Day of arrival

Pickup from the airport of Marrakesh and a 3.5-hour transfer crossing the High Atlas Mountains to our hotel located in the old medina of Ouarzazate (or you could fly to the airport of Ouarzazate and skip the transfer). A small and very beautiful hotel overlooking the old medina and the river of Ouarzazate. Enjoy the evening on the roof terrace or a well-earned massage at the spa… or why not do both. Dinner and general briefing at the hotel at 20.00 hrs.

Day 1 – Ouarzazate to Skoura (98 KM)

Breakfast around the pool at 08.00 hrs. Once breakfast is done and the assistance 4×4 is loaded with your luggage we introduce you to your bikes with a brief explanation of how they operate. (Those with little riding experience will have booked an extra day at the beginning of the tour so that our guide can instruct you on how to ride the bike safely and competently). Head out on a little-used asphalt road to the town of Dades. From here we turn south to the Jbel Saghro Mountains on a well-prepared track. The first 7km are on a flat plateau (watch out for the many herds of suicidal sheep) before heading up into the mountains. We are well off the tourist routes now as we meander through the villages populated by the Aït Atta Berber tribe. Very friendly people, with children waving us on our way. 7 Switchback corners bring us back onto a new asphalt road dissecting the Jbel Saghro Mountains. At the top of the road at 2.300 metres, we will stay for lunch and a well-earned break at the Tizi N’Tazazert. After lunch, it’s a 20km descent into the valley. Careful on the descent, lots of hairpin bends. Easy on the brakes (yup, it is possible to melt the brake drums on a Docker). Engine brake wherever possible.

Last 20km on a relatively flat but twisting road into the village of N’Kob and our hotel for the night. A 200+ year old converted kasbah. Enjoy the pool whilst sipping a cold beer and recount you first days adventures.

Day 2 – Skoura to Kelaat M’Gouna (118 KM)

Breakfast starts at 08.00 hrs, again by the pool. At 09.00 hrs we head out into the village to refuel our bikes. Bikes topped up and we are off again, 12km on the road then head Noth-West up into the mountains. The off-roading is trickier today and there is 70km of it! 

Twisting tracks take us through an area John calls ‘Monument Valley’, due to the huge rocky outcrops found here. Photo stops on every corner. Fewer Berber villages on the first part of today but we get to experience the real Berber people, going about their business. A much slower, relaxed pace of life. Life up here at 2000+ metres must be tough in winter.

Eventually, we arrive at a small road heading North up the famous Draa Valley which is famous for its palms and well-cultivated fields. This 20km road section is heavily populated so watch out for all the children and animals. Don’t be tempted to ‘high five’ the local kids, their hands are as tough as boot soles.

Today’s stop is at a hotel situated in the palmeraie, 3km south of the village of Agdz.

Day 3 – Kelaat M’Gouna to Boumalne Dades (67 KM)

After breakfast (at 08.00 hrs) we head out through the palmeraie towards the village of Agdz where we will refuel the bikes. Heading north again into the Jbel Saghro Mountains towards the village of Skoura. 90% is off-road today on the same type of tracks as yesterday. A 5km section is on donkey trails so NO backup vehicle today. Ride safely!

The Jbel Saghro Mountain range is the driest mountain area of the whole Atlas Mountain system. It’s a desolate place with many areas of bare rock and the austere, lunar landscape will leave you impressed. The area is popular with mountain bikers and walkers. Though we don’t expect to meet any other tourist on our wanderings.

Tonight we will stay in the palmeraie of Skoura. Cool off in the pool and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Day 4 – Boumalne Dades to N’Kob (81 KM)

Breakfast around the pool again, leave at 09:00 hrs. Today it’s 98% off-road, but this time on well-prepared tracks. They are well prepared as they service the small-scale copper, gold and barite mines up in the hills. So watch out for the on-coming trucks (about 4 of them a day), not exactly rush hour traffic.

We are still in the Jbel Saghro Mountains so the scenery is austere and beautiful. Because of the aridity of this region (between 100/300 mm a year) we will not find any villages of any size, just small hamlets generally next to a dried-up river.

Today is a short day so we will arrive for lunch at our hotel in Kelaat M’Gouna, another old converted kasbah with panoramic views over the town and surrounding palmeraie. After lunch, we can go ahead and explore the lively town of Kelaat M’Gouna with its fresh ‘vegetables and meat’ market and many other colourful shops. There is also an option to go to the traditional pottery and see how they are hand-made, or go for a walk down the palmeraie and meet the local kids down the river.

Day 5 – N’Kob to Ouarzazate (147 KM)

Breakfast at 08:00 hrs with a view! Leave at 09:00 as usual.

Only about 30% off-road today. We leave our hotel and head up into the Southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The asphalt road is narrow here (be prepared to ride on the hard shoulder if a truck is coming toward you). Very busy, lots of villages lining the M’Goun river which has year-round water in it.

We will stop in the village of Boutaghra for a break before starting on a 40km track. Rocky in places with big drop-offs. We will have to cross the M’Goun river where there is no bridge, so hopefully, the river will not be so deep. More than 40cm deep and we may have to load the bikes on the 4×4 to cross.

The last 800m before the asphalt on the Dades Valley road is in a rocky riverbed funneling through a narrow gorge (the 4×4 may have to go around). Once on the road, we turn North to visit the stunning Dades Valley. Photos at the ‘Monkey finger” rocks before we are heading to our lunch stop at a beautiful small hotel in the middle of the green valley.

After lunch, we will head 5km further north to ride the famous Dades switchback and visit another beautiful gorge before turning back south down the valley to our hotel where we started our tour. Last time we will all have dinner together and a drink at the pool.

Day of goodbye

Today you can sleep in unless you have an early flight to catch. On this day we say our goodbyes… or maybe we start planning your next tour? Have you been on our High Atlas Mountains Tour? Make sure you don’t forget anything when you get on your way to the airport or your next holiday destination. Thank you for joining our tour! We hope you had an amazing time. Please leave your review of the tour on our Google page.