Cycle Morocco - Atlas to the Sahara

Our tour of Morocco starts in the Red City. With its dusty rooftops, maze-like streets and bustling souks, Marrakech encompasses the essence of Morocco. Head to the Medina and people watch while you sip a mint tea in Jemaa el-Fna (the main square) or visit the Jardin Majorelle, just a short walk from our hotel. Alternatively, you might like to relax in the hotel's rooftop swimming pool before our adventure begins. There are no activities planned for today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), which is around a 20-minutes drive from our hotel. Our tour leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting and then an optional dinner. If you arrive later, they'll catch you up as soon as possible.

This morning, we'll drive into the heart of the Atlas Mountains. Our 3 hours journey takes us over the High Atlas pass of Tizi n'Tichka at an altitude of 2260 metres/7415 feet. We'll make a stop at the Kasbah Telouet, located on the former caravan route from the Sahara to Marrakech. Not far from here, we'll swap our bus for bikes and take a moment to get acquainted with them before pedalling off. Our first stretch of cycling is to the fortified city of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Considered one of Morocco's most picturesque sites, the city is famous for its earthen clay crenelated towers and kasbah, which you might recognise from scenes in Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Tonight, we'll stay a short walk away from Ait Ben Haddou, giving us a chance to check in to our hotel and freshen up before discovering the site once the crowds have departed. Our total cycling distance for today is 38 kilometres/23.6 miles with a total ascent of 370 metres/1214 feet and descent of 340 metres/1116 feet.

Today, we'll depart Ait Ben Haddou by bus and drive over the dramatic Tizi n'Tinififft mountain pass, rising to an altitude of 1800 meters/5906 feet amid the lunar landscape of the Anti-Atlas. We'll continue down into one of Morocco's stunning natural wonders - the Draa Valley. Dotted with kasbahs and ksours (fortified villages), the Draa Valley is breathtaking to cycle through. We'll get on our bikes and push off toward the small town of Nkob, where we'll head south, descending through lush oases before returning to our bus. We'll stop for the night in Nkob, a one hour drive away. Our total cycling distance for today is 42 kilometres/26.1 miles with a total ascent of 460 metres/1509 feet and descent of 340 metres/1116 feet.

This morning, we'll depart along the southern foothills of the Jebel Sahro Mountain range towards the Hammada Desert, a remote part of Morocco. We'll stop in Rissani, where we'll take some time to explore the Tuesday markets and the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, the great-grandson of the founder of the Alaouite Dynasty. On the outskirts of Rissani, we'll hop on our bikes and cycle along the desert road towards the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Once we reach the golden plains, we'll swap out bikes for camels and trek out into the deserted landscape. Erg Chebbi is home to the largest expanse of sand in Morocco, with dunes reaching as high as 150 metres/492 feet tall. Landscapes like this one only cover around one-fifth of the Sahara's surface - the rest is made up of rock and gravel plains. Our camelback caravan will lead us to our camp for tonight, right here on the Erg Chebbi sands. We'll experience the tranquillity of the desert at a Berber camp. Our camp is basic but comfortable - the twin share tents are fully equipped with full size single beds with mattresses, blankets, and pillows and there are charging points for phones and cameras. The camp site is right on the edge of the magnificent sand dunes, after a refreshing glass of mint tea you may wish to take a stroll amongst the dunes to witness the sun setting over the Sahara desert, the light at this time in the late evening casts shadows over the dunes making them a photographers dream. Dinner is served under the stars after which we retire to a campfire. Note that the camp has shared bathroom facilities, showers are simple and hot water and good water pressure aren't guaranteed. Our total cycling distance for today is 37 kilometres/23 miles with a total ascent of 80 metres/262 feet and descent of 80 metres/262 feet.

Waking early, we'll watch the desert sunrise cast shadows across the rolling dunes before breakfast. Then, we'll return to Merzouga on camelback where we'll stock up on supplies for the day. Here, we'll get back in the saddle and cycle on to Erfoud. Today's ride is in the Rissani region - the homeland of the Alaouite dynasty, which reigned in the area for 300 years. Cycling through the expansive landscape, we'll spot locals going about daily life, herding goats and camels. Our total cycling distance for today is 54 kilometres/33.6 miles with a total ascent of 450 metres/1476 feet and descent of 20 metres/66 feet.

Today, we'll set off by bus towards the Dades Valley in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. We'll stop to see the ancient 'foggara' subterranean irrigation system and learn how the ancient system provided water for the surrounding villages. After 2 hours driving, we'll mount our bikes for a refreshing ride through a lush oasis of date palms, olive groves and fruit orchards to the Dades Valley. On arriving in Tinerhir, we'll climb to the viewpoint before freewheeling down to the Todra Gorge, one of the most spectacular canyons in the region. We'll have time to explore the narrow mountain chasms on foot before meeting our bus to continue to the entrance of the Dades valley. We'll stay in a hotel that offers panoramic views of the lush Dades valley. Our total cycling distance for today is 43 kilometres/26.7 miles with a total ascent of 880 metres/2887 feet and descent of 20 metres/66 feet.

After an early breakfast, we'll drive into the High Atlas to the Tizi n'Fedrhate Pass, around two hours away, along the former caravan route to El Kelaa des M\ Gouna. Known as the 'town of the roses\ , El Kelaa des M\ Gouna is blanketed by scented blossoms each spring. These are harvested each May in the Festival of the Roses, before being processed into rosewater which is then sold throughout the Islamic world. From the high pass, we'll start our cycle down into the northern foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Amid the silence of the mountain valleys, we'll pass by local Berber communities at work on their farms, producing olives, figs and wheat. We'll eventually catch up to our bus, where we'll board to travel back to Marrakech, around two hours away. Our total cycling distance for today is 34 kilometres/21.1 miles with a total ascent of 170 metres/558 feet and descent of 1570 metres/5151 feet. Note: This cycling route may have to be altered during periods of adverse weather.

Our tour of Morocco ends at our hotel in Marrakech. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer, you need to depart from Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK).