Guides & road trips · Atlas crossing
Marrakech to Ouarzazate
Marrakech to Ouarzazate is 196 km and takes about four hours by car. The whole route follows the N9 over the Tizi n'Tichka, the highest road pass in the Atlas at 2,260 m. There is no toll and no alternative road.
- Distance
- 196 km
- Driving time
- 4 h
- Road
- N9
How far is Marrakech from Ouarzazate, and how long does it take?
| Distance | 196 km |
|---|---|
| Driving time | 4 h |
| Road | N9 |
| Highest point | Tizi n'Tichka, 2,260 m |
| Toll | None — the N9 is toll-free for its full length |
| Fuel stops | Aït Ourir (km 37), Taddert (km 85), Amerzgane (km 165) |
| Best season | March to May and September to November |
How do you get from Marrakech to Ouarzazate?
There are three realistic options: drive yourself on the N9 in about four hours, take a CTM or Supratours coach in four and a half to five hours for around 100 MAD, or hire a private driver for roughly 1,200 MAD one way.
| Mode of transport | Duration | Cost | What it is worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-drive | 4 h without stops | Fuel only — about 190 MAD of diesel each way | The only option that lets you stop at Aït Ben Haddou and Telouet on the way. |
| CTM coach | 4 h 30 – 5 h | 90 – 110 MAD per seat | Cheap, air-conditioned and reliable, but it stops nowhere you would want to stop. |
| Supratours coach | 4 h 30 – 5 h | 100 – 120 MAD per seat | Departs from beside Marrakech train station. Same limitation as CTM. |
| Shared grand taxi | 3 h 30 – 4 h | 120 – 150 MAD per seat | Fast because drivers push the pace. Six passengers in an old sedan, no seatbelts in the back. |
| Private driver | 4 h plus stops | 1,200 – 1,800 MAD one way | Worth it if nobody in the group wants to drive mountain switchbacks. |
If you are driving yourself, the pass is the thing that decides the car. The N9 climbs 1,800 m in about 100 km, and the gradient sits between 6 and 8 per cent for long stretches. A small petrol hatchback will do it, but it will spend the climb in second and third gear with the air conditioning fighting the engine. A diesel SUV with torque low down holds a gear and stays cool, and the higher seating position genuinely helps on blind hairpins.
Planning the drive
What is the drive over the Tizi n'Tichka actually like?
It is a long mountain climb on a good modern road, not a dangerous one. The N9 was widened and resurfaced between 2017 and 2023, and now has two full lanes with barriers on the exposed sections. Expect concentration, not fear.
The first 37 km out of Marrakech are flat and dull — irrigated plain, olive groves and roadside cafés as far as Aït Ourir. Fill the tank here if you did not in the city.
The climb begins in earnest after Aït Ourir. From roughly km 50 the road starts turning, and from Taddert at km 85 it is continuous switchbacks to the summit. Taddert is the last village with proper facilities before the pass: two petrol stations, tagine restaurants and toilets.
The pass itself sits at 2,260 m and is signed. There is a car park, a few stalls selling fossils and minerals, and on a clear day a view down both sides of the range. It is 10 to 15 °C colder than Marrakech — in January it can be below freezing with snow on the verges.
The southern descent is the more spectacular half. The landscape flips from green Atlas slopes to bare red rock and the pre-Saharan tableland. It is about 70 km down to Amerzgane, where the P1506 branches right to Aït Ben Haddou.
The last 30 km into Ouarzazate are straight, fast and unremarkable. The town announces itself with the Atlas Studios gates and a wide boulevard rather than anything dramatic.
Know before you go
- The phrase 'route dangereuse' attached to this road online refers to its pre-2017 state. The rebuilt N9 is a two-lane road with proper barriers, and the accident rate has fallen sharply since the widening finished.
- The real hazard is overtaking. Loaded lorries crawl up the climb at 20 km/h and queues build behind them. Overtake only on the marked straights, never into a blind bend.
- Between December and February, snow can close the pass for a few hours at a time. Check before setting off in winter; the Gendarmerie closes and reopens it the same day in most cases.
- Motion sickness is a genuine issue on this road, not a joke. There are hundreds of bends between Taddert and the summit. Sit in the front and take something before Taddert, not after, if you are prone to it.
- Do not plan to arrive after dark on your first drive. The descent has unlit sections, and livestock on the road at dusk is common.
- Fuel is available at Aït Ourir, Taddert and Amerzgane, but the 80 km stretch across the pass itself has none. Do not start the climb below a quarter tank.
What is worth stopping for between Marrakech and Ouarzazate?
Three stops justify the detour: Taddert for lunch before the climb, the Telouet kasbah 21 km off the pass, and Aït Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar 30 km short of Ouarzazate. Adding all three turns four hours into a full day.
km 37
Aït Ourir
The last town on the plain and the cheapest fuel on the route. A working market town rather than a sight — stop for the petrol station and the coffee, not the scenery.
km 85
Taddert
A single street of tagine restaurants clinging to the mountainside at 1,650 m, and the last real facilities before the pass. The walnut trees along the river below the village are the reason the food here is good.
km 111
Tizi n'Tichka pass
The summit at 2,260 m, marked by a stone sign and a mineral market. Ten minutes here is enough, but it is the natural place to stop, stretch and let the brakes cool before the descent.
km 132
Telouet kasbah
A 21 km detour east from the pass road on the P1506. The Glaoui family's kasbah is half ruin and half restored, with painted cedar ceilings and zellige in the receiving rooms. Allow an hour plus the drive.
km 166
Aït Ben Haddou
The UNESCO-listed ksar, reached by the P1506 from Amerzgane. Earthen towers stacked up a hillside above the Ounila river. It has been the backdrop for Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones. Allow two hours.
km 196
Ouarzazate
The Taourirt kasbah at the eastern end of the main avenue, and Atlas Studios on the Marrakech road. Ouarzazate is the junction for the Draa valley, the Dades and Todra gorges, and the road east to Merzouga.
How should you plan the drive from Marrakech to Ouarzazate?
Treat it as a full day, not a transfer. Leave Marrakech by 8 a.m., eat at Taddert before the climb, cross the pass around midday, spend the afternoon at Aït Ben Haddou and reach Ouarzazate before sunset.
08:00 — Leave Marrakech
Head out on the Route de Ouarzazate past the Palmeraie. Traffic thins after the ring road. Fill up at Aït Ourir at km 37 if you did not leave the city with a full tank.
10:00 — Lunch at Taddert
Km 85, at 1,650 m. Eat before the climb rather than after it — the switchbacks start immediately past the village and nobody enjoys them on a full stomach.
11:30 — Cross the Tizi n'Tichka
Twenty-six km of climbing to the 2,260 m summit. Stop ten minutes at the top. If you want Telouet, turn off here and add two hours to the day.
13:30 — Aït Ben Haddou
Turn off at Amerzgane onto the P1506. Cross the riverbed on the stepping stones or the footbridge and climb through the ksar to the agadir at the summit. Two hours is right.
16:30 — Arrive in Ouarzazate
Thirty straight kilometres from Aït Ben Haddou. Enough daylight left for the Taourirt kasbah before it closes, and dinner on Avenue Mohammed V.
Next day — Onward or back
Ouarzazate is a junction, not a destination. Skoura and the Dades gorge lie east, the Draa valley and Zagora south, and Merzouga is another 360 km east if you are heading for the dunes.
Which Marrakesh Car Rental vehicle suits the drive to Ouarzazate?
A diesel SUV is the natural choice for the Tichka: torque for the climb, a high seating position on blind bends and room for luggage. An economy car will make it comfortably if you are two people travelling light.
- 4x4 & SUV Rental MarrakechBest all-round pick for the pass. From €35 a day with the Dacia Duster.
- Automatic Car Rental MarrakechAn automatic gearbox removes most of the work on the switchbacks.
- 7-Seater Car Rental MarrakechFor six or seven travellers. The whole route is tarmac, so seats matter more than clearance.
- Economy Car Rental MarrakechFine for two people with light luggage. From €25 a day.
- Car with Driver MarrakechIf nobody in the group wants to drive a mountain pass.
- Circuits from MarrakechOuarzazate as the first leg of a longer desert loop.
What else do people ask about driving to Ouarzazate?
How far is Marrakech from Ouarzazate?
- 196 km by road on the N9. There is no shorter route and no alternative road — the Tizi n'Tichka is the only crossing of the High Atlas between the two towns.
How long does the drive from Marrakech to Ouarzazate take?
- About four hours without stopping. Allow five and a half if you eat at Taddert, and a full day if you add Aït Ben Haddou or Telouet. Coaches take four and a half to five hours.
Is the road from Marrakech to Ouarzazate dangerous?
- Not any more. The N9 was widened and resurfaced between 2017 and 2023 and now has two full lanes with barriers on exposed sections. Drive it in daylight, do not overtake blind, and it is a straightforward mountain road.
Is there a toll on the N9 to Ouarzazate?
- No. Moroccan tolls apply only to the autoroute network, and no autoroute crosses the Atlas here. The N9 is free for its full 196 km.
Can you drive Marrakech to Ouarzazate and back in a day?
- Physically yes — eight hours of driving. But it leaves under two hours at the destination and means descending the pass tired. An overnight in Ouarzazate or Aït Ben Haddou makes far more sense.
When does snow close the Tizi n'Tichka pass?
- Occasionally between December and February, for a few hours rather than days. The Gendarmerie closes and reopens it the same day in most cases. Check locally before setting out in winter.