The short trip that still feels like an expedition — Imlil to Amizmiz across three valleys.
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.
700–2,100 m · 116 km
Stops
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.
If you only have a long weekend, this 3-day Atlas Mountains MTB tour is the most riding we can give you. It runs point to point from Imlil through the Azzaden valley to Amizmiz, crossing three valley systems in three days, with 4–5 hours of riding daily.
The trails are genuine Atlas singletrack — terraced fields, riverbeds, rocky mule paths and long descents — but the grade is intermediate rather than advanced. If you ride trail centres at home and are comfortable on loose rock, you will have a very good time.
It works well as a standalone trip from Marrakech, or bolted onto a longer Morocco holiday. Two nights in village gîtes, all meals, and the support vehicle never far away.
Where this ride goesImlil Mountain BikingKik Plateau Cycling
Day 1
Marrakech → Imlil → Azzaden Valley
We collect you from your Marrakech hotel after breakfast and drive to Imlil. From there the trail climbs steadily and then traverses into the Azzaden valley, following the river past terraced fields and through villages where the path runs between the houses. A short, technical descent brings you to the gîte.
Day 2
Azzaden Valley → Ouirgane → Amizmiz
The longest day, and the most varied. You drop out of the Azzaden valley on rocky trail, cross into the Ouirgane basin with its red earth and salt workings, then ride rolling valley trails west towards Amizmiz. Lunch is in the shade somewhere along the river.
Day 3
Amizmiz → Kik Plateau → Marrakech
A final morning on the trails around Amizmiz — terraced singletrack, olive groves, and a climb to a viewpoint over the Haouz plain before the descent. We wash the bikes and have you back in Marrakech by late afternoon.
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
The riding year
We run itOut of season
3-Day Atlas Mountains MTB 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.
It is enough to cross three valleys and get a real sense of the range, which is more than most people manage in a week of sightseeing. What you miss compared to the 8-day trip is the deeper, more remote terrain west of Ait Zitoune.
If you are a fit rider who is new to mountain biking, yes — tell us when you book and we will pick softer lines and use the vehicle for the steepest climbs. If you have never ridden off-road at all, our day tour from Marrakech is the better starting point.
Usually between 4pm and 6pm. Do not book a flight before 9pm on the final day.
The questions people ask us most often about this trip, answered properly.
Mountain bike
2 days / 1 night
The shortest trip that still gets you a night in the mountains — Imlil to Imi Oughlad, then over the Tachet pass into the Azzaden.
From€420 per person
Mountain bike
8 days / 7 nights
Eight days of high singletrack, from the Imlil valley to the Kik Plateau, sleeping in Berber gîtes the whole way.
From€2,690 per person
Mountain bike
1 day (4–5 hours riding)
Hotel pickup at 9am, real Atlas singletrack by 10.30, back in Marrakech for dinner.
From€125 per person