The Atlas Mountains with Jebel Toubkal (4167 m)

Airfare is not included in this tour, so you are responsible for arranging your own transportation to and from Morocco. The first day is unscheduled, allowing you to arrive in Marrakesh at your convenience. Our meeting point on the first day will be the the riad, a traditional Moroccan hotel, located in the heart of the city's medina (old town). In the evening, we will enjoy a welcome dinner at the riad and get to know each other better. Depending on flight times, there may not be much time to explore Marrakesh. If you'd like more time in this exciting city, you can request an additional program for an extra night or two at the end of the trip.

We start the day with an early breakfast at the hotel before boarding the minibus and heading south toward the towering peaks of the Atlas Mountains to begin our trek. Along the way, we pass a cluster of Berber villages. Upon arrival, we meet our support team for the week—our guides, cook, and mule handlers—before loading our bags onto the mules and setting off. The trek begins with a steady climb toward our first mountain pass, Tizi Oudite. From here, at over 2,200 meters, we are rewarded with breathtaking views in multiple directions and take a break to enjoy lunch. We then descend to the village of Id Aissa, following the irrigation channels that lead us to the final stretch of today's route. By late afternoon, we reach Tizi Oussem (1,850 m), where we will spend the night in a simple Berber house with shared rooms. We drink tea and have the chance to experience a local hammam, while our cook prepares a traditional Moroccan dinner. Today’s hike serves as a gentle and relaxed introduction to the trek ahead.

We have breakfast, load the mules again and follow a beautiful and spectacular trail through Azib Tamsoult (2250 m), a small village where mostly sheep herders make their homes. We continue on towards Lepiney at 3000 m and have lunch at a waterfall on the way. The Lepiney hut reveals itself as a small eagle's nest on a plateau, and although this is a very simple mountain hut, it makes up for it with a spectacular view. Here we spend the night in a common room inside the hut, or under the sparkling starry sky if the weather is good. Today's stage is mainly uphill, therefore end the day with slightly thinner air than when we started. (If the snow is still on the Aguelzim Pass, which we will cross on Day 4, we may take an alternative route and spend the night at Azib Tamsoult. This is more likely in spring than in autumn.)

Today will be an intense day, as we will be climbing significantly higher, and you will probably notice that the air feels thinner. Ahead of us is the climb up to the Aguelzim Pass at 3650 m. It is long, tough and steep, but spectacular. From here, we get our first glimpse of tomorrow’s goal – the summit of Jebel Toubkal – before descending to Toubkal Basecamp (3,200 m). Here we have dinner and spend the night in a dormitory. This is a nice hike for acclimatization before tomorrow's summit push.

We have a very long day ahead of us and will start before sunrise to avoid the strongest heat as we make our way up to the summit of Toubkal. We begin the ascent in the dark, guided only by the light of the stars and headlamps slowly moving upwards. It’s wise to have a down jacket in your backpack— even in Africa, low temperatures can be experienced, especially above 4,000 meters. The first part of the trail consists of large stones, and with the steep climb, it can be a tough trek, but the reward waiting at the top makes it all worthwhile! After four days of hiking, we should be well-acclimatized to handle the altitude, and after about four hours of effort and a 1,000-meter ascent, we will reach the highest point in North Africa at 4,167 meters, where we can look out over everything surrounding us! We take in the view and celebrate the moment at the summit of Jebel Toubkal before descending back to basecamp for a late lunch. We then continue for about four hours down to the village of Imlil (1740 m). Here, we will stay in a cozy riad with comfortable beds and showers— a true luxury after a tough mountain trek.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to our support team, hop onto the minibus, and head west toward Morocco's Atlantic coastline. By early afternoon, we arrive in the beautiful beach town of Essaouira, where the rest of the day is yours to enjoy. Here, you can relax on the beach, surf, swim, shop, or ride horses or camels. Compared to the hectic and overwhelming chaos that many associate with Moroccan cities, Essaouira is a peaceful and charming town where you can stroll freely through the streets and leisurely browse the bazaars. The city's medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and just below the center, miles of beautiful sandy beaches stretch south along a pleasant promenade lined with hotels and restaurants. We check into our riad, located in the old town.

Enjoy a leisurely day in Essaouira, a city known for its relaxed beach atmosphere and bohemian charm. Its hippie legacy is highlighted by famous visitors like Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Janis Joplin, who vacationed here in the ’60s. Major films such as "Alexander" and "Kingdom Of Heaven" and parts of ''Game of Thrones" were filmed in and around Essaouira. It is said that Norwegian writer Thorbjørn Egner drew inspiration from Essaouira for Cardamom City in his children’s story 'When the Robbers Came to Cardamom Town' after visiting in 1949. Here you will find narrow streets, camels, city walls, people, robbers and the prayer tower of Tobias! A visit to the bazaars here is well worth it, and the opportunities for shopping are many! In the evening, we’ll gather for our final dinner together at one of the city's charming restaurants.

After a late breakfast we are transferred back to Marrakesh Menara Airport. Unfortunately, our amazing adventure in Morocco comes to an end and we say goodbye to all the new friends we have made along the way. If you would like to stay longer in Marrakesh for a night or two, feel free to contact us, and we’ll check the possibilities for you.