Morocco Day 7: Tizi n’Tchika pass and back to Marrakech

Where and when: Tizi n’Tichika Pass and Marrakesh, 1 February 2025

0730: Today is the last full day of our trip. We are heading back to Marrakech over the Tizi n’Tichka Pass.

0845: Comfort break in the way. This was the first time during the trip we’d come across something that was like a motorway service station.

There were a number of cafes and shops here and we also got a demonstration of how argan oil is made and its many benefits.

0930: Quick photo stop at the Tizi n’Tchika pass. This mountain pass links Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate in the High Atlas to the south-east of Marrakesh.

Elevation of the pass is 2,260 meters and it is snow covered in the winter; just a couple of days before we got here, the pass had been closed in the evening and overnight due to adverse weather.

After the pass, the desert landscape change colour as we get closer towards Marrakech.

1300: Arrival in Marrakech and a break for lunch.

1400: After lunch, we dive straight into Marrakech with a guided tour of the city. Our first stop is Bahia Palace, an open-air museum that fuses Moroccan and Islamic styles.

Bahia Palace is a mid to late 19th-century palace in Marrakesh, Morocco. The palace was originally built in 1860s by Si Musa, grand vizier under the Alawi sultan Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman. It was expanded by his son Si Ba Ahmed ibn Musa, grand vizier of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz. Today it is a well-known historic monument and tourist attraction in the city.

The architecture of the palace reminded me of the Real Alcazar in Saville, Spain.

After the palace we head in to the Marrakech medina.

Our guide takes us through a labyrinth of spice-scented souks, passing by craftsmen selling rugs, leather goods, copperware and crockery.

The medina here is very similar to the one in Fes – except unlike in Fes, motorised vehicles are allowed in Marrakech, so the medina is even more chaotic, if such a thing was possible.

After a brief stop at a traditional pharmacy, we navigate our way out into the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square. This is the centre of Marrakesh – full of market stalls, street performers and food outlets.  It is very crowded.

After spending some time at Jemaa el-Fnaa we headed to Hotel Ayoub for our last night in Marrakech. It is about a 20 minutes walk from the centre of Marrakesh.

Usually we would have had a traditional Moroccan meal for the final night, but the group decided to go for something different (once a day tagines had become a bit repetitive by this point!), so we headed to Casa de Hoy, a tapas restaurant. This also gave us the chance to  see more of the modern Marrakesh.

In the morning it was time to catch our flight, so headed to the airport. As the trip came to an end, and the plane took off, we got a great view of the centre of Marrakesh, including the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square.

A few minutes later, an unexpected  bonus; an aerial view of the Bin-El-Oudaine Lake. We walked on the shores of this lake on our first day of the tour.

As we were heading home, I reflected on what the trip has shown me – and what surprised me about Morocco – but that’s for the next post 😉