3 days3 daysMarrakech → Marrakech
3 Days Marrakech to Merzouga Desert
Cross the High Atlas and Road of a Thousand Kasbahs before reaching the dunes of Merzouga.
- High Atlas
- Dades Valley
- Erg Chebbi
Photo: Michal Osmenda, CC BY-SA 2.0
High Atlas & Middle Atlas
The Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains stand between Morocco's cities and its desert. Every Sahara route crosses them, and the drive itself is one of the most memorable parts of the journey.
About Atlas Mountains
What to Expect in Atlas Mountains
Leaving Marrakech, the road climbs the Tizi n'Tichka pass through walnut groves, red-earth villages and switchbacks with long views back over the plain. On the southern side the landscape turns dry and open as the road drops towards the kasbah country around Ouarzazate.
From Fes the crossing is gentler and greener: cedar forests around Azrou, high plateaux where flocks graze, and mountain towns where most journeys stop for lunch before continuing towards the Ziz Valley and the desert.
- Driving times
- The mountain sections are slow by design — winding roads mean shorter distances take longer than you expect.
- Best time to go
- Pleasant from spring to autumn. In winter the high passes can see snow and occasional delays.
- What to bring
- A jacket: it is noticeably cooler at altitude than in Marrakech or the desert.
- Travelling comfortably
- If you are sensitive to winding roads, sit in the front and tell your driver — stops are easy to arrange.
Things to see and do
Highlights of Atlas Mountains
Tizi n'Tichka pass
The High Atlas crossing between Marrakech and the south, with viewpoints along the way.
Berber villages
Earth-built houses stacked on the hillsides, with terraced fields below them.
Cedar forests near Azrou
Tall cedars and shaded picnic spots on the Fes side of the mountains.
Mountain viewpoints
Stops for photographs, mint tea and a stretch of the legs on the longer driving days.
On the map
Where Atlas Mountains Sits
Private routes
Tours That Include Atlas Mountains
Every tour is private, so the days spent here can be lengthened, shortened or rearranged to suit your plans.
3 days
3 days3 daysFes → Marrakech
3 Days Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga
Journey south from Fes to Merzouga, then follow Morocco’s kasbah road across the High Atlas.
- Middle Atlas
- Merzouga
- Dades Valley
4 days4 daysFes → Marrakech
4 Days Fes to Marrakech Desert Tour
An unhurried desert crossing with time for mountain towns, oasis valleys and the Erg Chebbi dunes.
- Cedar forests
- Sahara sunset
- High Atlas
Made for your journey
Add Atlas Mountains to a Custom Itinerary
Tell us how long you have and where you would like to start, and we’ll shape a private route that includes it.