Cycle the Backroads of Morocco: Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) — there are daily direct flights from most major UK airports with Ryanair, easyJet, and British Airways. Take the 19 bus or a petit taxi (negotiate to ~50–60 MAD / ~£4) into the medina. Check into a riad or hostel in the medina, then spend the afternoon wandering the souks and soaking up the legendary Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Head up to a rooftop café as the sun sets. Grab dinner at one of the food stalls in the square — a full meal of harira, tagine and mint tea will set you back around £4–6.

🚌Fly into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK). Take bus 19 (~£0.50) or petit taxi (~£4) to the medina.

🛏Riad Nakhla or similar budget riad/hostel in the medina (~£18–25pp twin share). Try Waka Waka Hostel or Equity Point Marrakech for the budget end.

• →Explore Jemaa el-Fnaa square and the surrounding souks
• →Wander the historic medina
• →Watch the sunset from a rooftop café terrace
• →Dinner at the food stalls of Jemaa el-Fnaa

Hire a mountain bike in Marrakech before departure — several shops around Gueliz and the medina rent quality hardtail or full-sus mountain bikes for £15–25/day (try Marrakech Bike Action or Pikala Bikes). Arrange a shared grand taxi or minibus from Bab Doukkala to Telouet via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (~3hrs, ~£10–15 per seat). From Telouet, ride the Ounila Valley route (~29 miles) on compact gravel and rocky trails down through Berber hamlets to Ait Ben Haddou. Arrive in time for sunset over the UNESCO-listed ksar. Note: if logistics of transporting a hired bike are complex, consider hiring locally in Ouarzazate or booking a guided day ride from Ait Ben Haddou.

🚌Shared grand taxi or CTM bus from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (~£8–12), then onward taxi to Telouet (~£5). Cycle remaining route.

🛏Riad La Rose du Sable or similar guesthouse near Ait Ben Haddou (~£15–20pp twin share). Book directly or via Booking.com.

• →Traverse the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m) by shared taxi
• →Cycle the Ounila Valley gravel tracks through Berber hamlets
• →Arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage ksar of Ait Ben Haddou at sunset
• →Mint tea with views from the terrace

Start the morning exploring the ancient fortified city of Ait Ben Haddou — famous as a filming location for Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and many more. Entry is free; a local guide for a 1-hour tour costs around £5–8 and is well worth it for the history. Then arrange a shared taxi to Ghassate (~1.5hrs, ~£8–10). From here, ride ~23 miles on dirt roads across dry riverbeds, through palm groves and the lush oases of the Skoura Valley. This is a relatively gentle day — ideal for finding your rhythm on the gravel.

🚌Shared grand taxi from Ait Ben Haddou to Ghassate (~£8–10). Cycle ~23 miles to overnight stop.

🛏Basic guesthouse or auberge in Kelaa M'Gouna or Skoura (~£12–18pp). Try Dar Kamar or similar locally-run guesthouses.

• →Self-guided exploration of the ancient ksar of Ait Ben Haddou (free entry)
• →Optional local guide for history tour (~£5–8)
• →Cycle desert pistes and dirt roads through the Skoura palm oasis
• →Spot ancient kasbahs along the Valley of the Kasbahs route

Today's ~31-mile ride takes you through the Taslmante Valley and the famous Valley of the Roses (Vallée des Roses), where vast fields of Damask roses carpet the landscape — particularly spectacular in late April/early May during the Rose Festival. Stop for mint tea with nomadic Berber families along the route. The ride culminates at the dramatic Dades Gorge, with towering red-rock cliffs rising above the road. Spend the evening exploring the lower gorge on foot and enjoying a tagine dinner at your guesthouse.

🚌Cycle ~31 miles from Kelaa M'Gouna through the Valley of the Roses to Dades Gorge. Some sections on quiet tarmac roads.

🛏Guesthouse in Dades Gorge (~£12–18pp). Auberge Chez Pierre or Dar Elouarda are well-reviewed, book direct for best rates.

• →Cycle through the Valley of the Roses and its fragrant rose fields
• →Stop for mint tea with Berber families along the trail
• →Explore the dramatic cliffs of Dades Gorge on foot
• →Sunset views over the gorge from your guesthouse terrace

This is the toughest day on the route — a long, steady ascent over the Tizi n'Tazazert pass (7,218ft / 2,200m) through the lunar landscape of Jbel Saghro, followed by a sweeping descent to the lush oasis town of N'kob. The ~37-mile ride includes over 3,900ft of climbing. Take your time — there's no rush, and the panoramic views of the volcanic, moon-like plateau at the top are worth every pedal stroke. If you're struggling, shared taxis sometimes run the Dades–N'kob route and can take you or your bike for part of the climb. N'kob is a beautifully preserved Berber village with over 45 kasbahs — wander the village at dusk.

🚌Cycle ~37 miles over the Tizi n'Tazazert pass. Some shared taxi options available if needed for sections of the climb.

🛏Guesthouse or auberge in N'kob (~£12–18pp). Ksar Jenna or Auberge Kasbah Ennakhil offer great value with pool access.

• →Epic ascent of the Tizi n'Tazazert mountain pass (7,218ft)
• →Panoramic views over the volcanic Jbel Saghro plateau
• →Long descent into the lush oasis town of N'kob
• →Explore N'kob's remarkable collection of 45+ ancient kasbahs at dusk

Ride ~25 miles on gravel tracks from N'kob past watermelon fields and honey farms to the historic town of Zagora — once the legendary starting point for camel caravans bound for Timbuktu (the famous sign reads '52 days to Timbuktu'). Stop for coffee in the main square. From Zagora, arrange a shared jeep transfer with other travellers into the dunes (~£15–20pp return) to reach your desert camp. Book a Berber desert camp experience via GetYourGuide or direct with local operators like Sahara Luxury Camp or Desert Bivouac Zagora (~£35–50pp, including dinner and breakfast). Fall asleep in your Berber tent to the sound of silence under a vast, star-filled sky.

🚌Cycle ~25 miles from N'kob to Zagora. Shared jeep into the dunes (~£15–20pp). Arrange return jeep to Zagora next morning.

🛏Berber desert camp near Zagora (~£35–50pp including dinner). Book via GetYourGuide or direct with local desert camps.

• →Cycle gravel tracks past honey farms and watermelon fields to Zagora
• →Coffee stop at Zagora's historic main square
• →Shared jeep transfer into the Sahara dunes
• →Traditional Berber dinner and overnight under the stars in a desert camp

One final ride — ~19 miles through the lush green Draa Valley, Morocco's longest valley, where oasis after oasis lines the Wadi Draa riverbed and spring vegetables flourish in the fertile soil. Stop for a picnic lunch under a palm grove (stock up on supplies in Zagora's market). After the ride, arrange a shared CTM bus or grand taxi from Zagora back to Marrakech (~5hrs, ~£10–15). It's a long transfer but the scenery through the Atlas foothills is spectacular. Check back into your medina riad for a final night and celebrate with dinner in the souks.

🚌Cycle ~19 miles through Draa Valley. CTM bus or shared grand taxi from Zagora to Marrakech (~5hrs, ~£10–15).

🛏Return to riad or hostel in Marrakech medina (~£18–25pp). Pre-book the same place as night 1 for simplicity.

• →Final cycle through the lush Draa Valley oases
• →Picnic lunch under palm trees by the Wadi Draa
• →Long scenic transfer back over the High Atlas to Marrakech
• →Farewell dinner in the medina souks

Enjoy a final Moroccan breakfast of msemen, argan oil, and mint tea at a café in the medina. If time allows, squeeze in one last wander through the souks to pick up any remaining gifts — the spice market and leather tannery quarter near Bab Debbagh are highlights. Take a petit taxi to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) for your flight home — budget 30–45 minutes from the medina. Remember to print your boarding pass before you arrive at the airport, as mobile boarding passes are not accepted.

🚌Petit taxi from medina to Marrakech Airport RAK (~£4–6). Allow 30–45 minutes.

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final Moroccan breakfast at a medina café
• →Last browse of the souks and spice market
• →Petit taxi to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)