The Tizi n'Tichka pass in winter

Where does the desert tour cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass?

On the N9 between Ouarzazate and Marrakech: day 3 on the 3-day tours, day 2 on the 2-day tour, and day 1 on the reverse tour from Marrakech to Fes.

The pass sits at 2,260 m and is the highest major road pass in North Africa (Mountain Forecast). Most listings name it as a stop: 15 minutes on the door-to-door tour, the budget tour and the 2-day tour, 30 minutes on the shared tour. The small-group tour lists a 15-minute stop in the High Atlas on the same road.

It is not the only mountain on the route. Day 1 from Fes climbs through the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou, and those roads get snow too, as the next section shows. The full route is in the day-by-day itinerary.

Does the Tizi n'Tichka close in winter?

Yes, in a snowy winter. In January 2026 snow and rockfalls closed it more than once, and one closure ran from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 20 January.

Winter 2025-26 was a heavy one. On 3 January 2026 "traffic came to a complete halt" on the Marrakech to Ouarzazate road after snow blocked the pass, per Hespress. It closed again from Sunday 18 January and reopened in both directions on Tuesday 20 January after snowploughs and heavy machinery cleared snow and fallen rock (H24info; Hespress). On 27 January, after more rockfalls, Le360 relayed press reports that the authorities had closed the road with mobile barriers at Taddart, Touama or Ait Ourir on the Marrakech side, according to Le360.

The Middle Atlas on day 1 is exposed too. In mid-December 2025 the Ministry of Equipment and Water reported clearing the N8 between Azrou and Ifrane, while work continued on the Azrou to Midelt road and on Marrakech to Ouarzazate (Le360). Snow is not only a January thing either: on 9 April 2026 the weather service still forecast 10 to 20 cm above 1,800 m in Al Haouz, the province on the Marrakech side of the pass (Hespress).

How do you check if the Tizi n'Tichka is open?

Call the Ministry of Equipment and Water's road duty centre on 05 37 71 17 17, check the weather alerts on marocmeteo.ma, and ask your driver the evening before.

In its winter notices the ministry points road users to the duty centre of the Directorate General of Roads at 05 37 71 17 17 for the state of the network, as Hespress reported on 22 January 2026. From abroad, dial +212 5 37 71 17 17.

The forecast matters more than the hotline, because closures follow storms. The weather service, the DGM, publishes colour-coded vigilance maps on marocmeteo.ma. An orange or red alert for snow in Al Haouz or Ouarzazate on your crossing day is the signal to talk to your operator. Ask your driver the evening before.

What happens to your desert tour if the Tichka pass is closed?

It depends on the operator and the day. Ask before you book, keep a buffer day in Marrakech, and use the free cancellation if a storm is forecast before you start.

Ask the operator directly: do they wait for the road to reopen, hold you an extra night in Ouarzazate, and who pays for that night? The ministry's advice during the January 2026 storms was to postpone non-essential trips through the affected provinces and to avoid driving at night (Hespress), and a sensible operator will follow it.

Three rules for December to February. First, do not book a flight out of Marrakech on the evening of your last tour day; take the next morning or later. Second, if an orange snow alert covers your dates before you set off, move or cancel: every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before. Third, if the pass closes mid-tour, accept the wait. The longest closure reported that January ran from Sunday 18 to Tuesday 20, and the road reopened in both directions once it was cleared.

The small-group tour: Ait Ben Haddou with a guide on day 3, then the High Atlas to Marrakech, in groups of up to 10.

★ 5.0 · 3 days · from $387

Explore the small-group 3-day tour → Tour details

Is the Tichka tunnel being built in 2026?

No. The planned Ourika tunnel, debated locally as the Tichka tunnel, was still at the study stage in January 2026, with no construction timeline.

The project is a 10 km tunnel through the High Atlas with about 80 km of access roads and 10 bridges, estimated at MAD 10 billion (about $1 billion). It would save about 80 minutes for light vehicles between Marrakech and the south-east. In January 2026 Morocco World News reported that two successive contracts for the geological study had failed, and quoted Minister Nizar Baraka saying no timeline could be set until those studies were done.

Later that month, after the rockfalls, Le360 reported Baraka saying the geophysical studies would soon be assigned to a company. Until a tunnel opens, the tours cross the pass.

Will the Tichka hairpins make you car sick?

They might. The descent towards Marrakech is a long run of tight bends. Sit in front, look at the horizon and skip the phone.

The NHS's motion sickness advice fits this road: sit in the front of the car, "look straight ahead at a fixed point, such as the horizon", get fresh air, do not read or use devices, and avoid heavy meals before and during the trip. The NHS also suggests ginger, and a pharmacist can advise on remedies; take any remedy before the journey, not halfway through it.

Practical bits for this tour: eat a light lunch on the crossing day. Ask for the front seat at the start of the day. On a shared tour, ask your driver early. Several listings say the trip is not recommended for travellers with back problems.

Frequently asked questions