The N9 highway from Marrakech to Ouarzazate crosses the High Atlas at Tizi n'Tichka and is one of the great mountain drives in the world. This is the route, extended to a five-day circuit.
The Route Overview
The circuit leaves Marrakech on the N9, climbs to Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres, descends to Ouarzazate, then follows the Draa Valley south toward Zagora before cutting east across the pre-Saharan steppe to Boumalne Dades and the Dades Gorge, before returning north via the Roses Valley and Skoura oasis back to Marrakech. The total driving distance is around 800 km. Split across five days with meaningful stops, this is not a rushed experience — it is one of the most varied landscapes in the world, moving from Alpine-scale mountains to mud-brick kasbahs to oasis palm groves to gorge walls that change colour in the evening light.
The Atlas Road Trip: Key Numbers
800 km
Total circuit distance
2,260m
Tizi n'Tichka pass altitude
5 days
Recommended duration
150 km
Length of Draa Valley palm corridor
2,500 ha
Skoura palm grove area
17th c.
Kasbah Amridil original construction
Tizi n'Tichka: The Pass That Earns the View
The N9 from Marrakech climbs immediately and dramatically. Switchbacks begin within 30 km of the city and the road gains 2,000 metres over roughly 90 km of driving. The Tizi n'Tichka pass is the highest paved mountain pass in North Africa and the views from its summit — on a clear winter or spring day, with snow on the surrounding peaks and the desert haze visible to the south — justify every cautious overtaking manoeuvre that the road demands. The descent toward Ouarzazate passes through Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar (fortified village) built from rammed earth that has served as a backdrop for Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Game of Thrones and dozens of other productions. Allow two hours here, including the walk across the river and up through the upper ksar.
I have driven Tizi n'Tichka in February with snow on the bends and in October with the Atlas glowing amber. Both times it stopped me at the top and made me sit with the view for longer than I planned. There is no equivalent mountain road in Africa that I know of.
Ouarzazate and the Kasbah Belt
Ouarzazate — pronounced 'war-za-zat' — functions as the gateway to the south and deserves a night rather than a lunch stop. The Taourirt Kasbah, once the residence of the powerful Glaoui clan who controlled the southern trade routes under French protectorate rule, is the most impressive building in the city and partially open for exploration. The city also houses Morocco's main film studios, Atlas Corporation, which offers guided tours of the outdoor sets and costume warehouses used in major international productions. East of Ouarzazate the road enters the Draa Valley, and the landscape changes abruptly: a 150-kilometre ribbon of date palms and mud villages follows the Draa River south through a valley flanked by black volcanic rock and sand dunes.
Best Season for the Circuit
March to May and September to November offer the ideal combination of clear mountain roads and manageable heat in the valley. Avoid July and August below the Atlas — temperatures in the Draa Valley regularly exceed 42°C. December to February is spectacular for the mountain light but Tizi n'Tichka can close in heavy snowfall; always check road conditions at Ouarzazate before heading north.
The Dades Gorge and the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs
The stretch of road between Ouarzazate and Boumalne Dades is known locally as the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs — an exaggeration that is barely one. Fortified mud-brick towers and residential kasbahs dot every hillside, most in various states of elegant decay. The Dades Gorge itself begins 25 km north of Boumalne and climbs through increasingly dramatic canyon walls for about 30 km before the paved road ends at a small village. The sinuous section known as the Monkey Toes — where the road makes five hairpin bends against near-vertical rock walls — is one of the most photographed driving sequences in Morocco, and rightly so. Stay the night in one of the guesthouses cut into the gorge wall itself; the sound of the Dades River in the dark is worth the slightly vertiginous access road.
Skoura Oasis and the Amridil Kasbah
The Skoura palm grove lies 42 km east of Ouarzazate and covers around 2,500 hectares with some of the oldest date palms in the south. The Kasbah Amridil, dating to the 17th century and still partially inhabited by descendants of the original family, can be visited with a local guide from the village for around 30 dirhams. The interior shows how a wealthy pre-Saharan Moroccan family lived — successive courtyard layers with separate quarters for different family branches, storage rooms thick-walled against the summer heat, a rooftop granary and a belvedere tower that once allowed the household to watch for approaching caravans. The surrounding lanes between palms and rose gardens take an hour to walk through, and the silence after the gorge road is striking.
Five Stops Not to Skip on the Circuit
- Ait Benhaddou ksar — allow 2 hours minimum; walk across the river and through the upper village
- Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate — the Glaoui architecture is the best preserved in the south
- Skoura palm grove and Kasbah Amridil — hire a local guide for 30 MAD, skip the tourist office version
- Dades Gorge Monkey Toes hairpins — best seen on foot from the ridge above the road
- Valley of the Roses near El Kelaa M'Gouna — in season (late April–mid May) the cooperative shops sell genuine rosewater at production prices
Valley of the Roses
If the timing of the trip places you in the region between late April and mid-May, the Valley of the Roses near El Kelaa M'Gouna is one of Morocco's most sensory experiences. The Damask rose — Rosa damascena — was introduced to the Dades valley by traders on the historical perfume route and has been cultivated for rosewater and attar production for centuries. The annual Rose Festival in El Kelaa M'Gouna celebrates the harvest with music, processions and a market where rosewater, rose jam, rose oil and cosmetics made by local cooperatives are sold at production prices. Outside festival season, the valley is still beautiful and the cooperative shops in the town centre are open year-round, selling products at honest prices that do not reflect the significant markup they carry by the time they reach perfumers in Paris.
Driving Conditions and Practical Notes
The N9 and R704 are paved throughout and manageable in a standard hire car, but some access roads into gorges require ground clearance. A 4x4 is not strictly necessary but makes the route more flexible. Moroccan petrol stations are reliable as far south as Zagora; fill up fully before heading into the Dades Gorge or toward the pre-Saharan towns. Mobile signal is good along the main route but drops in the gorges. Carry 500 dirhams in cash for guesthouses, local guides and small purchases where card payment is not available. The best months for this circuit are March through May and September through November; summer is extremely hot below the mountains and the gorges trap heat intensely. December through February offers stunning clear light and the possibility of snow on Tizi n'Tichka — beautiful but requiring winter tyres if you hit the pass at altitude.
