The Best Gravel Bike Routes in Morocco
These are the gravel routes we actually ride and document — every one with verified distance, elevation, surface and season. No invented tracks, no copied GPX files. This is the route library that anchors our tours and the national gravel map.
Overview of the verified routes
Our route library is built from real, rideable pistes that we run every season. Each is documented with measured distance, elevation gain, surface type, terrain, difficulty, recommended bike, best season, water access and support notes. They are the building blocks of the larger tours.
Route categories
We organise the wider route library into three categories that match how people actually ride Morocco — a single day out, a night away, or a multi-day crossing.
Day rides
26 verified day rides from Marrakech, the Atlas, the desert, the coast, the Anti-Atlas and beyond — graded easy to challenging, rideable in a morning or a full day. Browse them all on the day rides hub.
Overnights
9 two-day rides that leave Marrakech or a regional base, sleep in the mountains or desert, and ride back. The bridge between a day ride and a full expedition. See the overnights hub.
Expeditions
11 multi-day point-to-point journeys — 3–4 day, 5–7 day and 8–10+ day — that string the flagship pistes into real crossings. See the expeditions hub.
Route difficulty guide
Difficulty in Morocco is mostly about climbing, remoteness and heat — the pistes themselves are not technically demanding. Use the grade to match a route to your fitness and the season.
- Easy — under 600 m gain, rolling terrain, frequent villages and water. Draa Valley Loop.
- Moderate — 600–1,000 m gain, sustained gravel days, regular support. Ounila Valley Piste.
- Challenging — 1,000 m+ gain, high passes, thinner support, weather-dependent. Tizi n’Tichka, Tizi n’Test.
- Expedition — multi-day, remote, self-sufficient or fully supported. The grand tours.
Route distance guide
Daily distances on our routes sit mostly between 50 and 100 km. The desert and valley pistes are fast — you cover ground quickly on firm surfaces. The high passes are slower; a 60 km pass day with 1,300 m of climbing is a full day.
Route surface guide
Surface drives your tyre choice and your comfort. The good news: most Moroccan gravel is firm, compacted earth that rolls fast. The variation matters at the margins.
- Compacted earth piste — the default. Fast, firm, 40c tyres. Most valley and desert routes.
- Mixed gravel and old tarmac — common on the high passes. 40–45c, watch for loose sections on descents.
- Ochre gravel — the Ounila’s signature surface. Firm but coloured; beautiful and quick.
- Sandy sections — short and usually walkable, mainly approaching the desert. 45c helps.
Route terrain guide
Terrain is what makes Morocco feel like three countries in one. Each route belongs to a terrain family that defines its character.
- High Atlas pass — alpine, big climbs, switchback descents, weather exposure. Tizi n’Tichka, Tizi n’Test.
- Valley piste — corridor riding through Berber villages and canyon walls. Ounila.
- Desert oasis — palm groves, river oases, old ksour, flat to rolling. Draa.
- Coastal cliff-top — argan forest and ocean-edge tracks. The Essaouira region.
Real route examples with maps
Tizi n’Tichka Piste
The grand Atlas pass piste — 78 km and 1,450 m of gain from near the 2,268 m Tizi n’Tichka summit down into the Ounila Valley. An old caravan route with dramatic switchback descents and empty gravel. Read the full route dossier.
Ounila Valley Piste
54 km and 620 m from the Glaoui kasbah at Telouet to the UNESCO ksar of Ait Benhaddou — ochre canyon walls, living Berber villages, and one of the finest gravel days in the country. Read the full route dossier.
Draa Valley Loop
95 km and just 480 m of gain — a loop from Ouarzazate through Agdz and Zagora along the Draa river oasis, palm grove pistes and old ksour. The benchmark easy desert route. Read the full route dossier.
See every route on one map
All four flagship routes — plus every day ride, overnight, expedition, destination and tour — plot together on the National Gravel Map, with toggleable layers and clickable popups that link straight to each dossier.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the easiest gravel route in Morocco?
The Draa Valley Loop — 95 km but only 480 m of gain on firm desert pistes through the palm oasis from Ouarzazate to Zagora and back. It is the benchmark easy route and rideable October to March.
Which is the hardest?
The Tizi n’Tichka and Tizi n’Test approaches — both over 1,300 m of climbing to passes above 2,000 m, with weather exposure and thinner support. They are challenging rather than technical.
Are the routes signposted?
No — Moroccan pistes are not gravel-route signposted. We navigate with GPS tracks and local knowledge. On supported tours the guide leads; bikepackers should carry a GPS or offline maps.
Can I ride these routes unsupported?
The Ounila and Draa are rideable unsupported with care and water planning. The high passes are best ridden with a support vehicle for water and weather backup.