Your holiday starts at the group hotel in Marrakech. Transfers from Marrakech Airport are provided. Depending on your flight arrival time and after settling in you may have the opportunity to do a little exploration. Marrakech is a friendly city and it is quite easy to get around. Most people head for the central square of the Djemma el-Fna close to the imposing tower of the Koutoubia Mosque. If you have brought your own bike, you should reassemble it today.

Those who have hired bikes will pick them up this morning. Then, after loading up the support vehicle, we drive out of Marrakech on the main road towards Ouarzazate. We are quickly into the foothills of the Atlas Mountains and cross the Tizi n'Ait Imguer (1470m), which is a regular Sunday morning challenge for local Marrakech road bikers. After just 2 hours drive, we reach the little town of Taddert (1670m) and the starting place of our ride. Here, we can choose one of a number of excellent cafes, where we can have a cup of coffee or a coca cola to set us up for the ride. Just outside town is a great lay-by where we can unload our bikes for the off. This first day of biking is brilliant and starts with a steady 1-hour climb to the Tizi n'Tichka (2260m). At the pass, there are good views and an unmissable photo opportunity, before we begin the descent. After a short descent, we turn off the main road (N9) and cycle eastwards for 20 kilometres on an undulating road to the town and kasbah of Telouet where we will stop at a cafe for lunch. The road continues heading east for a further 10 kilometres and then, at Anmiter, turns abruptly southwards to follow the picturesque valley of the Asif Ounila, descending predominantly for the remainder of the day's ride. Passing through a striking landscape, with several Berber villages, palm groves and kasbahs, including the famous Ait Benhaddou, it's a fantastic 60 kilometre ride from Anmiter to our overnight stop at Ouarzazate (1160m).

There's no need for an early start today, as we have just a short stage to ride. So, after breakfast, we have time to explore the well-preserved Kasbah de Taourirt (entrance fee payable locally) and the colourful market streets or 'souks' of Ouarzazate. Mid morning, we set off on a quiet road that skirts the western edge of the Jebel Sahro range of mountains. Again, it's a pretty good surface all the way, undulating a little and with some long, straight sections. We climb to cross an unnamed pass (1600m) after 35 kilometres and descend to the village of Ait Saoun which provides us with the opportunity of a cafe stop for our lunch. The high point of the day is at the Tizi n'Tinififft (1660m), beyond which there is a superb downhill all the way into Agdz (942m), our overnight stop. Set amongst red hills, Agdz is located on the old camel caravan route between Marrakech and Timbuktu - its name means 'resting place'.

Today we have an early start for the ride down to Zagora on the edge of the Sahara, on good tarmac all the way. Although this takes us away from the circuit of Toubkal, this really is an unmissable detour, following the famous Draa Valley. It is a relatively level ride on the west bank of the Draa River, made interesting by the scenery, which features farmland and palm trees, with lots of small villages, some of which take the form of impressive fortified 'kasbahs'. Passing through these small oases, we have the chance to stop for mint tea or coffee at wayside cafes and also to check out the villages themselves - we may be lucky enough to come across a local market in full swing. During the hottest part of the day, we will stop for lunch at one of the villages en route. Zagora (725m) is the biggest town in the region and is recognised as the 'Gateway to the Sahara'. We will certainly want to stop for pictures alongside the famous sign that points out into the desert with the warning - 'Tombouctou....52 jours' - supposedly the time it takes for a camel caravan to reach Timbuktu.

To reconnect with the road around Toubkal, we start the day with an early drive back to Agdz, which takes 2 hours. Here, after a cafe stop, we set off on an excellent and very little used road that heads west to eventually link up with the main road on the south side of Toubkal. Little wider than a single track road, this strip of tarmac makes its way along the Oued Tamsift Valley to the remote village of Tasla. Our route is pretty straight with just the odd undulation and we will be obliged to stop off for a picnic lunch at a convenient roadside location, as we pass no cafes until later in the day. Beyond Tasla, we encounter a stretch of rough road with lots of potholes and this continues via a couple of minor passes to the cobalt mining town of Bou Azzer. We then drop down through a rocky gorge, a 10 kilometre downhill that leads to the junction with the main road coming up from the south, from the desert-edge settlement of Foum Zguid. There is a small teashop at the junction, the only one we pass all day. From here, there is slightly more traffic (but it's still fairly quiet) for the final part of the day's ride which takes us over a couple of easy passes. Notable is the final 300-metre climb to the Tizi n’Taguergoust (1640m), before we drop down into the small Berber town of Tazenakht (1398m), which is famous carpet making. We check in at our hotel and have a chance to look around some of the many carpet shops that are run on a cooperative basis. This is a good place to get a bargain.

Today, we will pass south of Toubkal through the lower eastern ranges of the Anti Atlas. There are 2000 metre summits away to the south, whilst to the north the hills rise up to 3000 metres in the Jebel Sirwa region. We get as early a start as is reasonable, riding on a good and relatively level tarmac road across a pretty arid landscape. We are now on the N10, the main road across the southern side of the Atlas, that links Agadir and Ouarzazate. But, the traffic on the road can be very light on this part of the ride, with one vehicle every five minutes or so. There is a very gradual ascent to the top of the Tizi n'Ikhsane (1650m) where there is a small tourist shop with a very friendly owner. Then, as we crest the summit of the Tizi n'Taghatine (1886m), our ride suddenly turns into a big downhill as we drop down towards the Souss Plateau and the small town of Taliouine. This is a centre for growing saffron and a good place for us to stop for lunch. The next stretch of road can sometime be busier and the quality of the road surface is also variable - so care is needed. Shortly before our arrival at Aoulouz (771m), most of the traffic turns off and we can enjoy a quiet end to the day's ride. Aoulouz is well off the tourist trail and another place famous for saffron growing. This is one of the longer days of the trip, but with significant stretches of downhill it shouldn't feel too bad.

The first part of the day's ride takes us westwards towards Taroudant, with a short initial climb and then a long descent across the Sous Plateau to the junction of the N10 with the minor road that we must take back across the Atlas Mountains. This junction marks the low point of our trip (at just 450 metres). From here, we begin the long climb on a quiet road up to the Tizi n'Test (2100m) via a series of switchbacks. For the first 18 kilometres of the climb, the landscape is quite barren. But, from the first village, at Tachguelte, the beauty of the area becomes more apparent and it is obviously more appealing to Moroccan and foreign visitors, since there are teashops and coca cola stalls every few kilometres. This is a long ascent, but the gradient is easy and we can settle down to admire the views of the villages in the valley bottom and listen to muezzins' calls to prayer echoing across the hillsides. Towards the top of the climb, we can expect to meet other westerners for the first time since Zagora, as this valley is a popular paragliding site, particularly amongst the French. We will have a couple of water stops during the ascent and maybe stop for lunch within sight of the top, depending on our progress. Just like on an Alpine climb, there is a good cafe at the col and we will certainly appreciate a coffee stop. The tarmac on the ascent is pretty good, but on the descent there are potholes in places - so, again, care needed. It's a super descent, sweeping through numerous bends and with views of Mount Toubkal, to Ijoukak (1050m) on the fringes of the Toubkal National Park. Here, we overnight in a simple, but charming and pleasantly located gite, run by a friendly family. A fantastic day's riding.

We make another early start from our gite, to tackle the final day of biking back to Marrakech. This is not all downhill, but the first couple of hours include some of the best fast descent of the holiday. Then, from Ouirgane, the road crosses one of the northern spurs of the Atlas which involves 2 short climbs and a total of 300 metres of ascent. A crest in the road marks the end of this stage of the day's ride and offers good views of Mount Toubkal to the south-east. We then drop down to the town of Asni which is the place where KE's trekking groups turn off on their way to Toubkal. Asni is a busy place on a Saturday, as this is the day of the weekly market or bazaar and we are likely to find the remaining stretch of road to be slightly busier than the rest of the circuit. We can blast the last stretch into Marrakech on good tarmac, using the prominent landmark of the Koutoubia Mosque to guide us. We will stop for lunch at a cafe in the vicinity of the Djema el-Fna, before returning to the group hotel in the early afternoon. At under 6 hours, this is not a long day and we get to our hotel with plenty of time left to pack our bikes away. Those opting to depart from Marrakech today (easyJet flights to Manchester) will have time for a quick shower, before transferring to the airport. Those flying home on Sunday will have the afternoon free to do some independent exploration. Later, the group will spend some time at the nightly spectacle of the Djema el-Fna and enjoy a well-earned celebratory dinner at a traditional hotel.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. You should pack your bike away in readiness for the homeward flight. The remainder of the day is free to explore the streets, souks and colourful sights of Marrakech. A popular option is to simply sit and watch the world go by from one of the restaurants overlooking the Djemma el-Fna. Marrakech Airport transfers are provided.