Morocco Motorcycle Tour: Paris to Dakar

Meet the group at Place Jacques Rueff in front of the Eiffel Tower. After the briefing, the convoy heads southwest toward the Atlantic coast through French countryside, stopping only for fuel and food. The riding is easy and social — the group is still getting acquainted, the bikes are fresh. First overnight near Bordeaux at Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe at 110 meters. Walk to the top before dark — it’s the last European landmark before Africa.

Day 3 crosses the Sierra de Gredos — the first real mountain switchbacks of the trip — then descends to the Tagus valley. Day 4 runs through Extremadura into Andalusia, the landscape drying as you drop south. The day ends in Seville with time to walk the old city before an early departure to the port.

From Tanger Med the convoy rides south along the Atlantic coast to Rabat, then turns inland into the pre-Atlas foothills on progressively smaller roads. Moroccan town traffic is dense — mopeds, carts, pedestrians sharing the lane. Past the towns the roads open through rolling farmland and cedar forest. A classic moto morocco motorbike day: the terrain keeps changing, the pace stays high, and the country reveals itself fast. The day ends near the Cascades of Ouzoud, waterfalls dropping 120 meters into an ochre gorge.

Assni sits at the foot of Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa at 13,671 feet. From here the motorcycle tour marrakech region delivers its defining stage: the convoy climbs the Tizi n’Test — a high pass at 6,835 feet with a single-lane road, near-vertical drops, and regular two-way traffic including trucks. It takes most of the morning to climb and most of the afternoon to descend to Taroudant. This is adventure motorcycling morocco at its most demanding: full concentration required throughout. The Tizi n’Test is the signature climb of every guided motorcycle tours morocco itinerary that crosses the High Atlas south of Marrakech.

Two full days of off-road through the western Sahara foothills toward Smara. The track varies from hard-packed gravel to loose sand. Navigation is straightforward with GPX, but the terrain is tiring — long days, high heat, no shade. Checkpoints are regular. This is the transition from morocco motorbike tours terrain into true desert expedition riding: the Sahara enduro expedition character of the route becomes undeniable from day ten onward.

Two days on the N1 with the Atlantic Ocean to the right and the open Sahara to the left. The road runs straight and flat — fast riding through enormous scenery. Dakhla sits at the tip of a long peninsula and is known as a kitesurfing destination. Optional: push the pace on day 13 and take a rest day in Dakhla before the Mauritanian crossing.

Two of the most demanding days on the entire africa motorcycle expedition. The route follows the track of the iron ore train — one of the longest freight trains in the world — off-road to the oasis town of Atar. The terrain alternates between hard pan, rocky surface, and deep sand. Atar was once a major center of Moorish scholarship and trans-Saharan trade. Demanding on both rider and machine — this is the senegal motorcycle expedition at its most remote.

Before the coastal road was built in 2006, the tidal flat itself was the official route to Nouakchott. The convoy still uses it. Timing depends on the tide — the guide checks conditions before departure. Progress on hard-packed wet sand is fast when the timing is right. Nouakchott holds roughly half of Mauritania’s entire population, most living on the edge of the Sahara.

Morning departure from Saint-Louis on the paved road south to Dakar through flat savanna and coastal dunes. The convoy reaches Dakar by midday. Following the tradition of the original Dakar rally, this morocco to dakar motorcycle expedition finishes at Lac Rose — Retba Lake — the pink salt lake on Dakar’s northeastern edge, colored by halophilic bacteria. Last group dinner on the shore. The motorcycles ride no more after this evening.