Overview

4 day/s
Intermediate
Road Bike
Ouirgane Valley, Atlas Mountains

4 days Atlas mountains road cycling holidays in Morocco: Our tour starts from the 1000 year old city of Marrakech. A fascinating ride across the old Medina towards the mountain range of the High Atlas Mountains. road bike Cycling on the flat Haouz plains, you will be quickly challenged by the imposing Atlas Mountain slopes, climbing Morocco’s highest roads.

You will have the opportunity to discover Berber lush valleys and rugged high plateaus to discover the traditional local way of life, an authentic architecture and landscapes of a rare beauty.

Trip facts:
Trip length : 4 days / 3 nights
Group size : Min 2, max 12 persons

Location

This cycling adventure takes place in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, just a short drive from the vibrant city of Marrakech. The High Atlas Mountains are a spectacular setting for a road bike cycling holiday tour with hundreds of miles road just waiting to be explored. With many years of experience guiding in the region, your local hosts can help you explore this region’s hidden riding potential.

Start point

You will be collected from your accommodation in Marrakech at 09:00.

Finish point

You will be transferred back to Marrakech for around 17:00 at the end of your adventure.

What to Expect

Day 1: Marrakech – Ourika – Oukaimeden
After breakfast at the hotel, short transfers take us into the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and cross the Ourika valley, which is a regular challenge for local Marrakech road bikers. we reach the little villages of Adrar and the starting place of our uphill ride, this first day of biking is brilliant and starts with a steady 2 – 3 hour climb to Ski resort(2600m). along the way there are good views and an unmissable photo opportunity, Passing through a picturesque landscape, with several Berber villages, overnight in Oukaimeden.

Day 2: Ourika – Asni
Short transfers take us from Ouka to Imi n Lghar where we start bike, you will climbs steadily along the mountainside and genteelly gain altitude through some impressive views across the Atlas Mountains and the Berber villages. As we reach our highest point at the Tizi n’Tadmamt (1813m), you will have a more relaxed section following the contours of the mountain hillsides overlooking the superb views stretching towards the Haouz Plains far north. After Sidi Fares, we will enjoy an amazing downhill section to Asni overnight in Riad in Asni.

Day 3: Asni – Ouirgane
We head out on one of the most famous climbs in the Atlas, the Tizi-n-Test pass. We will set out after breakfast heading up 40 KM to the halfway point of Tinmel. This mountain top village is famous in Moroccan history as Tinmel was the cradle of the Berber Almohad Empire. This is the village from where the Almohad started their military campaigns against the rulers of Marrakech the Almoravids in the early 12th century. An ancient mosque still remains in Tinmel from that time and is now a UNESCO heritage site. From there on to the climb and a photo at the 2100 M peak 71 KM out from our start. A break at the café and then it is back down the way we came with views of the Ouirgane valley in front this time. Back to our hotel.

Day 4: Ouirgane – Kik Palteau – Marrakech
Our ultimate day will lead us to the heights of the superb Kik Plateau. After a good breakfast, we start cycling on the little road snaking up towards the shrine of Moulay Brahim. This is a holy place where a well-known Moroccan Sufi saint was buried. It’s a famous place that attracts a lot of pilgrims from all over Morocco. At the highest spot of the ride we will cross the magnificent limestone plateau with the often snow capped Toubkal peaks in the background. The ride across the terraces will be punctuated by few villages before we reach the western end of the Kik. From now on, it’s a long decent to reach the Takerkoust lake where our cycling adventure end. After packing our bikes, a short transfer will lead us to the exciting Marrakech and your Riad in the Medina of Marrakech at 5mn on foot from the main attractions: Jemaa El Fena Square, the souks, Bahia Palace…

Note: This itinerary and the duration of the activities are subject to change due to group abilities and preferences, and weather conditions and forecasts.

What Includes

, Private Transport from/to Marrakech, English Tour Guide, Accommodation during the trip, All meals during the trip, Assistance car during the trip

Does not Include

, Travel Insurance, Tips, Any Private Expenses, Drinks and Items of personal nature, Road Bike hire (available to rent from our bike shop)

Bookable Extras

, Umbrella, Sunscreen, T-Shirt, Entrance Fees

Essential Equipment

We recommend packing the following items:

  • Normal daily clothes
  • Padded cycling shorts and gloves
  • Breathable top or cycling jersey
  • Sunglasses/eye protection
  • Stiff-soled shoes suitable for cycling
  • Waterproofs and long cycling trousers
  • For the earlier departures you may need some warmer layers
  • Sun cream
  • Water bottle or Camelback

Energy cycling gels offer a quick form of crabs replenishment. Most contain the simple crab sugar, which is the fastest form of energy to replace glycogen. It’s suggested that people who cycle at a moderate intensity for more than 90 minutes, need to replace between 30g and 65g of carbohydrates per hour and we would thoroughly recommend bringing some of these with you, as well as some energy bars.

Accommodation

During this adventure, you will be staying in a Guest house in the Berber village, but we can also update the accommodation suits your needs.

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