Off-road Motorcycle Trip Over New Year's in Morocco

This off-the-road hotel & kasbah trip, featuring nights under a thousand stars and in hotels, is your escape to the warm climate of North Africa. Following in the footsteps of the Alchemist, we traverse the southern part of Morocco. The Moroccan landscape, stretching from the coast to the desert, continually captivates motorcycle travelers with the allure of the Orient, especially when the morning call to prayer echoes and the warm African sun rises. 

We will circumnavigate the snow-capped mountains, over 4000 meters high, and travel through cold cedar forests and warm oases with date palms, heading south both on and off the road. This motorcycle trip will be interactive, as we will primarily camp outdoors. Due to the rapidly developing infrastructure, there will always be new sections to explore on this journey. It's crucial to us that this off-road Morocco tour is an adventure, not a typical vacation experience for you.

The start and end of this motorcycle trip is Malaga, where we will pick you up from the airport. The tour begins with a road connection to the ferry that will carry us across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Morocco Enduro Trip at the Sea of Gibraltar

Day 1: Arrival in Malaga

You arrive in Malaga and meet the Enduro tour group and the 4x4 group, who will travel together to Morocco the next day. In the evening, we'll have a relaxed dinner, a tour briefing, and then off to bed.

Hamada: here you can drive in full speed! 

Day 2: Malaga to Chefchaouen

At sunrise, we head to Algeciras, where our ferry to Morocco departs. By afternoon, we'll have completed the customs process at the port and drive the remaining kilometers on the road to our kasbah accommodation near Chefchaouen. In the evening, we'll explore the blue old town and dine above the rooftops of Chefchaouen.

Connection stage via the Atlas Pass road Tizi n'Test near Asni in Morocco

Day 3: Chefchaouen towards Fes

As the morning sun's first rays drive us from breakfast, and after the last sip of Moroccan coffee, we mount our bikes and head south, on and off the road, past Fes with a brief stop at the tannery landmarks.

Marocco, a fertile arena for hard enduro adventure enthusiasts

Day 4: Zagora

The oasis town of Zagora, with 40,000 inhabitants, is a central point for many travelers. We'll pass through it and dive into the dunes. Sand and hamada tracks will be our adventure and challenge for the coming days. Here starts the circuit around the mesa Jbel Wadi. Rocky and sandy sections alternate until we return to Foum Zguid by the afternoon.

The circuit around the table mountain Jbel Wadi leads over an easy to navigate gravel and scree track

Motorcycles and the Land Rover Defender supply vehicle in the sand dunes in front of the oasis town of Mhamid

Day 7 & 8: Off the Road

From Zagora, after a few kilometers on the road, we head back into the outback. It takes two days to reach Erg Chebbi, the second largest dune area in Morocco, where we will camp at a suitable spot overnight. The terrain can become quite challenging, testing you and your motorcycle once again. Deep sand tracks, vast plains, and hard rocky passages offer all the adventure you desire. Finally, arriving at Erg Chebbi, you deserve a dip in the pool of our desert camp.

From sandy roads to the outdoor camp 

Day 9: Erg Chebbi - Circuit - Erg Chebbi

Today is free for your choosing. Those who haven't had enough of riding can join us on a circuit around the nearby Jbel Bega, close to the Algerian border, take a dune hike, visit the town of Merzouga, or spend the day at the camp enjoying the view of the dunes.

Dune panorama of the Erg Chebbi on the edge of the oasis town of Merzouga

Day 10: Foum Zguid - Erg Chegaga

Early in the morning, we pass the military post and head towards the dried lake Lac Iriki. The terrain varies, with hard rocky tracks and vast flat plains around Lac Iriki. A few small dune fields await us before reaching the large dune area Erg Chegaga, where we will set up camp for the night before continuing to the oasis town of Mhamid.  

Enduros in front of the desert cafe on Lac Iriki near the desert strip Erg Chigaga

The Kasbahs on your motorcycle trip through Morocco can look like this or something similar ;-)

Day 11: Ouarzazate

Today we head towards the city of Ouarzazate, known as a filming location for the Moroccan film industry. Depending on our arrival time, a visit to the film studios, where movies like "Gladiator," "The Mummy," and "Kingdom of Heaven" were filmed, is possible.

Zebra support vehicle encounters camels near the desert village of Ramlia

Day 12: Marrakech

Unfortunately, today is the last riding day of our Enduro motorcycle trip. A final highlight awaits: the fortified town of Aït-Ben-Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the backdrop for over 20 Hollywood productions. After a short tour of the village, we ride over a pass back to Marrakech and toast to our adventure at the hotel. We will load the motorcycles onto the trailer as the next day we say goodbye to Morocco.

The historic town of Ait-ben-Haddou has been the setting for many Hollywood productions

Rugged rock panorama on the off-road circuit around the Jbel Sahro 
 

Day 13: Connection Stage to the North 

We leave Marrakech early in the morning and head north on a marathon stage. This leg is one of the less scenic sections along the Atlantic Ocean. The advantage of this route is that it is the warmest at this time of year, allowing us to enjoy the previous travel days on the Morocco Enduro Tour.

Offroad pass road near Alnif in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco

There may be some snow on the Agoudhal Pass between Tinghir and Boumalne Dades

Last Enduro Trip, Day 14: Connection Stage from the Atlas Foothills to Spain

The last kilometers in Morocco are on the roadbook. After breakfast, we head into the winter on small on and off-road sections to Tangier for the ferry. In the late afternoon, we leave Morocco via the Strait of Gibraltar and reach Malaga airport/accommodation before sunset.

Not everything is about motorcycles and dust, the Maroccan moonlight is also incredibly entertaining 

Motorcycle Selection:

When we talk about Enduro motorcycle trips, we don't mean hard enduro but something between 500 and 1200 cc. Sure, you can join the tour with a Suzuki 350 or KTM 450 EXC, but keep in mind that we will cover over 2000 kilometers on this off-road motorcycle tour, not just in rugged terrain. On the other hand, you can also join with your 1250 BMW GS or KTM 1290 Adventure but remember that such a heavy travel enduro needs to be mastered in rough terrain and especially in the sand. These types of motorcycles are often advertised as extremely off-road capable but are only as good as their rider. Due to their size and weight, the rider quickly reaches their limits in rough terrain, unless they are a full professional. A realistic assessment of your riding skills is essential to avoid unpleasant surprises. This tour is not for road riders. Recommended are enduros/travel enduros around 600 cc, like a 690 Enduro or a 700 Ténéré, which offer a good compromise.

If you don't own a suitable motorcycle for the tour, you can rent one of our Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally Edition. On request, with panniers and luggage system! 

Hier geht es zur Motorrad Mietflotte von OVERCROSS:

Just grab the right rental motorcycle from OVERCROSS ;)

Vehicles that have been on tour with us in recent years:

1. KTM: 690 Enduro R / 640 LC4 Adv. / 990 Adv. R / 790 Adv. R / 890 Adv. R / EXC 525 / EXC 450 Rally 

2. Honda: CRF 450 L / Africa Twin CRF 1000 L / Africa Twin 750 / 

3. Yamaha: 700 Ténéré / XT 660 Z Ténéré / XT 500 / XL 600 / WR 450 

4. BMW: G 650 Xchallenge / F650 GS Dakar / F 800 GS Adventure / G 650 GS Sertao / 1250 GS Adv.

6. Husqvarna: 701 Enduro / FE 450 / FE 501 / 

7. SWM: RS 500 R / SWM Superdual 650

8. Beta: ALP 4.0 / RR 450 

9. Triumph: Tiger 900 / Tiger 800

Hier gehts zum Teilnehmerfeedback der letzten Touren.

When transporting motorcycles, please note:

Motorcycle transport does not always take place directly at the start or end of the tour, but can be delayed by a few weeks.

OVERCROSS accepts no liability for transport damage.

IMPORTANT:

The tour itinerary above is only a suggestion and is usually carried out in this or a similar way!