Bikepacking

Marrakech to Marrakech: Six Days Through the High Atlas

30 June 2026

Atlas Mountains, Morroco

Marrakech to Marrakech: Six Days Through the High Atlas

A six stage road and gravel loop out of Marrakech, over the Tizi n'Tichka, down through the Ounila Valley to Aït Benhaddou, then west along the spine of the High Atlas and back. Roughly 460 km, four mates, one taxi we don't talk about.

Days: 6
Ascent: 7260
Fitness: 8
High point: 2563
Distance: 461
Stages: 6

We'd been planning this one for a long time. Four of us: me, Conor, Grant and Manny. We flew into Marrakech and landed late, so day one was really just getting to Dar Tuscia and sleeping.

The next day was pure admin. Conor, Grant and I picked up our rentals from Marrakech Green Wheels at 9am. Manny brought his own bike and promptly discovered his brakes weren't working, so a chunk of the evening went on him fixing that. The rest of the day was packing pannier bags, filling water bladders, buying snacks, and eating tagines. Not glamorous, but if you're doing this loop, budget a full day for it. You want everything sorted before you point at the mountains.

Then six days of riding: Marrakech to Telouet over the Tichka, down to Aït Benhaddou, a long remote day west to Amsouzart, a monster over to Ijoukak, an easy roll to Ouirgane, and back into Marrakech. Two rest days in the city at the end.

Stage 1: Marrakech to Telouet

Hours: 11
Distance: 118
Ascent: 2225
Difficulty: 8
Accommodation: Maison d'Hotes Agdal Telouet

We left at about 5am, still dark. A bit spooky rolling out of a sleeping Marrakech, but the early start was deliberate. We'd seen the traffic the day before and had no interest in sharing that road in daylight.

Leaving the city itself is fine. Then you hit the highway drag out of Marrakech, which is a bit of a slog.

Then the Tichka starts. At 2,260 m it's the highest major pass in North Africa, and it is a lot of climbing in not a lot of distance. Conor's knee gave out partway up, so we put him in a taxi. The locals were very helpful about it, let him jump in, wouldn't take any money, dropped him at the top of the pass.

The summit was cold, windy, and socked in with cloud, and by then it was getting dark, so we didn't hang around. The Telouet turnoff comes a little way past the top, and you peel off the main N9 onto a smaller road down towards the village. The descent was good, but we were completely cooked by then. Four broken men arriving at Maison d'Hôtes Agdal Telouet, which turned out to be exactly what we needed. Local place, the owner could not have been more welcoming, gave us an enormous dinner and had a fire going in the corner. We ate, showered, and went to bed.

Stage 2: Telouet to Aït Benhaddou

Distance: 59
Hours: 5
Accommodation: Kasbah Valentine
Ascent: 730
Difficulty: 6

A short one after the beating of day one. Restock in Telouet before you leave, because once you're out of the village it goes remote quickly, with gravel and unpaved sections.

The riding was the best kind of easy. You're up on ridges through dry, empty country all the way down the Ounila Valley. Short day, and we were into Aït Benhaddou with plenty of time left.

The town is worth the stop on its own. It's a ksar, a fortified earthen village, UNESCO listed since 1987, and it's the most filmed location in Africa. Over 80 productions. Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 got it started, then Gladiator used the open ground outside the walls for Maximus's first arena fight, and Game of Thrones used it as Yunkai. Also The Mummy, Kingdom of Heaven, Prince of Persia, Babel. So yes, there are tourists. It's still worth it, the buildings and the architecture are genuinely something.

We stayed at Kasbah Valentine on the main road, which was fine, then walked around town in the afternoon.

Stage 3: Aït Benhaddou to Amsouzart

Distance: 100
Ascent: 1888
Hours: 10
Difficulty: 8
Accommodation: Auberge Toubkal Amsouzart

One of our favourite days of the whole trip.

It starts on gravel and sand roads and it's brilliant. Wide open, empty, cinematic. Conor's assessment: "this is the perfect place to bleed out."

After the gravel you're on a busier road for a bit, then you peel off. We stopped for lunch and are fairly confident we got ripped off on the price. Conor's leg started playing up again so we put him in a taxi to the accommodation, and Grant, Manny and I carried on.

Then the descent. Manny said he started tearing up on the way down and reckons it was the most beautiful ride of his life, and honestly it's hard to argue. Little Berber villages, everyone waving, everyone greeting you. Some of the best cycling I've ever done.

A few practical notes: this is a long remote stage. Watch the forecast, because you're riding through valleys where flash flooding is a real risk after heavy rain. There is not much opportunity to restock, so carry everything, and consider carrying for the next day too.

Auberge Toubkal Amsouzart was very local and very lovely, properly in the middle of nowhere. They don't see many tourists out there other than the odd overlander in a Land Cruiser. We ended up watching the football with some of the local guys. We booked it well ahead, it was the only option in the area so we paid in advance to lock it in.

Stage 4: Amsouzart to Ijoukak

Distance: 88
Hours: 11
Ascent: 2134
High point: 2563
Accommodation: Atlas Ijoukak
Difficulty: 9

A monster. Our biggest climbing day of the trip.

We left early. A bit more descending to start, and then the ascent, which was brutal. Gradients up to 20 percent in places, and it just would not stop. It went on and on until we got off and pushed. Conor spent most of it announcing he was going to cancel me, on the grounds that I had planned this trip.

It's remote, there's not much water, and we found nowhere to stop for lunch. We had to ask locals for water at one point and, as always, they sorted us out without hesitation. The bit that stuck with all of us: we stopped on the side of the road near a Berber school and they brought us food. We didn't ask. They just brought us lunch.

We got to the top and it was a huge relief. Big view, and I had a cigarette, which I don't normally do.

Then the descent caught us out. Steep and bumpy enough that you're on the brakes the whole way down, and it took far longer than it should have. I got at least two punctures. Manny got one right at the end and threw his bike pump at me. We've agreed as a group to remember this forever.

Atlas Ijoukak sits on the river and it was the best place we stayed all trip. Turning up there after that day felt like finding an oasis. Ate, slept, done.

Stage 5: Ijoukak to Ouirgane

Distance: 32
Difficulty: 5
Ascent: 283
Accommodation: Wild Valley Ouirgane
Hours: 2

The rest day, effectively. Short, chilled, mostly downhill.

I'll be honest, I didn't love it. I think I just didn't want to be on the road that day, and it isn't as pretty as what came before. There's a good lake on the way, and the descending makes it easy. We got to Auberge Le Mouflon, hung around, went and got some lunch. Nothing much to report, which after Stage Four was the entire point.

Stage 6: Ouirgane to Marrakech

Distance: 66.5
Hours: 3.5
Ascent: 502
Difficulty: 6

The way home, and mostly a grind back into the city. There's an option to take a gravel route if you're feeling it.

With about 20 km to go my brake pads wore through completely. The rest of the day was descending, none of us had spares, and I genuinely tried to brake with my feet before working out how dangerous that was. I couldn't stop. So 20 km from the finish, having ridden the entire loop, I put myself and my bike in a taxi.

I will never live it down. I didn't complete the loop. It is what it is. The others rolled into Marrakech and had a great time, and we spent a couple more days in the city afterwards.

Must-Know

Bikes: Conor, Grant and I rented from Marrakech Green Wheels (which is a good company but think the bikes we rented were not really prepped/meant for this level of adventure). Manny brought his own, which is also fine, but he arrived to find his brakes weren't working, so build in time to sort mechanical stuff before you leave the city.
Give yourself a full admin day in Marrakech. Collecting bikes, packing panniers, buying snacks, filling bladders. It goes quicker than you think it will, right up until it doesn't.
Leave Marrakech early on Stage One. Like 5am early. The traffic on the way out of the city is not something you want to deal with once it wakes up.
Watch the weather before the remote stages. Stage Three runs through valleys where flash flooding is a genuine risk after heavy rain. Have a bail out plan.
Taxis are a legitimate bail out. Conor used one twice, I used one once. The locals were completely happy to help and mostly wouldn't take money for it. Don't be a hero about it.

Food

Dinner at the accommodations was consistently massive and consistently good.
Stage Three and Stage Four are the ones to plan for. Very few places to resupply on Three, and we found nowhere at all to stop for lunch on Four. Carry a full day's food, and on Three consider carrying for the next day too.
Bring stomach meds. Imodium, rehydration salts, spare antibiotics. Assume you'll want them.

H2O

Bladder plus bottles. Fill everything the night before, every night.
Water purification tablets are worth carrying for exactly that reason.
Stage Four is the dry one. Not much water on route and we ended up asking locals for a top up, which they were happy to do.

Gear

Panniers and a frame bag. I had Thule Shields.
Spare brake pads. See Stage Six.
Multiple spare tubes and puncture repair kits. We got through plenty, mostly on the descent off Stage Four.
Bike multi tool, mini pump, spare quick links, a spare chain between the group, spare cleats, spoke repair kit.
Warm gear. There can be a 15°C swing between the lowlands and the mountains. The top of the Tichka was cold, windy and clouded in. Thermal base layer, windproof or packable jacket, proper gloves, leg warmers.
Portable chargers. Everyone needs their own, not one for the group.
Sunglasses, buff, hat, sunscreen.
Travel insurance that actually covers cycling. We used SportsCover Direct, around £50.
eSIMs, sorted before you land.

Weather Window

We rode this in April and the timing was good. Spring and autumn are the sweet spots for the High Atlas: mild in the valleys, and the passes clear.
Even in April the altitude bites. It was cold enough at the top of the pass to be a problem, and we hit it at dusk with cloud cover, which didn't help. Pack for the mountains even when Marrakech is warm.