Morocco - Atlas to Sahara
October 9-23, 2027

Day 1 (Sat, October 9th 2027): Marrakech Arrival

Welcome to Marrakech, the "Red City." Meet our guide at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) for the transfer to our hotel. Once settled, set out at your own pace to wander the historic medina’s sun-baked passages. Drift past tucked-away workshops where metal crafters shape lanterns, open shopfronts piled high with aromatic powders, and quiet courtyards lined with intricately knotted Berber rugs. At 5:00pm, we gather for an orientation briefing, followed by a celebratory welcome dinner to toast the start of our journey.  >Medina Hotel, 4*, Meals: (-/-/D/HH)

Day 2 (Oct 10): Marrakech - Ait Benhaddou (Shakeout Ride:28 mi, +1180'/-680', Max Altitude: 7,500', transfer: 74mi.)

Our journey begins with a scenic 2-hour morning transfer through the Tizi n'Tichka pass into the High Atlas, launching our ride near Telouet (2,200 m). Here, we pause to explore the storied Kasbah du Glaoui stronghold. After lunch, we cycle into the magnificent Ounila Valley, where verdant terraced fields contrast sharply with glowing ochre kasbahs. The route carves through a string of striking Berber hamlets on undulating tarmac before dramatically descending into the ancient mud-brick fortress town of Aït Benhaddou. >Ksar Ighenda Hotel, (B/L/D/HH)  

Day 3 (Oct 11): Ait Benhaddou - Tamnougalt (Ride: 50mi, +3800'/-3100', Max Altitude: 5,400')

Following a morning exploration of the labyrinthine mud-brick corridors of Aït Benhaddou (UNESCO World Heritage frozen in time) a brief transfer brings us to the fringes of Ouarzazate. We saddle up beneath the shadows of Kasbah Tifoultout to begin the day's stage which skirts the rugged western flank of the Jebel Saghro range. Cycle on long, open flats before the road tilts upward toward our first hurdle: the 1,550-meter crest of Tizi n'Ouado. A brisk descent to Aït Saoun is followed by our centerpiece ascent to Tizi n'Tinififft. Topping out at 1,660 meters, we are rewarded with  panoramic views of the jagged, snow-dusted High Atlas peaks standing in stark contrast to the abyss of chasms carved below. From the pass, enjoy a long, flowing downhill run into Agdz with the distinctive, conical profile of Jebel Kissane dominating the horizon. Agdz itself is pure desert romance-an ancient oasis where trans-Saharan camel caravans once halted on the grueling road from Marrakech to Timbuktu. Rolling into this legendary gateway where the Draa Valley's lush sea of date palms takes hold, we finish the ride tracing the serene left bank of the river. >Kasbah Tamnougalt with swimming pool (B/L/D/HH)

Day 4 (Oct 12): Tamnougalt - Zagora  (61mi, +1640',-2230’)

We cycle into the upper Draa Valley along a tranquil route that traces a serpentine river fed by High Atlas snowmelt, weaving through lush palm groves, fertile terraced plots, and magnificent earthen kasbahs guarding the valley floor. Much of the day follows the legendary trans-Saharan caravan route-the historic artery where camel trains once traded northern salt for the gold, ivory, and spices of Timbuktu, Niger, and Old Sudan, bridging sub-Saharan Africa with the Mediterranean and Europe. Pedaling south, the cultural tapestry comes to life in mud-brick villages shaped by centuries of Berber, Arab, and Haratin heritage. The day’s journey concludes in the desert frontier town of Zagora, where we settle into an intimate local hotel nesting in the palm grove. >Riad LaMane Hotel (B/L/D/-)

Day 5 (Oct 13): Zagora – Tafraoute N’Sidi Ali (4x4 Safari)  (Ride: 37 mi, +1115'/-650')

We bid farewell to the lush palms of the Draa Valley, turning east to climb toward the Tizi n'Tafilalet-a historic trail that once linked Morocco’s two great oasis kingdoms, the Draa and the Tafilalt. Our route crosses an austere stone desert plateau, flanked by weathered, rain-sculpted massifs that stand stark against the horizon. Beyond the remote outpost of Tissardmine, the terrain levels out, leading to our rendezvous point where we rack the bikes and board robust 4x4s. From here, our desert expedition enters the wild ancestral territory of the semi-nomadic Aït Atta tribe. Our vehicles track across vast sun-baked plains and dry, sandy wadis deep into the Sahara. As shadows lengthen across the open desert, we arrive at a desert village to unwind in a traditional riad. >Jardins de Tafraoute Hotel (B/L/D/HH)
Day 6 (Oct 14): Tafraoute - Merzouga (Desert Camp) (Ride: 16 mi, +330'/-100')

Today we’re immersed in some of the most dramatic, desert landscapes Morocco has to offer. We hike to the crest of a towering golden ridgeline for sweeping, untamed vistas over the vast Saharan expanse. Rejoining our 4x4s, the overland journey carves through bone-dry riverbeds, unexpected palm oases, rolling dunes, and sprawling stone plateaus en route to the remote outpost of Atrouss. Here, we reunite with our bikes for a late-afternoon spin across the desert flats toward Merzouga. As evening approaches, we arrive at our traditional Berber desert camp nestled directly amid the legendary Erg Chebbi dunes. Renowned for their warm apricot hue and sculpted, knife-edge silhouettes, these monumental sands are a true Moroccan centerpiece. For the quintessential desert experience, saddle up for an optional sunset camel trek into the sea of dunes-watching the day's final light ignite the Sahara into rich shades of gold, crimson, and deep twilight. >Tented Berber Camp (B/L/D/-)  

Day 7 (Oct 15): Merzouga - Rissani - Nkob (Sahara Safari) (Ride: 21 mi, +490'/-330', transfer: 97mi)

Sunrise breaks across the dunes, painting the sands in rich dawn hues before we roll out west across wide-open desert plateaus toward Rissani. This sweeping, wind-carved expanse offers classic echelon riding whenever the Saharan breezes stir. Approaching the fortified settlements of the Tafilalet Valley, the stark stone desert yields to a lush green corridor of date palms, sustained by ancient irrigation channels nourishing winter crops and prized Medjool dates. In Rissani, we pause to explore its historic trading souk. As the ancestral seat of Morocco’s ruling Alaouite Dynasty, this crossroads remains a center of desert commerce where semi-nomadic pastoralists and oasis villagers meet to trade textiles, spices, and livestock. From Rissani, a vehicle transfer traces the arid southern foothills of the volcanic Jebel Saghro range through a stark, sun-bleached moonscape. Just past the oasis outpost of Tazarine, we saddle up once more for an easy spin into Nkob. Known as the "village of forty-five kasbahs," Nkob welcomes us with a dramatic silhouette of earthen towers and mud-brick ramparts rising above an ancient palm grove. >Kasbah Ait Omar, (B/L/D/HH)  

Day 8 (Oct 16): Djebel Saghro (Trekking)  (Road transfer: 128mi, Hike: 5 hrs,+1475’/-1575’)

Today we trade pedals for hiking shoes to explore the volcanic heart of the Anti-Atlas range on foot. This rugged highland realm is a geological marvel of sculpted volcanic chimneys, sheer canyons, and deep-hued basalt plateaus, steered for generations by the warm and resilient semi-nomadic Aït Atta tribe. A short drive brings us to the Berber village of Ighazzoun to begin our trek. We climb the windswept ridge of Tadaout n'Tablah, rewarded with panoramic vistas over the surreal rock spires and pinnacle formations known as the "Forest of Needles." Continuing eastward, our trail winds through ancient gorges and shepherd trails toward the iconic twin basalt towers of Bab n' Ali, soaring like monoliths above the valley floor. >Kasbah Ait Omar, (B/L/D/-)  

Day 9 (Oct 17): Nkob - Dades  (Ride: 52 mi, +4850'/-3000')

Back in the saddle, we ride north through the volcanic core of the Jebel Saghro in the Anti-Atlas-the rugged ancestral heartland of the nomadic Aït Atta. A gentle rollout across sweeping high-desert plains sets an easy tempo before the route tilts upward into a series of twisting switchbacks that carve into the heights. Our efforts culminate at the windswept crest of the Tizi n'Tazazert (2,250 m), a monumental vantage point framed by eroded volcanic spires and sheer chasms. The panorama from the summit bridges two worlds: the sun-bleached expanse of the Sahara rolling away to the south, and the jagged, snow-capped crests of the High Atlas dominating the northern horizon. We then descend into the emerald floor and towering red cliffs of the legendary Dadès Valley.  >Ksar Sultan Hotel, (B/L/D/HH)

Day 10 (Oct 18): Dades Valley  (Ride: 53 mi, +4260’/-4260’)

Today's spectacular ride traces the iconic Dadès Valley, celebrated as Morocco's fragrant "Valley of the Roses." Following the river upstream, the route unfurls a tapestry of weathered adobe villages and terracotta kasbahs clinging to sheer red-rock cliffs, flanked by the bizarre, wind-sculpted sandstone formations known as the "Monkey Fingers." Along the riverbed, lush irrigated terraces burst with Damascus roses, figs, peaches, and groves of almond trees. The landscape shifts dramatically as we leave the valley floor on a dizzying ribbon of hairpin switchbacks carved straight into the cliff face. Cresting the summit, we are rewarded with soaring vistas looking down into the deep limestone gorge below. The route rolls across a high plateau before plunging between sheer canyon walls at the gorge's narrowest defile, where tarmac and torrent squeeze side by side beneath towering rock overhangs. Enjoy an exhilarating descent back down the canyon, catching the magnificent late-afternoon light as it turns the canyon walls a fiery crimson. >Ksar Sultan Hotel,(B/L/D/HH) 

Day 11 (Oct 19): Dades - Skoura (Ride: 47 mi.,+2395',-1900', Max Altitude: 6,200')

We traverse the open high plateaus set between the snow-dusted High Atlas rising on our right and the rugged volcanic ridges of the Anti-Atlas on our left. Cycle downhill through El Kelaa M'Gouna-Morocco’s aromatic rose capital, celebrated each May with its vibrant ‘Festival of the Roses’ - before the landscape opens into vast, windswept plains where semi-nomadic Berber shepherds graze their seasonal flocks. The wide horizons gradually give way to a lush expanse of green as we reach Skoura, a legendary 17th-century oasis. Here, deep palm groves conceal a magnificent labyrinth of weathered earthen architecture, crowned by some of the most celebrated and intricately preserved kasbahs in the south.  >Riad Skoura Hotel (B/L/D/-)

Day 12 (Oct 20): Skoura - Imi n'Ifri (Ride: 46 mi, +3580'/-7709', Max Altitude: 7,150')

Today’s Queen mountain stage carves deep into the remote valleys and soaring passes of the Central High Atlas. A gentle 25-kilometer warm-up across the flats brings us to the foothills near Ghessat. From here, the road narrows and snakes skyward to the wind-buffeted crest of Tizi n'Fedghat (2,180 m) for sweeping panoramas across dramatic, folded mountain strata. A brisk descent drops us into the hidden, verdant sanctuary of the Tessaout Valley at Toufghine. We trace the riverbed through timeless adobe hamlets before the challenging ascent to the Col d'Azwin. Topping out at 2,200 meters, the summit commands jaw-dropping vistas over plummeting ravines and the distant, snow-capped giants of the High Atlas. From this alpine perch, the route hugs an exposed, high-altitude spine before unleashing a long, exhilarating descent past Aït Khlouf, winding deep into the foothills toward our evening retreat near the dramatic limestone cavern and natural bridge of Imi n'Ifri. >Kasbah Ait Oumghar (B/L/D/-)

Day 13 (Oct 21): Imi n'Ifri - Ouzoud - Marrakech (Ride: 68 mi, +2060'/ -2600', Max Altitude: 7,135', transfer: 43 mi )

Our final day in the saddle begins with a brisk descent toward Demnate, an ancient gateway town framed by silver-green olive groves and sprawling almond orchards. Cycling past Sour El Aaz, we gradually climb toward Aït Taglla. Our reward is an exhilarating downhill run delivering us straight to the spectacular Cascades d'Ouzoud, where Morocco's most famous multi-tiered waterfalls tumble over 300 feet into lush, misty river gorges. Following a relaxed lunch beside the falls, we clip in for our grand finale. The route hugs the high cliffs overhanging the dramatic Oued el-Abid canyons before plunging into sweeping switchbacks down toward Aït Attab. From here we transfer back to the vibrant medina of Marrakech. >4* hotel near Marrakech Medina, (B/L/-/-)

Day 14 (Oct 22): Marrakech Exploration

The morning is yours to stroll through the cobalt-blue pavilions and exotic botanical collections of the iconic Jardin Majorelle and neighboring Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Alternatively, marvel at the exquisite zellij tilework of the 14th-century Ben Youssef Medersa, or simply sip an espresso at an open-air café while watching the street life unfold. In the late afternoon, we reconvene for a guided walking exploration into the pulse of "The Red City." Guided through a labyrinth of honey-colored alleyways, you'll explore vibrant artisan souks-passing copper beaters, spice mounds glowing with turmeric and saffron, and stalls draped in hand-woven kilims. Our walk emerges into the legendary spectacle of Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech’s central stage of acrobats, musicians, storytellers, and open-air food stalls. Navigating the edge of the square as the dusk air fills with the aroma of roasting cumin and cedar smoke, we arrive at our courtyard restaurant for an exceptional farewell dinner to celebrate our epic trans-Atlas journey. >4* hotel near Marrakech Medina,  (B/L/D/HH)

Day 15 (Sat October 23rd 2027): Departure Group transfer to Marrakech airport, (B/-/-)