The Tizi n'Tichka at 2,260 metres is the highest road pass in Morocco and the main route connecting Marrakech to the Saharan south. The road climbs from the Haouz plain in a series of broad switchbacks, passing through Berber villages where roadside traders sell rose quartz, fossils, and ammonites collected from the surrounding hills. The summit is marked by a cluster of souvenir stalls and a café with wide views south toward the desert.
The drive from Marrakech to the pass takes about two hours; on the other side the road descends to Ouarzazate through a landscape that turns progressively more arid and brown. The section between the pass and Ouarzazate passes through the kasbah village of Aït Benhaddou — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Morocco's most recognisable images — which is 30km off the main road.
In winter, the pass can close after heavy snowfall for periods of several hours to several days. Moroccan authorities generally reopen it quickly with snowploughs, but it's worth checking road conditions before travelling in December through February. The alternative route via the Tizi n'Test to the west is higher and closes more frequently.