Holiday Itinerary
- Day 1 : Marrakech - Imlil(1750m) - Neltner Refuge(3207m)
Pick up from your hotel in Marrakech then drive to Imlil, a Berber village located about 65 km south from Marrakech, where our trek will start. Here we will meet with our local Berber muletiers crew to transport our food, luggage and other necessary equipment.then we start our trek heading along the Mizane Valley first towards the village of Aroumd and then up to the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch which attracts tourists and pilgrims. Built on a moraine spur overlooking the valley floor, after having our lunch, we continue our walk up to reach the Toubkal base camp at 3207m high.
1 hrs 30 min Drive / 5 hrs Walk / Meals: L, D / Night in the Refuge or camping
- Day 2 : Trek to Summit of Jebel Toubkal (4167m) - Return to Neltner (3207m)
Early this morning we make our attempt on the summit of Jebel Toukbal, the highest peak in Northern Africa. Our route takes us up the south cirque, crossing the stream above the refuge and then heading across one of the mountain's numerous scree fields. The walking is relatively straightforward, but the scree and the altitude will make the going quite difficult in parts, however, the views along the way make the journey more than worthwhile. Cresting the ridgeline we find ourselves on the plateau, from where it is a short walk to the summit and the vistas out across the surrounding landscape are quite breathtaking. From here there are unrestricted views in every direction, from the Marrakech Plain to the High Atlas in the north and as far south as the Anti-Atlas and the Sahara. Pliny, the great Roman scholar, once described the High Atlas Mountains as the most fabulous mountains in all of Africa and from our vantage point high above the valley it is easy to understand why. Retracing our steps we return down the mountain to our camp at Neltner.
5 hrs Walk / Meals: B, L, D / Night in the Refuge or camping
- Day 3 : Neltner (3207m) - Aroumd (1900m) - Imlil (1750m)
Our walk this morning takes us same way down to the main village of Imlil valley (1750m) Crossing the pastoral shrine of Sidi Chamharouch, set beside a small waterfall and a jumbled cluster of village houses clinging to the rock face.
5 hrs Walk / Meals: B, L, D / Gite (guesthouse)
- Day 4 : Imlil (1750m) - Tizi n Tichka (2260m) - Dades Valley
Pick up from your accommodation, and head out over the Atlas Mountains to cross the stunning Tizi n Tichka pass (2260m) through lots of Berber villages. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage of Ait Ben Hadou, and an optional visit to Atlas Film studios of Cinema in Ouarzazat. Then drive to reach our hotel in the Dades Gorges via the Skoura Oasis Palm grove, the beautiful Rose Valley and the spectacular Dades Valley.
6 hrs Drive / 1 hr Walk (Ait Ben Hadou and Dades Gorges) / Meals: B, L, D / Hotel
- Day 5 : Dades Valley - Todgha Gorges - Merzouga
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the town of Tinghir where we will have the chance to explore the Todgha Oasis and the famous Todgha Gorges - a massive fault dividing the High Atlas Mountains, rising up 300 meters in a narrow canyon valley with palmeries and Berber villages. Here, you can have an optional hike to discover the palmery, a green Oasis full of large date palms. Then we continue driving through many Berber villages and towns, Erfoud (a famous area for fossils, optional visit to have the chance to observe the process of cleaning and polishing the fossils and be able to see the finished products). Later on we arrive to our Auberge in Merzouga then a camels trek through the dunes of Erg Chabbi to reach our camp (Berber nomad tents) with drums music in the middle of the Sahara and traditional Moroccan dinner.
5 hrs Drive / 1 hrs Walk (Gores and Dunes) / 1 hrs 30 min Camel Trek / Meals: B, L, D / Camp (Berber Sahara Tents)
- Day 6 : Merzouga - Tazzarin - Draa Valley - Marrakech
Early weak up, just prior to sunrise, then camel trek back to the Auberge in Merzouga, exploring the spectacular sunrise between the Dunes. After breakfast and the opportunity to shower we drive back to Marrakech through the stony desert and Akassia plateaus, then through the Draa valley and the Atlas Mountains.
1 hrs 30 min Camel Trek / 8 hrs Drive / Meals: B, L
NB: If you prefer to break the distance of the last day then we suggest spending the night in the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou so take a 7 days Tour.
