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Hiker descends down a scree mountain pass in Morocco's Atlas Mountains
4.9
| 34 reviews

Trek the Atlas Mountains 2020

Morocco
3 nights
Moderate

Explore remote Berber villages and rugged valleys surrounded by Morocco’s highest peaks

What's Included?

Small Like-minded Groups

Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 14 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people
From

…

excluding flights
From

…

excluding flights

What's it like?

4.9
| 34 reviews
Hiker descends down a scree mountain pass in Morocco's Atlas Mountains

Explore the remote and peaceful landscape of the Atlas Mountains with the support of an experienced guiding team

Trek along cascading streams, ascend mountainsides, visit remote Berber villages and stay in traditional gite homes

Enjoy awesome views of Mount Toubkal - the highest peak in North Africa

Key Information

Day 1

Imi Oughlad to Tiziane

Hiking

5hrs · 12km · 650m up · 350m down

Meet your fellow adventurers and drive to the trailhead in Imi Oughlad where you’ll meet your local support team. Hike along a dirt track and into the Moroccan countryside alongside your mule train. Enjoy a picnic lunch at 2000m and after a rest in the shade, continue to the picturesque, red clay village of Tiziane (1750m) where you’ll indulge in a delicious Moroccan dinner in a local gite.

Day 2

Springs and forests

Hiking

5hrs · 15km · 600m up · 700m down

Hike through walnut and cherry groves to the refreshing Assaka spring where you’ll relax over a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, gently descend along the forest edge to the traditional Berber village of D’knt or nearby Agouns n Assol (1870m) and enjoy a hot meal in another working Berber home.

Day 3

Berber life

Hiking

6-7hrs · 17km · 1000m up · 800m down

Hike to a freshwater spring, passing shepherds and goatherds tending their flocks and Berber women and children carrying firewood and herbs on their backs in the traditional way. Continue through an amazing landscape of steep, stacked agricultural terraces to the scenic village of Tamsoult (1850m) for another night in a traditional home.

Day 4

Back to Marrakech

Hiking

4-5hrs · 13km · 550m up · 650m down

Start the day with a scenic hike to a nearby waterfall and then continue up and over the Tizi n Mzik pass. At 2000m, this is the highest point on the trek! Enjoy the view and then descend through a shady valley of juniper and pine to the town of Imlil. Eat lunch while you stare at majestic Mount Toubkal – the highest peak in North Africa – then say farewell to your guide and support team and head back to Marrakech in time for onward travel or some more time in this beautiful country.

The Area

map

Logistics

Starts

Central Marrakech or Marrakech Airport

08:30 / 10:00

Ends

Marrakech Airport or Central Marrakech

16:30 / 17:30

Transfers

You'll be picked up on arrival, or from your hotel in the city and dropped off in either central Marrakech or back at the airport in time for departure.

Travel options

There are regular flights to Marrakech from airports across the UK and Europe.

What about all the carbon?

We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.

Day 1

Homestay · Mixed dorm

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 2 – Day 3

Homestay · Mixed dorm

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 4

Departure day

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

What is the food like?

Meals on this trek are fresh, healthy and distinctly Moroccan prepared by your Berber cook. For breakfast, expect bread and jam/butter, cookies, fruit, juice, coffee and milk. For lunch, expect salad, tomatoes, carrots, lentils or beans, rice or pasta, sardines or tuna, and fruit. For dinner meanwhile, expect soup, tajine, couscous, olives, nuts and fruit. Most dietary requirements can be catered for, just let your host know in advance.

What is the accommodation like?

The Atlas Mountains

You'll stay in local Berber homes known as a Gite d'Etape or just gite. Translating roughly as 'staging post,' these gites are home to Berber families who will be your hosts. Facilities are basic, but there's no better way to see the real Morocco.

If you request additional accommodation in Marrakech before or after your trek, you will stay in a beautiful riad - traditional Moroccan houses with an interior garden or courtyard. The exact riad you stay in will be confirmed nearer the time based on availability and group size, however, all are chosen for their excellent reputation, location, beautiful decor and welcoming service.

Upgrades

Because of the style of accommodation, private upgrades are not available on this trip.

Anna(January 2020)

Everything about this trip was incredible. Lovely hiking routes. Stunning views of the mountains daily. Basically nobody else on the trails and got to observe Berber culture first hand. The food was delicious. And most importantly the local guides (Mohamed and team) were really lovely and knowledgeable. I can't recommend enough.

Joseph(January 2020)

The views and terrain were amazing, our guides were extremely accommodating, food was great and bountiful. The accommodation was better than I'd expected!

Natasha(December 2019)

Up there with one of the best hiking trips I've ever had, the guides were wonderful, views spectacular, the whole experience well planned.

Tori(November 2019)

Great walking, good food, stunning scenery, easy-going and knowledgeable guides.

Aili(November 2019)

The whole experience - the scenery, our guide Mohamed and the muleteers were just amazing, friendly and cheerful. They did everything with smiles, which made me feel so warm and welcomed in Morroco!

Julia(April 2019)

Beautiful country, guides and team were a great company, very experienced and supportive, exactly the right level of physical challenge, felt very special as saw no other trekkers until the final day.

Stephen(March 2019)

Everything was great.

Sara(March 2019)

Everything was great - routes, guides, food, scenery, group, even the weather!

Aaliyah(March 2019)

The views, the guides (Hussain and Hassan), the difficulty level, the food and the company were great.

Lindsey(March 2019)

The trip was amazing - the scenery was beautiful, walks were varied and a satisfying level of challenge, food was very good (and plentiful) and our guides looked after us so well.

Michael(February 2019)

Everything was great.

Ed(February 2019)

Food, scenery, weather, length and variety of hikes were great.

Rachel(February 2019)

The weather the food, the location, the guides and the other walkers were great.

Victoria(October 2018)

Just completely different to anywhere I’ve walked before and such welcoming people.

Jennifer(October 2018)

Rashid (our guide) and Hussain and Ali (chefs/mule handlers) were fantastic hosts. They made sure that every part of our experience was spot on and took really good care of us. The mountains themselves were spectacular.

Katie(September 2018)

Our trekking team (guide Mohamed, chef Omar, Hassan and Abdul) could not have made our adventure any more fabulous. And the Atlas Mountains were simply stunning, particularly the amazing colours.

Iris(July 2018)

Ibrahim, our guide and the cook were great.

Joe(July 2018)

The organisation was great.

Emma(May 2018)

Awesome hike route, lovely/experienced guide, easy pick-up, very good value for money, like-minded fun fellow travelers

Isabella(May 2018)

The atmosphere, locations and people were great! Just everything, absolutely stunning, amazing experience!

Leon(May 2018)

Friendly and highly experienced guides. Very well organised down to the smallest detail including some excellent food choices throughout. Amazing landscapes which need to be seen to be believed, I'll certainly never forget the trip and intend to come back one day. Overall a great challenge in a beautiful part of the world. With many serious climbs and long days trekking, this will push most people to their limits.

Mike(April 2018)

Everything was great! Great guide, amazing mountain views and awesome berber food and hospitality.

Alice(April 2018)

Beautiful scenery, everything worked smoothly, and our local guide, Mohamed, was excellent.

Anne(April 2018)

Our guide Housein was fantastic. The food was exceptional and the Atlas Mountains just so beautiful.

Farhana(April 2018)

The trek start to finish was great, the village location, the team members who helped out with our bags and food arrangement. It was my boyfriend’s birthday on Good Friday and the village people surprised him with a cake and music with their traditional drums - it was such a lovely surprise! The food was exceptional! Really lovely and generous

Sarah(April 2018)

Our guide- Ibrahim- was brilliant- knowledgeable, helpful, great humor, as we're all the crew. We were very well looked after. Incredible scenery, beautiful villages and views, superb gite lodging. Great times.

Nick(April 2018)

Our guide, Abdel, was brilliant - we had so much fun joking around with him. The food was also fantastic, portion sizes were ridiculous, you will not go hungry on this trip!

Emily(March 2018)

Yousif the guide was great, the views and the food also! Met the most wonderful people and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the trip. Top tip: Pack for every weather eventuality - we had blissful sunshine and knee-deep snow! LOVED IT!

Robin(March 2018)

The guide Youssef Boulite was amazing, and the muleteers were kind and helpful. The meals were plenty and very good. The gites and guesthouse were comfortable. The trecks we did were fantastic. 10/10! I will book another adventure with MBA soon!

Hannah(February 2018)

What a beautiful place to be. The trek was just stunning! Hard Work, especially for a beginner, but overwhelmingly beautiful. Our guide, Yusef, was fantastic, friendly and encouraging. The gites were much nicer than we had expected and the team of a helper who made our food were fantastic! I've already recommended the trip to friends.

Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear

In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.

What's provided?

  • Sleeping bag (you can bring your own if you like)

What do I need to bring?

  • Sturdy hiking boots or hiking shoes (broken in)
  • Personal toiletries
  • Towel
  • Warm layers including gloves and a hat
  • Sun protection
  • Small backpack to carry daily items
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Raingear (jacket and trousers),
  • Water bottle or hydration bladder
  • Sleeping bag liner

No optional extras are available for this trip.

You can leave luggage you don't need in Marrakech, your host will store it safely.

For current advice about travelling in Morocco, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice however we suggest a minimum of 150 - 200 Dirham per person.

Of course, you are free to tip more or less and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

  • 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
  • 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
  • 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

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