Best Road Trips in Morocco 2026

Tizi n’Tichka pass, Aït Benhaddou, Dades & Todra gorges, Erg Chebbi dunes

This is the classic southern loop and the most popular self-drive in Morocco. You leave Marrakech on the N9, climb the High Atlas via the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m), and drop into the desert pre-Sahara flatlands. A morning stop at Aït Benhaddou — the UNESCO earthen ksar — breaks the drive before Ouarzazate. Day two follows the road through the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dades Gorge, where the switchbacks are dramatic enough to linger. The Todra Gorge is only 45 minutes east and worth a canyon walk before pushing on to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes. Allow a full day in the dunes before looping back via the N13 through the Ziz Valley and Midelt.

Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Fes, Chefchaouen (optional), back to Marrakech

Morocco's four imperial cities sit along the Atlantic-facing north, making a satisfying loop from Marrakech on the toll motorway network. The A1 and A2 autroutes are well-signed and fast — think French-style driving rather than the winding south. Casablanca is worth half a day for Hassan II Mosque and the seafront corniche. Rabat's Kasbah des Oudaïas and ancient Chellah necropolis take a full afternoon. Then east to Meknes and Volubilis (Roman ruins in a wheat field), and the grand finale: Fes, whose medieval medina rewards two full days. If you have a day spare, the detour north to Chefchaouen on the R412 is one of the most photographed drives in the country.

Tiznit, Sidi Ifni, Mirleft, Paradise Valley, Essaouira, El Jadida

The N1 coastal road north of Agadir is one of the most underrated drives in North Africa. The road hugs cliffs above the Atlantic for long stretches, passing the silver-walled town of Tiznit and the cliffside resort of Sidi Ifni before turning back toward the coast at Mirleft. A detour inland near Agadir reaches Paradise Valley, a palm gorge with natural pools that most visitors miss entirely. Essaouira — the blue-and-white medina and wind-battered ramparts — is the midway highlight. North of Essaouira the road passes argan-tree groves where goats genuinely climb the branches for berries. El Jadida's Portuguese fortified city is a fine final stop before the motorway run into Casablanca.

Agdz kasbahs, Draa Valley palmeraie, Zagora, Mhamid, Tamegroute

If you're already in Ouarzazate or heading south from Marrakech and want a quieter alternative to Merzouga, the Draa Valley loop is the answer. The N9 south from Ouarzazate winds through a 200-km corridor of date palms, mud kasbahs and oasis villages before reaching Zagora — a small, laid-back desert town. Push on to Mhamid for the edge of the Erg Chigaga dunes; they're less visited than Erg Chebbi and feel rawer. The drive back via Tamegroute (famous for its green-glazed pottery) and Agdz completes the loop. The scenery barely changes for 200 km and that, somehow, is the point.

Tizi n’Tichka OR Tizi n’Test, Imilchil lakes, Aït Benhaddou

Most drivers hit Tizi n’Tichka (N9) without knowing that the western Atlas pass — the Tizi n’Test (P2028) — is longer, wilder and almost deserted. The road narrows to a single lane at the top, the sheer drops are spectacular, and you'll probably see only local Berber traffic and the odd touring cyclist. From Ouarzazate you can loop back via the Dadès Valley or continue south into the Draa. The middle Atlas variant — cutting east via Beni Mellal and Imilchil — adds the twin crater lakes of Isli and Tislit, sacred in Berber wedding tradition. Neither route is fast; both are memorable. Allow 6–8 hours for either pass, not 3.