Cycling holidays in Morocco

Go cycling in Morocco if you want serenity. These holidays really do take you off Morocco’s tourist trail by taking you by bike down quiet routes, and many also include a night in a Sahara Bedouin camp (albeit swapping cycling for camel-ing for a day). Go if mountain biking and tricky terrain is a challenge you enjoy; the Atlas and Rif Mountains will put you through your paces, but with an ever-expanding network of quiet tarmac roads, road cycling is growing in the Morocco too. If you’re travelling from Europe, go here if you want to experience a completely different culture while cycling within easy reach of your home country.

The High Atlas, Middle Atlas and Anti Atlas Mountains are all fantastic settings for our Morocco cycling holidays: you can conquer the High Atlas Tizi n'Tichka Pass, then get respite cycling along flat valleys beneath the soaring peaks. There are opportunities to ride along the coast – from Tangier, with the Mediterranean over your shoulder. There are great rides towards the Sahara Desert, and days out of the saddle exploring some of the country’s great ancient cities, such as Essaouira or Chefchaouen.

Our cycling holidays here are about culture as much as they are about conquering cols. Our holidays are moderate to challenging; you may be cycling for up to 50km a day. Whilst there are some road cycling holidays most trips take on mountains and canyons: think MTB rather than TDF. You’ll have your bags transported for you, however, and full vehicle support in case you just want to chill for a while. We also have e bikes available for some tours. Most of our cycling holidays in Morocco are small group tours, but there is always plenty of free time built in for you to do things at your own pace. Expect warm weather as you cycle: even though you may be cycling through the Atlas Mountains which are snow-peaked, winter day temperatures can still hit the 20s.

The best time to go on a cycling holiday in Morocco is when the temperatures are not so relentlessly hot, which is why most trips don’t run in July and August. March to June or September to November are best for cyclists, with May particularly spectacular in the Dades Valley, when the roses start to blossom. Winter is less good: snow falls in the High Atlas in the height of winter, and you will also get some rain along the Atlantic coast. Some people resist travelling during Ramadan, but evenings are lively during this time and witnessing it feels like an honour.