What's the cheapest way to see Morocco?

The cheapest realistic way to see Morocco is to travel independently and overland, the way budget backpackers do, rather than booking any kind of package. That means using the country's genuinely good and genuinely cheap public transport: the train links Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Meknes and Marrakech comfortably for a few dollars a leg, the CTM and Supratours intercity buses reach everywhere the train does not, and for short hops between towns the shared grands taxis cost pennies if you pay for a single seat rather than buying out the car. Skip internal flights entirely — the country is compact enough not to need them.

Accommodation and food are where you keep the daily number low. Hostel dorm beds run $8 to $15 a night in the big cities, and if you are travelling with a friend a simple guesthouse double split two ways can match that per head. For food, eat where Moroccans eat: street stalls and local canteens turn out harira, sandwiches, brochettes and tagines for one to five dollars, and they are tastier than the tourist terraces charging three times more. Carry a refillable water bottle, drink the free mint tea, and skip alcohol, which is taxed and pricey. Lived this way, the daily on-the-ground cost lands around $35 to $45.

The one expense even budget travellers should plan for is the desert, because the Sahara is the reason most people come and it is hard to reach cheaply on your own. The honest cheapest route is a budget group tour from Marrakech or Fes — a two- or three-day shared-minibus trip with a basic camp for $80 to $130. It is rough and ready and crowded, but it gets you to the dunes for a fraction of any private option. Fold this in as your single planned splurge and the rest of your trip can stay genuinely cheap.

My honest verdict: independent overland travel, eating and sleeping local, with one budget desert tour, is unbeatable for cost — and travelling with at least one companion to halve rooms and taxis is the biggest extra saving there is. The trade-off is real: you do the logistics yourself, the transport is basic, and you sacrifice comfort and seamlessness for the low price. For travellers with time, energy and a tight budget, it is the way to see a huge amount of Morocco for very little. Check current fares and a couple of hostel quotes, since prices and exchange rates shift.