Morocco & Spain... "Desert, Mountains, and Oasis Tour"
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This tour leads you along the Atlantic coast over the Middle Atlas Mountains to Morocco's largest sand dune region, the Erg Chebbi. The desert follows the fascinating Todra and Dadés canyons. You cross the High Atlas mountains to reach Marakech, "the pearl of the south". Relax in Essaouria, an enchanting harbor and artist town on the Atlantic, and prepare yourselves for the return journey along the Atlantic coast to Tangier.
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Ride along the twisty paved and unpaved isolated roads of Morocco's awe-inspiring desert and mountain landscape. The gravel and sand passages will be co-ordinated according to your wishes and driving capabilities.
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Passengers are welcome, and riding two-up is no problem for any experienced rider. A support vehicle will carry your luggage and can accommodate some passengers. Relax each evening in comfortable 3 - 4 star hotels.
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Tour Details
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Location:
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La Herradura, Spain to Malaga, Spain (AGPHI2)
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Terrain:
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Paved roads (with optional off-road detours, available upon request)
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Duration:
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15 days (including arrival and departure)
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Riding days:
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13 days (1 optional riding day)
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Route length:
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Approximately 1990 miles (3200 km)
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Motorcycles:
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BMW F650GS Single,Twin,800 GS, or BMW R1200GS ABS
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Group riding:
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Recommended
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Group size:
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6-8 persons
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Accommodations:
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First class 3 - 5 star hotels
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Highlights:
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Marrakech, Erg Chebbi, Fes, Casablanca
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Tour Dates
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Want other dates?
Contact us
with the dates
that interest you!
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Scheduled tours:
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February 11 - 25, 2012
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March 17 - 31, 2012
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November 3 - 17, 2012
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Tour Price
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PER PERSON
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Price for a rider
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Renting a BMW F650GS single cylinder ABS
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€3650
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Renting a BMW F650GS twin cylinder ABS
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€3776
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Renting a BMW F800GS ABS
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€3944
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Renting a BMW R1200GS ABS
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€4154
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Bringing your own bike and staying in DR
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€3020
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Price for a passenger
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Riding pillion/passenger seat
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€2705
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Extra Services
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Single room supplement
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€367
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Currency: EURO - CURRENCY ASSISTANT >
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Ready to ride? Book here
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*20% deposit due upon booking. Final due 6 weeks prior to tour start
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Itinerary
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Day 1:
Arrival at Malaga Airport, Spain.
Your motorbike will be waiitng for you directly at the hotel. Introductions over dinner with Spanish wine, giving us the opportunity to discuss the tour.
Day 2:
La Herradura - Algeciras
We start off on the Costa del Sol heading towards Malaga. Riding up to the El Chorro gorge on long-sweeping winding roads in the Sierra de las Nieves we journey on to Ronda. The town of Ronda is situated on a rock plateau and is split in two parts by a 160 m deep canyon. To the south of Ronda there are numerous small mountain chains offering an ever changing, spectacular landscape and roads that are simply made for our motorbikes. Bend after bend we ride on asphalt surfaces for perfect bike control and spectacular views such as the Rock of Gibraltar famous for its monkeys.
Day 3:
Algeciras - Chefchaouen
We take a ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar and reach Ceuta, where we cross the Moroccan border. Here in the north of Morocco green is still the dominant color as we take winding roads to pass endless fields and forests towards the Rif mountains. In the evening we reach the blue pearl Chefchaouen, whose architecture is still reminiscent of the lovely villages of Andalusia.
Day 4:
Chefchaouen - Meknes
On our first full day of driving on African ground, we enjoy the rolling hills of the Rif Mountains. The terrain is perfect for our motorcycles and offers a fantastic atmosphere in which we taste sheer driving pleasure at its best. We visit the Roman ruins of Volubulis and reach in the evening our goal Meknes, one of the four cities of the king.
Day 5:
Meknes - Marrakech
Today we expect a long and very varied day with impressive scenery. We reach the high plains of central Morocco, where the vastness and beauty of this country emerge, while on the horizon the first foothills of the High Atlas appear. The track leads us westward and we reach our destination by sunset in "Morocco's biggest oasis" called Marrakech. Known as the "Pearl of the South" many consider Marrakech to be Morocco's most beautiful city with its distinct oriental flair.
Day 6:
Marrakech (rest day)
Rest day and visit of Marrakech. Because of the large number of architecturally significant buildings, such as the Koutoubia Mosque from the year 1162, the Kasbah of the 12th c. and the Ben-Jusuf Medersa from the 14th c., the old town became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1985.The main attraction of the city is the Djemaa el Fna square, the world-famous medieval market and execution site. Today it is a lively place with food stalls, oriental storytellers, snake charmers and jugglers.
Day 7:
Marrakech - Quarzazate
Our aim today is to conquer the "High Atlas". Our motorbikes take in the mountain air as we ride the fantastic panoramic road over Taddert and the Tizin-n–Tichka pass, accompanied by the spectacular views of snow-capped peaks at 4000 m on this unique stage of our tour.
Day 8:
Quarzazate - Dades
Once on the south side of the Atlas, we take the road out of Ouarzazate along the Dades and Draa rivers towards to their origins. The beauty of the rocks in the Dades Gorge take our breath away! Today is, without any doubt, one of the most impressive days of this tour!
Day 9:
Dades - Erfoud
After crossing the Todra Gorge we move for most of the day at an altitude of 2000 meters in a forgotten valley in the interior of the Atlas Mountains. Hawks, goats and sheep are our company as we enjoy the most authentic side of Morocco and its extreme beauty. In the afternoon we reach our destination in the desert on the outskirts of the northern Sahara.
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Click here for more photos!
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Day 10:
Merzouga (night in the desert)
We have organized a full and fascinating program for our days spent in the desert. We will explore and experience the desert and its sand dunes by foot, on motorbike or on the back of a camel. If you wish you can even spend the night out in the open under desert skies (Berber tent) in the sand dunes.
Day 11:
Erfoud (rest day)
Rest day in the hotel.
Day 12:
Erfoud - Fez
As we leave Morocco's South behind us, we already start to recognize the first mountain peaks on the horizon. Again we prepare ourselves for an amazing crossing of the High Atlas. Although the mountains here are no longer quite so high, we will be riding on roads that are simply made for motorcycling as we pass stunningly beautiful scenery such as the canyon of Ziz and the magnificent Talgam pass (1907 m). We reach on a panoramic route the Middle Atlas and the cedar forests of Azrou and Ifrane where several smaller passes (approx. 1500 m) still need to be conquered before we arrive at our accommodation in Fez.
Day 13:
Fez - Chefchaouen
We enter the spectacular Medina of Fez, a UNESCO world heritage site, where we visit the palace gates and haggle with merchants in the acient parts of the city. It feels like a journey in time, back to the centuries of the Middle Ages. In the afternoon we leave Fez and head in a northerly direction. Again winding mountain roads and magnificent scenery await us on our journey through the Rif mountains. Via Quarzane we reach Chefchaouen again, where we spend our last night in the mountains of Morocco.
Day 14:
Chefchaouen - La Herradura
Riding briskly, we pass Tetouan and head directly for the border. After the border formalities, we cross the straits to Algeciras bringing our Morocco adventure gradually to a close.
Day 15:
Return journey
Note: We reserve the right to make changes.
Ready to ride? Book here
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