Spain, Portugal & Morocco: North to South with Marrakech — Self-Launched

Land at MAD and take Metro Line 8 into the centre (about €5). Check into a hostel in La Latina or Sol, then walk the Plaza Mayor and Gran Vía at dusk. Book Prado or Reina Sofía tickets online in advance to skip queues.

🚌Metro Line 8 from airport, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, central Madrid (~£28/night)

• →Self-guided Plaza Mayor & Gran Vía walk
• →Optional Reina Sofía Museum (~£10)

Take an early Renfe/Alsa bus or train toward Salamanca (bus ~£20, ~2.5h) and spend 2-3 hours wandering the golden-stone Plaza Mayor and old town. Continue by Alsa bus or train to Porto (~£25-30, 4-5h), arriving early evening.

🚌Madrid–Salamanca bus ~£20 + Salamanca–Porto bus/train ~£28

🛏Hostel dorm, Ribeira/Baixa area (~£22/night)

• →Salamanca Plaza Mayor stroll
• →Evening Ribeira wander

Morning self-guided walk: São Bento station azulejos, Sé Cathedral, Livraria Lello (€8, book ahead), Ribeira riverside. Afternoon Douro river cruise (~£18) or cross to Gaia for a port cellar tasting at one of the lodges (Sandeman, Graham's, Taylor's, ~£15-20).

🚌Walking + metro/tram day ticket ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Porto (~£22/night)

• →Port wine cellar tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia (~£18)
• →Optional Douro river cruise (~£18)
• →São Bento station & Ribeira walk

Take the Alfa Pendular or Intercidades train from Campanhã to Lisbon Oriente (2h50, booked in advance ~£25-30 by CP). Settle into an Alfama or Baixa hostel and do a self-guided orientation through Rossio, Praça do Comércio and the Alfama lanes.

🚌CP train Porto–Lisbon ~£28

🛏Hostel dorm, Alfama/Baixa (~£25/night)

• →Alfama & Baixa orientation walk
• →Miradouro sunset viewpoints

Full day free. Either explore Belém (tram 15, Belém Tower €8, Pastéis de Belém) or take the commuter train from Rossio to Sintra (~£4.50 return) for Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. In the evening, catch a Fado set in a small Alfama bar (~£15-20) with a traditional dinner.

🚌Rossio–Sintra train + Lisbon tram ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm, Lisbon (~£25/night)

• →Sintra day trip (~£25 incl. entry)
• →Fado performance in Alfama (~£18)

Bus or train to Évora (~2h, ~£12). Visit the Chapel of Bones (€6-8) — the walls and pillars are lined with human bones from the 16th century — plus the Roman Diana's Temple, cathedral and Praça do Giraldo. Sample Alentejo wine and cheese.

🚌Lisbon–Évora bus/train ~£12

🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Évora (~£24/night)

• →Chapel of Bones entry (~£7)
• →Diana's Temple & old town walk

Bus to Olhão on the Algarve coast (~£12, 2.5h), wander the fish market and whitewashed lanes, then continue by Rede Expressos/Damas bus to Seville (~£20, 4h). Evening orientation walk through Santa Cruz and around the Giralda.

🚌Évora–Olhão bus ~£12 + Olhão–Seville bus ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm, Seville old town (~£22/night)

• →Olhão fish market & waterfront
• →Seville evening orientation walk

Pre-book the Real Alcázar (€13.50) and Seville Cathedral/Giralda (€9) online. Wander Santa Cruz in the afternoon, then book a tablao flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria or La Carbonería (~£20).

🚌Walking / city bus ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Seville (~£22/night)

• →Alcázar Palace (~£12)
• →Cathedral & Giralda (~£8)
• →Flamenco show (~£20)

Bus from Seville to Algeciras (~2.5h, ~£12), then walk to the port and take the FRS/AML ferry to Tangier Ville (~1.5h, ~£30-35 single). Moroccan entry is visa-free for UK passports. Afternoon walk through the Tangier medina, Petit Socco and the Kasbah, with dinner of grilled fish near the port.

🚌Seville–Algeciras bus ~£12 + ferry ~£33

🛏Guesthouse/hostel, Tangier medina edge (~£18/night)

• →Tangier medina & Kasbah walk
• →Café Hafa sunset views

Shared grand taxi or CTM bus to Tetouan (~1h, ~£4), explore the UNESCO medina, El Feddan Square and Mellah. Continue by grand taxi/bus to Chefchaouen (~1h, ~£4). Climb to the Spanish Mosque for sunset over the blue city.

🚌Grand taxis/bus Tangier–Tetouan–Chefchaouen ~£9

🛏Riad/guesthouse dorm or private budget room, Chefchaouen (~£18/night)

• →Tetouan medina self-walk
• →Chefchaouen blue streets & Spanish Mosque sunset

Short guided half-day hike from Chefchaouen into the Rif foothills with a local guide (~£20, arrange at any guesthouse or guide office). Stop at a farm for a goat-cheese making session, then take the afternoon bus via Ouazzane to Fès (~3.5h, ~£9), arriving early evening.

🚌Bus Chefchaouen–Fès ~£9

🛏Riad/guesthouse in Fès medina (~£20/night)

• →Rif foothills hike with local guide (~£20)
• →Goat cheese making with a farm family (~£8)
• →Ouazzane medina stop

Book a licensed medina guide through your riad or a GetYourGuide listing (~£25-30, 3-4h). See the Bou Inania madrasa, Al-Attarine, the tanneries from a leather-shop terrace and the artisan souks. Dinner of pastilla and tanjia at a cheap local restaurant in the medina (~£10).

🚌Walking

🛏Riad/guesthouse in Fès (~£20/night)

• →Guided Fès medina tour (~£27)
• →Tannery viewpoint
• →Traditional pastilla dinner

Bus or shared taxi from Fès to Meknès (~1h, ~£4), then a grand taxi out to the Roman ruins of Volubilis (UNESCO) and its mosaics (entry ~£6). Hire a local site guide at the gate (~£10) or use the on-site signage. Return through Meknès to see Bab Mansour and the Heri es-Souani granaries.

🚌Grand taxi/bus Fès–Meknès–Volubilis ~£12

🛏Riad/guesthouse in Fès (~£20/night)

• →Volubilis Roman ruins (~£6 entry)
• →Meknès Bab Mansour & medina walk

Morning ONCF train from Fès to Casablanca (~4h, ~£10 second class). Afternoon self-guided city circuit: the Hassan II Mosque exterior and plaza, the Corniche, Habous quarter and the old medina. Skip the organised full-day version and simply walk the coast.

🚌ONCF train Fès–Casablanca ~£10

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Casablanca centre (~£18/night)

• →Hassan II Mosque visit (exterior free, tour ~£12)
• →Habous quarter & Corniche walk

Train to Marrakech (~3h, ~£8) then CTM bus over the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Ouarzazate (~4h, ~£8). Long travel day. Late afternoon visit to the Atlas Film Studios (~£7) or the Taourirt Kasbah.

🚌Train Casablanca–Marrakech ~£8 + bus to Ouarzazate ~£8

🛏Budget guesthouse, Ouarzazate (~£18/night)

• →Tizi n'Tichka pass scenery
• →Atlas Film Studios or Taourirt Kasbah (~£7)

Local bus or shared grand taxi from Ouarzazate to M'Hamid (~5h, ~£8). Late afternoon 4x4 or camel trek out to a Berber desert camp at Erg Lihoudi (~£35-45 including dinner, breakfast and return transfer). Welcome mint tea and a bonfire under the stars.

🚌Bus Ouarzazate–M'Hamid ~£8 + excursion transfer

🛏Berber tent at Erg Lihoudi camp (included in excursion ~£40)

• →4x4 out to the dunes (~£25 shared)
• →Camel ride (~£12)
• →Desert camp dinner & bonfire

Sunrise on the dunes, then return to M'Hamid and bus north. Break the journey at Aït Benhaddou — walk the ksar across the river for free and take in the UNESCO village used in countless films. Continue to Ouarzazate for the night.

🚌Shared taxi/bus M'Hamid–Ouarzazate with Aït Benhaddou stop ~£12

🛏Budget guesthouse, Ouarzazate (~£18/night)

• →Sunrise in the dunes
• →Aït Benhaddou ksar walk (free)

Bus toward Azilal/Marrakech and stop at Ouzoud — Morocco's tallest waterfall, with a free riverside walk and optional boat (~£5). Continue to Marrakech and check into a riad inside the medina. Evening wander of Jemaa el-Fna's food stalls.

🚌Bus Ouarzazate–Ouzoud–Marrakech ~£14

🛏Budget riad inside the medina, Marrakech (~£22/night)

• →Ouzoud waterfall walk
• →Jemaa el-Fna evening food stalls

Morning Moroccan cooking class booked via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£30), including a market shop and a tanjia or tagine session. Afternoon: Bahia Palace (~£6) and the Jardin Secret (~£8), with a bakery stop for msemen. Tea on a Jemaa el-Fna rooftop terrace.

🚌Walking

🛏Medina riad, Marrakech (~£22/night)

• →Moroccan cooking class (~£30)
• →Bahia Palace (~£6)
• →Jardin Secret (~£8)

Free day. Options: Jardin Majorelle & YSL Museum (~£20 combined, book a timeslot), the Ben Youssef Madrasa (~£5), souk shopping, or a hot-air balloon at sunrise (~£150). Consider a day-trip hammam experience (~£12-20).

🚌Walking / petit taxi ~£3

🛏Medina riad, Marrakech (~£22/night)

• →Jardin Majorelle & YSL Museum (~£20)
• →Ben Youssef Madrasa (~£5)
• →Hammam (~£15)

Slow morning in the souks, El Badi Palace (~£6) and the Saadian Tombs (~£6). Optional guided medina walk (~£20) if you want context on the craft quarters. Finish with a farewell dinner of grilled skewers and harira at the Jemaa el-Fna food stalls (~£8).

🚌Walking

🛏Medina riad, Marrakech (~£22/night)

• →El Badi Palace & Saadian Tombs (~£12)
• →Souk shopping
• →Jemaa el-Fna farewell dinner

Breakfast on the riad rooftop and transfer to Menara Airport (bus 19 ~£3, or petit taxi ~£8). Depart, or extend in the Atlas foothills or Essaouira if time allows.

🚌Bus 19 or taxi to RAK airport ~£3-8

• →Rooftop breakfast
• →Airport transfer