Atlas Mountains Traverse

We want you to have the best experience of mountain biking in Morocco, so it’s important to be sure that this is the perfect mountain bike adventure, with the right level of challenge, for you.

You’re an experienced mountain biker, riding at least twice a week through the season and comfortable on: long climbs on double and singletrack; steep, loose singletrack descents; rough, rocky trails, some with significant exposure; rutted, uneven terrain. Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.

Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it. Be honest with yourself, if this adventure isn’t right for you, we have other MTB tours that may be a better fit for your mountain biking ability.

Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.

Skill level: Intermediate+

• You are generally comfortable riding most types of terrain in different conditions: singletrack, double track, muddy, dry, loose, bedrock…
• You can brake, use gears and corner instinctively
• You’ll have a go on moderate technical features, such as small rock gardens, small drops and steeper sections, but may get off and walk certain technical features
• You mountain bike two or three times a week throughout your biking season
• And the ‘+’ part of ‘Intermediate+’ means that you will be aiming to tackle more of those moderate technical features

Fitness level: 6/7

• You have an excellent level of bike fitness, exercising four or five times every week throughout the year, for at least an hour at a time
• You are comfortable mountain biking up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for four or more consecutive days
• You can tackle several serious climbs a day, up to 600 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding

• Some of the riding you’ll do on our mountain bike tour Morocco is just over 7,000ft/ 2,000m with exposure present on several trails
• Double track: undulating jeep roads made up of hard-packed dirt, small rocks and occasionally sand
• Singletrack: rustic singletrack, mainly high mountain trails with very dry, loose surfaces, and through valley forests with roots crossing the trails, and at times you will encounter tennis ball-sized rock gardens, and occasionally flow trails
• The trails in the Moroccan mountains are thousands of years old, so are not buff purpose built trails, they are natural high altitude walking trails that link villages across the region and surfaces will be soft and loose, and/or rocky and dry at times. They are also affected by the weather and may be eroded in places
• You will occasionally have to hike-a-bike for short sections during this adventure to reach the high mountain passes

The ideal bike for the trails in the Atlas mountains of Morocco is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 130mm -150mm of travel front and rear.

You must travel with your own bike, and we have some handy tips on how to do this. When travelling with your own bike, you must ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.

We only run small group mountain bike tours to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will be a maximum of eight people in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run this mountain bike tour in Morocco is four.

Our mountain bike tour in the Atlas mountains of Morocco caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 55-years-old. Regardless of age, you must have the appropriate level of physical fitness and mountain biking skills to participate in this adventure. Please refer to clause 14 of our terms and conditions of booking to find more information on rider age.

This mountain bike tour Morocco is a guided mountain bike vacation, ideal for intermediate+ mountain bikers. The terrain you’ll be riding on consists of double track and singletrack through thick forests, villages and across high plateaux and mountain passes.

You’ll encounter some steep climbs and rooty sections, as well as fabulous, swooping descents. Altitude is a factor in this trip and we have some tips for riding at high altitudes and managing the effects of altitude.

The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 50km, in accordance with the technical difficulty of the trails and height gain/ loss on each stage.

Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.

No, you only need to carry a back pack with you whilst riding, with all of your spares and repairs, warm and waterproof clothing. Your main bags will stay at your centre based accommodation throughout the tour.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills help during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your mountain bike tour in Morocco.

If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike holiday!

Your mountain bike guides are local to Morocco and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of Morocco.

Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of your mountain bike tour Morocco.

Our local guide team in Morocco will be supported by a member of our team from HQ in Scotland, allowing our local team to follow their daily customs, and ensuring that someone is always on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

On this mountain bike tour in the beautiful Atlas mountains of Morocco you will be staying in a selection of traditional mountain guest houses, small family run riads, and small hotels in the High Atlas.

All meals starting with lunch on day one, and ending with breakfast on day eight.

The ideal bike for the Moroccan trails is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 130mm -150mm of travel front and rear.

Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your mountain bike tour in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

Yes, you will have the chance to have laundry done on one evening, but you will be able to hand wash kit and dry it in the Moroccan afternoon sun.

Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.

Marrakech, Morocco is well-served by many major airlines from all over the world.

or up-to-date timetables and booking visit: www.ba.com; www.airfrance.com; and www.lufthansa.com
You must book your bike on to your flight in advance, otherwise you could face a higher charge at the airport.

Here’s a video showing you how to pack your bike for travel.

Visas

Most travellers do not require a visa to enter Morocco, but please ensure you check if your country is exempt in good time. You can see which countries do not need a visa here. All travellers must have a passport which is valid for at least six months from the time you enter Morocco.

Arrival and departure details

Your mountain bike tour Morocco will start and end in Marrakech.

You should arrive the day prior to your tour start date and spend one night in Marrakech, allowing for any delays to flights or luggage, and be ready for your guide to meet you there the following morning. So you make the most of your time in this vibrant city, we’ve created this handy guide to spending 24 hours in Marrakech.

Your guide will meet you in the foyer of your hotel and he will be wearing an H+I ride top.

On the last day of the tour, your guide will ensure you are dropped off at Marrakech airport in time to catch your flight back home. Therefore, we would advise booking your flights home no earlier than 2pm on your day of departure.

If your departure flights differ from this, we would be happy to help book you into an airport hotel overnight, if needed.

Our mountain bike guides in Morocco are of the highest level.

They have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these remote, wild and beautiful parts of Morocco.

Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the trails of Morocco and will welcome you into their culture with open arms. They’re also genuinely nice people and will do their best to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time.

One of the things that sets our adventures apart is the unique local accommodation we use. We aim to use the best, locally-run accommodation in each country, and that which is traditional to that specific area, whether it be city or mountain.

On our mountain bike tour Morocco you’ll be staying in a selection of traditional Moroccan accommodation from rustic mountain guest houses, to small family run riads, to small hotels in the Atlas mountains.

Most of the food you will enjoy on our mountain bike tour Morocco is traditional food, all prepared with the greatest of care and skill. Typical dishes include: meat and vegetarian tagines, eggs, local meats and cheeses, and delicious sweet treats.

Morocco is a ‘dry’ country, which means that drinking alcohol is not part of their culture and, therefore, alcohol will not be available for most of your tour with us. Instead, you will get to enjoy copious amounts of sweet mint tea wherever you go!

All meals are included in the tour price and we will eat as a group at each mealtime.

No vaccinations are required for visiting Morocco.

We recommend you check before drinking tap water. Bottled or filtered water will be readily available throughout the trip.

Please let us know if you have any special food requirements, allergies or pre-existing conditions your guides should know about.

Your health and safety on tour is our top priority and when you travel with us you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services.

You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

The official currency of Morocco is the Moroccan dirham. ATM machines are readily available throughout Marrakech.

Tipping

It is not compulsory to tip your guides or drivers in Morocco, but it is much appreciated. If you feel you’ve had a good service or experience on your mountain bike tour Morocco, you can tip at your discretion. We recommend around 5% of the price of your tour, which will be split amongst your team.

It is not compulsory to tip in restaurants, however should you wish to tip your servers, 10% – 15% of your meal cost would be acceptable.

You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers cancellation and baggage, including your bike.

We work with Global Rescue whose policies are specially designed for adventure travel and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.