Tizi n'Tichka
Tichka is the road that turns the trip from the city into the south. It climbs through switchbacks, villages and cafés clinging to the slope, then drops toward Ouarzazate with the whole landscape changing colour.
What stands out
Why this place stays with people
- Switchbacks through the High Atlas
- Viewpoints over the valleys
- Mountain villages along the road
- Turn-off to Telouet
Best time to go
Open most of the year. In winter, snow can close it for a day or two — I watch the forecast and plan around it.
From the driver's seat
It's a road, not a stop, but it's one of the best drives in the country. We stop where the views are, not just where the buses do.
Visitor guide
Your guide to Tizi n'Tichka
How long to stay
It's part of the drive, with photo stops.
Getting there
About two hours from Marrakech to the top.
Worth seeing
- The pass at about 2,260 metres
- The switchbacks winding up the High Atlas
- Roadside stalls selling minerals and fossils
Good to know
- If you get car sick, take the front seat and tell me. We stop as often as you like.
- In winter the pass can have snow. I check the road before we leave.
- Many of the minerals sold at the stalls are painted. Buy them because you like them, not as rare stones.
Routes through here
Ways to make it part of the trip
2 Days · 1 Nights2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech
Two Days to Zagora$230–$310 per person · accommodation included
3 Days · 2 Nights3-Day Merzouga Desert Tour from Marrakech
Three Days to the Dunes$390–$530 per person · accommodation included
3 Days · 2 Nights3-Day Marrakech to Fes Desert Tour via Merzouga
The High Atlas Crossing$420–$580 per person · accommodation includedTizi n'Tichka, your way
Tell me when you're coming
Send your dates and who's travelling, and I'll suggest the best way to fit it into your trip.