New Tour

Morocco Gravel Bike Caravan

Day 1 Meet in Marrakesh

Welcome to Marrakesh, the 'Pearl of Southern Morocco'! The best way to experience this spirited city is to get lost in the labyrinthine alleys of the medina — the UNESCO World Heritage-listed heart of the city, brimming with life. Wander through spice markets, leather workshops, and endless rows of red-clay shophouses where you'll find just about everything under the Moroccan sun. Don't miss Jemaa el-Fnaa, the city's bustling main square, or explore the elegant Moroccan architecture of the Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Saadian Tombs. We meet at our tour hotel in the afternoon for a trip briefing, bike fitting and welcome dinner. Please let us know if you require assistance with airport transfers and pre-tour hotel bookings.

Riad Bahia Salam
Dinner

Day 2 Marrakesh - Tinghir

Time to hit the road! Departing from Marrakesh, we settle in for a 6-7 hour drive to the town of Tinghir, the starting point of our biking adventure located within an expansive, palm-filled oasis in southeastern Morocco. To get there, we cross the snow-capped peaks of the High Atlas Mountains and a vast terrain of stone-littered, semi-desert plateaus - a fine introduction to the landscapes we’ll soon be biking through. We stop for lunch along the way and aim to arrive in Tinghir in the mid-afternoon for some to unwind and acclimate our senses to our new environment in the heart of the Todra Valley.

Hotel Dar Bab Todra
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Tinghir - Todra Gorge - Tamtatouchte

Our inaugural ride offers a challenging ascent through the Todra Valley. In under 40 km, we'll gain over 1,000 metres (5% average gradient), experiencing a dramatic shift in scenery. Starting from our hotel in Tinghir, we follow the well-paved N12 north, enjoying a gentle ride above the edges of the oasis where a sea of date palms stretches along the fertile river plain with mudbrick Berber settlements and crumbling kasbahs carved into the hillsides. After 13 km, we enter the towering Todra Gorge, its sheer red limestone cliffs vaulting over the narrow valley where the river and road run side-by-side. In places, these colossal walls constrict to a mere 20 metres, yet soar beyond 300 - a truly mesmerising sight from the saddle! After exiting the gorge, we continue climbing at fluctuating gradients with the road surface now a little rougher as we wind through the sun-kissed, wind-swept, craggy foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. Around the 28 km mark, we arrive at the turquoise waters of the Todra Dam, from where the final leg leads us to the Berber village of Tamtatouchte where we spend the night at a simple yet cosy local guesthouse

Hotel Baddou
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 36km
+1031m
-594m

Day 4 Tamtatouchte - Dades Valley

This morning, we make our way out of the Todra Valley via a challenging 26 km ascent (5% average gradient) to the Tizi N'Uguent Zagsaon Pass, reaching 2,600 metres above sea level. The road is mostly in good condition, so endurance and battling potential headwinds will be our primary challenges! Carving into the mountainside, the route exposes the beautifully layered stratification of Earth's ancient seabed, uplifted millions of years ago by the collision of the African and Eurasian plates that forged the High Atlas Range. After a breather at the top of the pass, we relish in the reward: a near continuous and smooth 18 km winding descent with stunning mountain views leading into the Dades Valley. While a popular destination in its lower reaches, these upper parts of Dades are well off the tourist path and a joy to ride through with a photoreel of breathtaking gorges, mountain peaks, weathered escarpments, mudbrick Berber villages, and farm-studded oases along a peaceful, unevenly paved highland road. We end our ride in the village of Ait Hammou Village for another night of authentic Moroccan hospitality in the remote foothills of the High Atlas.

Hotel New Mars Dades
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 67km
+1220m
-1189m

Day 5 Dades Valley - Kalaat M'Gouna

Today, our ride continues south through the Dades Valley, following the gentle flow of the river as it carves through a raw landscape of craggy bluffs and stone-littered slopes. At the 7 km point we arrive at one of Morocco’s most picturesque series of switchbacks, coiling gracefully down the steep slopes of the Dades Gorge. Following this short yet iconic descent, the road continues to trend downhill for around 20 km, though with plenty of uphill bursts to keep our pedals spinning. We pass the unique "Monkey Fingers" rock formation before veering onto a secluded gravel path radiating across a hilly shrubland. A fairly steep, 2 km climb brings us to a plateau with views of the snow-dusted High Atlas to the north and the bone-dry Jbel Saghro south. The trails then lead us into Boulmane Dades, from where we switch to narrow village paths weaving through mudbrick settlements and time-worn kasbahs on the edge of the fertile oasis. The final 15 km along a wide gravel road brings us to our hotel on the outskirts of Kalaat M’Gouna, a town famed for its economy of roses which are processed into fragrant water, perfume, and oil.

Rose Garden Dades
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 66km
+784m
-1137m

Day 6 Kalaat M'Gouna - N’Kob

Leaving the Dades Valley behind, today we embark on a gloriously challenging stretch of gravel biking as we join a long track winding through the Jbel Saghro Mountains, an ancient range with weathered peaks. Within around 15 km of darting off from Kalaat M'Gouna, we begin to pass through desolate, rock-strewn hills with only the crunch of the gravel beneath our wheels to break the silence. The terrain gets more and more mountainous as we push further, culminating in a 6 km ascent (5-6% average gradient) to the top of a pass sitting at 2,000 metres above sea level. The second half of the stage then takes us on a fun series of downhill blitzes interspersed with a few 1-2 km climbs, ultimately bringing us back to 1,000 metres above sea level on the other side of the Jbel Saghro. It is spellbinding to observe the gradual transformation of the landscape from rugged mountains to pre-Saharan semi-desert plateaus. The final 15 km take us along a straight secondary road all the way to the oasis town of N’Kob where we spend the night amidst the town’s facade of rammed earth kasbahs.

Kasbah Baha Baha
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 94km
+1517m
-1918m

Day 7 N’Kob - Zagora

On our last stage we transition from the frontiers of Morocco’s mountains into the beginnings of the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert. The first 10 km are a gentle warm-up along the main road from N’Kob before a short climb over a ridge brings us into a dry valley where the presence of irrigated farms speaks to the agricultural ingenuity of the region’s Berber inhabitants. At the 36 km point, a 3 km climb (4% average gradient) elevates us to the top of a remote pass which overlooks a canyon framed by colossal rock walls. We take it slow on the subsequent rocky descent and then join a paved provincial road which, over a downhill trending distance of around 30 km, guides us through a barren semi-desert plain into the contrastingly lush Draa Valley. On small rural paths we ride through date palm groves, fields of barley, and adobe villages before joining the road to Zagora which, historically, was the last major staging post for caravans embarking on the arduous journey across the Sahara to Timbuktu. But for our gravel bike caravan, the journey ends here, and we relax at a charming hotel nestled in the oasis.

Riad Dar Sofian
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 96km
+582m
-908m

Day 8 Zagora - Ait Benhaddou

With five epic days of cycling behind us, we begin our relaxed return to Marrakesh. In the morning, we drive around 30 minutes to the Tinfou Dunes for a taste of the Sahara with a short walk across the powdery sands. From there, we transfer around three hours to Ouarzazette, the so-called “Hollywood of Morocco,” where we have lunch. The final hour's drive leads us to Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its striking and well-preserved mud-brick architecture. Traditional kasbahs and narrow alleyways cling to a steep hillside above a seasonal river, creating a dramatic backdrop seen in major productions like Gladiator and Game of Thrones. After a leisurely afternoon tour of this magnificent site, we settle into a nearby riad where we spend the night, saving the last leg of the road trip to Marrakesh for the next morning.

Riad Maktoub
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 Ait Benhaddou - Marrakesh

We leave Ait Benhaddou in the morning with the aim of arriving in Marrakesh in time for lunch. The total driving time is around 3-4 hours with a few rest stops to stretch our legs. The drive takes us back over the High Atlas Mountains, with particularly stunning views along the famous Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2,260 meters above sea level), one of the highest motorable roads in North Africa. Once we arrive in Marrakesh, you have free time to get lunch (not included) and spend the afternoon ticking off any remaining sights or bargaining your way through the medina for some last-minute souvenirs! We reconvene in the evening for a celebratory farewell dinner.

Riad Bahia Salam
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10 Marrakesh Departure

Our tour has come to an end, but feel free to extend your stay in Morocco and explore even more of what this captivating country has to offer. Consider heading to the Atlantic Coast to discover the charming seaside cities of Essaouira or Casablanca, or immerse yourself further in the historic allure of Fes to the north. For those seeking something more adventurous, a trek up Mount Toubkal, North Africa’s tallest mountain, offers a rewarding challenge just outside Marrakesh. Please let us know if you need assistance with post-tour hotel bookings or airport transfers.

Breakfast

Disclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.