Cities, Sahara, coast — the full circuit on buses and shared taxis, with real costs in MAD and the one leg where it pays to book a guided tour.
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Daniel Okafor· Adventure & Outdoors Editor
Trekking guide and outdoor writer who has summited Toubkal more times than he can count and surfed every break from Taghazout to Imsouane. He covers hiking, surfing, climbing and adrenaline activities. Agadir · 13+ years covering Morocco
Published 10 July 2025 Last updated 7 March 2026
Two weeks is enough time to backpack Morocco properly — if you pick a route and stick to it. The classic circuit strings together the imperial cities, the Sahara dunes and the Atlantic coast without major backtracking, and almost all of it is doable on CTM and Supratours buses for under 1,000 MAD in total transport costs.
The route below is built around what actually rewards slow travel: medinas you can get genuinely lost in, a Sahara camp that earns its cost, and a blue-washed northern town that looks like a film set at six in the morning. It also flags the one place — the desert leg — where paying for a guided tour saves enough stress to be worth the extra spend even on a backpacker budget.
Distances in Morocco are longer than they look on the map. A 400 km bus journey often takes seven or eight hours on mountain roads. Build that reality into your pacing, and you will enjoy every stop instead of arriving exhausted.
The 2-Week Route, Stop by Stop
Sequence runs Marrakech → Merzouga → Fes → Chefchaouen → Tangier → Essaouira → Marrakech. You can reverse it; anticlockwise is marginally less crowded at popular stops.
Days 1–3
Marrakech
Sensory overload, intentionally chosen.
Arrive by bus from Casablanca or direct flightCTM bus from CMN ~130 MAD
Majorelle Garden — worth the 200 MAD if you budget for one paid sight
Getting lost in the souks without a guide — once you've got your bearings
Budget tip: A dorm bed in the medina runs 80–150 MAD/night. Eat harira and msemen from street stalls for under 30 MAD a meal.
Days 4–6
Sahara Desert (Merzouga)
The one night you should not skip.
Supratours or private tour from MarrakechSupratours bus ~180 MAD; private tour from ~900 MAD pp
Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset by camel
Overnight camp under a genuinely dark sky
Sunrise from the dune crest before breakfast
Optional: quad biking or sandboarding at the camp (~150–300 MAD extra)
Budget tip: Budget desert camps start from around 350–500 MAD per person including dinner, breakfast and the camel ride. That is exceptional value for what you get. A private guided tour from Marrakech covering transport, camp and guide is the stress-free way to handle this leg.
Days 7–9
Fes
Morocco's most complex city — give it time.
CTM bus Merzouga/Erfoud to Fes via Midelt~200–220 MAD, about 8–9 hours
Fes el-Bali medina, a UNESCO maze of 9,000+ alleys
Chouara Tannery from a rooftop terrace above a leather shop
Bou Inania Madrasa (10 MAD entry)
The Mellah (Jewish quarter) and Andalusian mosque neighbourhood
Budget tip: Hire a licensed medina guide for a half-day (~250–400 MAD) on day one — it saves hours of frustration and wards off unofficial fixers. After that you'll navigate comfortably on your own.
Days 10–11
Chefchaouen
Every alley is a photograph, and that's fine.
CTM from Fes~80–100 MAD, about 4 hours
The blue-washed medina at 6 am before day-trippers arrive
Ras el-Maa waterfall at the top of the medina
Spanish mosque hill above town at sunset
Local kefta and mint tea on the central Plaza Uta el-Hammam
Budget tip: Chefchaouen is noticeably cheaper than Marrakech. Dorms from 70–120 MAD, good restaurants with full meals under 80 MAD. Two nights is enough; three is comfortable.
Day 12
Tangier or Asilah (optional)
The north is underrated — most backpackers skip it.
CTM or Supratours from Chefchaouen~70–90 MAD to Tangier, about 3.5 hours
Tangier medina and Cap Spartel, where Atlantic meets Mediterranean
Asilah: a tiny whitewashed coastal town with murals and ramparts
Day trip to Cave of Hercules (30 MAD by grand taxi from Tangier)
Budget tip: If you are heading onward to Spain, Tangier makes practical sense. If not, Asilah is a lovely half-day from Tangier and then backtrack south.
Days 13–14
Essaouira
End where the Atlantic wind clears your head.
Supratours from Marrakech~90 MAD, 3 hours
Ramparts walk along the Portuguese fortifications
Fresh grilled sardines at the harbour (~40 MAD a plate)
Argan oil cooperatives on the road from Marrakech
Kite- and windsurfers on Essaouira beach — rent a board from ~200 MAD/hr
Budget tip: Supratours runs direct from Marrakech to Essaouira in 3 hours for about 90 MAD. Coming from the north, easier to return to Marrakech first.
Chefchaouen at 6 am: empty alleys, cats, and zero crowds.
14-Day Budget Breakdown
Indicative costs in MAD (Moroccan dirham). At June 2026 rates, 10 MAD ≈ $1 USD. Excludes international flights and travel insurance.
Category
Budget estimate
Notes
Accommodation (14 nights)
1,400–2,100 MAD
Hostel dorms at 100–150 MAD/night. Private rooms add 50–100 MAD.
Food & drink
1,400–2,800 MAD
100–200 MAD/day eating local — street food, medina cafes, market stalls.
Intercity buses
700–900 MAD
Full circuit on CTM/Supratours. Book 24 hrs ahead in peak season.
Local transport
350–500 MAD
Petits taxis, shared grands taxis, the odd train segment.
Entry fees & sights
400–600 MAD
Selective — budget for 2–3 paid sights per city.
Desert camp (1 night)
400–600 MAD
Budget camp with dinner, breakfast and camel trek included.
These figures assume dorm beds, local street food and bus travel throughout. One week on a mid-range budget (private rooms, restaurant meals) roughly doubles the accommodation and food lines. The transport and entry-fee costs stay approximately the same.
Logistics Worth Knowing Before You Go
Buses: CTM vs Supratours
CTM covers more routes; Supratours is slightly more comfortable and connects with ONCF train stations. Both require advance booking in peak season. Seat 1 or 2 on the right side gets the best mountain views on the Marrakech–Ouarzazate stretch.
Cash is king outside cities
ATMs exist in all major cities but are unreliable in small towns (Merzouga, Midelt). Draw enough dirhams in Fes or Marrakech before heading south. Most medina guesthouses and street vendors are cash-only; cards are accepted in some riads and tourist restaurants.
Best months to go
March–May and September–November offer warm days, cool nights and manageable crowds. Summer (June–August) is hot everywhere and brutally hot in the Sahara — not the best time for the desert leg. December–February can be cold but the cities are quiet and cheap.
SIM card and data
Buy a Maroc Telecom or Orange SIM at the airport on arrival. 30-day data packages start from around 50–100 MAD for 10–30 GB — essential for navigation in medinas and bus ticket booking apps. Coverage in the Sahara is sparse but Merzouga town has 4G.
The Case for One Guided Tour on a Budget Trip
Every leg of this itinerary is doable independently — except, arguably, the Sahara. Getting yourself from Merzouga to a specific desert camp, navigating the camel trek timing, and returning to the road the next morning without a car involves a chain of shared taxis, camp negotiations and early morning logistics that can go wrong quickly.
A private guided tour that covers the transport from Marrakech, the camel trek, a night at a reputable camp and the bus connections onward to Fes removes all of that friction for a cost per person that — when you factor in the transport you were going to pay anyway — is often only 200–400 MAD more than doing it yourself. On a 14-day trip, that is good value for the stress it saves on the one leg where logistics are genuinely complex.
Plan it with a local expert
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What is the best route for backpacking Morocco in 2 weeks?
The classic budget circuit runs Marrakech → Merzouga (Sahara) → Fes → Chefchaouen → Tangier → Essaouira → Marrakech. Done anticlockwise or clockwise, it covers the imperial cities, the Sahara and the Atlantic coast without any major backtracking. Two weeks is just enough time to move at a reasonable pace — three weeks is comfortable if you want rest days. The Fes-to-Chefchaouen-to-Tangier northern arc is the section most backpackers underestimate how much they will enjoy.
How much does 2 weeks in Morocco cost on a budget?
Travelling on a genuine backpacker budget — hostel dorms, local street food, CTM/Supratours buses — expect to spend around 4,800–7,500 MAD (roughly $480–$750 USD, indicative) for 14 days, excluding flights. That works out to about 350–550 MAD per day. Add one night in a budget desert camp, a hammam session and two or three paid entry tickets, and you stay well within the range. Budget more if you want occasional private rooms or restaurant meals.
Is it safe to hitchhike in Morocco as a backpacker?
Hitchhiking does happen in rural Morocco, particularly between small towns in the south and the Draa Valley where bus frequency is low. Locals and travellers alike use it as a practical fallback. That said, shared grand taxis cover most routes cheaply enough (10–50 MAD for short hops) that hitchhiking is rarely necessary. Solo women should exercise extra caution and stick to grand taxi ranks rather than roadside lifts. For intercity legs, stick with CTM or Supratours — they are reliable, affordable and run to schedule.
What is the cheapest way to get from Marrakech to Fes?
The cheapest direct option is the overnight CTM bus (roughly 180–220 MAD, about 8 hours). There is no through-train between Marrakech and Fes — you would change in Casablanca and the total journey takes 8–9 hours for a similar price, so most backpackers prefer the direct bus. If you are routing via the Sahara as part of a 2-week circuit, you will naturally stop in Merzouga first and then take a bus north to Fes from Erfoud or Rissani, which breaks the long haul nicely.
Can you sleep in a desert camp cheaply in Morocco?
Yes. Budget desert camps near Merzouga start from around 300–500 MAD per person for a night in a Berber tent, including dinner (usually tagine and couscous), breakfast and the camel ride at sunset or sunrise. That is competitive with a hostel dorm in Marrakech once you factor in two meals. You will not get en-suite bathrooms or electricity, but the star-gazing more than compensates. Upgrading to a private tent or a camp with proper facilities doubles the price — still modest by global standards.
Is CTM bus or Supratours better for budget travel in Morocco?
Both are reliable and roughly similar in price. CTM has a wider network and more frequent departures on major routes (Marrakech–Casablanca, Fes–Marrakech). Supratours is the ONCF rail operator's bus arm, so it connects with train stations and covers routes like Marrakech–Essaouira and the south particularly well. In practice you will use both on a 2-week circuit. Book tickets online or at the station 24 hours ahead in July–August and over Easter — seats sell out on popular routes.
How many days should I spend in Fes as a backpacker?
Three nights and two full days is the minimum to do Fes justice. The old medina (Fes el-Bali) is the largest car-free urban area in the world and genuinely takes a full day to begin understanding. Spend day one with a licensed guide in the medina, day two exploring the Mellah, Andalusian quarter and the pottery district at your own pace. If medieval Islamic architecture is your thing, you could easily fill a third day. Do not rush it — Fes rewards slow travel more than anywhere else in Morocco.
