Gravel bike
6 days / 5 nights
6-Day Gravel Bike Tour
The long southern loop: over the Atlas into the Draa valley, west through the Anti-Atlas, and back over the passes to Marrakech.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Season
- October–April
From€1,890 per person
Gravel Bike Tour in the Atlas Mountains
Agafay desert piste on day one, the Kik Plateau on day two. The best gravel riding within reach of Marrakech.
- Duration
- 2days
- Distance
- 130km over 2 riding days
- Total ascent
- ≈ 1,730m climbed, measured
- High point
- 1,700m above sea level
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Bike
- Gravel bike
- Group size
- 2–12riders
- Price from
- €480per person
130 km≈ +1,730 mhigh 1,700 m
Terrain: Copernicus DEM GLO-30 © DLR e.V. 2010–2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014–2018, provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA, via Mapterhorn. Tracks, peaks and passes: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Outline: Natural Earth.
400–1,400 m · 96 km
Stops
- Marrakech466m
- Agafay600m
- Lalla Takerkoust640m
- Amizmiz1,005m
- Kik Plateau1,700m
- Asni1,150m
RiddenTransfer by vehicle
Villages and passes in riding order, with the altitudes we record for each day. A route overview rather than a GPS trace: the line follows roads and tracks between the stops, so where a day crosses a pass on mule paths the drawn line takes the nearest rideable way round and will read longer than the distance we quote. Trails between stops vary with conditions and with your group. Distance and climbing are measured along the drawn line on a 30 m terrain model: close, but not exact.
Overview
Morocco is close to perfect gravel country and almost nobody has ridden it. This 2-day gravel bike tour links the Agafay desert piste with the Kik Plateau, giving you two very different surfaces and about 130km of riding on tracks where you will not see another cyclist.
Day one crosses the Agafay — hard-packed stone desert with long, fast straights and the Atlas rising in front of you the whole way. Day two is the plateau: a high, open dirt road that runs for over 20km with the full range on one side.
We run 40–45mm tyres, which is enough for the piste and quick enough for the tarmac links between sections. Support vehicle throughout, so you carry two bottles and nothing else.
- Agafay desert piste, long, fast, empty gravel
- The Kik Plateau at 1,700m, over 20km of continuous track
- Amizmiz, a working Atlas market town rather than a tourist stop
- Roughly 130km over two days, fully supported
Where this ride goesKik Plateau CyclingAgafay Desert Bike Tours
Day by day
Day 1
Marrakech to Amizmiz across the Agafay
Marrakech → Agafay Desert → Lalla Takerkoust → Amizmiz
We roll out from the edge of Marrakech and are on piste within half an hour. The Agafay is hard-packed stone desert — grey, rolling and completely open, with the Atlas wall filling the view ahead. Fast riding, long sightlines, almost no traffic. We pass the Lalla Takerkoust lake, stop for lunch, then climb gradually into the foothills to Amizmiz, a market town at the base of the mountains.
- Riding distance
- 68 km
- Riding
- 4–5 hours
- Meals
- Lunch, dinner
- Accommodation
- Guesthouse, Amizmiz
Day 2
The Kik Plateau to Asni and Marrakech
Amizmiz → Kik Plateau → Asni → Marrakech
The climb onto the Kik Plateau is the work of the trip — steady, exposed and worth it. On top you get a high dirt road running the length of the plateau, the Atlas range on your left the entire way, and enough space to ride at whatever pace suits you. The descent to Asni is fast on loose gravel. We load the bikes there and drive back to Marrakech.
- Riding distance
- 62 km
- Riding
- 4–5 hours
- High point
- Kik Plateau 1,700m
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch
When you can ride this
The riding season is March–November. Outside it the high passes are either under snow or too hot to enjoy, so we do not run it rather than run it badly. Every departure is private, on dates you choose.
Next available months
- November 2026
- March 2027
- April 2027
- May 2027
- June 2027
- July 2027
The riding year
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
We run itOut of season
2-Day High Atlas Gravel Bike Tour runs in March–November. The twelve months shown start with the current month.
Village guesthouses need booking, so give us a few weeks’ notice where you can. Tell us your dates and we will confirm quickly.
What's included
What's included
- Airport transfers in Marrakech
- All transport to and from the trailhead
- Accommodation throughout the tour
- Qualified English-speaking Moroccan guide
- All meals during the tour
- 4x4 support vehicle for the full route
- Helmets for every rider
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance (required)
- Bike hire, available from our own workshop
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Drinks and meals outside the itinerary
- Personal expenses
Bikes, beds and what we expect of you
Bike options
- Gravel bikes on 40–45mm tyres — enough tyre for Atlas piste, quick enough for the tarmac climbs between valleys.
- Bring your own gravel bike if you prefer — 40mm tyres minimum for these surfaces. We carry spares and a workshop kit.
- Bike hire is not included in the tour price. Ask us for current rates.
Accommodation
- One night in a guesthouse in Amizmiz.
- Twin-share as standard, single rooms available for a supplement.
Difficulty & requirements
- Comfortable riding 60–70km in a day on mixed surfaces.
- Bike handling on loose gravel at speed. The Kik descent is fast.
- Travel insurance covering cycling is required.
Gallery
Questions about this tour
What tyres do I need for Moroccan gravel?
40mm is the minimum we would recommend and 45mm is more comfortable. The Agafay piste is hard-packed but there are sharp stones, so a tyre with decent sidewall protection matters more than tread pattern. Our hire bikes come set up correctly.
Can this run as a longer gravel trip?
Yes. We build 4 to 6-day gravel routes that continue west towards the Ouirgane and Ijoukak valleys, or south over the Tizi n'Test. Tell us how many days you have and we will route it.
Is there traffic on these roads?
Very little. The Agafay piste and the Kik Plateau are effectively traffic-free. The short tarmac links between sections carry occasional local traffic and the odd grand taxi, and your guide rides those sections with you.
Before you book this one
The questions people ask us most often about this trip, answered properly.
- Road cycling in Morocco: the Atlas passesThree climbs out of Marrakech decide whether a road rider’s week in Morocco is memorable. Here they are with the numbers, the roadworks and the one summit sign that is wrong by 55 metres.Trails
- Bikepacking in Morocco and the Atlas Mountain RaceFor a lot of riders, bikepacking in Morocco means one event. Here is what the Atlas Mountain Race actually is in 2027, what its terrain asks of you, and the gentler ways onto the same kind of ground.Guides
- Cycling in Morocco during RamadanRamadan falls right at the start of the spring riding season. Almost nothing about the riding changes — but a few things about the days around it do, and it helps to know which.Culture
You might also like
Mountain bike
9 days / 8 nights
9-Day Atlas to Atlantic Bike Tour
A true point-to-point: start at 2,300m in the Atlas, finish swimming in the Atlantic.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Riding distance
- 246 km
- Highest point
- 2,300 m
- Season
- March–May
From€3,090 per person
Mountain bike
1 day (4–5 hours riding)
Day Mountain Bike Tour from Marrakech
Hotel pickup at 9am, real Atlas singletrack by 10.30, back in Marrakech for dinner.
- Difficulty
- Easy to Moderate
- Riding distance
- 30 km
- Highest point
- 2,300 m
- Season
- Year-round
From€125 per person