Morocco: Road trip from Marrakesh to Skoura via the N9

One of the most picturesque routes in Morocco is the N9, which takes you from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate via the spectacular Atlas Mountains. Along the way, you will also pass the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït-Ben-Haddou, an ancient fortified town. If you drive a little further, you will arrive in Skoura, a village surrounded by vast palm tree plantations and an oasis of tranquillity.

What should you know before you go?

Before you embark on your journey through Morocco, there are a few practical tips that will help you get the most out of your adventure and avoid any surprises.

• Upon arrival at the airport, it is advisable to purchase a local SIM card or set up an eSIM. In recent years, we have primarily opted for the latter. This allows you to remain accessible and navigate without relying on WiFi, which is limited in some areas. There are several stands offering SIM cards in the arrivals hall. We arrange our eSIM through Breeze. Use the code “REISSIM” to get a 10% discount.

  
  

• Upon arrival at the airport, we also recommend withdrawing Dirham (the local currency) from an ATM. Many places accept cash payments. In our experience, there are few to no ATMs outside of major cities such as Marrakesh. Even in Marrakesh itself, many ATMs do not accept Maestro cards. Please note: ATMs will only dispense a maximum of 2,000 dirhams (approximately €200) per withdrawal. If you wish to withdraw more, you will need to make multiple withdrawals.
  

• We always rent our car from Majdoline Rent A Car in Marrakesh. They offer well-maintained cars at an affordable price. After making your reservation, the car will be waiting for you in the airport parking lot. You pay in cash on the spot (so make sure you have cash with you) and you will be given the keys. You can return the car in the center of Marrakesh or at the airport, for example.
  

Day 1: From Marrakesh to Ouarzazate

This road trip takes you through winding mountain passes, including the famous Tizi n'Tichka Pass, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of deep valleys and imposing mountain peaks. At some points, you will be driving so high that there is even snow in the area. Along the way, there are also several restaurants with panoramic views where you can take a break and enjoy the scenery.

The route took us past numerous stalls selling gemstones, which are commonly found in the Atlas Mountains. However, there appears to be a significant difference in quality. The higher the stone is found, the better the quality. In addition, there are many fake amethysts on the market. For example, we bought a piece of quartz that was sold as amethyst, but turned out to be dyed purple. So be careful where you spend your money!

In Ouarzazate, we spend the night at Riad Ouarzazate. A classic riad, where both the interior and exterior are colorfully decorated.

Day 2: From Ouarzazate to Skoura

From Ouarzazate, we drove to Skoura at the start of day 2. There you will find an oasis and palm trees. The road there was already very beautiful because of the various mountain villages. You can tell that tourists don't come here often by the way everyone looks up when you drive through the streets. Children stop playing soccer to wave and mothers pause their laundry.

After driving through the plantations for a while, the roads became increasingly sandy and bumpy. We decided to navigate to Sawadi Ecolodge, a riad in the neighborhood. When we arrived, we were welcomed very warmly by the owner. We were allowed to park our car there, order lunch, and even use the swimming pool. The garden surrounding the riad was truly beautiful: home-grown vegetables, flowers, and of course lots of palm trees. In January, pomegranates are the fruit of the season. We were served a large glass of pomegranate juice. For lunch, we ordered Omelet Berbère.

At the end of the afternoon, we drove to Aït-Ben-Haddou. This is a medieval fortified town known for its kasbahs built against the hill. The historic center itself is largely empty. You walk there via a wooden bridge. Unfortunately, we were slightly ripped off in the center itself. We were told we had to pay to continue walking. The gate was blocked, so we couldn't get past until we paid. After paying 20 dirhams per person (about €2), we were allowed to continue. Afterwards, it turned out that you can simply enter through the official entrance without paying.

When we wanted to climb a mountain further away to watch the sunset, we suddenly had to pay again. We weren't going to do that, so after a quick tour of the city center, we had seen enough. Outside the historic center, we climbed a mountain a little further away. Here we could enjoy the sunset for free, and the view was much more beautiful because you could see the whole city.

After the sun had set, we looked for a restaurant for dinner. Oscar went into a restaurant that looked suspiciously dark. When he entered, the lights automatically turned on. There was a group of Germans eating there. Apparently, they had been sitting in the dark the whole time, haha. We didn't have much confidence in the service at this place, so we went to the next one. At the next place, the lights were on, but we were the only guests. This restaurant wasn't the most cozy, but in the end, it was the restaurant where we laughed the most. The man who worked here didn't really feel like helping us. We had ordered three courses, which were all put on the table at the same time. Including dessert. Our dessert was supposed to be a fruit salad, but we were served the fruit with the peel still on, along with a knife. We had to make our own salad.

What we did really like was the Riad Caravane in Aït-Ben-Haddou. What we remember most about our stay is the wonderful smell that hung in the air. We bought some soaps with the same scent. The Riad itself is an oasis of calm in the busier surroundings. From the roof terrace, you have a beautiful starry sky at night. The interior is also beautiful, and the staff are very friendly.

Day 3: From Aït-Ben-Haddou to Marrakesh

After breakfast, we got in the car for the 3.5-hour road trip back to Marrakesh. We took a detour on the first part of the journey to reach a well-known mountain pass. This pass is also popular with motorcyclists because of its many beautiful bends and views. We stopped once along the way because we saw a hiking trail. These are rare in the Atlas Mountains. For most hikes, you need a guide (see: two-day hike through the Atlas Mountains), but this one looked passable. The route ran downhill along a dry stream bed. Along the way, we found many beautiful stones, including quartz, marble, and petrified wood.

We stopped for lunch at Restaurant Ouiza, where we enjoyed tagine and couscous dishes with a beautiful view. Once back in Marrakesh, we returned the car to the rental company. We no longer needed the car for our stay in Marrakesh.

In conclusion

Our road trip from Marrakesh to Skoura via the N9 was an adventurous and impressive experience. From the winding roads through the Atlas Mountains and historic Aït-Ben-Haddou to the tranquility and beauty of the palm oases in Skoura, every kilometer of this route offered something special. It was the perfect way to discover a unique and diverse part of Morocco, and we can recommend it to anyone looking for a combination of adventure and tranquility in spectacular scenery.