AtlasonTwoWheelsMarrakech · Est. 2024
Marrakech · 31.6295° N · 7.9811° W
Sand dunes of Erg Chebbi at sunset near Merzouga
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The classic Saharan crossing

Marrakech → Merzouga

Seven days from the Red City through the High Atlas, down the Dadès Valley and into the great erg of Merzouga. The signature Morocco ride — and still, after a thousand crossings, the one that breaks riders open.

Duration7 days
Distance1,260 km
DifficultyIntermediate
Best seasonOct–Apr
Surface85% tarmac, 15% piste
Elevation0 m → 2,260 m → dunes
01The route

Marrakech to Merzouga

Visual schematic

Full GPX delivered on booking confirmation

Start · Marrakech
Finish · Merzouga
02Highlights

The moments worth flying across continents for.

  • 01Tizi-n-Tichka pass — 2,260 m
  • 02Aït Benhaddou kasbah (UNESCO)
  • 03Dadès Gorge switchbacks
  • 04Todra Gorge canyon walls
  • 05Erg Chebbi dunes — 150 m high
  • 06Berber tea in the dunes at dusk
03Day by day

How 7 days unfold.

Day 101 / 07

Marrakech → Aït Benhaddou

Climb the Tichka pass, drop into the southern hammada, sleep in a converted kasbah.

Day 202 / 07

Aït Benhaddou → Boumalne Dadès

Roses, oases and the most photographed switchbacks in North Africa.

Day 303 / 07

Dadès → Todra → Tinghir

Drive the river-cut canyon. Easy day, deep landscape.

Day 404 / 07

Tinghir → Merzouga

Open desert highway. Final 40 km on piste into Erg Chebbi.

Day 505 / 07

Erg Chebbi exploration

Sand-riding day, optional camel trek, overnight in a luxury desert camp.

Day 606 / 07

Merzouga → Ouarzazate

Return via the Anti-Atlas back-route — almost zero traffic.

Day 707 / 07

Ouarzazate → Marrakech

Tichka in reverse. End at the Café du France for one last mint tea.

04From the road

Photographed by our guides.

Atlas mountains
Dades valley
Sahara dunes
Berber village
Cinematic Moroccan mountain road at sunset
08The next chapter

One country.
One ride.
One letter away.

Tell us your dates, riding level, and the one road you have always wanted to ride. We will reply within 24 hours with a draft itinerary, the right bike, and a price.