Cycle Morocco's Great South

Cycle Morocco's Great South

174 Views
9 Days From

$2175

Cycle Morocco's Great South

9 Days Starting and ending in Marrakech

Visiting: Morocco

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

MMI

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

4 - 16

Physical rating:

Moderate / Challenging

Age range:

16-99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Active

Interests:

Beach Tours, Photography

From: $2175

NB: Prices correct on 19-Sep-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Encompassing the best of Morocco, this trip will take us past the foothills of Mt Toubkal, golden Kasbahs, impressive gorges and the long sandy beach of Essaouira. This spectacular route follows smooth tarmac roads and climbs over high mountain passes that reward you with spectacular vistas of the High Atlas Mountains. A real highlight is riding through Paradise Valley, close to Imouzzer, where a palm-filled valley leads to a high pass with views down to the ocean below. After all the riding we will receive a warm welcome from a range of great hotels including a traditional riad.

Highlights

  • Ride from the Atlas Mountains to the coast

  • Explore Marrakech and Essaouira

  • Conquer challenging climbs and exciting descents

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Start Marrakech

Once you arrive in Marrakech, we recommend walking or taking a taxi into the old city. Here there is plenty to explore, including the old walled medina where winding alleyways are filled with souks selling everything from street food to pottery and jewellery.



Accommodation: Hotel Meriem (or similar)

Day 2 : Transfer To Sid Fares; Cycle In The Foothills Of Mount Toubkal To Ijoukak

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We transfer out of Marrakech this morning to Sid Fares and begin our cycling journey into the foothills of Mount Toubkal. After a nice warm up on a wonderful, undulating road, we enjoy a long descent into the Asni Valley with beautiful views. We then follow the river and cross several bridges before arriving at our hotel.



Accommodation: Auberge Tigmmi n'Tamazirte (or similar)



Drive time: Two hours

Day 3 : Challenging Climb Followed By Exhilarating Descent From Tizi N'test Pass To Oulad Berhil; Overnight In Traditional Riad

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The day begins with a challenging climb to the dramatic Tizi n'Test Pass (6,890ft/2,100m). We are rewarded with dramatic views to the south over the Sousse Valley towards the Anti Atlas Mountains. After lunch, we have a truly dramatic and, in places, quite steep descent as the road winds down to the valley. Once in the valley, our ride takes us past orange, lemon and grapefruit groves as we approach Oulad Berhil. Here we receive a warm welcome, delicious food and a relaxing evening at our beautiful riad. This converted palace is a wonderful addition to the end of our day with roaming peacocks and the chance to pick our own fruit straight off the trees.



Accommodation: Hotel l'Arganier (or similar)

Day 4 : Cycle Towards Tafraoute In Anti Atlas Mountains; Optional Transfer/Ride To See The Blue Rocks

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We have a morning transfer into the Anti Atlas Mountains and the real southern Morocco, much of which is semi-desert and a contrast to the fertile Sousse Valley. We travel through argan country trying to spot the much-loved tree-climbing goats. From Irherm, we are surrounded by almond trees and our road has some wonderful ups and downs as we pass through many farms and mud-walled Amazigh villages. The last section of the ride is another wonderful descent of about 7.5mi (12km) through dramatic scenery to Tafraoute.



Time permitting, we visit peculiar painted-blue giant rocks, otherwise we visit tomorrow.



Accommodation: Hotel les Amandiers (or similar)

Day 5 : Pass Pink Houses And Kasbahs En Route To Ait Baha Lake; Transfer To Agadir

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We transfer to Tizi M’Lil and begin another varied ride, undulating through spectacular hills, past traditional villages and hill-top kasbahs, with some superb balcony sections with excellent views. There are a few climbs, but the ride ends with an exhilarating descent to Ait Baha Lake and then we transfer to the coastal resort of Agadir.



Accommodation: Oasis Hotel & Spa (or similar)



Drive time: Six and a half hours

Day 6 : Spectacular Ride Through The Paradise Valley; Climb To Imouzzer

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we enjoy a truly spectacular ride through the Paradise Valley, a narrow gorge lined with palm trees. Towards the head of the valley, we have another challenging climb with excellent views, eventually reaching a high plateau and the little town of Imouzzer, the end point of one of the most dramatic rides on our route. Originally the home of the Ida Outanane Amazigh tribe, Imouzzer retains a strong cultural identity.



Accommodation: Hotel des Cascades Ecolodge (or similar)

Day 7 : Cycle Through Traditional Villages And Palmaris To Essaouira

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We start cycling from the front door and begin with another excellent winding descent on a good road to a valley dotted with palm trees and traditional villages. There are a couple of moderate climbs over rocky hills and descents back into the fertile valleys before we reach the main coast road and the end of the ride. After a picnic lunch, we transfer (90 minutes) to our destination for the evening, Essaouira. This old Portuguese fishing port dates to the 15th century, but the present town was constructed around 1760 by Sidi Mohammed ben Abdullah, who needed a base from which to suppress a revolt from Agadir. Today, Essaouira is extremely relaxed and the whitewashed houses with painted shutters, artisan workshops, boatyards and fishermen provide a marked contrast to Marrakech. There's plenty of interest in the narrow traffic-free streets of the old town and we stay overnight in a traditional riad.



Accommodation: Riad al Madina (or similar)



Drive time: Two hours

Day 8 : Free Morning In Essaouira; Transfer To Marrakech; Free Time

Meals Included: Breakfast

After a free morning to explore lovely Essaouira, we transfer to the vibrant city of Marrakech. Simply enjoy a freshly squeezed orange juice in one of the many rooftop cafes overlooking the Djemma El Fna square, or perhaps take a calèche (a horse-drawn carriage) ride to the peaceful Majorelle Gardens. These small but tranquil gardens are decorated throughout in indigo blue and house the small Museum of Islamic Art. A final treat would be to go for a hammam, a traditional Moroccan steam bath. A visit to Djemma el Fna this evening is the ultimate reward for our week's cycling – with snake charmers, story tellers, smoky food stalls and souks, there is no other way to experience the exciting atmosphere of Marrakech.



Accommodation: Hotel Meriem (or similar)



Drive time: Three and a half hours

Day 9 : End Marrakech

Meals Included: Breakfast

The trip ends after breakfast, but you can explore Marrakech if you have time before your flight.



For excellent views of Djemaa el Fna, head to La Grand Balcon du Cafe Glacier or Cafe de France. You must buy a drink, but at 20 Moroccan dirham (US$1.85), it's worth it.



Alternatively, Majorelle Gardens, or Le Jardin Secret, makes a great escape from the bustling city, and a chance to discover outstanding examples of Islamic art and architecture.



A top tip for great food would be the Moroccan roast lamb at Chez Lamine just off Djemaa el Fna. Go between midday and 3pm or you'll miss it.



If you're craving a cold beer or a glass of wine, make your way to La Salama, again just off the Djemaa el Fna. You can enjoy the beautiful interior and lively atmosphere.



You’ll easily find a taxi around Djemaa el Fna when it’s time to make your return journey home.

What's Included

  • Local bike hire

  • All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners

  • All accommodation

  • All transport and listed activities

  • Tour leader throughout

  • Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

  • Arrival & departure transfers

What's Not Included

  • Visas or vaccinations

  • Single accommodation (available on request)

  • Travel insurance

Food


All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners.

Moroccan food is excellent, though not particularly varied. Breakfasts
usually consist of bread, croissants and jam with tea or coffee and freshly
squeezed orange juice. Meals eaten out are reasonably priced - a lamb or
chicken tagine (a local speciality) will cost about GBP5. In main towns it is
possible to find very good French and Moroccan restaurants where a meal and
French wine will cost anything from GBP15 upwards. Local beers, wines and
soft drinks are available at very reasonable prices, but you can pay UK
prices or more for imported alcohol. Your leader can help recommend
restaurants for the two evenings where dinner is not included. Vegetarians
can be catered for but there is a fairly limited choice of vegetarian tajine,
cous cous, omelettes and salad. This is particularly the case during the more
rural sections of the trip.

Lunches are a mixture of packed lunches or eating in a local restaurant. They
are generally a mixture of bread, pasta, rice, veg, cheese, fish, ham,
fruit. 

Please note that if you have any special dietary requirements you should
inform the Exodus Office prior to the trip. If you have a specific
medical/dietary need (i.e. coeliac or vegan) you may find it helpful to bring
some items of food with you from home. All mineral drinking water is included
whilst cycling.

Accommodation

We stay in hotels, an auberge and two riads during this trip. Apart from the auberge, these are three- and four-star properties (local ratings). Below are some of the places we typically stay.



Tafraoute: Hotel les Amandiers







Perched on a rocky hillock, Les Amandiers overlooks the valley and is surrounded by pink granite mountains. The property has a pool with mountain views and a lounge where you can relax.



Imouzzer: Hotel des Cascades Ecolodge



After one of our most spectacular rides of the trip, Hotel des Cascades is the perfect place to unwind and reminisce. There's an outdoor pool for a post-cycle dip and sun loungers if you just want to kickback. Best of all, however, might be the views, which stretch over the surrounding Atlas peaks.



Essaouira: Riad Al Madina







Built in 1817, this traditional riad in Essaouira medina provides an authentic look into a bygone age. The hub of social interaction is the patio, but you can also enjoy Moroccan tea in one of the lounges. When you're ready to explore, the beach is just 655ft (200m) away and you're near all the attractions and souks.



Worth knowing



A single supplement is available; however, this does not apply to the night spent at Auberge Tigmmi (Day 2).



About riads 



Riads are traditional Moroccan homes, generally in the old part of the city or medina, where the wealthiest people would historically live. They’re typically built around a central corridor with windows facing an internal courtyard (external windows are rare). Most have a rooftop terrace where breakfast is served. A night in a riad is an authentic Moroccan experience; however, riads do not have hotel-style facilities. Additionally, the rooms are not standardised and come in different sizes and shapes. 

Check out our Q&As

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews from travellers on this tour

CYCLE MOROCCO'S GREAT SOUTH

A great group of cyclists...very close knit and ve

A great group of cyclists...very close knit and very focussed on having good cycling fun as well as safety with an excellent, enthusiastic and passionate tour leader assisted by a lead rider and a cooperative team of drivers

Morocco's Great South October 2022

Amazing trip. We covered so many varied areas and

Amazing trip. We covered so many varied areas and types of terrain, from rocky desert to lush valleys. The six days of cycling were packed with fantastic views, challenging cycling, great company and accommodation that ranged from a Berber guesthouse to former palaces. Our guides and support staff were wonderful. We learned a lot about Moroccan culture, history and geography. The snacks and lunches were great with a focus on the local produce (nuts, fruit - dried and fresh - breads - vegetables). Who knew Morocco produced so much food. Be ready to experience the culture and the country in this trip and be well looked after by the supporting staff..

Cycling in glorious landscapes in this amazing country...

What a fabulous trip, exactly what I was looking f

What a fabulous trip, exactly what I was looking for. Cycling in the mountains and valley's of Morocco to the coastal towns of Agadir and Essaouira. A great way to see such a variety of landscapes and towns. Radu our guide and our two drivers were superb, professional throughout and could not have been more helpful. Just make sure you take enough warm clothes if you go early February!

A tough but exciting adventure

I have hesitated about writing a review this time

I have hesitated about writing a review this time as I was one of the slower riders but as someone who reads them I think it can help sometimes. So here goes. This was a very tough cycling trip for me. Having said that.....I'm glad I did it. It was certainly a case of either cycling up a mountain or down one. Only a few miles was flat. The climbs went up and up and up and up and up. Hours at a time. In most cases the gradient wasn't too bad most of the time but it was a long slog to get to the top......with many false summits on the way which really take some doing to overcome and carry on. The descents of the other side were fantastic. I loved them. Down and down and down and down forever. Great speed. Great thrill. I am relatively fit and active for my age and do many sports but this cycling was hard. I am not a club cyclist. Obviously those who do ride more seriously climbed the hills better and got to the top a good 20/30 minutes before me.........but I did manage to cycle the whole trip and am very proud of my achievement. The mini bus was always available for those who did not always want to cycle. We were well looked after and I never felt at risk at all. I wasn't too keen on my bike !! Not as good as my last Exodus Cycling Holiday. Trouble was none of them had any front suspension and we did go over some very rough terrain and some very long descents. Very surprising not to have this feature in this day and age. Personally I felt it appropriate to dress modestly but not necessary to the extreme. Shorts seemed fine with many of the ladies wearing their lycra shorts. T.shirts with sleeves (long or short) were the most common tops. In the evening I found a long dress very comfy but a very casual one, nothing fancy. Or leggings or loose trousers. I wore a jacket one morning when we started off with a long downhill otherwise I was never cold. The hotels varied quite a bit from concrete beds in one mountain auberge to a suite with huge comfy beds and loads of hot water in others.............with everything in between including some very nice traditional old rhiads. I loved it all being different and enjoyed all the experiences. Some of the hotels had swimming pools and we did manage some swims but often the long cycling days meant we didn't always have much time in the evenings........plus in my case I was very tired (ha ha). Alcohol was not always available. We were delighted on the few occasions it was and the guides did their best to find us some at other times. It's just nice at the end of a long hard day !! Food was good. There wasn't anything I didn't like. However, I have "suggested" to Exodus that at least eggs are needed for breakfast with such huge rides to cope with. We did have eggs every morning except for two when it was just bread and jams. Very nice but just not substantial enough. Being on the move means that washing clothes through is pretty much impossible although some people did manage. Getting them dry is the difficulty. Take toiletries as they are not always provided. Make sure you fill your water bottle again at the end of the day so you have drinking water for the night and for cleaning teeth etc. Most hotels do not provide water in your rooms and it cannot always be bought. Nobody got ill that I know of but it's only sensible to be careful. No ice, ice cream, salad washed in suspect water etc. Usual stuff. The mountains catch the sunlight beautifully. They ouse power. The landscape is rock and sand but it still has great appeal. We had a super group of people from various countries. It worked well. I recommend the trip if you want a challenge because it is certainly that. If you are prepared you will be fine. Enjoy !!

Wonderful autumn cycling trip

Just returned from really great cycling trip. Love

Just returned from really great cycling trip. Lovely route - we chose this trip over ones with other companies because of the route, mix of the mountains and time on coast in Essaouria. This was our first trip with Exodus and my husband Graham and I were very impressed. Fantastic tour leader in Liz, she managed every aspect of the tour superbly - logistics with the support vehicles - during rides never more than 10k away from drinks etc and sweeper support at rear in case of incidents. On the route there are lots of long ascents and Liz described what to expect extremely well in terms of the uphills and downhills, no-one got into the van on any of the rides and I believe this was due in large part to Everyone having confidence in Liz’s descriptions and timing of stops etc. Coming over the high pass on day 3 we encountered very heavy mist, Liz managed the descent extremely well with everyone feeling safe and comfortable with the ride down. Fantastic fun group of people to ride with, everyone gelled and mixed in together really quickly and whilst there was of course a range of fitness and technical cycling ability, it was relatively modest and at stops it was on average 15mins between first and last of the group arriving. Due to nature of the trip, lunches are roadside picnics every day, these were simple but fresh and filling. Accommodation is also simple but clean, in the first couple of places in the mountains there was some issues with lack of hot water, but to be honest whilst this isn’t ideal I think you need to accept that this type of issue can happen when travelling in a large group in the mountains in Morocco. We were fortunate that weather was kind to us every day, if we’d arrived cold and wet lack of hot water would have been more of an issue. Support team with Liz were v friendly and helpful as well. Really recommend trip

CYCLE MOROCCO'S GREAT SOUTH

A well run, well paced trip. Cycling was excellen

A well run, well paced trip. Cycling was excellent but there are few flat roads in Morocco! Weather perfect. Accommodation is adequate but one cannot expect more in remote parts of the country. Some places had character. Food generally not great in accommodation but adequate.

CYCLE MOROCCO'S GREAT SOUTH

First time to Morocco and what a fabulous way to e

First time to Morocco and what a fabulous way to expeirence this beautiful country. The Mountains (Atlas and anit-Atlas) are breathtaking in more ways that one and it was a real treat to be able to ride up them and down them for a week! A really tough ride for me personally - so many relentless climbs but great to get really fit to prepare for it

Great trip with a wholly misleading description and trip notes

This is a challenging trip with 350km of cycling a

This is a challenging trip with 350km of cycling and 4,500m of elevation gain - enough to kill even a Cannondale e-bike! The trip notes are poor and misleading, the itinerary is great but compressed with very little downtime. Most hotels are authentic/interesting if the big city hotels are discounted. Agadir is a hurried and unsatisfactory destination. As always the local guides are excellent and make up for the poor admin at Exodus; nothing is too much trouble for them.

CYCLE MOROCCO'S GREAT SOUTH

At last a road trip (as opposed to mountain biking

At last a road trip (as opposed to mountain biking) to Morocco, so you could look at the scenery rather than where your wheels are going. Good winter sun cycling that is easy to access to the UK and was well organised and well led.

CYCLE MOROCCO'S GREAT SOUTH

A fantastic bike trip through the Atlas Mountains,

A fantastic bike trip through the Atlas Mountains, each day of biking was more beautiful than the day before.  I really fell in love with Morocco on this trip, and the biking routes were unbelievable.  Lots of great rides through isolated areas and tiny villages - the mountains and the desert were all amazing to see.

Read all 46 reviews

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Book with Confidence

  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.

    Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

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