Are Kasbah Trails tours private, or do we join a group?

Every Kasbah Trails itinerary is 100% private — just you, your travel companions, and a dedicated driver-guide in your own vehicle. There are no strangers added to your group and no fixed departure dates to work around.

Can you customize an itinerary, or do we have to book one exactly as listed?

Every trip on this site is a starting point. Tell us your dates, pace and interests on WhatsApp or through the form below, and we'll adjust the route, swap in extra nights, or build something from scratch around what you actually want to see.

What's included in the price of a private Morocco tour?

Standard inclusions are a private air-conditioned vehicle with fuel and tolls, an English-speaking driver-guide for the whole trip, accommodation in riads, kasbahs and a desert camp, the Erg Chebbi camel trek, daily breakfast, local guides in the imperial cities, and all local taxes. International flights, most lunches and dinners, entrance fees, tips and travel insurance are not included.

How much does a private Sahara desert tour cost?

Pricing depends on group size, season, and the level of riad or kasbah you choose, since every trip is quoted individually rather than sold at a fixed group rate. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and traveller count for an exact quote — there's no obligation to book.

Is Morocco safe to visit, and is a guide necessary for the Sahara?

Morocco is a well-established, welcoming destination for private travel, and the desert routes we run — through Ouarzazate, the gorges and Merzouga — are on paved and well-travelled roads. A local driver-guide isn't strictly required to enter the country, but it makes the long mountain and desert legs far easier, and it's how a camel trek and desert camp get arranged properly rather than booked blind.

When's the best time of year for a Sahara desert tour?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) give the most comfortable temperatures for both the High Atlas passes and the dunes. Summer is workable but hot in the desert by midday; winter nights in the Sahara and the mountains can be cold, so pack layers if travelling between November and February.

Which cities can a tour start and end in?

Most itineraries start or end in Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca or Tangier — wherever your flight lands. Filter the tours by city to see what's available, or ask us to build a route between two different cities if you don't see the combination you need.

Travel guide · 5 min read

The Tizi n'Tichka Pass: Driving Morocco's Most Dramatic Mountain Road

Written by the Kasbah Trails team

Published August 1, 2026

Sunset over the rolling dunes of the Sahara desert near Mhamid, Morocco

Every route from Marrakech to the Sahara has to cross the High Atlas somewhere, and the Tizi n'Tichka is the road that does it: a spectacular, relentlessly winding mountain pass that turns a transit day into one of the trip's genuine highlights.

The numbers

The pass tops out above 2,200 metres, making the N9 highway one of the highest paved roads in North Africa and a genuine feat of mountain engineering. The full climb and descent from Marrakech's side to Ouarzazate's takes a few hours including stops, working through a long series of switchbacks carved directly into the mountainside, with the valley falling further away below at every turn.

What you'll actually see

Berber villages built directly into the hillsides, roadside stalls selling geodes and fossils pulled from the surrounding rock, and — weather depending — snow-capped peaks visible even in warmer months at the higher elevations. It's a different Morocco from the medinas entirely: rural, mountainous, sparsely populated, and quiet in a way the cities never are.

The Telouet Kasbah detour

A worthwhile side trip on the eastern side of the pass is the Telouet Kasbah, the former stronghold of the Glaoui family, who effectively controlled the southern trade routes for decades from this one fortress. It draws far fewer visitors than Aït Ben Haddou further along the same road, despite interiors of painted wood and zellige tilework that are every bit as striking, if noticeably more weathered.

Practical notes

It's not a road to rush — hairpin turns come one after another and shoulders narrow to almost nothing in places, with a drop that gets your attention if you're in the front seat. Every one of our Marrakech-based Sahara routes crosses it with an experienced local driver-guide who knows the road's rhythm from doing it week in, week out, which matters more here than on almost any other stretch of Moroccan highway.