Atlas to Desert

Peppered throughout the awe-inspiring landscape you’ll find evidence of Morocco’s rich cultural history just begging to be explored - ancient fortified kasbahs with their windowless high walls and the maze-like medinas with their colourful shops, fragrant restaurants, and bustling mosques that serve as the heart and soul of any city. Morocco wouldn't be Morocco without its people - warm, inviting, and famous for their hospitality, the Moroccans are always eager to share a mint tea along with a story or two.

On this biking adventure, we explore a range of Morocco’s fantastic trails, including remote paths and dirt roads taking us from Marrakech to the Tichka Pass, the highest in the High Atlas, before descending along the Draa Valley to the fringes of the Sahara Desert. Here, mud-brick kasbahs appear to rise up out of the desert, sitting in tranquil palm oases and framed by dramatic backdrops of snow-capped mountains.

En route we pass through numerous traditional villages, including a visit to the ancient kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll also make plenty of mint tea stops to experience first-hand the legendary hospitality that has risen up from these remote desert outposts. As we descend from the High Atlas, we witness a gradual change in flora and fauna as the desert starts to make its imprint on the landscape. Following a route of palm oases that hide the occasional refreshing pool for a dip, we cycle alongside ruined villages and kasbahs which, in the early morning and late afternoon, are bathed in a sublime desert light.

As we arrive at the fringe of the Sahara Desert, not far from the town of Zagora, we take a break from the bikes and kasbah hotels and instead opt for camels and a night under the stars in a Berber desert tent, surrounded by pre-Saharan dunes. This is the ultimate trip for those who are looking for a mountain-biking adventure paired with memorable cultural experiences!

Highlights

• Biking across the remote, beautiful, and untouched Jebel Sirwa mountains
• Exploring crumbling remains of the past in Morocco’s many kasbahs
• Riding a huge variety of rewarding tracks and trails
• Sleeping under the stars in the Sahara Desert
• Relaxing in one of Morocco’s most beautiful palm oases
• Strolling through the spellbinding network of souks in Marrakech medina