You will arrive at Marrakech Airport and once you have collected your baggage/bikes you will be met by one of our Skedaddle guides, who will transport you to our 3* hotel accommodation in the centre of Marrakech. Flights arrive throughout the day, so once we‘re all checked in we get together for a short briefing on the trip ahead before heading out for an authentic Moroccan meal in a local restaurant. (If we have time we’ll assemble our bikes before the evening meal, but if not we’ll have time tomorrow morning prior to our first bike ride).

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 1,050 Metres Approx.

Today we have a leisurely start, giving us some time to fine tune our bikes before setting off across the Haouz plain and into the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. To avoid the monotony of the flat plain we load up our bikes and take a minibus to transfer the 25km to Tahanoute, a local administrative centre set in olive groves and fruit orchards.

From here we have a day of climbing ahead of us. We start the day at 900m above sea level and finish at 1,850m, riding along a road that climbs gradually from the plains into the heart of the Toubkal National Park. The first part of the climb takes us along a winding mountain road perched above a steep-sided gorge, leading us to the village of Asni, a traditional Berber settlement on the old Marrakech to Agadir road. Around Asni we’ll choose an appropriate spot for a picnic lunch before continuing along a quiet country road to Imlil.

The road to Imlil climbs gradually for 17km, following the beautiful Mizane valley, a typically scenic High Atlas river valley with a thin strip of lush cultivation framed by stark towering limestone mountains. Imlil is the most important trail-head village in the Atlas where trekkers set off to conquer North Africa’s highest peak, Mt Toubkal. We leave our bikes in the village and take a short walk up to our guesthouse accommodation where we stay for our first night in the heart of the Atlas Mountains.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 650 Metres Approx.

The first part of our ride retraces our route of yesterday afternoon, with a smooth fast descent down to Asni where we rejoin the old Marrakech to Agadir road. There then follows a twisty 10km descent down towards the village of Ouirgane, one of the prettiest in the High Atlas. En route, walnut trees give way to olive groves as we lose all of the altitude we gained yesterday. Today the road surfaces are good and although there is generally very little traffic on the road, riders should be on their guard for unexpected oncoming vehicles.

Around the village of Ouirgane we’ll stop for lunch before continuing up the Tizi-n-Test road towards Ijoukak, our overnight stop. Our afternoon ride, following the course of the Nfis River takes us a further 30km uphill along a quiet road. En route we pass through some small Berber settlements characterised by adobe (mud brick) dwellings built out of the very land on which they stand. Here subsistence farming maintains villagers, with any excesses taken to the nearby souk (market) in Ijoukak to generate some extra income.

On arrival in Ijoukak we walk down a dirt track to get to our overnight accommodation, a ‘gîte‘, or basic village house, converted into simple tourist accommodation. Tonight’s accommodation is the tour’s most basic with riders sharing dormitory style rooms with shared toilet facilities. Before dark we may have time for a stroll through the valley, arguably one of the prettiest valleys in the whole High Atlas range.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 1,175 Metres Approx.

Today we make an early start from Ijoukak as we continue our route southwards on a physically demanding ride. After Ijoukak the road begins to climb more steeply as it winds its way up to the infamous Test Pass (Tizi-n-Test), one of Africa’s highest paved roads. En route we stop for a look around the Tinmal Mosque, one of Morocco’s oldest. The mosque dates back to the 12th century and was built by the same Berber dynasty who built the magnificent Koutoubia mosque in Marrakech.

Moving on from the mosque we continue our climb through juniper forests up to over 2,000m above sea level. In total that’s about 40km of climbing since Ijoukak and the rewards on a clear day are panoramic views southward over the Souss Valley to Taroudant and across to the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Somewhere around the summit of the pass we’ll stop for lunch before embarking on a 37km descent down the south side of the High Atlas towards the town of Ouled Berhil.

From the bustling roadside town of Ouled Berhil views of the Atlas Mountains bathed in late afternoon sunshine are superb. Here we stay in a converted kasbah (a fortified Moroccan house) – a very quirky place with an old world feel about it. The hotel has a pool and pleasant garden to relax in after a tough day in the saddle.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 1,750 Metres Approx.

After breakfast we transfer by minibus to the town of Taroudant. We’re now in the fertile Souss Valley, a vast expanse of flat land with fruit orchards watered by the Souss River which flows to the sea at Agadir. It’s a major fruit and dairy farming region and Taroudant is the regional centre, located some 40km from Ouled Berhil. After a quick look around the walled city, a 12th century town likened to a mini version of Marrakech, we continue by minibus to Ait Baha where we’ll start our ride into the Anti-Atlas Mountains.

Today’s ride is largely uphill, along a beautiful country road which winds its way up from the plains to Tafraoute, a mountain town within an extraordinary setting. After choosing a scenic spot for lunch we get the chance to visit a hilltop kasbah before continuing up to a pass perched high above our finishing point.

Halfway up the landscape begins to change from argan forests (a tree found only in Mexico and Morocco and used in the manufacture of massage and restorative hair oils), to wilder moorland. From the pass (at about 1,700m above sea level) there’s a wonderful 20km descent down the Ameln valley into Tafraoute, a village set in an almost surreal landscape of huge volcanic boulders.

After settling into our 3 star hotel we head out for dinner and some traditional entertainment in a local restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: Optional Rides Available

Today is yours to do as you please. The minibus will be available for those who would like to visit Les Roches Bleues, a collection of giant painted rocks all in the name of landscape art, or some of the wonderful villages in the Ameln Valley. Others may rather sit by the pool and admire the views over the town and the towering granite peaks that surround Tafraoute. There are also some short cycling circuits around the area, taking advantage of the many newly surfaced quiet country lanes.

The town of Tafraoute itself is a pleasant place to rest up, and every February the town comes alive with visitors during the almond blossom festival. The whole region is famed for its almonds and villagers from miles around congregate in Tafraoute at this time of year to celebrate the blossoming of their trees. The sight of thousands of trees in bloom set against the stark mountains that surround the town is one of the most beautiful in Morocco. We’ll have dinner at our 3 star hotel tonight.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,130 Metres Approx.

Today we make our way from the Anti-Atlas Mountains down to the Atlantic Coast. Although there are quite a few climbs involved, the day has a downhill bias, making up for the effort of getting up to Tafraoute in the first place!

The day starts with a gradual rise up to the junction with the road to the Ait Mansour gorge, before a series of ups and downs take us through more typical Anti Atlas scenery to the Col de Kerdous. En route we pass through traditional villages that couldn’t be more different to their High Atlas counterparts. In this region, the architecture (of taller, painted buildings with distinctive porches and doorways), bears no resemblance to the squat austere earth brick constructions of the High Atlas.

There’s also an air of economic prosperity in the Anti-Atlas with many of its inhabitants having set up successful commercial enterprises in the larger cities of Morocco. This has lead to a mass male exodus and many villages are almost exclusively inhabited by females. From the Kerdous Pass there is a long downhill towards the coast and and some fast and , later, some predominantly flat(ish!) riding through argan tree forests to the vehicle pick up point close to the town of Tiznit where the ride ends.

En route there will be the traditional Skedaddle picnic lunch served, and after the ride a transfer to Agadir where you will stay the night. Agadir is a resort town, so a different feel to the rest of the trip but it’s nice to be next to the Atlantic Ocean and to enjoy some fresh catch for dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 1,700 Metres Approx.

After breakfast we transfer out of town to just north of Agadir where we unload our bikes and start our ride up to Immouzer.

Known locally as ‘Paradise Valley’ this 50km stretch of asphalt is so called on account of its palm trees which line the early part of the route. It’s a very scenic route that is normally fairly traffic-free (apart from the odd minibus carrying tourists up to the falls) and there are several viewpoints en route to take pictures of a landscape quite different to previous days.

After stopping at an oasis for lunch we continue on a largely uphill route to the mountain village of Immouzer where we stay in a guest house for the night. We aim to arrive in good time for a drink and sunset viewing from what is one of the finest terraces in Morocco. We’ll gather for dinner tonight at the guest house.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 750 Metres Approx.

After breakfast we ride out of the hotel along a mountain road that takes us northwards towards the main Agadir to Marrakech road. The scenery is open and rolling with excellent views to the south before we start our descent down to the main road. It’s about 45km of easy riding (usually with the prevailing wind behind) and when we arrive at the foot of the descent we’ll pack up the support vehicle and head back to Marrakech.

En route we’ll stop for lunch and aim to get back to Marrakech by mid afternoon. The transfer takes about 2.5 hours. Arriving back in Marrakech is a real highlight. Having arrived in the evening at the start of the trip we had little time to look around the Marrakech medina (old town), a maze of medieval streets and passageways.

Tonight there’ll be time to explore the main square – the Djemaa el Fna – to witness one of the world’s most animated night time spectacles. At night the square is transformed into a giant open air restaurant with men in white coats serving anything from sheep head stew to snails in hot sauce. The rest of the square is dedicated to other forms of entertainment such as snake charmers, story tellers, acrobats and dancers. Later we will enjoy a farewell dinner in a restaurant before exploring what Marrakech has to offer in the way of nightlife. We will stay tonight in a 3 star hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast

Free time this morning followed by a transfer to the airport for your homeward flight. Most flights depart in the afternoon so there’s time to explore the city and pick up a few last minute souvenirs. Guides are available for those who wish to be guided but we recommend seeing the city at your own pace, taking time to wander through the beguiling labyrinth of tiny alleys and passageways in the ancient medina.

You might like to visit the ancient Badi and Bahia Palaces, the museum of Marrakech, or a short taxi ride will take you to the Majorelle Botanical Garden, owned by Yves Saint Laurent. There are also the famous souks (markets) of Marrakech – ideal for devotees of ethnic fashion and decoration, but worth a look for the sights, sounds and smells of this most exotic of markets. But the real Marrakech experience is more about soaking up its unique atmosphere.

NB: Again, as mentioned under the terrain section. Every season we discover some surprises; sometimes pleasant surprises such as new improved surfaces and sometimes ‘challenging’ surprises such as mountain roads which have been damaged by adverse weather conditions. Please keep this in mind and be understanding of the fact that Morocco is a developing country with limited economic resources, and road surfaces, although largely good, may occasionally leave a little to be desired when compared to much of continental Europe.