse in or near the medina. Spend the afternoon wandering the iconic cobalt-blue streets, browsing local craft shops, and people-watching in the shaded main plaza. In the evening, hike up to the Spanish Mosque for breathtaking sunset views over the blue city nestled in the Rif Mountains — it's a free 20-minute walk from the medina.

🚌CTM or Supratours bus Casablanca → Chefchaouen, ~£10–14

🛏Hostel or small guesthouse in or near the medina in Chefchaouen (e.g. Hostel Poppies or Dar Soussi), ~£12–20pp

• →CTM/Supratours bus from Casablanca to Chefchaouen (~£10–14)
• →Explore the cobalt-blue streets and medina of the Blue City
• →Browse local craft shops in the winding passageways
• →Hike up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset views (free)

Take a shared grand taxi from Chefchaouen to Akchour village (around 30 minutes, ~£2–3pp). From there, hike the well-marked trail through rivers, small cascades, rock formations, and lush forest to the stunning Akchour Falls (roughly 3–4 hours, 7 miles). Swim in the turquoise plunge pool at the base of the falls and enjoy a packed lunch you've prepared or buy from a local stall. Return to Chefchaouen by grand taxi in the late afternoon and spend the free evening exploring local restaurants and rooftop bars.

🚌Grand taxi Chefchaouen ↔ Akchour, ~£4–6 return

🛏Same guesthouse/hostel in Chefchaouen as night 2, ~£12–20pp

• →Grand taxi from Chefchaouen to Akchour village (~£2–3pp)
• →Self-guided hike to Akchour Falls (7 miles, ~3–4hrs)
• →Open water swim in the turquoise pool at the base of the falls
• →Picnic lunch at the falls
• →Free evening in Chefchaouen to explore restaurants and bars

Take a CTM bus or shared taxi from Chefchaouen toward Meknes (the most convenient transit point for Volubilis). From Meknes, take a grand taxi to Volubilis (~£3–4pp), the best-preserved Roman ruins in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the remarkable mosaics and triumphal arch at your own pace (entrance ~£5). Continue by grand taxi to the nearby holy hillside town of Moulay Idriss for lunch and a wander through the medina (free to enter most areas). Then take a grand taxi or bus on to Fes (around 1 hour). Check into your riad in the medina and venture out to explore the narrow old alleyways before dinner.

🚌Series of buses and grand taxis: Chefchaouen → Meknes → Volubilis → Moulay Idriss → Fes, ~£15–20 total

🛏Budget riad or guesthouse in Fes medina (e.g. Riad Bab Guissa area), ~£18–28pp

• →Bus/grand taxi from Chefchaouen toward Meknes (~£8–10)
• →Grand taxi from Meknes to Volubilis (~£3–4pp)
• →Self-guided visit to Volubilis Roman ruins and UNESCO site (entry ~£5)
• →Grand taxi to Moulay Idriss for lunch and medina exploration (free)
• →Grand taxi/bus onward to Fes (~£3–5)
• →Evening stroll through Fes el-Bali medina

Book a local guided walking tour of Fes el-Bali medina via GetYourGuide or direct with a licensed guide found at your riad (~£15–20pp for a half-day). Walk through Bab Boujloud, get wonderfully lost in the labyrinth of passageways, and find the famous Chouara Tannery — best viewed from a leather shop balcony overlooking the pits (usually free with a look around). Visit the exterior of the Kairaouine Mosque, one of the world's oldest universities. Spend the afternoon at leisure at your riad or exploring independently. Dinner is a free evening — try the local restaurants around Rcif Square for excellent value Fes cuisine.

🚌Walking

🛏Same riad/guesthouse in Fes medina as night 4, ~£18–28pp

• →Book a licensed local guide for a Fes medina walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£15–20pp)
• →Walk through Bab Boujloud and explore the medina labyrinth
• →View the Chouara Tannery from a leather shop balcony (free with browse)
• →Visit the exterior of the Kairaouine Mosque
• →Free afternoon and evening to explore and dine independently

The most epic travel day of the trip. Book a seat in a shared minibus or group transport from Fes to Merzouga — several guesthouses and tour operators in Fes run shared vehicles for this popular desert route (~£25–35pp). The journey takes around 8–10 hours through the High Atlas Mountains, cedar forests, and vast rocky landscapes. Stop in Midelt for a roadside lunch (~£3–5). Arrive at the Saharan village of Merzouga as the sun sets over the towering orange dunes of Erg Chebbi. Check into a Berber desert camp — many budget camps offer affordable dorm or twin tents with dinner and breakfast included (~£30–40pp all-in). Hike the dunes at sunset and stargaze under an impossibly clear desert sky.

🚌Shared minibus Fes → Merzouga, ~£25–35

🛏Berber desert camp near Merzouga, dorm or twin tent, dinner and breakfast typically included (~£30–40pp all-in)

• →Shared minibus from Fes to Merzouga (~£25–35pp, book via your riad or local operator)
• →Lunch stop in Midelt (~£3–5)
• →Sunset hike up the Erg Chebbi sand dunes
• →Overnight in a Berber desert camp with dinner and breakfast

Rise early to catch the sunrise over the Sahara — one of the most spectacular sights in Morocco. After breakfast at camp, arrange onward transport to Tinghir (the nearest town to Todra Gorge) via shared grand taxi or a local bus (~£10–15pp, around 4 hours). Stop en route at Ksar El Khorobat, an ancient walled village, for a brief walk and photos (free). Have lunch at a kasbah café near Tinghir (~£4–6). Take a grand taxi or walk the final stretch into the Todra Gorge. Book a 2-hour introductory rock climbing session directly with a local climbing guide at the gorge — you'll find licensed instructors at the canyon base who hire out equipment (~£20–25pp including gear).

🚌Shared grand taxi Merzouga → Tinghir, ~£10–15; local taxi/walk into gorge, ~£2

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Todra Gorge canyon (e.g. Hôtel le Festival or similar canyon-side guesthouse), ~£15–22pp

• →Sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes
• →Shared grand taxi or bus Merzouga → Tinghir (~£10–15pp)
• →Stop at Ksar El Khorobat ancient walled village (free)
• →Lunch at a kasbah café near Tinghir (~£4–6)
• →2-hour introductory rock climbing session in Todra Gorge with local instructor (~£20–25pp, gear included)

Set off on an independent hike through the stunning Todra Gorge — the trail is well-worn and straightforward to follow without a guide, though a local guide can be hired at the gorge entrance for ~£10–15pp if preferred. Trek through fertile palm groves, past Berber families and their farmland, deeper into the gorge where the 400m limestone cliffs close in dramatically around the Todra River. The canyon narrows to just a few metres wide at its most dramatic point. In the evening, treat yourself to a traditional hammam experience at a local public bathhouse in Tinghir (~£5–10pp including scrub).

🚌Walking

🛏Same guesthouse in Todra Gorge as night 7, ~£15–22pp

• →Self-launched hike through the full Todra Gorge canyon (free)
• →Trek through palm groves and along the Todra River
• →Experience the narrowest section of the 400m limestone cliffs
• →Evening hammam at a local public bathhouse in Tinghir (~£5–10pp)

Book a seat on a shared minibus or CTM bus from Tinghir toward Ouarzazate (~£8–12pp, around 2–3 hours). From Ouarzazate, take a grand taxi or local bus to the spectacular UNESCO-listed kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou (~£3–5pp). Explore the winding streets of this ancient fortified village at your leisure and climb to the summit for sweeping views across the plain (entrance ~£2). Have a late lunch at a restaurant with views of the kasbah. Then jump on a CTM bus or shared minibus from Ouarzazate to Marrakech over the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (~£10–14pp, around 4 hours of stunning mountain scenery). Arrive in Marrakech and check into your riad. Head to Djemaa el-Fna square for your farewell dinner — graze the food stalls for a spectacular and affordable last supper.

🚌Shared minibus + grand taxi + CTM bus: Tinghir → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Marrakech, ~£22–30 total

🛏Budget riad or guesthouse in Marrakech medina, ~£18–28pp

• →Shared minibus/CTM bus Tinghir → Ouarzazate (~£8–12pp)
• →Grand taxi/bus to Ait Ben Haddou UNESCO kasbah (~£3–5pp)
• →Self-guided exploration of Ait Ben Haddou (entry ~£2)
• →Late lunch at a kasbah-view restaurant
• →CTM bus Ouarzazate → Marrakech over Tizi n'Tichka pass (~£10–14pp)
• →Farewell dinner at the food stalls of Djemaa el-Fna square

Enjoy a final Moroccan breakfast at your riad. If you have time before your flight, take a quick wander through the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) or browse the souks one last time. Take a local bus (No. 19) or a Careem/inDriver ride-hailing taxi to Menara Airport (RAK) — around £3–6 depending on option. Remember to print your boarding pass before arriving at Marrakech airport, as mobile boarding passes are not accepted.

🚌Local bus No.19 or ride-hailing taxi to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), ~£3–6

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final breakfast at your Marrakech riad
• →Optional last wander through the souks or Mellah quarter
• →Local bus No.19 or ride-hailing taxi to Menara Airport RAK (~£3–6)
• →Note: print your boarding pass — mobile passes not accepted at RAK