Atlas to Sahara: A Grand Off-Road Expedition
Introduction
This 10 days motorcycle adventure begins in Marrakech and plunges deep into the real Morocco; from the rugged High Atlas Mountains to the sweeping dunes of Erg Chegaga, one of the wildest parts of the Sahara. Along the way, you’ll ride winding mountain passes, lush palm valleys, rocky desert trails, and off-road Dakar rally routes, with nights in authentic kasbahs and desert camps. This tour is made for riders seeking a diverse and demanding journey through Morocco’s most iconic and off-the-beaten-path landscapes.
10 Days Motorcycle Tour – Marrakech to Erg Chegaga
Tour Highlights
- Ride through the High Atlas, Anti-Atlas, and Sahara Desert
- Conquer Tizi n’Tichka Pass and explore remote mountain villages
- Reach the untouched Erg Chegaga dunes via off-road desert tracks
- Overnight in traditional desert camps and Berber guesthouses
- Visit oases, kasbahs, and ride across the dry lake of Iriki
- Fully guided with 4×4 support, fuel, mechanic, meals & accommodation
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Marrakech
Upon arrival at Marrakech Menara Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our team and transferred in a private vehicle to your accommodation in the city. After check-in and time to freshen up, you’ll meet your professional motorcycle guide for a detailed briefing session.
During this welcome meeting, you’ll be introduced to the motorcycles (usually fully prepared off-road/enduro models such as KTM, Honda CRF, or similar, depending on your package). You’ll go over the tour itinerary, riding conditions, safety guidelines, equipment check, and answer any last-minute questions.
There will be time to adjust the bike to your comfort, set up luggage systems (if any), and test helmets, gloves, or other gear if rented.
In the evening, you have the option to join the group for a traditional Moroccan dinner in the lively Jemaa el-Fnaa square — where snake charmers, storytellers, and sizzling food stalls bring the medina to life. If you prefer to relax, enjoy dinner at the riad or nearby restaurant.
Overnight in a charming riad or boutique hotel in the Marrakech medina or modern district, depending on your preference.
Day 2 – Marrakech → Tizi n’Tichka → Telouet → Aït Benhaddou
After breakfast at your riad, you’ll begin your adventure with a thrilling ascent into the High Atlas Mountains via the legendary Tizi n’Tichka Pass — the highest paved mountain pass in Morocco, standing at 2,260 meters (7,415 ft) above sea level. This winding road offers spectacular switchbacks, breathtaking panoramas, and dramatic altitude changes as you climb away from the plains of Marrakech into a world of red cliffs, alpine forests, and Berber mountain villages.
Shortly after the summit, you’ll leave the main road to ride a less-traveled mountain piste toward the hidden village of Telouet, once a vital stop on the caravan route from the Sahara to Marrakech. Here, you’ll explore the Telouet Kasbah, a crumbling but atmospheric fortress that was once the seat of the powerful El Glaoui family — lords of the High Atlas and allies of the French during the colonial period. Its faded mosaics, painted ceilings, and cracked courtyards tell stories of both grandeur and betrayal.
From Telouet, the route becomes more rugged and remote. You’ll ride a scenic off-road piste through narrow valleys, almond groves, and scattered hamlets — far from the tourist trail. This stretch offers excellent opportunities for both technical riding and immersion in Morocco’s untouched rural life.
By late afternoon, you’ll descend toward the dramatic ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and filming location for numerous Hollywood epics like Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and The Mummy. This ancient fortified village, made of red mudbrick towers and narrow alleys, is perched above the Ounila River and glows in the setting sun.
Check into a charming guesthouse or kasbah-style lodge with direct views of the ksar. Enjoy a well-earned dinner and a peaceful night under the starlit desert sky.
Day 3 – Aït Benhaddou → Fint Oasis → Ouarzazate → Agdz
After breakfast with sunrise views over the ksar of Aït Benhaddou, you’ll begin your day with a scenic ride heading south toward the cinematic city of Ouarzazate — known as the “Door to the Desert.” Before reaching the city, you’ll take a stunning detour to the Fint Oasis, a hidden gem nestled in a rocky canyon just outside town. Accessible via an off-road track, the oasis is a lush, green ribbon of palm trees and ancient mudbrick homes surrounded by arid hills and volcanic rock formations. Here, time seems to stand still. You may pause for tea with a local family and get a glimpse of the traditional way of life that has changed little over centuries.
Continuing on, you’ll briefly pass through Ouarzazate, where studios like Atlas and CLA have filmed blockbusters such as Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, and Game of Thrones. Riders interested in cinema history may opt for a quick stop at the film museum or the historic Kasbah Taourirt, once home to the powerful Glaoui family.
From here, you’ll ride over a low mountain ridge into the Anti-Atlas, a jagged range of volcanic rock and stark beauty. The road offers both sweeping views and thrilling turns as it cuts through desolate landscapes dotted with almond trees and small Berber hamlets.
In the late afternoon, descend into the lush, palm-filled Draa Valley, where the road winds along Morocco’s longest river. You’ll arrive in Agdz, a quiet desert town and former caravan stop, where thousands of date palms stretch along the riverbanks in every direction.
Tonight, you’ll stay in a tranquil kasbah-style guesthouse nestled in a palm grove, offering a peaceful retreat, home-cooked food, and beautiful views of the surrounding oasis.
Day 4 – Agdz → Zagora → Mhamid
After a relaxed breakfast in your kasbah surrounded by palm trees, you’ll saddle up and continue your descent deeper into the Draa Valley – one of Morocco’s most iconic and photogenic regions. The valley stretches for over 200 kilometers and is lined with millions of date palms, Berber ksour (fortified villages), and kasbah ruins, all hugging the banks of the Draa River as it winds its way toward the Sahara.
The ride is scenic and immersive, with ever-changing colors and textures – ochre cliffs, green palm groves, and mud-brick villages blending into the earth. You’ll make short stops along the way to explore traditional Berber settlements and perhaps sip mint tea with local villagers. It’s a perfect day to take in the cultural richness and visual poetry of southern Morocco.
By midday, you’ll arrive in Zagora, the last large town before the deep desert. Once a major stop on the trans-Saharan trade route, Zagora is famous for its iconic “Timbuktu – 52 Days” sign, a relic of the camel caravans that once linked West Africa with Morocco. Depending on time and interest, you may visit the Zagora souk, a local pottery workshop, or the impressive Amzrou Kasbah, a Jewish-Berber fortified quarter.
From Zagora, the landscape becomes increasingly arid and dramatic as you head south on the final paved road toward the desert frontier town of Mhamid El Ghizlane. Here, the road literally ends – and the Sahara truly begins. You’ll feel the shift as you leave behind the last signs of urban life and begin to sense the vast emptiness of the dunes ahead.
Arrive at your desert camp or auberge in Mhamid, where you’ll enjoy a peaceful evening beneath a sky blanketed with stars. As the sounds of the modern world fade, the silence of the desert begins to speak.
Day 5 – Mhamid → Erg Chegaga Dunes (off-road)
After breakfast at your desert lodge in Mhamid, your motorcycle adventure takes a bold turn – leaving behind the paved roads and diving into a full day of off-road exploration deep into the Sahara. Today’s route is pure adventure: a combination of sandy valleys, dry riverbeds (wadis), rocky hamada, and vast open desert plains. This is where the Dakar Rally once thundered through, and where only the well-prepared and well-guided dare to ride.
You’ll navigate natural trails and dunes, adjusting to the terrain’s rhythm – from soft sand patches that require careful throttle control, to fast, flat sections where you can stretch your legs and enjoy the surreal feeling of freedom only the desert can offer. Along the way, your guide will help you fine-tune your off-road riding techniques and offer breaks at scenic points where the silence is absolute and the landscapes are truly otherworldly.
A key highlight is the crossing of Lake Iriki, a vast, dry salt flat that shimmers under the desert sun. Once filled with water decades ago, it’s now a lunar-like landscape where mirages dance on the horizon. It’s an ideal spot for a dramatic photo stop.
By mid to late afternoon, you’ll begin to see the rising shapes of the Erg Chegaga dunes — Morocco’s largest and most untouched dune system, stretching over 40 km in length. Towering up to 300 feet high, these golden dunes shift constantly with the wind, creating an ever-changing sea of sand.
You’ll ride directly into the dunes – a thrilling challenge even for seasoned riders – before reaching your desert camp, tucked among the sands. Depending on your package, you’ll stay in either a traditional nomadic camp or a luxury glamping-style tent equipped with proper bedding, private bathrooms, and solar lighting.
As the sun sets over the dunes, painting the desert in fiery orange and soft lavender, you’ll enjoy a Berber dinner around the campfire, followed by live music with traditional drums (tam-tams) under a canopy of stars. Far from civilization, surrounded by nothing but sand and silence, this is a Sahara experience that goes beyond travel – it’s a moment of connection with nature and timeless space.
Overnight in the heart of the dunes.
Day 6 – Chegaga → Iriki Lake → Foum Zguid
Wake up early to the stillness of the dunes and the golden hues of a Saharan sunrise; a moment of serenity and awe as the first light creeps across the rippling sand. After a hearty breakfast at camp, you’ll mount your bike for another full day of off-road desert adventure, continuing westward through Morocco’s wildest and most remote landscapes.
Today’s route follows sections of the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally tracks, cutting across the vast, open plains of the hamada—a barren, rocky desert marked by sharp stones and intense solitude. The terrain will test your skill and endurance: patches of soft sand give way to firm stony ground and dry oueds (riverbeds), with the occasional acacia tree offering brief, rare shade.
A highlight of the day is the crossing of the dry Lake Iriki, a massive salt pan that was once a seasonal lake but has since become an otherworldly stretch of cracked earth and mirage-like light. Riding across its flat, open expanse offers a thrilling sense of speed and freedom, with panoramic views in every direction.
As you leave the lake behind, the route becomes more technical, navigating low ridges, fossil beds, and sand-blown trails that eventually lead to the desert outpost of Foum Zguid. Nestled on the edge of the Sahara and backed by dramatic desert hills, this small town is an important gateway between the deep desert and southern Morocco’s interior.
You’ll arrive in the late afternoon and check into a comfortable local lodge or auberge, where a refreshing shower, cool drinks, and a traditional Moroccan dinner await. It’s a well-earned rest after a day that few travelers ever experience – one of vast horizons, shifting sands, and complete escape.
Overnight in Foum Zguid.
Day 7 – Foum Zguid → Tazenakht → Taliouine
After breakfast in your Foum Zguid lodge, you’ll begin your ascent out of the deep desert and into the rugged landscapes of the Anti-Atlas Mountains — a land of solitude, rock, and tradition. Today’s ride trades dunes for rocky ridges, twisting passes, and raw beauty, as you venture into a region rarely visited by tourists but beloved by those who seek authentic, off-the-beaten-path Morocco.
The route climbs through vast stretches of semi-desert plateaus, with jagged mountains rising in the distance. You’ll pass remote villages where life continues much as it has for generations, with women tending goats and men leading donkeys through terraced fields carved into the rock.
By midday, you’ll arrive in the town of Tazenakht, a humble but historically significant crossroads known across Morocco for its handwoven Berber carpets. If time allows, you can stop at a local weaving cooperative, where artisans (mostly Amazigh women) still produce carpets by hand using natural dyes and ancient techniques passed down through generations. It’s a chance to witness a piece of cultural heritage and support the local economy.
From Tazenakht, continue riding eastward into the Taliouine region, a high plateau framed by the Anti-Atlas peaks and known as Morocco’s saffron capital. The terrain softens into gentle hills and green valleys in season, with saffron crocuses blooming in the fall. You may stop at a saffron cooperative or boutique to learn about the world’s most expensive spice — harvested painstakingly by hand and prized for both culinary and medicinal use.
You’ll reach Taliouine by late afternoon and check in to a traditional guesthouse, often family-run, where the hospitality is as warm as the tea served on arrival. Enjoy a homemade Amazigh dinner, featuring local saffron dishes and fresh ingredients from the surrounding region.
Overnight in Taliouine, under crisp mountain skies, with the scent of herbs and spice in the air.
Day 8 – Taliouine → Taroudant
This morning, after a fresh mountain breakfast in Taliouine, you’ll head west through the heart of the Anti-Atlas Mountains, riding a mix of winding roads and rugged valleys where time and terrain shape everything. This leg of your journey is all about remote beauty and exhilarating riding – with tight switchbacks, steep passes, and panoramic vistas that offer sweeping views of Morocco’s southern highlands.
The road threads its way through forgotten Berber villages where stone homes cling to hillsides and ancient terrace farming is still practiced. The ride is quiet and reflective, passing valleys of argan trees, goat herds, and fields of wild thyme and rosemary. It’s not unusual to share the road with local shepherds or a wandering camel on these isolated tracks.
As you descend from the mountains, the landscape opens into the fertile Souss Valley, a green basin fed by distant mountain streams and famed for its citrus orchards, olive groves, and colorful markets. By early afternoon, you’ll arrive in Taroudant, a walled town often described as “Little Marrakech” – but without the crowds.
Taroudant’s mud-red ramparts, built in the 16th century by the Saadian dynasty, still encircle the old medina, giving the town an aura of timelessness. Inside the walls, a network of quiet souks, artisan workshops, and small cafés offer the perfect place to unwind and explore at a gentler pace. You can visit the jewelry souk, known for its intricate silverwork, or the Berber market, full of spices, leather goods, and handcrafts.
You’ll stay in a charming riad tucked within the medina or just outside the walls — a peaceful retreat with a garden courtyard, traditional décor, and perhaps even a pool. Dinner tonight is local and delicious – perhaps a lamb tagine with prunes or couscous with saffron from nearby Taliouine.
Overnight in Taroudant, a calm blend of desert, culture, and history.
Day 9 – Taroudant → Tizi n’Test → Marrakech
After breakfast in your riad beneath the orange trees of Taroudant, you’ll set off on one of the most epic and scenic motorcycle routes in Morocco. Today’s ride is a triumphant return to the High Atlas Mountains, and your path leads you up the legendary Tizi n’Test Pass — a road revered by riders for its thrilling switchbacks, dramatic elevation gains, and jaw-dropping vistas.
Leaving the Souss Valley behind, the road begins to climb gradually at first, passing small mountain villages and verdant terraced farmland. But soon, the asphalt coils tightly into hairpin bends that cling to steep cliffs, rising steadily toward the pass summit at 2,100 meters (6,890 ft). As you ascend, the landscape transforms — from olive groves and orchards to arid high plateaus and jagged ridgelines with views that stretch across the Haouz plain all the way back toward Taroudant.
At the top of the pass, take a well-earned break and enjoy the panoramic views — a moment for reflection, photos, and perhaps a mint tea at the simple café overlooking the valley. This is one of the most unforgettable stretches of asphalt in North Africa, and a true highlight for any motorcycle enthusiast.
From here, the descent begins – a thrilling ride down through cedar forests and narrow canyons, following the curves of the mountain as it unwinds toward the plains. Along the way, you might visit the Tinmel Mosque, a historic 12th-century site tucked into the mountains that played a key role in the rise of the Almohad dynasty.
As you leave the High Atlas behind, the road flattens and enters the Haouz plain, signaling your approach to Marrakech, with its ochre walls and palm-lined avenues rising from the dust. By late afternoon, you’ll arrive back in the Red City, your tour coming full circle after days of remote dunes, desert solitude, and mountain majesty.
Tonight, celebrate your journey with a farewell group dinner, perhaps on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, where snake charmers, musicians, and food stalls bring the city alive. Toast your adventure with newfound friends and relive the best moments of your Sahara crossing.
Overnight in a traditional riad or boutique hotel in the heart of Marrakech’s medina.
Day 10 – Departure from Marrakech
Transfer to the airport for your flight home — or extend your stay in Marrakech.
Included
- Off-road motorcycle rental (fuel included)
- Multilingual professional motorcycle guide
- 4×4 support vehicle with mechanic and luggage transport
- 9 nights accommodation (riads, desert camps, guesthouses)
- Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner daily)
- Bottled water during riding days
- Airport transfers (Marrakech)
- Entry fees, permits, local taxes
Not Included
- Flights to/from Marrakech
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Personal protective gear (available for rent)
- Personal expenses, Drinks
- Optional camel rides or activities in desert camps