Cycle Morocco's Great South

Just returned from really great cycling trip. Lovely route - we chose this trip over ones with other companies because of the route, mix of the mountains and time on coast in Essaouria. This was our first trip with Exodus and my husband Graham and I were very impressed. Fantastic tour leader in Liz, she managed every aspect of the tour superbly - logistics with the support vehicles - during rides never more than 10k away from drinks etc and sweeper support at rear in case of incidents. On the route there are lots of long ascents and Liz described what to expect extremely well in terms of the uphills and downhills, no-one got into the van on any of the rides and I believe this was due in large part to Everyone having confidence in Liz’s descriptions and timing of stops etc. Coming over the high pass on day 3 we encountered very heavy mist, Liz managed the descent extremely well with everyone feeling safe and comfortable with the ride down. Fantastic fun group of people to ride with, everyone gelled and mixed in together really quickly and whilst there was of course a range of fitness and technical cycling ability, it was relatively modest and at stops it was on average 15mins between first and last of the group arriving. Due to nature of the trip, lunches are roadside picnics every day, these were simple but fresh and filling. Accommodation is also simple but clean, in the first couple of places in the mountains there was some issues with lack of hot water, but to be honest whilst this isn’t ideal I think you need to accept that this type of issue can happen when travelling in a large group in the mountains in Morocco. We were fortunate that weather was kind to us every day, if we’d arrived cold and wet lack of hot water would have been more of an issue. Support team with Liz were v friendly and helpful as well. Really recommend trip

A fantastic trip! The guides were excellent, a great bunch of people, food was great and the route was well chosen for fantastic views and a good mix of terrain. I would definitely go on another Exodus cycling trip

This was the most exciting adventure which everyone enjoyed whether seriously fit cyclists or more leisurely cruisers like myself. We experienced the beauty & drama of the countryside with the everyday life of Morocco in towns & villages. It was truly an exceptional experience, educational & fun.

I was looking for a trip where the focus was definitely on the cycling and this 350km across the spectacular Moroccan terrain didn’t disappoint. There was plenty of uphill and plenty of downhill so it was always interesting. There were some rough patches of road where you needed to keep your wits about you but the vast majority of the time they were very quiet with good surfaces and one felt you were on a real adventure passing through remote villages off the beaten track. The trip notes probably undersell the nature of the cycling as there are two definite climbing days and the other days are pretty lumpy however you can take it as easy or as hard as you like. Day 6 of only 45kms has a 24km 1200m climb, and after 4 days of 70kms across undulating terrain it proved quite the challenge in temperatures well above 30 degrees. There was plenty of opportunity to rest and fuel up and there was always the option to jump in the minibus. Excellent lunches of salad, flat breads and accompaniments were prepared by the guides and a good selection of snacks and drinks were available at stops both morning and afternoon. We also had brand new or nearly new bikes. The accommodation was good especially in the smaller towns. Some really interesting places to stay with real charm, perhaps the hotel in Agadir the least satisfying. After spending the previous four days in small towns and villages, this conventional hotel despite being near the beach was a bit of a culture shock but, it did emphasise the feeling we were seeing lots of different sides of Morocco. It was only 8 days but I felt I was away for a lot longer and it was really immersive.

Wow, what a trip! Being a newbie to Morocco, group tours, AND cycle trips I had no idea what to expect, and being honest I was a bit daunted by it all. But this didn't last long..As soon as we were off on the bikes I loved every minute of it. We had a great group and Andy, the group leader, knew his stuff and put us all at ease. While the cycling is quite demanding at times, it is well worth it and the scenery was so inspiring that you can almost forget about it and just look forward to what spectacular view greats you round the next corner. It's definitely the best way to see Morocco and it is very difficult to fault the trip at all. I will definitely be signing up for another cycling trip very soon!

We started out with a great leader in the person of Reese who though only 25 we soon learned had literally biked around the world once. Service was great, two terrific van drivers, great snacks laid out at breaks and lunch everyone with a folding stool before a table spread with good food. Throughly enjoyed the group as the only American in a group of 14 from the UK, Denmark and Canada. Though we were delayed and rerouted on day one by flash floods and landslides our leader Reese adapted and soon had us back on course. Fantastic scenery, rural villages, friendly people even when we didn't speak the same language. I've tried several bike tour companies over the past few years but find Exodus beats them all.

I have hesitated about writing a review this time as I was one of the slower riders but as someone who reads them I think it can help sometimes. So here goes. This was a very tough cycling trip for me. Having said that.....I'm glad I did it. It was certainly a case of either cycling up a mountain or down one. Only a few miles was flat. The climbs went up and up and up and up and up. Hours at a time. In most cases the gradient wasn't too bad most of the time but it was a long slog to get to the top......with many false summits on the way which really take some doing to overcome and carry on. The descents of the other side were fantastic. I loved them. Down and down and down and down forever. Great speed. Great thrill. I am relatively fit and active for my age and do many sports but this cycling was hard. I am not a club cyclist. Obviously those who do ride more seriously climbed the hills better and got to the top a good 20/30 minutes before me.........but I did manage to cycle the whole trip and am very proud of my achievement. The mini bus was always available for those who did not always want to cycle. We were well looked after and I never felt at risk at all. I wasn't too keen on my bike !! Not as good as my last Exodus Cycling Holiday. Trouble was none of them had any front suspension and we did go over some very rough terrain and some very long descents. Very surprising not to have this feature in this day and age. Personally I felt it appropriate to dress modestly but not necessary to the extreme. Shorts seemed fine with many of the ladies wearing their lycra shorts. T.shirts with sleeves (long or short) were the most common tops. In the evening I found a long dress very comfy but a very casual one, nothing fancy. Or leggings or loose trousers. I wore a jacket one morning when we started off with a long downhill otherwise I was never cold. The hotels varied quite a bit from concrete beds in one mountain auberge to a suite with huge comfy beds and loads of hot water in others.............with everything in between including some very nice traditional old rhiads. I loved it all being different and enjoyed all the experiences. Some of the hotels had swimming pools and we did manage some swims but often the long cycling days meant we didn't always have much time in the evenings........plus in my case I was very tired (ha ha). Alcohol was not always available. We were delighted on the few occasions it was and the guides did their best to find us some at other times. It's just nice at the end of a long hard day !! Food was good. There wasn't anything I didn't like. However, I have "suggested" to Exodus that at least eggs are needed for breakfast with such huge rides to cope with. We did have eggs every morning except for two when it was just bread and jams. Very nice but just not substantial enough. Being on the move means that washing clothes through is pretty much impossible although some people did manage. Getting them dry is the difficulty. Take toiletries as they are not always provided. Make sure you fill your water bottle again at the end of the day so you have drinking water for the night and for cleaning teeth etc. Most hotels do not provide water in your rooms and it cannot always be bought. Nobody got ill that I know of but it's only sensible to be careful. No ice, ice cream, salad washed in suspect water etc. Usual stuff. The mountains catch the sunlight beautifully. They ouse power. The landscape is rock and sand but it still has great appeal. We had a super group of people from various countries. It worked well. I recommend the trip if you want a challenge because it is certainly that. If you are prepared you will be fine. Enjoy !!

An amazing trip cycling, taking in breathtaking and varied scenery.

Well thought out cycing with plenty of variety

My first ever cycling holiday and first time with Exodus.  Really enjoyed the experience despite coming down with a persistent stomach  bug the night before I joined the group.  True that it's good to have some cycling miles in your legs if you're new to touring.  I'd done a bit of training with local cycle groups and was glad I had - having said that I'm still not a fast cyclist so you don't need to be super-fit.