Nomad Edition & Traditions – 6 Days from Marrakech

Six days is the length at which a Morocco tour stops being a mountain loop and starts being a proper crossing, and this is GSLine's version of that. The published route runs Marrakech to the Atlas, then Taroudant, the Dades gorges, the Sahara and back through Berber villages to Marrakech, covering 1,620 kilometres and topping out at 3,200 metres. Taroudant is the choice that gives the itinerary its shape. Dropping to the far side of the High Atlas before turning east means the route reaches the desert from the southwest rather than running the standard Ouarzazate corridor, and it puts the ochre walls of Taroudant, sometimes called the little Marrakech, on the way rather than as a detour. From there the tour picks up the Dades gorges and their hairpins, then heads for the Sahara, where the dunes at Chegaga are the largest in the country and considerably harder to reach than the more visited Erg Chebbi. What is included is unusually broad for a tour at this price. Half-board accommodation, daily lunches, an expert bilingual guide, an equipped 4x4 support van with a mechanic on the road, third-party insurance, a helmet and a free airport transfer are all standard. So are three things that are normally extras: a camel ride in the Chegaga dunes, a 4x4 excursion into the desert, and one Berber barbecue in an authentic Atlas village. Fuel, flights, personal insurance, site entrance fees and personal expenses are excluded, and a 1,000 euro motorcycle deposit is held and refunded at the end. As on all GSLine circuits, the rate follows the machine. The 1,543 euro headline covers the Royal Enfield 450 or the BMW G 310 GS; the GS 750, 850 and 900 step up from there, and the R 1250 GS and R 1300 GS sit at the top of the list. Departures need at least four riders, and the company publishes fixed dates through the autumn as well as taking requests for custom ones.

GSLine's long circuit: 1,620 kilometres in six days, out of Marrakech and back, taking in the High Atlas passes, Taroudant on the far side of the range, the Dades gorges and the Sahara dunes at Chegaga before returning through Berber villages. Maximum altitude on the route is 3,200 metres. The company rates it intermediate and asks for experienced riders, with a minimum of four to run a departure. Two things set it apart from the shorter circuit: a camel ride in the Chegaga dunes and a 4x4 excursion in the desert are included rather than sold on the side, as is a Berber barbecue dinner in an Atlas village. An equipped 4x4 support van travels with the group carrying luggage and a mechanic, and half-board plus daily lunches are covered throughout.