A 13-night loop from Marrakech: the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the kasbahs of Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, the Dadès and Todra gorges, the dunes of Merzouga and the Drâa valley, then back via Taroudant and the Atlantic coast to Essaouira. The whole route is tarmacked: a small car is enough, as long as you drive by day and slow down at checkpoints.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Marrakech | Start |
| Day 3 | Aït Benhaddou | 170 km · 3h20 |
| Day 4 | Boumalne Dadès | 144 km · 2h40 |
| Day 5 | Tinghir | 52 km · 1h |
| Days 6 to 7 | Merzouga | 191 km · 3h25 |
| Day 8 | N'Kob | 226 km · 4h30 |
| Day 9 | Zagora | 102 km · 1h55 |
| Day 10 | Ouarzazate | 156 km · 3h |
| Day 11 | Taroudant | 258 km · 4h40 |
| Days 12 to 13 | Essaouira | 295 km · 3h55 |
| Day 14 | Back to Marrakech | 184 km · 2h40 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
March to May, and October to November, when the heat in the south stays bearable. In summer the desert is scorching; in winter snow can fall on the Tizi n'Tichka pass from November to March.
🚗 170 km · 3h20 of driving from Marrakech
N9 over the Tizi n'Tichka pass: hairpin bends, slow lorries, risky overtaking. Snow possible from November to March.
🚗 144 km · 2h40 of driving from Aït Benhaddou
Via Ouarzazate, then the N10, a flat and straight road; frequent police checks on the way into towns.
🚗 52 km · 1h of driving from Boumalne Dadès
N10 east, a short leg: the afternoon is free for the Todra Gorges, north of the town.
🚗 191 km · 3h25 of driving from Tinghir
Via Tinejdad, Erfoud and Rissani, tarmacked all the way to the village; sandstorms possible, slow down.
🚗 226 km · 4h30 of driving from Merzouga
N12 via Alnif and Tazzarine: a sparsely populated, little-used desert road. Fill up in Rissani.
🚗 102 km · 1h55 of driving from N'Kob
N12 to Tansikht, then the N9 south along the Drâa palm grove.
🚗 156 km · 3h of driving from Zagora
N9 north via Agdz and the Tizi n'Tinififft pass, easy bends.
🚗 258 km · 4h40 of driving from Ouarzazate
N10 via Tazenakht and Taliouine, between Siroua and the Anti-Atlas: a long leg, set off early to arrive in daylight.
🚗 295 km · 3h55 of driving from Taroudant
N10 to Agadir, then the N1 along the Atlantic via Taghazout. No motorway, no tolls.
🚗 184 km · 2h40 of driving from Essaouira
In 8 days, keep the highlights of the south: Marrakech, Aït Benhaddou, Tinghir (the Dadès on the way), two nights in Merzouga, N'Kob and Ouarzazate, then back over the Tichka. You skip Zagora, Taroudant and the coast at Essaouira.
| Small car, annual average (Marrakech Menara) | ≈ $18 a day |
|---|---|
| All categories, May (cheapest month) | ≈ $21 a day |
| All categories, August (most expensive month) | ≈ $37 a day |
| SUV, annual average | ≈ $75 a day |
| Excess waiver at the desk | €15 to €25 a day |
| Vehicle | A small car is enough: the whole loop is tarmacked. A 4x4 only for dirt tracks, with a hire company that allows them. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | Marrakech Menara Airport or in town; no one-way fee on a loop, while a one-way hire to Agadir is expensive. |
| Insurance | Third-party liability included; CDW with an excess; a deposit of roughly €500 to €2,000, blocked on your card. |
| Never covered | Tyres, wheels, windows, underbody and off-tarmac damage are often left for the customer to pay. |
| Age and card | Minimum age 21 with most companies (25 with Avis), licence held for one or two years, credit card for the deposit. |
⚠️ Dirt tracks often void your cover: a damaged tyre or sump off the tarmac is paid in full. Photograph the car when you pick it up.
Accepted for one year from arrival; an International Driving Permit is recommended, not compulsory.
As in mainland Europe; overtake on the left, often behind slow lorries on the passes.
60 km/h in towns, sometimes 40; often lowered to 80 on roads; 120 km/h on motorways.
In practice, not a single drink: fines of up to MAD 10,000, six penalty points and a licence suspension.
Slow down at police or gendarmerie stop signs; show your licence, passport and the hire company's papers.
Fixed cameras reading both directions since June 2025, mobile cameras at village entrances.
For speeding by less than 50 km/h; paid on the spot in cash: always ask for a receipt.
Advised against by the French foreign ministry: poorly lit roads, pedestrians and two-wheelers hard to see.
Compulsory in the front and the back; no phone use at the wheel.
Tracks between the main roads are poorly maintained; hire companies exclude off-tarmac damage.
≈ €1.40 per litre of diesel (MAD 15.35 on 16 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,778 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €170 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Prices revised twice a month; an attendant fills the tank. Sparsely populated road between Rissani and N'Kob: fill up in Rissani before the N12.
| Suggested loop | No motorway, so no tolls |
|---|---|
| A7 Marrakech to Amskroud (Agadir), if returning directly | MAD 72 to 91 depending on the Marrakech junction |
| Payment at ADM toll barriers | Cash, card or Jawaz tag |
| Town and site car parks | Attendants in hi-vis vests, tip of a few dirhams |
| Tizi n'Tichka pass (N9) | Snow possible from November to March: check before setting off |
|---|---|
| Mountain and desert tracks | Poorly maintained all year round; 4x4 and the hire company's consent required |
Our loop covers about 1,800 km in 13 nights: 12 to 14 days avoids back-to-back long legs. In 8 days you can do Marrakech, the Tichka, the Dadès, Merzouga and N'Kob, without Zagora or the coast. With less than a week, it is better to stop at the Dadès or choose Essaouira.
No: the road is tarmacked all the way to Merzouga, at the foot of the Erg Chebbi dunes. You reach the desert camps by camel or by 4x4 with a driver. A 4x4 is only useful for dirt tracks, and hire companies often exclude off-tarmac damage.
For 13 days: car hire of about $230 to $480 depending on the season (Kayak averages of $18 to $37 a day). Estimated diesel: 110 litres at MAD 15.35 for 1,800 km, almost MAD 1,700 (€150) at September 2026 prices. No tolls on the loop; optional excess waiver at €15 to €25 a day.
The French foreign ministry considers the national roads well maintained but sometimes narrow, advises against driving at night and lists the Marrakech-Agadir motorway among the dangerous routes. Checkpoints and speed cameras are frequent: drive by day, keep to the limit and never overtake on the Tichka bends.
Stop at the stop sign and show your licence, passport and the papers from the hire company. An offence is settled on the spot in cash: ask for a receipt. Speeding: MAD 300 under 20 km/h over, MAD 500 from 20 to 30 km/h, MAD 700 from 30 to 50 km/h, with penalty points beyond 20 km/h.
Yes, for a stay of up to one year from arrival. An International Driving Permit is not required. Hire companies generally ask for a minimum age of 21 (25 with Avis), a licence held for one or two years and a credit card for the deposit.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/morocco · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
