If you are looking for a magical cycling destination, with stunning landscapes, rich culture and welcoming people, come to Morocco, bikers dream land! This 11 day biking tour covers the Atlas Mountains and the stunning beaches of the Atlantic coast. It is a wonderful experience in lifetime…!
Cycling tours in Morocco are increasingly popular, and for good reason! Morocco offers you diverse and scenic Mountain and coast terrain, and an extensive network of trails. It’s ideal for an adventurous Mountain bike tour. Plus, during your trip you will have opportunities for intensive interaction with the Berber culture and refresh in the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic coast….
Welcome to Morocco! Your guide for the trip will meet you at Marrakesh Menara International Airport and transfer you to your hotel or Riad. In the evening, join the group for a trip briefing followed by a welcome dinner over a Moroccan feast at the hotel or Riad!
Meals: Dinner included.
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel or Riad, we hop into the van to transfer out of the city and into the foothills of the Atlas. After a quick fitting, we'll hop on the bikes and begin our first ride of the tour- a 25 kilometer climb to get properly warmed up. At the top of the pass, we'll be rewarded with fantastic views of some of the High Atlas summits, followed by a descent into the N'fiss Valley where we'll continue an undulating ascent to our destination, the Berber village of Oued N'fiss. We'll overnight in a gite- a traditional Berber inn maintained by a local family.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 83km
+1503m
-1068m
After breakfast, we'll continue through the N'fiss Valley on a winding and snaking mountain road, and one of Morocco's highest. Today's ride is relatively simple compared to the day before, with a single, gradual ascent over 20 kilometers. Once we've reached the peak, we'll enjoy a long descent, all the way to our destination for the day's ride- the small town of Ouled Berhil. We'll overnight in a hotel with lots of local character.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 87km
+1081m
-1695m
In the morning, we'll take a short transfer to the start of our ride in the Anti Atlas, a true desert mountain range and an assemblage of orange, rocky peaks. More challenging than the previous days, today's ride includes over 2,000 meters of elevation gain, and begins with a 35 kilometer climb. A short descent takes us into undulating terrain through the rugged desert scenery, followed by a series of short, steep ascents before a thrilling downhill into the town of Tafraout. Famous for its landscape dotted with rocky outcroppings and granite formations, Tafraout is an oasis in the desert, and we'll overnight in a small hotel with great views of the town.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 95km
+1816m
-1414m
Today's ride is a loop, exploring the southern slopes of the Lesser Atlas around Tafrout. After a short warm-up to get the legs working, we'll tackle our first challenging climb of the day- a steep ascent with a false peak- before descending into a beautiful canyon surrounded by terraced hillside farms. From there, we'll attack another challenging ascent out of the valley, surrounded by fabulous views of rocky cliffs and valleys. Once at the top, we'll take in sweeping views of the area before a steep descent back to Tafraout, where we'll spend another night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 102km
+1624m
-1637m
We leave Tafraout after breakfast and cross the Anti Atlas traversing Morocco's key almond farming region. The ride is a challenging one, with several major climbs, and nearly 2,000 meters of elevation gain in just under 100 kilometers! However, the support vehicle is always close at hand to top up your bike or to take a rest in an empty seat, should you need one. On the way, we'll pass through Tanalt, an historic and culturally significant village in the region. Continuing down to the Souss Plain, we'll pack up the bikes and transfer in the van to the town of Agadir on the Atlantic Coast.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 100km
+1884m
-2391m
After breakfast, the ride begins with a gentle climb out of Agadir and through a unique forest. The higher we climb, the more spectacular the views, which expand from the rocky valleys and hillsides out to the Atlantic Coast. After a second short climb and descent, we'll settle into our saddles for a long and gradual climb through "Paradise Valley," a lush oases-like gorge, lined with palms and the pools fed by underground aquaphers. After 55 kilometers, it's time to give our legs a rest. We'll overnight in the village of Imouzzer, known for the nearby waterfall of the same name, in a cozy hotel in hills.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 52km
+1626m
-607m
Our last cycling day is a cool down ride, as we bid farewell to the mountains and head towards the sea. But there are a few climbs in our path after a fast and fun descent that starts our ride. Our legs are strong now from the journey through the Atlas Mountains, and we'll tackle the two short climbs with ease before lunchtime. After that is a smooth and undulating ride to the beachside town of Imssouan. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach, go for a swim, and congratulate yourself for a fantastic job well done on a week of Morocco's toughest terrain. After lunch, we'll pack up the bikes and transfer by bus to Essaouira, an authentic Moroccan city perfect for exploring in the afternoon. In the evening, rejoin the group to swap stories of the trip over a farewell dinner at the hotel or Riad.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 75km
+1034m
-2161m
Our last day of cycling is a scenic loop ride out of the historic port city of Essaouira. We'll head north out of the city and into the rugged countryside that's defined our journey through the country. We'll have a few climbs along the ride, but they'll be gentle- for a change! We'll take in our last views of the Moroccan desert as we head back to Essaouira in time for lunch. Regroup in the evening for a farewell, Moroccan feast!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Ride 60km
After breakfast, we'll visit the historic port of Essaouira and its ancient walls, before a 3-hour transfer by car back to Marrakesh. The afternoon is free for you to explore the sights of Marrakech, relax at our charming Riad or hotel, or do some souvenir shopping in the souks. Dinner is at your leisure, but our local team is happy to make suggestions and arrangements.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Included
Transfer to Marrakech international airport for your return flight with plenty of tales of Arabian and Berber days and nights.
* These are sample of cycling tours itineraries, customizable for each customer, prices are on request and depend on dates, accommodations level and activities.
To enjoy this trip it is important that you are both confident and competent in riding a bicycle. An e-bike option is available.
Accommodation on this trip includes a mountain gite, a desert camp and basic hotels.
Transport on this trip includes an overnight train journey. Details on this mode of transport can be found in the Important Notes section.
When travelling in Morocco, temperatures can get incredibly hot in summer and surprisingly cool in winter. Have a think about what time of year suits you best to travel.
This trip has departures that run during Ramadan. During this time, some restaurants and shops are closed, but you'll get unique insight into local customs. See the Essential Trip Information for details.
For more details on specific logistical information for this trip, see the Important Notes and Essential Trip Information sections located below the trip itinerary.
Tripadvisor previous guests reviews
We were booked and had paid a deposit for a trip late March of 2020, which was canceled due to the pandemic. Said, the owner of MD, went to extraordinary lengths to refund the deposits for our travel group of six from the U.S. Apparently the Moroccan banking system is not "user friendly" when it comes to wire transfers for reasons unclear to me. Nevertheless, Said managed to refund all our money using a very creative approach. We would DEFINITELY travel with MD in the future given this level of honesty and effort; but we do hope that MD will accept credit cards rather than wires in the future. Thank You Said & Morocco Discovery!
Three of use booked a 19-day with Moroccan Discovery Holidays for March, 2020 and paid a 50% deposit. When Morocco closed its borders due to Covid. Initially we put our trip on hold and asked Said to hold our deposit. Said agreed to this. When it appeared holiday travel would likely go on for many months we asked for a refund. Said again agreed but the Moroccan banks, being what they are, refused to release all of our deposit. With some pressure on the bank from us and Said's help we did receive 100% of our deposit.
We planned our April-May 2020 trip to Morocco in the late fall of 2019 and worked with Said at Morocco Discovery. We were taking our adult children and their partners and Said was patient and added everything we wanted and more. One month prior to travel we were surprised by the pandemic, with flights cancelled, borders closed and no idea when we could travel again. Said remained as diligent, helpful and honest throughout the arduous process of refunding our downpayment. We were thrilled with Said, and his company's commitment to customer service and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone travelling to Morocco. As soon as it is safe again it is our intent to rebook with them!
From their already outstanding reviews when I started working with Sayd, this was an amazing experience. I got prompt friendly responses to every question I had and as this was our first trip to Africa I had a lot of questions. The price was incredibly reasonable - I don’t know how they can put the trip together on this budget. We stayed at amazing Riads in every city with excellent food every evening and great breakfasts - our driver was AMAZING- he was always ready wherever we were 1 minute before we needed him. The prearranged guides were the best. If you are going to Morocco - you want to go with Morocco Discovery and you definitely want a driver.
I have to admit, when I first started looking at using a local Moroccan tour company for our trip I was very nervous. After having toured Morocco for 11 days with Morocco Discovery Holidays, I would HIGHLY recommend them without any hesitation. Said worked with me for over a year to come up with a customized trip that included everything we (2 couples) wanted to see and more. Every change I made to the itinerary was completed within hours of my request.. and I made many. Said is very prompt at responding to e-mails and questions. Having a private driver was definitely the ideal way to see Morocco. Our driver, Mohamed was amazing. From the minute he met us at the airport (with sweets to welcome us) until he dropped us off at the port for our journey to Spain, Mohamed could not do enough for us. Mohamed is funny, engaging, very knowledgeable and was totally flexible and I felt very safe at all times, even on the curvy, narrow road. If I wanted him to turn around so I could take a picture, he would…and Did!! LOL Our Riads were beautiful and the meals that were included were some of the best meals we had in Morocco. I cannot say enough about the 5* service and attention we received from Morocco Discovery Holidays and Mohamed during our trip.
Mr Said provided us with a very pleasant and safe driver (Mustafa) as well as a new van, so we had a very enjoyable round trip Casablanca-Rabat-Fes- Marrakech-Casablanca. Local guides accompanied us in Fes and Marrakech, and we could have had other tours but we opted to spend more time walking around the towns. The Riads selected for us were very satisfactory and service all round was great. No hesitation at all in recommending Morocco Discovery.
Said arranged an excellent holiday for us. We began with one of the standard trips as our starting point and adapted it to better suit our needs with an added night here and there and starting in Marrakesh rather than Casablanca. Everything went very smoothly from start to finish.The choice of the Riads in which we stayed was great, as were the guides that were arranged for us. Abdoul proved to be a first rate driver - safe, dependable, friendly and very professional. We felt very comfortable being driven by him and we enjoyed his company.