I was 68 miles (110km) into one of Europe's hardest cycling races when I took a break on the roadside, and started seriously questioning my life choices. Looking up at the 33 switchbacks I still had to climb before reaching the summit (of Italy's infamous Stelvio Pass), I said out loud, “Dad, if there’s ever been a time to send me a sign of encouragement, this is it.”

I then hit shuffle on my Spotify playlist and AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ started blaring. A favourite of Dad’s. I laughed. I cried. But most importantly, almost eight years to the day that my Dad died in a road cycling accident, I got back on my bike and chugged my way up the last 12.5 miles (20km) of the mountain.

As my legs kept spinning, I found myself thinking about how grateful I am for outdoor adventure - reflecting on how far my grief has come in the years since, and the role physical challenges have played in keeping me afloat. By the end of the ride, I’d decided it was time to return to where it all began, New Zealand.

We followed paths of twisting trees, dewy from rain, coated in various shades of moss. The reward at the end of the hike was a secluded bay of golden sand...

The first time we went there I was five years old and too young to remember big details. I do remember the excitement and some highlights, which coincidentally were definitely some of my parents' low-lights. Whilst we looked back at the trip with laughter lines around our eyes, it really was a disaster on paper. It started off well though, with mum slipping into the water in Kaikoura up the east coast from Christchurch, surrounded by dolphins. It’s one of the first memories I have of her: she’s beaming as hundreds of fins break the surface of the water, a backdrop of hazy grey and white snow capped mountains lining the shore.

Next we went to Abel Tasman National Park, a place fresh out of a fantasy novel. We followed paths of twisting trees, dewy from rain, coated in various shades of moss. The reward at the end of the hike was a secluded bay of golden sand tucked into the edges of the rainforest, and the promise of a water taxi back to our apartment. But we’d walked for hours and my little slow legs meant we missed the taxi. I remember the mood being low, parents discussing whether I’d manage the walk back or whether Dad would have to carry me. Just before we set off again, Dad sat on a fallen tree looking out to sea, hood up against the rain. I’ll always remember how at peace he looked there at the end of the world, in a country he could only have dreamed of visiting as a child himself.

Towards the end of our trip, mum joined a guided scuba diving tour of Milford Sound. The waters in the fjords were the deepest black - waterfalls pouring from the sheer cliffs. Dramatically, mum ended up featuring on the front page of the NZ Herald as she was airlifted off to a decompression chamber from surfacing too quickly. Fortunately she didn’t have the bends, as first feared, so Dad and I road tripped from the very bottom of the island to the very top to pick her up.

The easy access to safe and unimaginably rewarding outdoors adventure has a kind of healing property...

Secluded highways took us from fjords to rolling farmland; from snowcapped mountains to sandy beaches lined with temperate forests. I came home armed with a hand-drawn diary of memories, and a new need for adventure.

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In the fifteen years that followed that trip, my parents divorced, and both battled (and survived) cancer. Doing physically hard things was never about getting fit for them, it was always the unspoken release of a pressure valve. Being outside, walking until your legs feel like they might fall off, riding a bike with no destination in mind and exploring an entirely new place; I learnt by osmosis that it burnt the edges off the harshness of life.

With everything that had happened since that first New Zealand trip, it felt only right to head back there, but this time just with Dad. The country's beauty, the kindness of its people, and the easy access to safe and unimaginably rewarding outdoors adventure has a kind of healing property we were ready to reconnect with. We boarded the plane with a two-man tent and no real plan.

I laughed harder during those six weeks with Dad than I have at any other time in my life. We started in Christchurch, which had been rebuilt from the catastrophic earthquakes of 2011, homages to the resilience of the community all over the city. The first night we camped on the way up to Kaikoura, Dad woke me up squealing at 6am that there were dolphins playing off the beach outside the tent. We sat in the stillness and quiet of the morning, cup of tea in hand, watching dorsal fins rising and dipping below the surface. I thought of mum’s face all those years ago as I booked the exact same experience and spent it trying not to cry into my mask as hundreds of dolphins played around me.

We sat in the stillness and quiet of the morning, cup of tea in hand, watching dorsal fins rising and dipping below the surface.

We then took a detour from the road trip of years previous, heading instead down the country to visit Arthurs Pass; a hikers paradise that spans the centre of the island. The humbling mountains here are littered with gorges and flowing rivers, coloured a blue that it’s hard to describe. Hiking through Olihika Gorge was one of the most peaceful experiences I’ve ever had. A few solitary backpackers passed us as we sat on the rocks and ate our cheese sandwiches, legs feeling the good kind of tired. We spent the evenings pitching up at different Department of Conservation Campsites, washing in rivers or waterfalls, resting weary feet and letting the dust settle on the peace we’d found that day.

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And so, just before Christmas 2025, I found myself back on a flight to New Zealand - our three man tribe now down to one. I felt I owed it to Dad to go back, to visit the parts of ourselves that we’d left there.

Having explored the hiking of the South Island, this time I turned to the North. I hiked the Pinnacles mountain range alone, spending the evening looking out over the view and thinking back to all the times since Dad died that adventure had given me a purpose when everything else had felt hard.

I talked aloud to Dad periodically on the way up, mostly blaming him (and mum’s) insistence I be outdoorsy for my sore feet and sweaty back. Once I reached the summit, I sat and ate a cheese sandwich looking out over the view. I thought about how grateful I am for my parents. It’s only as an adult that I truly understand that exploration, and challenging yourself physically and mentally, is the best medicine. It’s kept me afloat through the turbulent waters of grief, and it’s a tether that will always keep me bound to my Dad - in this life and the next.

Read the full Unlocking Adventures series now, live on the magazine

The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is a 105-mile (170km) hiking route through France, Switzerland and Italy. This is a well-known and well waymarked hike, and as such, there are a few different ways you can walk it:

• Solo: handling all logistics yourself, walking alone or with friends.
• Self-guided: without a guide or a pre-organised group, but with logistics such as accommodation (and so, daily itinerary) sorted for you.
• Guided: led by an expert local guide, with a group of like-minded people, and with your accommodation and itinerary sorted for you.

Which of these three options is best for you comes down to how much planning you want to do, whether you want to hike alone or in a group, and your budget. It's likely that your experience levels will come into it too, as if you've never been on a multi-day walk before, hiking the TMB alone may be a big ask.

You also learn more about the flora and fauna. You have that expertise of someone who has done the trail dozens of times.

The benefits of walking solo are that you have full independence. You pick where you're going to stay each night, how far you're going to walk each day and how fast you're going to do it. Since you're sorting your own logistics, the cost will be lower, too. If you're choosing to go guided, you'll pay a higher price, but your accommodation, luggage and route-finding will all be handled for you. You'll also have an expert guide to tell you about the flora and fauna you're walking through, and you'll get a ready-made group to go hiking with. So there is a sociable aspect to it as well. Self-guided sits between these two - with a point of contact, and accommodation sorted, but without the expert guide or group.

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On this page, we're mainly going to comparing a solo hike on the Tour du Mont Blanc to a guided adventure. We’ll look at what each option (roughly) costs, cover what a guided trip actually includes, and look at how you should decide on which option might be right for you. For a more detailed description of the route, stages and timelines involved, see our full guide to trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc.

James Leask of Much Better Adventures has completed the route multiple times.

"Whilst hiking the TMB you become part of a community," he says. "It's a shared experience and hut culture is all about people enjoying being in the mountains."

Solo vs. Guided: Which is Right for You?

There’s no wrong or right answer. There are trade-offs to be made whether you go solo, guided or indeed self-guided. Each option has its merits and drawbacks.

A solo tour suits you if: you’re an experienced hiker, confident navigating and you want to walk alone or with a group of your own making. You should be comfortable handling the logistics of booking accommodation and putting together a plan for how far you're going to walk each day.

A self-guided tour suits you if: again, you're an experienced hiker, confident with route-finding, and you want to walk either alone or with a group of your making - but want some of the logistics handled for you. You don't want a guide or a ready-made group.

A guided tour suits you if: you’re a less experienced hiker, unfamiliar with the terrain of the TMB, or you are an experienced hiker, but you’d like a small group of like-minded people to walk with, and an expert guide to tell you about the flora, the fauna and the history and culture along the way. This is a good bet if you want all the logistics handled for you, so you can just turn up and walk.

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Joel Evans guided on the Tour du Mont Blanc for six years, and now organises tours on the route. "The main thing about having a guide, from our point of view, is that you get to learn a lot more about the local area," he says. "You get to learn a lot more about the culture and mountain etiquette; you learn more about the flora and fauna. You have that expertise of someone who has done the trail dozens of times. They know when and where you might see certain animals."

I also think, having that safety and security of a guide, who is trained, and who knows how to read the weather [...] plays into it.

Joel continues: "I also think, having that safety and security of a guide, who is trained, who knows how to read the weather, the safety procedures if something does go wrong, knowing where and when you have phone signal for any emergencies - that plays into it a lot in terms of guided and self-guided.

"The questions we get asked from the self-guided groups on the hill - whether it's individuals, couples, or groups of 6-10 - are always questions that could've been answered by your guide, about the weather for example, or which route to take."

How Much Does the Tour du Mont Blanc Cost?

It costs roughly £1,100-£2,000 GBP ($1,400-$2,600 USD) to walk the full circuit of the Tour du Mont Blanc solo, versus around £2,000-£2,600 GBP ($2,550-$3,300 USD) guided, all-in. Both have wide ranges because refuge prices, level of luggage transfers and food vary. Self-guided will be in between the two.

Solo cost breakdown

It takes 9-11 nights to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc at the classic pace, averaging six to eight hours of walking her day over the 105 miles (170km) involved.

• Refuges (half-board/demi-pension), per night: £50-£80 ($64-$105)
• Luggage transfer, per stage: £20-£60 ($25-$80)
• Food, snacks and drinks, per stage: £35-£60 ($45-$80)
• Maps and a GPX navigation app: £10-£30 ($13-$28)
• Chamonix airport transfers: £60-£120 ($75-$150)

Prices are approximate. They'll vary depending on time of year (and will go up over time). The company you go with will also have an impact. Refuge rates change from season to season. We have excluded flights from the breakdown, as the price range varies wildly depending on your point of departure.

Guided cost, all-in (except flights to Chamonix)

• Trek the TMB Full circuit: from £2,175 ($3,181 USD) for nine nights

Much Better Adventures also run shorter variants on the Tour du Mont Blanc which are cheaper and allow you to sample the trail in a weekend or week.

• Tour du Mont Blanc in a Weekend: The Hut-to-Hut Edition: (from £917/$1,341)
• Tour du Mont Blanc in a Week: (from £1,646/$2,408)
• Tour du Mont Blanc in a Week: The Hotels Edition: (from £2,219/$3,246)

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What’s included on a Guided Tour du Mont Blanc?

No two operators offer exactly the same thing, so we'll tell you what our nine-night guided trip on the Tour du Mont Blanc includes:

• A qualified local guide: You will walk with English-speaking IML-certified guides who know the route, have stayed in the refuges before, and who have seen every type of weather before on this trail. As one reviewer recently put it, “everything is planned with military precision.”
• Pre-booked refuges: The refuges on the TMB book out months in advance. Having them pre-booked means you don’t have to worry about it.
• Most meals: Our treks includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• A small group: Hike with like-minded people.
• Safety management: Your experienced guide team know the area.

Luggage Transfer is an optional add-on for our Tour du Mont Blanc itinerary, and there is also the option to leave a bag in storage in Chamonix. Luggage transfer for the full period costs £320 ($468) per bag, while storage in Chamonix is £35 ($51). These are available by ticking a box at checkout.

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• Read: How Hard is the Tour du Mont Blanc, Really?

Booking Refuges Yourself: What Solo Walkers Need to Know

If you’re going to hike the TMB solo, you need to take the booking of refuges seriously. It has a knock-on impact for your day-to-day walking itinerary for obvious reasons. If you can't stay at your refuge of choice on a certain day, that might mean you have to walk for longer to reach another one that day.

A lot of the most popular refuges on the route sell out as early as the winter before the summer you’ll be walking. Booking on a whim a few months ahead of a trek isn’t an option, especially if you want to stick rigidly to the TMB trail and walk the classic stages. You can usually book the refuges from six to nine months before summer, but this varies from hut to hut. You can contact the refuges directly via e-mail or use a TMB booking management system.

In some of the larger stops like Courmayeur, you can also book hotels to vary your stays. Our various Tour du Mont Blanc trek options include hikes which make use of both refuges and hotels.

If you're going to be hiking the TMB route solo, a good starting point is to think about how many days you want to hike it in. From there, you can look at the daily breakdown, and where it makes sense to stay. Then you can look at when the bookings open for the refuges you're targeting - and prepare to get them booked.

Solo or Guided: What to expect from refuges?

Mountain refuges are typically remote, and are often the only accommodation option in the area. Half-board (demi-pension in French) is standard, meaning dinner and breakfast are included in the price of your stay. Breakfast tends to be simple and cold, while dinner is usually a hearty three-course set menu. There is often a tuck shop where you can buy bottled water, beer, wine or soft drinks.

Most refuges have mixed dormitory rooms, and you’ll be sharing a space with others. You might want to pack an eyemask and earplugs to keep out light and snoring. There are basic toilets,  sinks and showers. The atmosphere tends to be lively, with walkers comparing hikes and equally, the mornings start early as people leave before the crack of dawn or prepare to get back out on the trail.

The views are sublime - looking out over the beauty and drama of the alps. Don’t expect reliable Wi-Fi at every stop. For more information, have a read of our article on the refuges of the Tour du Mont Blanc.

Joel breaks down what it looks like to arrive at a mountain refuge with a group:

"When you arrive with your group, it's 'okay guys, take your boots off - I'm going to go in and say hello'. I'll double check the reservation; ask where we're staying - and then I'll go back outside and explain to the group: this is the boot room, this is where you leave your poles, this is where you leave your bags and take only essential items to the room. And then I will just explain how that particular refuge works - where you can charge your phone etc.

Having a guide who has stayed at that refuge a dozen times before [...] everything just gets a lot more streamlined.

"I think the guardians prefer it, because they're not bombarded with 10 people asking the same questions, when between 4-5pm every day there's 100 people coming through the door, all with bags; sometimes wet kit, wet boot, wet bags. So having one person, a guide who has stayed at that refuge a dozen times before, explain exactly how it works and how it goes - everything just gets a lot more streamlined. You're being told when dinner is, you're being told 'go for a shower now because the next group is going to arrive and they are all going to want a shower'. Sometimes people like that when they're on holiday."

Luggage Transfer on the Tour du Mont Blanc

Luggage transfer is an optional, add-on service that moves your bag from refuge to refuge (or hotel to hotel), meaning you can hike the TMB with a light daypack rather than having to carry everything with you all the time. This service is priced per day. You can expect to pay around £35 ($47) per stage, with a weight limit of around 15kg. There are certain stages where luggage transport isn’t possible, so look into this before booking and ask your guide or operator if you have any specific questions. If you’re solo, you need to arrange this transfer yourself, whereas for guided trips, it’s an additional add-on option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a guide to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc?

No. The Tour du Mont Blanc is a famous, waymarked hiking route that many experienced hikers walk on their own every year. A guided tour comes with a lot of benefits though, from the booking of accommodation to the handling of navigation. Plus, you get  a ready-made group of hikers and a local expert.

Can a beginner do the TMB solo?

We’d strongly recommend that if you’re a hiker with no experience of multi-day trekking, you choose to hike the TMB with a guide. We’d say the same for any challenging, long-distance route. The Tour du Mont Blanc may be famous, but it’s a long, multi-day route with a lot of logistical challenges, so while it is, of course, possible for a beginner to hike the TMB solo, they would need to have a strong level of fitness and be confident they can navigate on the trail.

How far in advance do you need to book TMB refuges?

The most popular refuges sell out months ahead. Often, bookings open in the autumn or winter before. Once you know your dates, book as soon as you can.

Is the Tour du Mont Blanc worth doing with a guided group?

Absolutely. For anyone looking to skip the logistical headache and hike with like-minded people, trekking with a guided group is a great option. You'll form a real sense of camaraderie with your group while you’re walking this trail, and a guide offers local expertise and knowledge as well as safety.

How much should I budget for the TMB?

It costs roughly £1,100-£2,000 GBP ($1,400-$2,600 USD) to walk the full circuit of the Tour du Mont Blanc solo, versus around £2,000-£2,600 GBP ($2,550-$3,300 USD) guided, all-in. See the cost breakdown above for our full answer to this question.

Inspired? Check out our range of treks on the Tour du Mont Blanc now!

The accommodation options along the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) range from hotels in vibrant towns to the famous mountain refuges, which look out over dramatic valleys and are alive with stories from the trail.

For many, the refuges of the Tour du Mont Blanc are central to the experience of walking this legendary hiking route, which runs 105 miles (170km) through France, Switzerland and Italy. "The mountain hut experience is one of my favourite things on the TMB," says James Leask of Much Better Adventures, who has completed the route multiple times. "Each one has their own character, and they vary in size. They're not fancy but give you a warm place to shelter, get clean and well fed before hiking again the next day - simple pleasures for a simple life."

The huts are where hikers from all over the world meet, share stories, tell jokes and trade advice.

Most refuges on the Tour du Mont Blanc have shared, dormitory-style rooms, where you'll find yourself sleeping either in a bunk bed or in a single bed next to others, who are also sleeping in singles. It can be a cosy experience! The refuges are usually half-board (demi-pension in French or mezza pensione in Italian) with dinner and breakfast provided, and while it's not the height of luxury, you get great views and a mountain community experience to compensate.

James explains: "Another great part of the refuges is the people on the trail. The huts are where hikers from all over the world meet, share stories, tell jokes and trade advice. You become part of a temporary community. It's a shared experience - and hut culture is all about people enjoying being in the mountains."

Those looking to walk the route with a bit more luxury along the way can opt to stay in hotels instead of refuges - though do note that this often means taking a short taxi transfer at the start or end of most days to get back to the trailhead.

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If you're joining a guided group, your host will sort out your accommodation for you - but if you're walking the route self-guided, you will need to book your accommodation (and particularly the refuges) months in advance, as spots sell out quickly - and as early as the autumn or winter before the trekking season begins. A smaller number of people choose to camp.

In this feature, we're going to look at what it's like to stay at a refuge on the Tour du Mont Blanc, how to book them before they sell out and how hut-to-hut hiking compares with a hotel-based experience. For the full route and a wider planning picture, see our complete guide to the Tour du Mont Blanc.

Where you sleep on the Tour du Mont Blanc: Refuges vs. Hotels

The traditional way of walking the Tour du Mont Blanc is to stay in the high mountain refuges along the way, meaning you never have to leave the route. You can also choose to stay in hotels on the TMB, or opt for a mix of the two, primarily staying in refuges, but treating yourself to the odd hotel at choice moments (and the warm shower, and cosy privacy of a private room that comes with that).

Of course, there is no "correct" way to walk the TMB. It's really all about personal preference. Are you keen to meet the trail community, get the big sunset views and truly disconnect? Or would you prefer the rest and recovery of a hotel?

Stay at the refuges, and you'll hike the classic way. You'll share dormitories and stay on a half-board basis which includes your bed, dinner and breakfast. These refuges are typically sociable places. People play cards, sip on wine or beer and talk about their day on the trail. The downside is that the night might not be so comfortable, and you'll be in a busy room - which can mean light and noise. You can try and offset this a little by packing an eyemask and earplugs for your trek.

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If you opt to stay at hotels along the way - as per our Hotels Edition of the TMB - then you can stay in a hotel every night of your walk. This way you'll have a private room where possible, a proper bathroom and shower and - let's face it - considerably more comfort. This is more expensive for obvious reasons, but for some, it can be the difference between completing the route or not.

Again, if you're on a guided trek, the logistics of all this will be sorted for you, but if you're going self-guided or solo, careful planning and logistics are required. The hotels in particular will require taxi trips or transfers in places to get to and from the trailhead. This can be tricky to organise. A lot of walkers who complete a full circuit of the TMB will mix refuges, guesthouses and hotels - enjoying the big views from the refuges, then a more comfortable stay in the bigger towns, like Courmayeur in Italy. Some even take a rest day here before continuing.

What are Tour du Mont Blanc refuges like?

The mountain refuges are the spiritual heart and community centre of the Tour du Mont Blanc - even if they can sometimes be a bit rough around the edges.

James Leask of Much Better Adventures explains: "The huts are comparatively luxurious if you're more used to camping on backpacking trips. Yes, at times it can be a bit uncomfortable, crowded dining rooms, snoring in the dorms or the odd cold shower, but remember where you are and all of that is worth it. The main thing is you're in a place of great beauty, surrounded by spectacular mountains, and stopping at the huts allows the time to take it all in slowly."

Some of the refuges are really remote and accessible only on foot, while others are easier to reach. Looking at them from the outside, the refuges are usually quite large, blocky buildings - but their surroundings tend to be spectacular, with spiky mountains in the backdrop and big valley views in at least one direction.

Of course, the fact that you're sleeping at altitude, up in the mountains, presents some unique opportunities for hikers, too. James adds: "I'd recommend everyone gets up early at some point on the trail to quietly watch a sunrise or pause to watch a sunset as the mountains turn from orange to pink to purple."

It's six euros for a Birra Moretti with a view of Mont Blanc at sunset. It's hard to beat that...

We also got in touch with our host out in Chamonix, Joel Evans, to talk you through what it's like to arrive at a mountain refuge on a guided adventure.

Joel guided on the TMB for six years. He explains: "If you arrive with a group, your guide will ask you to take your boots off and get your flip-flops on, then I would go in and say hello to the guardian, check the reservation, ask where we're staying and then go back outside and explain it to the group - here's the boot room, this is where to leave your poles, this is where to leave your bags, and explain that you should only take essential items to the room."

He would then explain any other basics - like where to charge your phone or buy some food and drink. "It means the guardians aren't bombarded with the same question from 10 people, so it's easier and less stressful for them," Joel says. "Between 4-5pm, there can be 100 people coming through the door, all with bags; sometimes with wet kit, wet boots and bags. So having one person, a guide who has stayed at the refuge a dozen times before, explain how it all works just makes it a lot more streamlined, and it takes a little bit of stress out of the day."

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Joel's top tip? "I'll often tell people to go for a shower before the next group gets in. Some people get into a routine of arriving, chilling for a bit and then having a shower later, but the longer you leave it and the closer you get to dinner time, then everyone is trying to have a shower." Sometimes it's nice to have a guide - if only to take do your thinking for you and fix the little logistics along the way.

In the evenings, people will relax outside, chat about the trail and what other hikes they've done, play cards and enjoy a beer if they're so inclined.

When dinner comes around, expect it to be communal and hearty (soups and salads, a big main like tartiflette, stew or pasta, and a small dessert like flan or fruit tart) served at long tables. If you have dietary requirements, these should be flagged when booking. Breakfast tends to be cold - a simple baguette with butter and jam, cereal, a hot drink option and sometimes cheeses or yoghurts.

The rooms vary, but they are typically mixed-sex dormitories with bunk-style mattresses. Duvets or blankets are usually provided, but sheets are not and a sleeping-bag liner is essential to bring along to stay hygienic. The lights tend to be turned out early, since everyone staying in the refuge will be a tired hiker with an early start the next day. As you can imagine, you’ll want to bring an eyemask and some earplugs with you, because snoring and general noise can be a problem.

We’d also recommend a small towel and some cash for the tuck shops. For a full packing list, see our guide to what to pack for the refuges and the TMB trek.

There are basic toilets and sinks in the refuges. Hot showers are often included in the price if you're staying overnight, and while there are plug sockets for charging items, there aren't loads. Don’t expect reliable wi-fi at high-altitude refuges.

What is the Best Mountain Refuge on the Tour du Mont Blanc?

Now there's a big question. Some say it's Rifugio Elisabetta - which looks out on glaciers from the head of Val Veny. Others say it's Refuge du Lac Blanc, with stunning views of Mont Blanc, which you may stay in on your final night on the TMB, before descending and returning to Chamonix. The most common answer, though? Well, we'll let our expert in Chamonix, Joel Evans, explain.

"It's always Rifugio Walter Bonatti," he says. "It is the most sought after. We're in all of the TMB Facebook groups and there is always people messaging like 'oh, when are they opening bookings? Did you get your spot?' We have a really good relationship with the guardians here, thankfully. It is the best place - the views are amazing, it's not road accessible, so it does feel a bit more like one of the more remote huts on the TMB and it's in Italy - so it's six euros for a Birra Moretti with a view of Mont Blanc at sunset. It's hard to beat that in terms of the TMB."

How to Book Tour du Mont Blanc refuges

The refuges on the Tour du Mont Blanc sell out months in advance, so if you’re going self-guided and will be booking them yourself, you need to be organised.

The most popular refuges sell out as far in advance as the autumn or the winter before the summer trekking season. Booking each refuge individually means contacting them by e-mail, using their website, or using a TMB booking platform.

• Read: How Hard is the Tour du Mont Blanc, Really?

Putting the accommodation together for a full circuit - with the right places booked on the right days - is the biggest logistical challenge of planning a solo trek on the TMB circuit. It'll only get harder the longer you leave it, too. If you like the logistical admin, that's not an issue. Some people enjoy browsing refuges, picking their favourites and racing to get them booked when they go on sale. If you'd rather it was done for you, perhaps a guided trek is a better option.

Some refuges offer private rooms (though these aren't available on any of the hut-to-hut tours we run on the circuit), but as you can guess, these are particularly popular, and need to be booked far in advance. You might have to get a bit lucky, too. If a private room takes four people, you’ll need a group of four to book it.

Wild Camping on the Tour du Mont Blanc

The Tour du Mont Blanc crosses France, Italy and Switzerland, and the rules for camping differ in each. There are some designated zones for bivouacking (pitching late, camping high and moving on at dawn) on the TMB. As the TMB official website states: “Bivouacking is regulated depending on the areas traversed. It is sometimes permitted near mountain huts and during limited hours. It is prohibited in nature reserves except in designated areas. It is prohibited on private property, which is plentiful along the route.”

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To avoid any problematic technicalities, most people who want to camp on the route stick to official campsites, which are sometimes right next to the refuges - meaning you can still take advantage of the hot food and tuck shops inside.

Rules shift around on this regularly - at the time of writing, the mayor of Saint-Gervais is trying to implement tighter restrictions on wild camping - so check live regulations before you go. If you do camp, remember to bring all the water and supplies you'll need, and of course - be responsible, leaving no trace.

Tour du Mont Blanc Refuges: a List by Stage

There are a variety of accommodation options at every stage of the Tour du Mont Blanc. The below is just one example of one itinerary - if you were to walk the full route over 11 days. Availability can be an issue (as can seasonality, with different huts shutting at different times), so treat this table as a planning reference (or starting point) rather than a booking list. Always confirm any questions you have directly with any refuge, and make sure your bookings match up to your route.

For how each refuge fits into the circuit, see our full route, map and itinerary.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the refuges like on the Tour du Mont Blanc? They’re often remote, with beautiful views and simple, shared dorms. They tend to operate on a half-board basis. Think basic, sociable places - right on the edge of the trail.

How far in advance do you need to book TMB refuges? You need to book months ahead. This can mean booking as early as the autumn or winter before the summer trekking season.

Can you camp or wild camp on the TMB? Rules vary for wild camping, but yes, you can camp at official campsites along the TMB. There are sometimes campsites next to refuges, while there are others on the valley floor.

Is the TMB hut-to-hut or hotel-based? Both are possible, but whereas the hut-to-hut option allows you to stay on the route, the hotels edition requires further planning and logistics, and will mean either extra walking, transit, or skipping particularly remote parts of the circuit.

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The Tour du Mont Blanc is one of Europe's finest hikes - an alpine highlight reel circling 105 miles (170km) around the Mont Blanc massif, and passing through France, Switzerland and Italy on the way. Given that the walk is so long, it requires consecutive days of hiking to complete - but while this is a demanding route, it's also an achievable one for hikers with a good level of fitness. There isn't much technical difficulty, and while there are steep and exposed sections, there's no ropework involved. Serious altitude sickness is also not a concern on the TMB, with the high point of the TMB being the Grand Col Ferret at 2,537m (8,323ft), or the Fenêtre d'Arpette at 2,665m (8,743ft), depending on your route.

There is nothing that can prepare you for it other than doing a 10-day hut-to-hut trek in the Alps.

All of that said, you will be walking for anywhere from five to 10 hours each day on the Tour du Mont Blanc, and doing so back-to-back for over a week, while wearing a heavy backpack. If you're not used to doing that, or you haven't done it before, that will be a real challenge. This is where the difficulty of the TMB lies. It isn’t so much in the terrain, but in the cumulative days spent hiking for long days - and the mental fatigue that you'll rack up while doing that.

Joel Evans is one of our partners in Chamonix, organising our group hikes on the TMB. He also guided on the route himself for six years. "We want to categorise it hard enough to be realistic, but also, we don't want to scare people away," he says. "For some people, it would be a breeze - then they'll really enjoy it. They'll find the hiking easy, and they can enjoy the views, enjoy the food and chat to people. But for other people, it might be on the upper end of their ability - very difficult - but then they'll get that sense of achievement when they finish. The 10-day walk is tough."

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For another perspective, we asked James Leask of Much Better Adventures, who has completed the route multiple times. "For people not used to hiking in the Alps, the scale of mountains and the depth of the valleys is hard to imagine," he says. "It's the vertical change, not the distance, that's the real challenge. But thousands of hikers of all ages and experience levels complete the TMB every summer. For those that enjoy long hikes it's one of the ultimate routes to do."

For a more in-depth look at the hike, see our guide to the Tour du Mont Blanc.

A typical day on the Tour du Mont Blanc

An average day on the Tour du Mont Blanc will see you walking around 5- 10 hours, covering between six miles (9.5km) and 13 miles (21km) - though obviously this is highly variable, and will change as you personalise the itinerary.

Most people walk the route anti-clockwise, "mainly because you have steeper uphills and longer, gradual descends," Joel explains. "I think that's nicer for your legs and for your knees. Every day you're almost going 1,000m (3,280ft) up and 1,000m (3,280ft) down, more or less. And a steeper uphill is easier, and it gets the climb over with, then the gradual descent takes a lot less of a toll."

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That's an important note. Each day on the TMB has a lot of ascent and descent, and over the course of the tour, that is likely to impact your body. Going downhill isn't necessarily easy, either. You've still got a heavy backpack, and the trail. The summer heat can compound the difficulty of the hike too - so do stay hydrated.

Speaking more generally about a day on the TMB though, it might look a little like this: you'll wake up early in a refuge or hotel to a beautiful alpine view right out your door. If you’re on a guided trip, you’ll then spend the day out on the trail with your group and guide, walking into mountain views, climbing steeply and gradually descending. You'll have views of high peaks and alpine pastures, and when you reach your next accommodation, stories and socialising await.

Can a beginner walk the Tour du Mont Blanc?

Yes, they can (and do), but the key to success is preparation and training.

A lot of the reviews on our Tour du Mont Blanc trips describe the TMB as a first multi-day trek or first alpine hike - and many are initially reluctant to book because of this. Something that often comes up is that people are often worried they'll be holding everyone else up (which rarely turns out to be the case), but the ones who do struggle tend to be those without a base of fitness going into it.

Thousands of hikers of all ages and experience levels complete the TMB every summer.

If you have little or no experience of hiking for back-to-back days - with a heavy backpack - that doesn't rule out the TMB, but it does mean you should be trying to get some hiking experience before booking and certainly before the trek.

If you haven’t done the work to build up the strength and experience to complete such a long, demanding walk, it will be very hard work. Don’t underestimate how different the fatigue of consecutive days of hiking can feel compared to doing a single day hike and returning home to a warm shower and your own bed. Try and get out for consecutive days of hiking beforehand - it can be fun!

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Of course, if you're new to long-distance hiking, a guided trip is ideal. Your guide will set the pace for your group, you’ll meet like-minded people to chat to, and you don’t have to worry about the navigation. If you want to test the water, the weekend hut-to-hut trip on the TMB is a wonderful introduction to the route.

How fit do you need to be for the Tour du Mont Blanc (and how to train)?

To walk the Tour du Mont Blanc circuit, you should be comfortable walking for between five and 10 hours a day with a heavy backpack, up and down steep hills, for multiple days in a row. Being able to do that for just one day doesn't cut it.

As James Leask of Much Better Adventures puts it: "A hike up to a mountain pass to get into the next valley can be one to three hours of ascending, on switchback rocky trails from the valley floor through alpine forest and to above the tree line - followed immediately by a one or two hour descent down similarly steep trails. The ability to do that repeatedly, day after day, requires stamina, endurance and durability built up over many months of preparation and training. Ideally, aim to have several multi-day hikes in the build up to this trip to get ready."

The back-to-back nature of a multi-day trek is the big thing - particularly if you don’t have a rest day built in, which most people don’t.

The ability to do that repeatedly, day after day, requires stamina, endurance and durability built up over many months of preparation and training.

A short version of a Tour du Mont Blanc training programme could involve building up to doing daily long hikes with proper ascent and descent involved (not just flat miles) - while wearing your hiking boots and carrying a pack.

Before you go on the TMB, do some days of hiking in this fashion and see how it impacts your body. You’ll likely feel it in your legs, or in your shoulders from carrying the pack, and can train appropriately. In terms of gym training, descent-specific conditioning (quads and knees!) can also be very helpful.

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Joel Evans, an expert guide on the TMB, adds: "A lot of our customers are from the UK and shy of doing the West Highland Way, or doing Ben Nevis or Snowdon every day for 10 days, there's nothing that can really prepare you. But to see if you're ready - go out and do two big days on the weekend, and see if at the end, you're thinking 'okay, I could go and do a third, I could go and do a fourth'."

He continues: "It is tough. And for some people, when they know they might struggle - I think that's when luggage transfer really comes into it. Because doing 10 days with 10kg on your back versus 10 days with 4kg on your back is significantly different in terms of the toll on your body. I think it is hard."

Read our guide from an ex-Commando on how to prepare for a multi-day trek.

So what makes the Tour du Mont Blanc hard (and what doesn’t)?

Here's what makes the Tour du Mont Blanc a difficult hike:

• The back-to-back days of ascent and descent, repeated over a week or more.
• The long days of hiking, which regularly exceed five hours of walking.
• The heat of July and August, which can sap your energy.
• The steep, scree-covered descents, which are tough on the knees and require concentration.
• The heavy pack, and having to carry it for so many days in a row.
• And some people don’t sleep as well in the mountain refuges. We'd recommend packing an eyemask and earplugs to help with this.

Here's what you don't have to worry about on the Tour du Mont Blanc route:

• There is no technical climbing or ropes. It’s hiking, not mountaineering (though there can be some ladders and fixed airs on popular variants).
• Altitude sickness isn't a big concern. The high point is around 2,537m (8,323ft).
• You don’t summit Mont Blanc - you’re hiking around the Mont Blanc massif.

For a day-by-day breakdown, see our guide to the full route, map and itinerary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Tour du Mont Blanc difficult? It’s a challenging hike, yes, but it’s not a technical one. The difficulty comes from the length, and the fact that you’ll need to hike for more than six hours a day, on back-to-back days, for more than a week - carrying a big, heavy backpack as you go. There’s a lot of up and a lot of down.

Can a beginner hike the TMB? Yes, if they prepare properly. Many trekkers choose the Tour du Mont Blanc as a first multi-day hike due to the fame of the route (and, of course, the delightful alpine scenery). A guided trip, with a certified guide to set the pace, do the route-finding and support can be game-changing.

Do you need experience or special skills? No technical skills are required to hike the TMB. There’s no climbing or scrambling involved in the core walking route. What matters most here is fitness and experience of hiking long days.

How much ascent is there each day? There's typically around 800m-1,000m (2,600ft-3,300ft) per day, and roughly the same in descent. See the full route and elevation profile for the day-by-day detail.

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The Tour du Mont Blanc is perhaps the best-known walking route in Europe - a route of pure alpine wonder measuring around the 105-mile (170km) mark and circling the Mont Blanc massif. If you walk the route, you'll pass through France, Switzerland and Italy, taking in the valleys and pastures of the Alps along the way, from the high mountains to the rolling green hills. This is an iconic hike, but with so many cumulative days of back-to-back walking, it's not an easy trek - so you need to come prepared.

"There is nothing that can prepare you for it other than doing a 10-day hut-to-hut trek in the Alps," says Joel Evans, our expert host in Chamonix, who was a guide on the route for six years, and now organises group adventures on the TMB.

The main thing is you're in a place of great beauty, surrounded by spectacular mountains.

So, what do you need to pack to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc? It's much the same as any other long-distance hike. For starters, you'll need a good (worn-in) pair of walking boots, as well as hiking socks, appropriate layers and waterproof rain gear for when the clouds inevitably turn to the dark side. Walking poles are an option that many (particularly younger hikers) sneer at to begin with, but then can't live without. They really do ease the pressure on your knees - and an eyemask and earplugs are always good for the refuges. Yup, the snoring is real.

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Do remember, though - anything you pack on the TMB, you're going to have to carry for the entire duration of your circuit (unless you've paid extra for a baggage transfer service, of course). So the goal is to pack well, but pack light.

We’ve built this Tour du Mont Blanc packing list in collaboration with Joel, and a team of expert guides who lead groups on the TMB route. To see our full and extensive kit list, just head over to our guided Tour du Mont Blanc treks page, select the tour you're interested in, and then scroll down to 'What to Pack'.

The Essential Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List

Again, for our full packing list, see our Tour du Mont Blanc trip pages, but below you'll find a list of the essential bits of kit that you'll need to walk the TMB:

• Hiking boots or shoes, worn-in: The 101 of packing for a big hiking trip is a good, trusted pair of boots. You want something that you find comfortable, and can wear for days on end, but also a shoe or boot with good grip and some waterproofing. Make sure they're worn in properly to help avoid blisters.
• Layers for hiking: By which we mean, base layers, a fleece or a wool mid-layer and a down jacket of some sort to keep you warm. It can get properly cold on the TMB, with snow on the high cols - sometimes even in summer. If you have the proper layers, you can layer up and down as the weather demands it.
• Waterproofs: Sorry - it's unlikely to be sunny the whole time! Bring a good waterproof jacket with a hood and a pair of waterproof trousers. Plus a rain cover for your backpack.
• A hat and gloves: These are easy to forget in summer, but essential for cold days on the high passes and can be good for the refuges too.
• Proper hiking socks: A must-have to fend off blisters - wool or synthetic.
• A 30-50L backpack: You're going to be wearing your bag for as long as you're on the trail, so don't skimp on this. Get a bag that you find comfortable, with a waist belt and a rain cover. Of course, if you’re using luggage transfer, you can bring a smaller daypack which will be lighter and easier to carry.
• Sun protection: Again, this is easily forgotten - but think sunglasses, a cap or sunhat, SPF 50+ sunscreen. It might sound like overkill when you're sitting at home, but the altitude in the Alps increases the UV exposure beyond what you'd normally expect.
• Water bottles and snacks: We say 2L of water and electrolyte tablets.
• Cash in euros: For drinks and snacks. Refuges don’t always take card.
• Hand sanitiser gel: To stay hygienic on the trail.
• Walking poles (optional): Not everyone likes them, but they take a lot of pressure off your knees on long, steep descents. You can also hire these.

See our Tour du Mont Blanc trip for the full kit list, detailing all items to bring.

What to Pack for the Refuges (and what people forget)

We find that when people overpack or underpack, they often do so with the refuges in mind. The refuges are quite basic. "They're not fancy, but they give you a warm place to shelter, get clean and get well fed before hiking again the next day," says James Leask of Much Better Adventures. He's walked the full route and run it as part of the UTMB. Think shared bunks and hearty meals.

"Yes, at times it can be a bit uncomfortable, crowded dining rooms, snoring in the dorms or the odd cold shower, but remember where you are and all of that is worth it. The main thing is you're in a place of great beauty, surrounded by spectacular mountains, and stopping at the huts allows the time to take it all in."

Bringing a few small items along can make a big difference to your sleep.

• A sleeping bag liner: Most refuges require this. Blankets and pillows are provided, but the liner is your responsibility, and may even be checked.
• Earplugs and an eyemask: To block out the light and unfortunately the noise of a shared room. Yes, we are talking about snoring.
• A quick-dry travel towel and toiletries: As well as light, comfortable shoes or flip-flops to wear once your hiking boots are off. Some people prefer a small, proper towel, as quick-dry towels often don't do a great job.
• A swimsuit: For the showers or swim spots.
• The right plug adapters: Charging points are limited and shared, but note that Switzerland uses a different type of plug standard to the rest of Europe.
• A headlamp: For the early starts and the late night corridors.

We asked Joel Evans, our TMB expert and a former guide, for his tips on what to bring. "95% of the time you won't need a headtorch," he says. "But some of the groups really like it when there's an option for a sunrise hike - then you might need one. People don't like getting up at 4am, but when they're on the col at sunrise, they'll think it was totally worth it. So having it for those little moments is great."

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To read more about where you sleep on the TMB, check out our other article on the refuges and huts on the Tour du Mont Blanc. If you’d rather try refuge life out before doing the full circuit, our weekend hut-to-hut trip may appeal, and there is also the option to do a week-long tour on the Tour du Mont Blanc circuit.

What to Leave Behind

You have to carry every extra kilogram you pack, so the lighter your load, the easier the hike. Of course, different people prioritise different things. We’d recommend leaving behind heavy camera equipment, but for some people, photography is a key part of travel, and worth the load. Try to only pack things that you’ll use. You probably don’t need 20 pairs of socks and three books.

Joel adds: "I would say you don't have to bring a power bank unless you're really heavily using your phone for photos and videos all day, every day. There's always a chance to charge it in the refuge. People who know they're going to hammer their phones should bring one, but I think 80% of people don't need one. And that's an easy 500 grams to get out of your bag. They're bulky little items."

Of course, you can (for an extra cost) also opt for luggage transfer on the TMB, meaning your main bags will be carried ahead to each night’s refuge (where possible) and you’ll only have to hike with a day pack. For a full circuit, this costs a few hundred pounds extra - but that can be worth it if you're worried about the heavy bag.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I pack for the Tour du Mont Blanc? You want to bring the key essentials for any multi-day, long-distance hiking trip - a pair of hiking boots you can trust, layers to keep you warm (but which allow you to cool down), waterproofs, walking poles, sun protection, a good backpack, a sleeping bag liner and an eyemask and earplugs for the refuges. See the full list on our trip pages.

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Do I need walking poles for the Tour du Mont Blanc? You don't absolutely need them, no. Walking poles are optional, but they take a lot of the pressure off your knees and can be particularly useful on the steep descents. They also help you stay upright, but ultimately, it’s personal preference. These can be hired locally.

How big a backpack do I need? This depends on how smartly you pack, but a backpack of 30-50L for the full circuit - with a waistband and rain cover - is usually enough. This assumes that you are carrying all your own gear and staying in refuges or hotels (so don’t require a tent). If you have baggage transfer, you can hike with a smaller daypack.

What do I need for the refuges? A sleeping bag liner is essential for hygiene reasons when staying in TMB refuges, but a sleeping bag is not. Blankets and pillows are provided. Earplugs and an eyemask are also an often-forgotten essential - as is cash for drinks and snacks.

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The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is a 105-mile (170km) walking route around Western Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc. It is one of the most famous multi-day hikes in the world, looping through France, Italy and Switzerland, passing glimmering mountain lakes like Lac Blanc and Lacs des Chéserys and high-altitude passes like the Col de la Seigne (crossing from France into Italy), and Grand Col Ferret (crossing from Italy into Switzerland).

“The passes themselves are fairly unremarkable places, always hard earned, but the long views down Val Veny and Val Ferret are worth the effort,” says James Leask, of Much Better Adventures, who has both walked the full circuit and run it as part of the famous UTMB. “Those views encompass the entire Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif,” James continues. “Between those two points, you’ve got a few big days of hiking, and those moments of being able to see so far ahead - to where you’re going - and so far back, to where you’ve been, really puts the hike into scale. It gives you a huge sense of accomplishment."

The long views down Val Veny and Val Ferret are worth the effort.

Though itineraries vary, these are well-trodden paths. Many pick out the TMB as a first multi-day alpine hike, or build up to it - the ultimate alpine experience - over a life spent walking.

Most people walk the full circuit in between seven and 11 days. In this article, we’re going to look at one possible route. There’s an interactive map and a day-by-day walk description and elevation profile. It’s important to note that this is only one variant of the TMB route. Others (including our bookable Tour du Mont Blanc treks) may choose different stops along the way.

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The below is only a small summary. It is not designed or intended to be used for navigational purposes, and further significant research will be required before walking the actual route. For a more developed picture of what it's like to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc - including what kit you should pack, how to train for the TMB and how to book it - see our guide to trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc.

The Tour du Mont Blanc Route (and Map)

The Tour du Mont Blanc, at its core, is a hiking route which circles the Mont Blanc massif in a single, breathtaking loop. Being a circular walk, the TMB can technically be started in various towns along the way, but most people begin and end the walk in a place called Les Houches in France, which is not far from the famous alpine gateway town of Chamonix.

Below, you can see the circuit, mapped out stage-by-stage on Komoot. They’ve broken the route up into only seven stages - but below, we’ve used the more traditional 11 stage break down.

It’s good to remember that if you’re planning out your own Tour du Mont Blanc walk, self-guided, the distance that you walk each day will impact which refuges and towns you can stay at - and refuges book out far in advance, so this may impact your planning. If you’re booking a guided trek, your accommodation and itinerary will be taken care for you.

Before we break down the route, here are some of the key anchor points of the TMB, in order:

• Les Houches: the starting point of the TMB, just outside of Chamonix, France
• Les Contamines-Montjoie: a quiet alpine commune in France
• Col de la Seigne: a high mountain pass connecting Italy and France
• Courmayeur: one of the largest towns on the TMB route, in northern Italy
• Grand Col Ferret: the Italian-Swiss border and the high point of the TMB
• La Fouly: a charming Swiss village in the canton of Valais
• Champex-Lac: a lakeside resort town, also in Valais
• Trient: a hamlet below the Fenêtre d'Arpette mountain pass
• Col de Balme: the high mountain pass between Switzerland and France
• Argentière and Chamonix: the finish line, taking you back into Chamonix

The trail loops around the entire Mont Blanc massif, so you’re never far from a view of Mont Blanc - even when your scenery shifts from French pine forests to Italy’s Val Ferret or Switzerland’s greener pastures. This is a delightful hike, and perhaps the ultimate alpine walk.

The Full Day-by-Day Tour du Mont Blanc Itinerary: 11 stages

While the Komoot map above documents the Tour du Mont Blanc route in seven stages, the classic version of the route is usually broken up into 11 stages - a much more achievable feat, with less mileage walked per day.

There are a bunch of variants and low-level and high-level options when you walk the TMB, which is why route figures will vary from guide to guide, and website to website, but this will give you a rough indicator of what to expect if you’re going to be walking the route.

The distances and elevation figures used here are approximate and vary with each measurement taken. Verify them against your own personal route-planning research before you set out.

If you’re wondering about the practicalities of where to sleep each night, see our guide on which refuges and huts to use - and what to expect from the huts along the way. We also have guides to how hard the Tour du Mont Blanc is to walk, and how to train for a multi-day hiking route.

How to Compress the TMB Itinerary

Of course, not everyone has 11 spare days of annual leave available to walk a full circuit of the TMB (or they simply like putting in the miles and decide they would like to walk it faster). The map we’ve included above from Komoot is one example of how the route can be lowered from 11 days. They’ve compressed it into seven longer stages - though be aware, this does make walking the Tour du Mont Blanc significantly harder. It’ll also change the spots where you need to stay each night - since you’ll be adding miles to quite a few days, going past typical stop points.

Other ways to shorten the tour are to take cable cars at certain points, or simply to choose a guided walk which picks out the highlights of the trail and walk it in a long weekend - to sample the Tour du Mont Blanc and walk the highlights of the route. It’s ideal if you’re short on time. If you’d rather not plan the logistics yourself, see our self-guided or guided feature, which also looks at the costs. In that article, we break down the benefits and costs of both options.

How many days do you need for the Tour du Mont Blanc?

Most people trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc will take between seven and 11 days to do so. The classic circuit consists of 11 stages - as detailed above - and some people like to take a rest day to relax in Courmayeur, which would bring you up to 12. Strong hikers with less time may combine stages, or lengthen a few stages to shorten the number of days required, and some people use public transport to skip some of the less scenic sections. If you only have a weekend, you can still walk a highlights reel of the Tour du Mont Blanc rather than hiking the full loop.

At Much Better Adventures, we offer various trip options for those looking to walk the TMB:

• The full circuit: the complete loop over nine nights
• The week-long trek: a 7-day hut-to-hut version of the route
• The weekend trip: a hut-to-hut taster covering select highlight sections

Browse our guided Tour du Mont Blanc treks to see upcoming departures.

Which direction to walk the Tour du Mont Blanc and where to start?

Most people trek the Tour du Mont Blanc in an anti-clockwise direction, starting and finishing in Les Houches, near Chamonix. This is the direction described by most guidebooks covering the TMB.

We asked Joel Evans, host of our Tour du Mont Blanc trekking trips, to explain why. “You have steeper uphills and long, gradual descents,” he says. “I think that's nicer for your legs and for your knees. It is generally the way that most people go, so you're walking with the traffic too.

And a steeper uphill is easier, and it gets the climb over quicker, then the more gradual descent takes a lot less of a toll on the knees.

“There are some mountain bike guides who like to do the opposite, because it's easier to cycle up a long, gradual uphill and get a fun, steeper descent. I think [for hikers] that anti-clockwise just makes it better for the descents really, I would say. Because every day you're almost going 1000m (3,280ft) up, 1000m (3,280ft) down, more or less. And a steeper uphill is easier, and it gets the climb over quicker, then the more gradual descent takes a lot less of a toll on the knees.”

An anti-clockwise tour also allows you to ease your way into the Tour du Mont Blanc, offering gentler gradients at the start, then building up to the cols, culminating in a delightful finish.

As the Cicerone guidebook to the Tour du Mont Blanc states: “walking the conventional anti-clockwise direction has tended to be favoured as it can be argued that the more dramatic views on reaching most of the high cols are revealed when walking in this direction.”

Where to start the TMB? Les Houches, which is a small town near Chamonix. It’s the official and most common starting point, though there are a couple of alternative options:

• Chamonix: the main transport hub for the region.
• Courmayeur, Italy: a less common starting point, but it can also be done.

Tour du Mont Blanc Elevation: the Cols and High Point

You can expect to ascend and descend roughly 9,212m (30,223ft) over the course of the TMB circuit. That’s a height greater than climbing Mount Everest from sea level, though obviously in this case, all that up and down is spread out over the course of 105 miles (170km).

It’s always quiet on the Val Ferret trail, at the south face of all the Mont Blanc massif.

The high point of the TMB is the Grand Col Ferret, up at 2,537m (8,323ft) on the Italian-Swiss border. Some walkers take a variant of the route which goes up the Fenêtre d'Arpette in Switzerland on stage eight, though. This is actually slightly higher, at 2,665m (8,743ft).

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Joel Evans picks out the Grand Col Ferret as a highlight. “That’s my favourite section of the TMB,” he says. “It’s always quiet on the Val Ferret trail, at the south face of all the Mont Blanc massif. And then you get the night in Rifugio Walter Bonatti, which is the most sought after.”

Mont Blanc itself is at a much higher altitude - 4,805m (15,766ft) - but just to reiterate, this route goes around the Mont Blanc massif, not up it. Believe it or not, a lot of people make the mistake of assuming Mont Blanc is on the TMB route. In fact, climbing Mont Blanc is a feat of full-on mountaineering, requiring an entirely different skillset to walking the TMB. If you’re interested in climbing the mountain, see our guide to climbing Mont Blanc, western Europe’s high point.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Tour du Mont Blanc? The full TMB circuit measures in at 105 miles (170km), with roughly 9,212m (30,223ft) of total ascent.

How many days does the Tour du Mont Blanc take? Most people trek the Tour du Mont Blanc in seven to 11 days. Check out our TMB trip page for all the options, which range from a weekend taster of some of the best stages to a full circuit.

Which direction should you walk the TMB? Anti-clockwise, starting from Les Houches is the most common option and the generally accepted one. You get a gentler start and more dramatic views along the way, and you’ll be walking the same direction as most other people.

Where does the Tour du Mont Blanc start? Les Houches is the official starting point for the TMB, though some walkers begin from Chamonix or, less commonly, Courmayeur in Italy.

Inspired? Check out our range of treks on the Tour du Mont Blanc now!

The climb up Mount Toubkal in the High Atlas range of central Morocco is a non-technical ascent, but one that shouldn’t be underestimated. Although reaching its summit during the warmer trekking seasons doesn’t require ropes, harnesses or expert mountaineering skills, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and North Africa still comes with its fair share of challenges.

To get to the top of Toubkal, which sits 4,167 metres (13,671ft) above sea level, you’ll need to tackle a lengthy and, at times, steep walk on foot. Rewarding those who take it on with stunning views of the Marrakech Plains, the Anti-Atlas and, on a clear day, even the northern edges of the Sahara Desert, the leg-sapping trek will see you hiking at thin-aired altitude for several hours. It’s not the upper echelons of the Himalayas by any stretch, but the climb does represent a genuine test of your physical endurance. For more on what’s involved, be sure to check out our full guide to climbing Mount Toubkal.

How hard is the Mount Toubkal climb, really?

Climbing up and down Toubkal involves 16 hours of strenuous walking and around 16.7 miles (27km) of hiking in total. Factor in a gruelling 3am start on summit day to catch those epic sunrise views from the top, and the kind of scree-ridden terrain that can wreak havoc on your knees, and the answer to the question above is simple: pretty hard, actually.

Back in the spring of 2017, I was fortunate enough to experience climbing Toubkal for myself on a guided tour with Much Better Adventures. As an outdoor enthusiast, but one with little in the way of technical mountaineering skill, I was drawn to how the package offered a chance for me to summit a 4,000-metre-plus (13,123ft) mountain over the course of a single weekend. With not much more than a pair of hiking boots and a can-do attitude seemingly required, I was unable to resist the itinerary’s almost gravitational pull on me.

Guided only by the light of the headtorches in front of you, you snake your way this way and that up loose ground.

Any illusion I had that climbing Toubkal would essentially be a glorified walk in the park, though, soon dissolved when confronted with reality on the ground. Walking under the beating North African sun as we made our way out of Imlil, Toubkal’s gateway village, I quickly started to wonder if I’d bitten off more than I could chew. Two tiring days later, after overcoming almost 2,700 metres (8,858ft) of ascent (and the long journey back down), I’d completed what I set out to achieve and could finally rest my aching limbs.

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The group I climbed Toubkal with was a real mix of ages and backgrounds. Most of the climbers within our group of roughly a dozen were, like myself, ascending the highest mountain of their lives so far. We did, however, have a couple of people with us who’d been up Kilimanjaro and one who’d even made it to Everest Base Camp.

Every single member of our group reached the summit of Toubkal, apart from one of my English compatriots who had to turn back and return to the mountain refuge (3,200m) due to altitude sickness. This alarming development, which took place on summit morning and which was safely resolved with the help of our excellent guides, brought home the scale of the challenge and the frightening reality of climbing big mountains.

The altitude sickness incident took place on what was, for me at least, the hardest part of the entire climb. After leaving the comfort of the mountain refuge in the early hours of the morning, you’re confronted with a steep climb in the dark. Guided only by the light of the headtorches in front of you, you snake your way this way and that up loose ground. Things naturally get a little easier as the sun slowly makes an appearance, but it’s definitely a section of the ascent where the sense of adventure really starts to escalate.

Speaking now, with the power of hindsight (good old hindsight), there were definitely things I wish I knew before climbing Mount Toubkal. For me, everything from a lack of mental and physical preparation to poor boot and sock selection made what is already a challenging hike that little bit more tricky. The error I made, I’ve since realised, was confusing ‘non-technical’ with ‘not difficult’; ‘expertise not needed’ with ‘this will be easy’.

It’s true that a lot of people underestimate the climb, especially the people who come in the summer. They think it’s not technically difficult, but forget about endurance.

Mohamed Aztat is a partner of Much Better Adventures, and an independent Berber tour operator based in Imlil and Marrakech, with vast experience on Toubkal. Now aged 46, the professional mountain guide first went up the mountain when he was just 13 years old, and has since summited it more than 180 times. He knows more than most about what it takes to climb Toubkal.

“It’s true that a lot of people underestimate the climb, especially the people who come in the summer,” he tells me. “They think it’s not technically difficult, but forget about endurance. There’s the length of the hike and the ground. It’s rocky, especially on the second day. It’s steep slopes. It’s loose scree. It’s the altitude. These kinds of things make them tired. These are the things that surprise a lot of people.”

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Can a beginner climb Mount Toubkal?

A fit beginner can climb Toubkal. The mountain doesn’t require technical expertise and so has a reputation for being a good first high-altitude peak. Naturally, though, this statement comes with a few caveats. Firstly, you will need good general fitness. If you’ve never done any sort of hillwalking before, you’re almost certainly not ready for the highest mountain in North Africa. Someone with no prior walking background or multi-day hike experience should prepare accordingly, rather than jumping straight in.

“We’ve climbed Toubkal with many people who have never been higher than 2,000m (6,561ft) and they can do it easily,” says Mohamed, before stressing the importance of preparation. “People should do some training. They should do some previous climbing in the mountains and test themselves, not go straight from home up to 4,000m (13,123ft).”

How fit do you need to be, and how do you train?

The bottom line, when it comes to fitness and Toubkal, is that you need to be fit enough to walk between six and 10 hours on back-to-back days. Add rough ground and altitude into the mix and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a trek that is going to test you physically. Getting yourself into a position where you can handle this, if you’re not there already, is vital before you set off on such an adventure in the Atlas Mountains.

If you don’t think you’re fit enough to climb Toubkal, but can’t stop thinking about taking on the challenge, consider pulling together a training plan. Over the course of eight to 12 weeks, you’ll want to build towards hill days where you can hike for a minimum of six hours with a daypack on. Taking this even further, you should aim to get yourself to a point with your training where you’re hiking long distances on consecutive days. The descent on Toubkal, with its steep, scree-covered sections, means you should also find ways to work on your knee strength. Trust us, you’ll thank us on the downhill.

“A lot of people climb Toubkal with no problem, but they do some exercises at home before,” says Mohamed. “Go to the gym, run, go cycling. This kind of thing helps.”

Mount Toubkal altitude: do you need oxygen?

Up at the summit of Toubkal, 4,167m (13,671ft) above sea level, you’ll be breathing in roughly 40% less oxygen than you would down at the coast. Unsurprisingly, this can make breathing harder than you’re used to. It can also, as I discovered when climbing Toubkal and one of my fellow climbers suffered from it, cause mild altitude sickness.

Although this will sound frightening to many, the issue of Toubkal’s altitude should actually be treated with a healthy amount of respect rather than outright terror and flight cancellation. At around 4,000m (13,123ft), the challenges brought on by heightened altitude and thinner air are real but manageable. Yes, you’ll be taking in fewer oxygen molecules than you would at sea level. And yes, this means your lungs and heart will have to work a little harder to maintain the status quo. But there really is no need to panic.

In the world of mountaineering, supplemental oxygen tanks aren’t really used until climbers get above 7,000m (22,965ft)). At this altitude and above, the significantly reduced air pressure means the number of oxygen molecules you can breathe in drops below 40%. In the infamous “Death Zone,” a term used to describe altitude above 8,000m (26,246ft), the amount of oxygen you take in with each breath drops to a third of what it would be at sea level. It is not, as its name suggests, a region of Earth hospitable to sustaining life.

The good news for you is that even standing at the summit of Toubkal, you’ll still be about 4,000m (13,123ft) below the highest points of the Himalayas – and all the additional dangers that come with that. Altitude on Toubkal shouldn’t be underestimated, by any stretch. But there’s no need to pack oxygen tanks in your excess luggage either.

Altitude sickness and the “how many days” trade-off

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), which is the mildest form of altitude sickness and the one most likely to be experienced on Toubkal, can start occurring within six to 12 hours of climbing above 2,500m (8,202ft). Symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbance and decreased appetite.

One thing that needs to be weighed up when worrying about AMS on Toubkal is how many days you’re willing to give over to acclimatisation. The honest truth is that slower ascents, with more overnight rests along the way, mean you’re less likely to suffer altitude-related symptoms as you go. This is because your body simply has more time to adjust to the amount of oxygen it's breathing in, and can adapt accordingly.

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On the flipside, of course, is that not all of us have the luxury of enough annual leave to slow-climb mountains like Toubkal in small increments. Time constraints around things like getting back to life, work and real-world responsibilities (boring, I know), mean that sometimes potential downsides of a quicker climb just have to be rolled into the equation. And that’s to say nothing of the fact that longer climbs will also, by their very nature, be more expensive.

As a rule of thumb, just remember that two-day dashes up Toubkal are more likely to leave you under acclimatised than longer journeys to the summit. Suffering AMS symptoms as a result of climbing the mountain more quickly is not guaranteed, by any stretch, but it is worth keeping in mind.

When it comes to altitude sickness on Toubkal, expert mountain leaders like Mohamed know what to look for and are able to respond accordingly. “They [the climbers] start getting dizzy. They can’t see that much. If they start vomiting, it’s the last sign and they need to come immediately down,” he says. “But that’s very rare to happen. It’s always normal to feel a bit of headache in the last 200 metres, but the guides pay attention.”

Is Mount Toubkal harder than Kilimanjaro?

Not only is Toubkal’s summit (4,167m) well over 1,500 metres below the summit of Kilimanjaro (5,896m), it also requires far less time to climb it – somewhere between two and five days, rather than a full week. Offering less altitude risk and a smaller trip duration, Toubkal is a common stepping stone toward Kilimanjaro. Neither mountains are easy, and winter conditions can make things trickier of course, but summiting Kilimanjaro – generally speaking – represents a harder and more significant climbing challenge than Toubkal.

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Jim Eite, who guided on Kilimanjaro for four years and has summited it more than 50 times, has spoken before of what it takes to climb such a mountain. Preparation, as is the case with Toubkal, remains key. “When I was guiding, the biggest thing people struggled with was that although they did training walks, they didn’t do back-to-back training walks. They never went out to walk for six days, so a lot of people struggle with the cumulative fatigue,” he says.

Is climbing Mount Toubkal safe?

Over the years, Toubkal has been safely climbed by thousands of people. During its existence, everyone from relative beginners to expert mountaineers have made it to the top without incident. Like with any mountain, though, the climb isn’t without risk.

We’ve already touched on the altitude but it’s worth reiterating that with Toubkal, like with any mountain climb over 4,000m (13,123ft), you’ll be exerting yourself in an environment where it’s harder to breathe. Acute mountain sickness itself is rarely fatal but if symptoms are ignored and climbers continue to climb higher, they are putting themselves at risk of more serious complications like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) – a potentially fatal condition where fluid builds up in the lungs. If AMS symptoms occur, err on the side of caution and descend rather than climb higher.

Other Toubkal risks to be aware of include its loose scree. Some sections, especially on summit day, can be steep and this, combined with the scree, requires concentration on both the ascent and descent. Whatever time of year you’re climbing Toubkal in, remember to pack durable footwear with strong ankle support and good grip underfoot. Leave the ballet pumps and plimsolls at home. This isn’t the time or place for them.

Requiring crampons, ice axes, and more specialised mountaineering gear, climbing Toubkal in winter is a trickier business than it is in summer. Cold temperatures, powerful winds and snow, ice and even avalanche risks are all factors here, and an expert guide will be crucial in keeping you safe in such an environment.

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The winter weather in these parts can change quickly. Summit attempts have been known to be delayed, or cancelled altogether. Remember that your guide’s job, first and foremost, is to keep you safe. As frustrating as summit-day turnbacks can be, they’re always done with the climbing group’s best interests at heart.

In the winter, it can be very windy. It can be thick snow. The last part of the climb is on a ridge, so if it’s windy, there’s no point to carry on.

“December and January can be the most difficult times,” says Mohamed. “In the winter, it can be very windy. It can be thick snow. The last part of the climb is on a ridge, so if it’s windy, there’s no point to carry on.”

What to pack

Toubkal is considered a non-technical climb. But this doesn’t mean you can rock up in just your beach shorts, vest and flip-flops, and hope to summit without incident. Below you’ll find a list of what you’re required to bring with you if you’re climbing the mountain with Much Better Adventures. It’s all good stuff to bring, but things I found particularly useful – and which I could easily have forgotten, due to their size – were my head torch and sun protection. Remember to break in your hiking boots before your trip, too. I didn’t really do this and I paid for it with some big old blisters.

Gear you should pack:

• Sleeping bag (one is provided, but I brought my own)
• Day pack (25-35 litres)
• Rucksack or duffle bag (for the mules to carry overnight kit)
• Warm jacket
• Waterproof jacket
• Light-weight, breathable hiking shirts and trousers
• Broken-in hiking boots
• Warm hat
• Light gloves or mittens
• Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sun block)
• First aid kit
• Electrolytes/rehydration solutions (especially if travelling during the summer)
• Personal toiletries
• Sanitary supplies (hand sanitiser, toilet paper, wet wipes, and ziplock baggies to carry out)
• Head torch
• Water bottle
• Towel
• Earplugs (optional)
• Sleeping bag liner

Climb Toubkal with expert guides

If you’re thinking of booking a guided tour of Toubkal with Much Better Adventures, you’ve got four options to choose from. Everything from weekend dashes and wintertime ascents to week-long treks and sleepovers in the Sahara are on the table. With prices ranging between £400 and £700, depending on which itinerary you plump for, there’s something to suit all manner of budgets.

For those interested purely in summiting Toubkal and ticking it off their bucket list, the three-night ‘Climb Mount Toubkal in a weekend’ option is probably the best bet. Alternatively, if you’re someone looking to immerse yourself more fully in North African culture and experience things like sunrise camel treks, you might be swayed by the more all-encompassing ‘Climb Mount Toubkal in a Week'.

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The best time to climb Mount Toubkal is, of course, a little subjective. Things like what kind of climber you are and what type of experience you’re craving means there’s more than one way to answer the question. As a rule of thumb, though, the best time to climb Toubkal is spring and autumn for trekking, summer if warm weather and clear summits are what you’re after, and winter for an ice axe and crampons ascent. Before taking on the mountain yourself, be sure to check out our full guide to climbing Toubkal first.

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Mount Toubkal weather, month by month

The weather on Mount Toubkal changes significantly across the year, altering not just the air around you but the terrain itself. A climber who reaches the summit of the highest mountain in North Africa in December or January will experience something very different to the climber who gets up there in the height of summer. While those who tackle the climb in the traditional shoulder seasons will find themselves sampling something in between the two extremes. How difficult the ascent of Toubkal is will also depend on when you go - and that weather.

Keep in mind, of course, that mountains don’t always adhere to the rigid structures of a table like the one above. What you’re looking at here are approximate daytime temperatures, based on typical weather patterns. Such information can serve as a useful guide, and a way of working out what you can expect on your adventure, but weather can stop a climb at any time. If you experience conditions on your climb so bad that your summit attempt has to be called off, just remember that your guide has your safety as a priority.

Summer temperature can be a reason to stop climbing Toubkal. And in the middle of winter, thick snow and wearing crampons can make it harder for people.

Never forget that with a summit 4,167m (13,671ft) above sea level, temperatures across your climb on Toubkal can vary significantly. A warm hike under the relentless beat of the midday North African sun will be nothing like what you’ll experience walking in the evening shade or resting at the mountain refuge overnight. On summit mornings as well, climbers tend to leave the refuge before dawn when things are considerably colder. Pack accordingly.

The best time to trek Toubkal

Generally speaking, spring and autumn are the best times to go trekking on Toubkal. For those contemplating what the different seasons on Toubkal offer, and which time of year best suits what they want in an Atlas Mountains adventure, we’ve broken down how the trekking experience here varies over a 12-month period below.

• Spring: Spring is one of two seasonal sweet spots for trekking on Toubkal, alongside autumn. The season brings with it stable and mild mountain weather. Across April and May, in particular, you’re climbing at a time of year when the freezing, high-risk winter ice is a memory and the extreme heat of summer has yet to arrive.
• Summer: At the height of summer on Toubkal, you’re going to be contending with some really intense heat. Invest in high-altitude sun protection including SPF 50+ sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed sun hat before attempting the climb. Get moving early in the morning to avoid the most extreme weather, and drink plenty of water.
• Autumn: After the heat and crowds of summer, a time of year when the mountain is at its busiest, comes the relative calm of autumn. Much like climbing Toubkal in spring, this time of year offers stable weather conditions and pleasant daytime temperatures. Bear in mind, however, that September and October are more reliably dry and clear than November. The latter is no stranger to early snowfall and a generally more wintry feel.
• Winter: Climbing Toubkal in winter is a different beast entirely. The coldest season transforms North Africa’s highest peak into a proper high-altitude mountaineering experience. You’ll likely have to overcome deep snow, sub-zero temperatures and ice-covered ridges on your route to the summit. Ice axes and crampons at the ready.

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Mohamed Aztat, aged 46, has experienced everything Toubkal has to offer on the weather front. An independent Berber tour operator based in Imlil and Marrakech, and a partner of Much Better Adventures, he has summited the mountain more than 180 times since his first successful climb at the age of 13. When it comes to the wildly different conditions the Atlas range can serve up, he’s seen it all.

“In spring, like April, May, and in September, October, this can be the best of both worlds,” he tells me. “I prefer it. The weather is more stable. The temperature is not so intense. Summer temperature can be a reason to stop climbing Toubkal. And in the middle of winter, thick snow and wearing crampons can make it harder for people. The freezing cold can stop people.”

Climbing Toubkal in winter

In the cold months of winter, climbing Toubkal hits a whole new level of difficulty. Intrepid climbers looking to meet this genuine mountaineering challenge head-on should brace themselves for hip-deep snow, hazardous ice and sub-zero temperatures en route. Faced with the prospect of windchill well into the minuses up at the summit, acquiring some warm, technical winter clothing beforehand is clearly an absolute must. Winter climbers of Toubkal have, over the years, also noted the importance of taking a well-insulated sleeping bag and packing a thermos flask rather than a hydration bladder.

It can be freezing cold and it can be tough working with the crampons and the axes.

To reach the summit of Toubkal in winter, you’ll need to wear crampons and learn how to wield an ice axe at high altitude. Book onto a trip with Much Better Adventures and you’ll see that the itinerary for our winter Toubkal ascent gives over an entire day to acclimatisation and equipment training. Trying out your crampons and ice axe on some of the lower peaks around Toubkal’s mountain refuge (3,207m/10,521ft), your guide will ensure you’re well versed in the specialist gear needed to make a successful winter summit.

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Even with a day given over to crampons and ice axe training, and with the expert eyes of your mountain guide keeping a sharp and safety-first eye on weather conditions and avalanche risk, nobody should be under any illusion that climbing Toubkal in winter doesn’t represent a far more significant challenge. Your guide can provide you with crampons and ice axes, and give you pointers on how to use this specialist mountaineering equipment, but they can’t battle through the snow and ice on your behalf. You’ll need to work hard.

“It’s like climbing Mont Blanc. You need really good gear to be able to make it up Toubkal when it’s cold,” says Mohamed. “It can be freezing cold and it can be tough working with the crampons and the axes.”

When to avoid climbing Toubkal

There’s no right or wrong time to climb Toubkal. That being said, there’s no point sugarcoating how brutal the peak-summer midday heat can be. If you hate the idea of exerting yourself when that burning ball of fire in the sky is at its most merciless, give climbing Toubkal between June and August an almighty swerve. At the other end of things, there’s equally nothing to be gained from pretending that climbing Toubkal at the coldest time of year will appeal to those with zero appetite for winter mountaineering.

This isn’t to say that climbing Toubkal in winter, or summer for that matter, isn’t without its charms. Summer climbs will be hotter, for sure, but they’ll also be far more likely to serve up clear blue skies when you’re up at the summit. And on the flipside, winter climbs may be tougher but that increased level of challenge arguably offers a greater sense of reward for those who make the ascent. The fact the mountain will be far less busy, too, means you won’t have to share Toubkal with crowds of tourists either.

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When planning your Toubkal trip, it’s worth remembering that Morocco is a Muslim country. During Ramadan celebrations, which move forward by roughly 10 to 12 days every year, Muslims are required to abstain from all food and drink between dawn and sunset. Guided tours of Toubkal will still take place during this time, but it’s important to note that treks may move at a deliberately slower pace so the teams looking after you can better manage their energy levels. Tourists and non-Muslims are not expected to fast, and you should eat and drink as normal. Cultural respect, though, is paramount.

It’s like climbing Mont Blanc. You need really good gear to be able to make it up Toubkal when it’s cold. It can be freezing cold and it can be tough working with the crampons and the axes.

For more information on how hard the climb really is, and which time of year would best suit both your preferences and expertise, read out our further guides.

FAQs

What is the weather like on Mount Toubkal?

Asking what the weather is like on Toubkal is the equivalent of asking someone how long a piece of string is. It’s a question with an almost infinite array of answers. Depending on what time of year it is, and even where on the mountain you’re discussing, the conditions can vary greatly.

Down in the Imlil Valley, which is where Toubkal climbs usually begin, you’re looking at summer daytime temperatures anywhere between 20°C (68°F) and 30°C (86°F). As you make your ascent up to the mountain refuge, temperatures tend to drop by about 10°C (50°F). Up at the summit, you can expect a further temperature drop of between 5°C (41°F) and 10°C (50°F), depending on what time of day you’re making your final push. Across summer, you can expect clear skies, dry forecasts and the most stable of weather conditions.

From valley to summit, Toubkal gets considerably more arctic in winter. Climbers on the summit, for example, might have to contend with summit temperatures dropping to as low as −10°C (14°F). And with strong and icy winds coming into play, the windchill has been known to make this feel even more sub-zero. In addition to being battered by bitterly cold winds, winter climbers should also be prepared for heavy snowfall and dramatic weather shifts. Clear skies suddenly turning into severe blizzards is par for the course.

Can you climb Mount Toubkal in winter?

Yes, you can climb Toubkal in winter but only with crampons, an ice axe and the expert knowledge of a guide helping you. If you want an easier climb up the highest mountain in North Africa, choose a different season to travel. If, however, you love the idea of some cold-weather mountaineering in Morocco, consider booking yourself a spot on one of our winter Toubkal climbs.

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Is there snow on Mount Toubkal in summer?

No, there isn’t much in the way of summertime snow on Toubkal. The standard hiking routes will often be completely free of snow and ice, meaning you won’t need technical winter gear like crampons and ice axes to make a successful summit. You may spot leftover winter snow in some shaded and isolated patches high up but it’s unlikely to affect your ascent in any meaningful way. Near the summit, temperatures – even in summer – are noticeably cooler than they are in Imlil and Marrakech so pack accordingly.

When is the best time to climb Mount Toubkal?

The best time to climb Toubkal is in the shoulder seasons. Spring and autumn is when the weather conditions here are at their most stable, mild and predictable. In April and May, you’ll have the chance to gaze upon blooming wildflowers in the beautiful lower valleys. While in September and October, thought by many to be the best period to climb, the tourist crowds have vanished, leaving behind dry and well-trodden trails.

Climb Toubkal in the right season with us

Whatever kind of Toubkal climbing experience you’re after, you can find it with Much Better Adventures. Whether you want to climb Mount Toubkal in a weekend or extend your stay with a sleep in the Sahara, we’ve got trips to suit all preferences. Our Mount Toubkal trips run throughout the year, meaning you’re free to follow your heart’s desire across the seasons – and changing conditions.

Fancy a week trekking in the Atlas Range? Have a look at our five-night Toubkal climb, with its acclimatisation in the foothills and generally more circular route. Think you’ve got what it takes to climb the mountain at its coldest and most unforgiving? Bag yourself a spot on one of our winter climbing trips up Toubkal.

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Imlil is a High Atlas village situated 1,740m (5,708ft) above sea level. Located roughly 40 miles (64.3km) from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, with its historic souks and reddish-pink walls, the Moroccan mountain village is where you’ll find the trailhead for climbing Toubkal – the highest peak in North Africa. For those heading up to the summit, which sits at a height of 4,167m (13,671ft), this small Berber settlement is where the paved roads end and the trekking begins. Known as the ‘Moroccan Chamonix’, it’s a key staging post for anyone looking to climb mountains in these parts.

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For more on reaching the Atlas Range’s uppermost point, be sure to check out our full guide to climbing Toubkal. It’s got everything you need to know, and a little extra thrown in for good measure. For more on Imlil, stick around.

Where is Imlil, and how do you get there from Marrakech?

Although the distance between Marrakech and Imlil is only about 40 miles (64km), the southbound journey by road can take anywhere between 90 minutes to two hours. To get to Imlil, you’ve essentially got three options: a shared grand taxi, a private transfer or a pickup and dropoff arranged as part of a tour.

Shared taxis are a great option for anyone who’s travelling solo and looking to save themselves some money. Typically only departing once they’re full, they offer a more economical fare for anyone trying to get from Marrakech to Imlil. With costs split among passengers, this budget-friendly choice usually costs somewhere between 50 and 70 Moroccan dirhams (£4 to £6) each. Not only is this a real bargain, it’s also a nice way to meet like-minded adventurers. The waiting around, however, might test your patience. Keen? Head to the ranks at Sidi Mimoun/Jemma el-Fna or Bab er-Rob/Tahanaout gate.

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For something a little more luxurious, booking yourself a private transfer could be the way to go. Ideal if you want to take full control of your destiny, this option brings greater comfort and flexibility to your itinerary. But of course, these upsides do come at a price. Average private taxi fares from Marrakech to Imlil hover between the 600 and 950 dirhams (approximately £45 to £75) mark. Haggling is common practice in Morocco, so don’t be afraid of trying a spot of friendly negotiation. Just smile and keep it respectful.

With Much Better Adventures, you don’t need to worry about donning your logistics hat. Headache-inducing stuff like airport meets and transfers to Imlil are taken care of. For some travellers, having everything taken care of by a tour operator can dampen the thrill of adventure and dilute the overall experience somewhat. For others, it can feel like the ultimate faff-free solution – one which results in less time worrying and more time enjoying. There’s no right or wrong way of doing it, so follow your heart (and budget).

Is Imlil worth visiting?

Imlil and the wider mountain valley (often dubbed the Imlil Valley) is more than just a stepping stone to greater heights and a gateway to Toubkal, it’s a gem in its own right. Climbers laser focused on getting up and down Morocco’s highest mountain as quickly as possible, of course, won’t have time to stop and appreciate what the place has to offer. Put the brakes on a little, though, and you’ll have the chance to soak up a destination that rewards a slower pace of adventure.

Mohamed Aztat is a partner of Much Better Adventures in Morocco, and an independent Berber travel expert based in Imlil and Marrakech. Originally from Imlil, the 46-year-old professional mountain guide has summited Toubkal more than 180 times. He knows Imlil and its surrounding area like the back of his hand, and is only too willing to be its cheerleader.

Tourists call it ‘Little Chamonix’. The villages of Imlil are based on tourism and agriculture.

"Tourists call it ‘Little Chamonix’,” he says. “It’s a nice village. It’s a place where you can hire equipment and do the last preparation before you climb Toubkal. You can’t go to Toubkal without passing through Imlil.

• Read: What I Wish I Knew Before Climbing Mount Toubkal

“The villages of Imlil are based on tourism and agriculture. There are a lot of corn fields, fruit trees, like apricots, apples, cherry trees and walnut trees. It’s very rich in terms of agriculture and animals. Goats, sheep, this kind of thing.”

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In addition to gazing upon breathtaking mountains, exploring Berber settlements and immersing yourself in a rural way of life, a visit to Imlil also provides you with the chance to relax at Kasbah du Toubkal. Sat on a rocky outcrop overlooking Imlil, its enchanting mix of thick sandstone walls and square turrets catches the eye and captures the heart. Boasting lush gardens, a majestic infinity pool and some spectacular rooftop views, this renovated boutique hotel – once the summer home of a local chief – is the ideal spot to unwind after a long day on the trails. Furthermore, its legacy of responsible tourism and positive impact on the local community means it really does tick all the boxes.

What to do in Imlil during the day?

Of course, for many, the main draw of Imlil is the various walks and viewpoints on offer. And while you’ll certainly need more than a day to climb to the summit of Toubkal and back down, there are some easier hiking options nearby if you’re after a quicker fix.

One of these options is the day trek to Sidi Chamharouch, a sacred sanctuary known as the “King of Jinns.” Bringing together cascading waterfalls, traditional Berber villages, and a giant white boulder that endures as a revered marabout (holy man) shrine, this five-hour hike will see you following in the footsteps of ancient pilgrimage routes. Considered a moderate challenge, this one is a great introduction to the stunning Aït Mizane valley (also known as Imlil Valley).

During the early part of your hike to Sidi Chamharouch, roughly 45 minutes into your walk, you’ll reach the striking Berber village of Aroumd and its working community of farmers and mountain guides. Home to labyrinthine lanes, terraced orchards, and an epic view of the Toubkal summit pyramid on the village’s outskirts, it’s worth giving yourself some time to explore it rather than powering straight past it. Within its tiered and maze-like layout, you’ll find earthen houses, a small shop, a mosque and a wonderful cafe terrace overlooking the river that serves tea and tagine.

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Whether you’re getting the walks in to acclimatise for an attempt at the Toubkal summit or just for the pure joy of stretching of your legs, getting to know Imlil and its surrounding area on foot is the ideal way to pass the time. So too is sipping on mint tea. The drink is a big part of Moroccan culture, making it something of a must-try. In Imlil, Cafe Atlas Toubkal and Kasbah du Toubkal have got you sorted on this score.

However you decide to spend your time in and around Imlil, you’re virtually guaranteed a warm welcome from the locals. “More than 70% of the population in Imlil is involved in tourism,” says Mohamed. “They’re always welcoming groups and meeting people either in the centre of Imlil or in the villages. People get used to seeing tourists around.”

Imlil to Toubkal – the route through the valley

If you’re committed to walking all the way from Imlil to Toubkal, you might have some questions about what’s involved and what sort of things you’ll see along the way. In this section, we’ll try to paint a bit of a picture so you’ve got a clearer idea of what to expect in the early stages of the climb.

Starting at Imlil (1,740m/5,708ft), you’ll begin your trek up the scenic Aït Mizane valley by joining a wide and well-trodden trail that’s been used by locals and mules alike for centuries. The first landmark of note on your ascent is the layered village of Aroumd at around 1,900m above sea level. Leaving this eye-catching settlement behind, which from certain angles really does seem to defy gravity,  you’ll start winding your way higher and higher towards Toubkal.

More than 70% of the population in Imlil is involved in tourism. They’re always welcoming groups and meeting people either in the centre of Imlil or in the villages. People get used to seeing tourists around.

Initially, the uphill gradient will be shallow and steady rather than anything too extreme. That being said, things do become increasingly rocky and uneven the higher you get. Eventually, you’ll arrive at the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch and its large white-painted boulder – a sacred pilgrimage site for Muslims that houses the tomb of a spiritual leader revered by locals. Legend says that Sidi Chamharouch had mystical powers that could heal ailments, and bring good fortune to those who prayed here. The shrine is a pilgrimage site and off-limits to non-Muslims. Tread carefully and behave respectfully.

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After Sidi Chamharouch, hikers enter what’s thought of as the Upper Valley. During this phase of the trek, the terrain gets ever more rugged, rocky and otherworldly. Threading their way across the shadows of surrounding peaks, they’ll eventually come to the Toubkal Refuge at 3,207m (10,521ft). At this stage of the journey, climbers usually rest up overnight before attempting the final push to Toubkal’s summit early the next day.

For more information on how hard the climb really is and when the best time to climb Toubkal is, be sure to have a look at our respective guides on the subject.

Where to stay in Imlil

Mountain-loving adventurers looking for some overnight accommodation in and around Imlil are well-catered for. We’ve already touched upon the well-known Kasbah du Toubkal further up the page, but it’s worth flagging this excellent establishment again for the benefit of those who might have missed that chat.

Perched on a hilltop above Imlil, Kasbah du Toubkal is a stunning and award-winning four-star ecolodge. Blending Berber hospitality with a little taste of luxury, it’s pretty much the perfect place to rest up before and after a big climb in these parts. Boasting unforgettable panoramic views from its rooftop swimming pool, in addition to large outdoor terraces, soul-soothing gardens, and a traditional hammam (an authentic steam bath facility), the hotel houses 14 traditionally decorated en-suite rooms. It also has a self-contained, three-bedroom private house with all the amenities you could want. Room prices at the Kasbah du Toubkal start from around £170.

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Travellers on a considerably tighter budget should consider booking themselves in at Gite Tamsoulte. Sitting very much at the ‘cheap and cheerful’ end of the spectrum, this two-star hotel is regularly praised by reviewers for its warm welcome and wonderful hospitality. Throw in epic mountain views and accommodation priced at £19 a night, and you can’t go wrong with this one.

Another seriously affordable accommodation option you should have on your radar here is Atlas Prestige. Situated in the small settlement of Achain, which is about a 15-minute walk from the centre of Imlil, this three-star guest house is a respectable mix of comfort and location. The cost of a night’s stay at Atlas Prestige hovers around the £30 mark.

FAQs

How much is a taxi from Marrakech to Imlil?

The price of a taxi from Marrakech to Imlil is very much dependent on what kind of taxi you get. The most economical option is a shared taxi. This involves the driver waiting on other passengers and, as the name suggests, sharing your ride up to Imlil. It should cost you somewhere between £4 and £6 (per passenger). A private transfer on the other hand, where you have the taxi to yourself and are more in control of your destiny, will set you back somewhere between £45 and £75. Book onto a trip with Much Better Adventures, of course, and such logistics are taken care of as part of the package.

Is Imlil worth it?

If experiencing the Atlas Mountains, wandering along scenic hiking trails, and exploring traditional Berber settlements is your idea of a good time then a visit to Imlil is absolutely worth it. Located less than two hours from Marrakech, it serves up a heady mix of epic adventure and easy accessibility.

Whether you’re planning to take on the highest mountain in North Africa or just fancy some shorter walks, well away from the chaotic hustle and bustle of Morocco’s cities, this area has plenty to offer. Enjoy a week-long escape. Pop up for a quick day trip. Just try and make some time for Imlil if you can.

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How do I get to Imlil, Morocco?

For international travellers, the best way of getting to Imlil is via Marrakech. The city’s major airport makes it a super accessible destination for those coming from abroad. And because Imlil is located less than a two-hour drive from Marrakech, logistically it just makes sense to take this approach. Once you’re in Marrakech, you can get to Imlil via either a shared taxi or a private transfer – with costs varying, depending on your choice. Alternatively, you can let a tour group like, say, Much Better Adventures sort the transportation out on your behalf.

What is the most beautiful valley in Morocco?

Fans of beautiful valleys are spoilt for choice in Morocco. The most beautiful of these is perhaps Aït Bouguemez. Situated deeper into the central High Atlas, not far from the peak of Mgoun (the second highest independent mountain in Morocco), it’s known as the “Happy Valley” and is noticeably less touristy than Aït Mizane (also known as Imlil Valley). Those who put the effort in to visit this remote region, accessible via a four to five hour drive from Marrakech, are rewarded with striking natural beauty and traditional Berber culture. Picture bright green fields contrasting sharply with otherworldly red rock and you’re thinking on the right lines.

Just because Aït Bouguemez arguably offers more aesthetically than any other valley in Morocco doesn’t mean Aït Mizane or Ourika Valley, another gem in the Atlas Mountains, are ugly ducklings. Far from it, in fact. Both valleys are home to some truly spectacular views, and are both far easier to get to from Marrakech than Aït Bouguemez. Ourika Valley is about an hour and a half’s drive from Marrakech. It’s home to the beautiful Setti Fatma Waterfalls, a series of seven cascading waterfalls that will take your breath away.

Aït Mizane, meanwhile, is your gateway to the epicness of Toubkal itself. Located less than an hour’s walk from Imlil village, the Berber settlement of Aroumd, in particular, is a real highlight here. Densely packed, sprouting up in layers and – from certain angles – seeming to defy the very concept of gravity, it looks like it’s been teleported straight in from a fantasy novel. Whichever Moroccan valley you end up in, be sure to bring your camera and a memory card with plenty of storage freed up. You’re going to need it.

Climb Toubkal from Imlil with us

For some, climbing Toubkal is the be-all and end-all of a visit to Imlil. If that sounds like you, or you’re someone looking to weave in some serious Atlas adventuring into a lengthier visit to Marrakech and its surrounding area, Much Better Adventures has got you covered. Cutting the faff out of organising stuff, we provide seamless logistics that get you all the way from Marrakech Menara Airport to the top of Toubkal and back down again – with accommodation, transportation and certain meals sorted along the way.

Our Mount Toubkal trips serve up something for every kind of adventurer and their respective schedule. Short on time? Check out the classic weekend climb. Got a bit more annual leave saved up? The week-long Toubkal circuit could be the one for you. Rounding off our collection, we have a climbing Toubkal in winter itinerary and one that even features some camping and camel trekking in the Sahara. Yes, really.

Inspired? Browse our full range of adventures in Morocco now! 

With its summit 4,167m above sea level, Mount Toubkal – also known as Jebel Toubkal – is the highest mountain in Morocco, the Atlas Mountains, North Africa and the Arab World.

I know all of this because I regularly bore friends, family members, and strangers minding their own business with tales of how I once went up and down Toubkal in the course of a single weekend. Yes, it can be hard to stop thinking about the first 4,000 metre-plus mountain you’ve climbed; even harder to stop talking about it.

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Despite presenting myself, in the comfort of the pub, as an adventurer who knew exactly what he was doing in the high places of Morocco – between you and me, that wasn’t actually the case. I’d signed up to the trip as a way of ticking something off my bucket list and while I loved the experience, I didn’t completely nail it.

Here’s everything I wish I’d known before climbing Toubkal, and some top tips for a good time on the high trails of the Atlas Mountains.

Take snacks (and don’t eat them too quickly)

When your energy levels are running low on the mountain, there’s nothing quite like the rush that comes from unwrapping a cereal bar or pouring out a handful of delicious trail mix. Enjoyed at the right time, a tasty edible treat will lift your mood and energy levels. It can do wonders for you on both the ascent and descent.

Don’t, however, treat your backpack on the mountain like it’s some sort of infinite snack-making machine. Infinite snack-making machines don’t exist (I’ve checked). Stay disciplined, pace your snack-intake and avoid recreating that ‘confused John Travolta’ GIF two hours in. Speaking from experience, emptying out snack supplies prematurely can make the challenging moments on the mountain that little bit more challenging. I suppose the flip side of this is: bring loads of snacks.

Never underestimate the importance of good socks

Before my Toubkal adventure, I had naively failed to take into account just how much feet can really sweat when they’re putting in the hard yards in North Africa. With the sun beating down, the mountain paths dusty, and the sheer effort required to get yourself up to the summit and back down again (the views are worth it), you’ll be glad you took along a few good pairs of hiking socks.

Just remember to keep enjoying the incredible views, the brilliant company and the fact you’ve just summited a peak over 4,000m above sea level.

I rocked a cheap pair of thick cotton socks on day one of the climb and, by the time we’d made it to the Refuge du Toubkal (where you spend the night below the summit at 3207m), I was in a state of deep regret. Some generously gifted blister tape helped me get through the rest of the adventure but I definitely could have taken some preventative measures if I’d really stopped to think – for more than a minute – about the importance of good socks. Also, take one more pair than you think you’ll need. I nearly caused an air traffic incident on the flight home because I’d run out of socks, and had to don a stinky pair I’d been wearing on Toubkal.

If you're looking for kit recommendations? Darn Tough makes some of the best hiking socks in the game. Their products are made from Merino Wool, are anti-blister and wick away moisture naturally.

Break in your new boots

Staying in the foot area for a little longer (with apologies), I seriously recommend ‘breaking in’ new boots at home before travelling to Morocco. This is a process that helps your boots gradually mould to the shape of your feet, softening up the leather or fabric and ensuring the boots flex at appropriate times when you’re walking.

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It’s another great way to avoid blisters and it's advice I wish I’d taken on board before starting my Toubkal climb. My box-fresh look might have earned a few nods of approval from the style police, but it did nothing to enhance my comfort on the mountain. Top tips for breaking in new boots include wearing them around the house, trying them out on shorter walks, and going for a countryside stroll with a loaded pack. Avoid quick internet hacks like using a hairdryer on them, soaking them in water or freezing them.

Prepare yourself mentally and physically

Toubkal is a big mountain. If you’re going to climb up and down it over the course of a weekend you’ll need to go at a fairly decent pace. On the first day of the climb, you’re walking 6.2 miles (10km) and racking up 1,540m of elevation. On the second day, it's a full 10.5 miles (17km); 1,130m up, 2,530m down.

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Needless to say, this isn’t your standard walk in the park. It's a tough, challenge. The days can be long, and you’ll have to call on your old friend ‘stamina’ in order to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Mentally speaking, the way down can be harder as you’ll feel like you’ve already achieved what you set out to achieve (and you’re going over old ground, albeit with a view in a new direction). Just remember to keep enjoying the incredible views, the brilliant company and the fact you’ve just summited a peak over 4,000m above sea level. Remember to smile.

Keep your head torch close

Knowing exactly where your head torch is, and being able to access it easily, might sound like overly simplistic advice. But when you’re desperately scrabbling around for it in the darkness of the mountain refuge, you’ll think back on this section and kick yourself. Refuge du Toubkal might be a step up on your standard Scottish bothy in terms of amenities, but its size can also make it trickier to explore after dark.

When I climbed Toubkal, I was part of quite possibly the chattiest and friendliest tour group in all of recorded human history.

The multi-storey refuge was built in 1938 and houses four dormitories. The biggest of these sleeps 27 in a relatively tight space (if you’re a light sleeper, you’ll be wanting to take some earplugs). Just over 80 people can stay here in total, making for a fun but crowded atmosphere in the dining area when it’s at capacity.

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The refuge’s bathroom has two basic showers and three toilets, so you’re reasonably well catered for on that front - but the corridors are not, in my experience at my least, well-lit. Hence: head torch. More importantly than helping you find your way to the toilet in the night, though, your head torch will come into its own when you leave the refuge well before daybreak in order to catch epic sunrise views up on the summit. Keep things efficient. Keep your mountain path well-lit. Keep that head torch close.

Respect the altitude (you’re higher than you think)

Just because the Atlas Mountains aren’t the Himalayas, and Toubkal isn’t Everest, doesn’t mean altitude sickness isn’t a thing in these parts. The reality of just how high we were hit me on our second morning on the mountain when, a few hours after departing from the refuge, a member of our climbing party started showing signs of altitude sickness. With the help of one of our excellent mountain guides, she quickly and safely returned back to the refuge to recover. No harm done.

This incident stayed with me for the rest of the climb, though. Something as important as ‘the availability of oxygen’, and how my body would respond to there being less of it, hadn’t even crossed my mind beforehand. After all, it’s not like we were on Annapurna. Altitude sickness couldn’t happen on this mountain, surely? As it turned out, it most definitely could.

If you feel unwell on the mountain, tell someone you’re with and rest. Even if you’re close to the summit, it’s always okay to stop or turn back.

What I would say to anyone thinking about taking on Toubkal is that it’s worth gaining some awareness of altitude sickness before signing up. Knowing the signs to look out for in yourself and others is sensible. The guides you’re with, of course, have a sharp sense for this kind of thing but you’ll make their job easier if you’re on the lookout too. The main symptoms include a headache, loss of appetite, feeling or being sick, feeling tired or exhausted, dizziness and difficulty sleeping.

If you feel unwell on the mountain, tell someone you’re with and rest. Even if you’re close to the summit, it’s always okay to stop or turn back. Painkillers or anti-sickness meds, and being at a lower altitude, can help. Respect the mountain, respect how your body’s feeling, and go at your own pace.

Drinking alcohol before or during a big climb should also be avoided, and can dehydrate you. This is a proper mountain we're talking about - so be smart.

Take some cash

It’s unlikely you’ll be doing much shopping on Toubkal. There isn’t, as far as we know, a Westfield in the Atlas Mountains. There are, however, some lovely souvenir stalls on the trail; selling local handcrafted items. Contactless card payment opportunities are, unsurprisingly, rare so it makes sense to have some cash on you. If you are looking to buy something from one of these friendly vendors, we would – for obvious reasons – recommend doing so on the way down rather than the way up.

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Perhaps more important than simply being a way to purchase gifts for loved ones back home though, cash is also a nice way to show some appreciation for your local mountain guides at the end. Not only have they helped get you and your stuff up the mountain, they’ve also had to spend much of the last 36 hours answering your various questions about the area’s terrain, wildlife, food, culture and more.

When the whip-round for our support team took place at the bottom of the mountain, I realised my contribution would be paltry to say the least. Fortunately, someone in our party was able to cover my share of the tip and I was able to pay them back at the first opportunity. You can save yourself that awkwardness though by having some cash on you.

Embrace conversation

When I climbed Toubkal, I was part of quite possibly the chattiest and friendliest tour group in all of recorded human history. It made this final recommendation easy. That being said, I’d encourage anyone – even the most introverted group of adventurers – to embrace the chance to share stories and moments with total strangers. Because, let’s face it, as a backdrop for conversation goes, the Atlas Mountains take some beating.

Learn something about other people, be inspired by the trips they’ve been on, and let them learn something about you too. You’re all united by a love of adventure, and the fact you’re literally – at that very moment – in the process of climbing a 4,000 metre mountain together. Scaling a huge lump of rock is one thing but, as is the case with so much in life, it’s the connections you forge along the way that can make it extra special.

Pack earplugs, eye mask and flip-flops for the refuge

One essential that’s often forgotten about when packing for Toubkal, but that’s worth its weight in gold (and then some because, well, it’s actually very lightweight), is a pair of earplugs. At the Refuge du Toubkal, where you’ll spend the night before the final push to the summit, you’ll be sharing a room with up to 20 people. Earplugs here are the perfect way to block out the snoring, coughing and sleeping-bag rustle of your companions – ensuring you’re well rested for the big attempt. An eye mask and flip-flops are two other items you’ll be glad to have with you.

• Read: When is the Best Time of Year to Climb Mount Toubkal?

Train your knees

Because the area around Toubkal’s summit is covered in a layer of scree, the descent back to Imlil – in particular – can catch people out. Climbers here have been known to lose their footing and hit the deck. Take care when you're up there and move at a pace that you're comfortable with. Some people also like to use a walking pole while they're up there. Training your knees and doing some strength exercises in the week and months beforehand is highly recommended.

Book a later or next-day flight home

Rather than rushing around trying to catch your flight home, give yourself a bit of time after the climb to relax and/or explore some more instead. You could, for example, spend a couple of nights at the Kasbah du Toubkal, relaxing at the hilltop eco-lodge’s glorious infinity pool and generally recharging the mental and physical batteries. Or, you could head back to Marrakech and spend another day or two checking out more of what this magnificent yet undeniably chaotic North African city has to offer. If you’ve got the holiday allowance to make it happen, it really is worth sticking about for a bit longer.

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• Taking on Mt. Toubkal: A Photo Story
• The Guide to Climbing Mount Toubkal
• How a Murder Suspect Became the First Tourist to Climb Toubkal
• Atlas Mountains: Your Adventure Guide

Inspired? Climb Mount Toubkal and reach North Africa's high point!

Mount Toubkal (4167m) is the highest mountain in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, a range of jagged peaks running diagonally across Morocco. This bare, rocky mountain is surrounded by lush valleys, its foothills scattered with juniper trees and Berber villages. Reach the summit for sunrise and you'll see the surrounding peaks piercing a sea of clouds, their rocky faces tinted red by the early morning sun.

Mount Toubkal has one main summit, which is connected by a saddle (Tizi ‘n Toubkal) to Toubkal West (4040m), which can be easily climbed via a short detour. From the top you'll see the surrounding Atlas Mountains wreathed in wisps of cloud. On a clear day, you might even be able to see the undulating sands of the Sahara Desert.

There are several reasons why climbing Toubkal is popular. For a start, no mountaineering experience is required to ascend up to a high altitude. It’s also easy to reach the trailhead at Imlil - it’s a short drive from Marrakech, a city with a well-served international airport - and is cheaper to climb than many mountains in Europe. An added bonus is the immersion into Moroccan culture; you'll pass through remote Berber villages and feast on delicious meals of tagine and couscous.

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Interested? If so, this is what you need to know before you climb Mount Toubkal.

The route description in this article is a short summary, designed to inspire but not to serve any navigational purpose. Further mapping and planning (and a local guide!) will be required if you want to safely summit the mountain. It's actually a legal requirement to hire a local guide if you want to climb Mount Toubkal.

Where is Mount Toubkal?

Mount Toubkal is located in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains, around 60 kilometres south of Marrakech. In fact, you can see the peaks of the High Atlas from the city. It’s just a 90-minute drive to Imlil, the trek’s starting point.

What Time of Year Should I Climb Mount Toubkal?

Mount Toubkal can be climbed year-round. Summer (between June and August) is the busiest climbing season. Temperatures in Marrakech can reach 40°C, so people are eager to head to the mountains, where it’s much cooler. The summit can be up to 30°C cooler than sea level. However, you might get hot hiking at lower altitudes, so make sure you bring adequate sun protection.

In springtime (April and May) and Autumn (September and October), you won’t have the summer heat to contend with, and there’ll be fewer people on the trail. However, you will experience greater extremes of temperature - it might be near freezing at the summit - and more unpredictable weather.

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Climbing Mount Toubkal in winter (November to March) is a different experience to the summer and shoulder seasons. You’ll be using crampons and an ice axe to navigate the snowy slopes; it’ll be much colder and the likelihood of bad weather, such as blizzards and high winds, also increases. The people who climb Toubkal in winter are looking for a real type two fun adventure.

For more, read our full guide on when to climb Mount Toubkal.

How Hard is Climbing Mount Toubkal?

As you will know, difficulty is subjective. If you’ve never set foot on a mountain before, let alone been on a day hike, you’re naturally going to struggle to climb a 4,000m mountain - certainly more than an experienced trekker. Toubkal is a non-technical peak, which means you don’t need any mountain climbing experience. But you definitely need to be fit, and capable of walking for up to ten hours a day.

You’ll have to dig deep on summit day itself, when you’ll be hiking from your refuge at 3200m to the peak at 4167m, and then all the way back down to Imlil. It's a 10 hour slog that includes almost 1000 metres of ascent and over 2000 metres of descent. Most groups leave before dawn so they can catch the sunrise from the summit. When you add in the cold temperatures and the high altitude - which will make you breathless more easily - you can see why it’s a challenge. However, it’s definitely achievable. In fact, some people use Mount Toubkal as a way to train for climbing higher summits, such as Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m).

Climbing Mount Toubkal in winter is even tougher than in the summer. This is because above 3000 metres the mountainside is carpeted in snow and ice. The loose, slippery scree on the summit slope becomes even tougher to negotiate, and you’ll really be battling the elements.

In order to increase your chances of a successful climb during the winter months, it’s recommended that you spend an extra day acclimatising at the Toubkal refuges (where climbers stay before summit day). Use it to go on a short hike in Toubkal Valley, where your guide can show you how to use your crampons and ice axe.

For more, read our full guide on how hard it is to climb Mount Toubkal.

What is the Weather Like on Toubkal Summit?

Mount Toubkal summit is at an elevation of 4167 metres (13671 ft), meaning that the temperatures are going to be significantly cooler there than back at sea level. Even if Morocco sizzles during the summer months, on the summit the temperature tends to range from 5°C to 15°C. The wind can pick up as you find, sometimes reaching speeds up to 25 km an hour or more.

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Summit temperatures are much cooler in the winter - they can drop to as low as -10°C. And wind speeds are high, sometimes up to 40 km an hour.

For an up to date forecast, check out the Mount Toubkal summit forecast.

Climbing Toubkal : Main Trekking Route

The route up Mount Toubkal is relatively straightforward - the most common itinerary is to complete the climb within two days. On the first day, you’ll start off at the Berber town of Imlil, following a clearly demarcated trail into the rocky foothills of the Atlas Mountains. After five to six hours, you’ll arrive at base camp, which consists of two rustic mountain refuges and a campsite. Day two is a ten-hour trek to the summit, and back down to Imlil.

There are several variations to the route. From Imlil, there are two different ways to reach the refuges - the ‘main’ route via the Mizane Valley, and a more circuitous route via the Azzaden Valley (which takes an extra day). When travelling from the refuge to the summit, you can approach via the south side or the north side - the former is much more common as it’s less challenging.

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Below is a description of the main route via the Mizane Valley and ascending via the south side.

Stage One: From Imlil to Toubkal Refuge

Distance: 6.2 miles (10km)

Hiking time: 6 hours

Ascent: 1540m up/130m

You’ll head on a dusty trail out of Imlil, and along the Mizane Valley. The valley floor is carpeted with greenery, including apple, cherry and walnut trees, alongside small terraces of crops - all cultivated by the local Berbers. You’ll pass their villages too, small clusters of mud houses perched on the rocky mountain slopes. The largest of these is Aremd, where you’ll see terraced fields, gites and narrow streets gridlocked with livestock.

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From Aremd you’ll travel east across the flood plain, eventually following a mule track up into the high rocky cliffs above the valley. You’ll cross a river where you’ll catch sight of Sidi Chamarouch, a pre-Islamic shrine and pilgrimage site. A small village has grown up around it, next to a small waterfall.

After this, the trail continues to ascend. It zig zags up the lower slopes surrounding Toubkal, steadily climbing higher until it reaches the snowline. By now, the arid peaks around you will have a dusting of snow. The trail takes you up to the refuge (3206m), where you’ll break for the night.

Stage Two: Toubkal Mountain Summit Via the South Side

Distance: 10.5 miles (16 km)

Hiking time: 10 hours

Ascent: 1130m up/2530m down

This is the main route up to the summit, and is followed by the vast majority of hikers. This is because it’s easier, and requires little technical experience (don’t worry, it’ll still challenge you). When you look up towards Toubkal from the refuges, the peak itself is out of sight, and instead you’ll see a saddle between two mountains. Follow the path that zig zags steeply up it - after around 45 minutes you’ll reach the top of the saddle and get your first glimpse of Toubkal summit.

Head up the west face of Toubkal towards Tizi ‘n Toubkal (the saddle between Toubkal West and the main peak). From here, you’ll have a view of the Sahara Desert for the first time - sand all the way to the horizon. Follow the trail from the saddle over the south face along a ridge - it’ll become steeper here, and you'll have to scramble over several patches of scree. After 30 minutes or so, you’ll begin your ascent up to the pyramid-shaped summit, hopefully in time to watch the sun rise. After you’ve admired the view, it’s time for the long, steep descent back to Imlil.

Toubkal Route Variations

These are the two main route variations for stage one and stage two of the Jebel Toubkal hike.

Stage One Variation: the Azzaden Valley (19km)

You’ll begin your trek with a pretty steep climb taking you out of the Imlil Valley and up the Tizi n Mzik pass (2489m) where you’ll have dramatic views of the High Atlas Peaks and the valleys between them. After that, you’ll descend into the Azzaden Valley, where juniper trees dot the arid red slopes. You’ll pass small Berber villages and the Cascade d'Irhouliden, a waterfall flowing year round. Spend the night at Tazaghart Hut (3000m), a much quieter mountain hut than those on Toubkal.

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On the second day you’ll climb the Aguelzim Mountain pass (3560m), which will give you more stunning views over the Atlas Mountains (and also help acclimate you to the altitude). From here you’ll descend to the Toubkal refuges, and begin your summit climb early the next day. You can then return to Imlil via the Mizane Valley.

Stage Two Variation: Summit Ascent Via the North Side

Toubkal’s north side route (also known as the north col/north cwm route) is steeper and more difficult, taking you along a u-shaped valley. It’s only used by very experienced hikers, and there’s barely a soul on the trail - guided groups tend to use the southern col, although some descend by the northern route. Due to a lack of waymarking, carrying a decent map is a necessity.

You’ll head northwards along a rising traverse, until the north col becomes visible. Pick out a route across the valley towards the north col, passing the wreckage of a crashed plane. Keep left until you reach the headwall, and scramble up this steep slope to reach the ridgeline. From here, follow the rocky ridge south until you reach the summit.

How Can I Extend my Toubkal Hike?

One of the attractions of climbing Mount Toubkal is that it can be done over a long weekend - Marrakech is close enough that you can return to the city on summit day. However, not everyone wants to rush their trip. There are plenty of things to do if you want to extend your trip in Morocco.

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You can extend your hike by climbing Mount Toubkal as part of the Morocco Three Peaks challenge. But extending your trip in Morocco doesn’t have to include more hiking. You could spend some time relaxing in Marrakech (a hammam to soothe sore limbs is highly recommended) or head to the coast for some surfing. You could even take a road trip to the Sahara Desert.

Accommodation on Mount Toubkal: Refuges vs. Camping

Options for the night before the summit are limited to the two Toubkal refuges - Les Mouflons and Neltner (also known as Refuge du Toubkal) - or camping.

The Toubkal refuges are located next to one another. Les Mouflons is more modern with better facilities - including a basic restaurant. Neltner, however, is warmer (as it doesn’t have such an open plan layout) and guides are also allowed to use the kitchen for food preparation - this makes it a more popular option during the winter. Either way, you’ll be sleeping in a dormitory bunk bed and using a shared bathroom.

The other option is to camp. You can camp in the grounds of either refuge, and use their facilities. By sleeping in tents you’ll have more privacy than in the communal dorms - it’s also cheaper. However, we’d refrain from camping during the colder months, as you’ll be absolutely freezing during the night.

What to Pack for a Mount Toubkal Climb

To climb Mount Toubkal during the warmer months, you will need the following:

• A day pack (25-35 litres)
• Rucksack or duffle bag
• Warm jacket
• Waterproof jacket
• Lightweight, breathable hiking shirts and trousers
• Hiking socks
• Broken-in hiking boots or shoes
• Warm hat
• Light gloves or mittens
• Sun protection
• First aid kit
• Sandals or flip flops for the refuge
• Personal toiletries
• High energy snacks
• Sanitary supplies (toilet paper, wet wipes, and ziplock baggies to carry out)
• Head torch
• Water bottle
• Travel towel
• Sleeping bag liner

Although it might be hot in Marrakech, it’s much much cooler on the summit - you’ll need warm clothes even in the height of summer. In your day pack you’ll be carrying food, water, sun protection and any items of clothing you need on your hike. Everything else will be loaded into a soft bag (rucksack or duffel is fine) and carried by mule. It’s important that this doesn’t exceed 15 kilos - an easy limit to keep to, considering the length of the trip, and that most tour operators have a place for you to store excess luggage.

You will, however, need extra gear during winter. Alongside the summer kit list, you’ll need:

• Large lightweight backpack liner
• Small waterproof stuff sacks
• Waterproof trousers
• Goretex gaiters (or equivalent)
• Glacier glasses or ski goggles (cat 3 UV polaroid)
• Thermal pyjamas
• Winter mountaineering boot, ideally B1 or B2 crampon compatible (in place of summer hiking boots).

You’ll need to substitute the lightweight hiking clothes used during summer for warmer layers, including an insulated down jacket, insulated gloves or mittens, and long sleeved thermal base layers. For a full winter kit list, check out the kit list section of our Climb Mount Toubkal: The Winter Edition trip.

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How to Get to Mount Toubkal

To reach Toubkal you'll likely fly into Marrakech, which has a well connected international airport. From Marrakech, you'll need to reach the trailhead in the mountain village of Imlil - a distance of around 40 miles (65km).

From the airport, you could take a direct private taxi to Imlil. Or, if you are staying in Marrakech for a night or two, you can head to the taxi stand outside Bab er Robb, the south-west medina gate to arrange a private taxi (approximately 200 - 250 dirhams) or grab a place on a grand taxi - basically a shared minibus - for around 30 - 40 dirhams per person. A taxi should take around 90 minutes, but a grand taxi will be longer, as it will make stops for others along the route.

On an organised group trek, your guides will arrange transport to and from Marrakech.

The people and history of Toubkal 

The first recorded ascent of Toubkal occurred in June 1923. It was accomplished by French explorers Marquis René de Segonzac, Vincent Berger and Hubert Dolbeau. Local people almost definitely will have been up to the top of this mountain before this date though, unrecorded, and Toubkal's history is about much more than just westerners ascents. The Amazigh, also known as Berbers, have lived in these parts for over 12,000 years. Aroumd, nestled in the Aït Mizane valley at an altitude of 1,900 metres above sea level, is home to a traditional working community of farmers, muleteers and mountain guides. Be sure to explore the village’s labyrinthine lanes and immerse yourself in its historic culture. The settlement also boasts an excellent view of North Africa’s highest mountain.

FAQs

Is climbing Mount Toubkal suitable for beginners with no mountaineering experience?

You need to be physically fit to climb Mount Toubkal, and able to hike up to 10 hours a day. During summer ascents, technical mountaineering experience is not necessary - it's a great summit to build confidence. However, the winter ascent of Toubkal requires the use of crampons and an ice axe - your guide will show you how to use these but you need to be prepared to be pushed to your limits.

Are there alternative routes or extensions for those looking to make the Mount Toubkal climb more challenging or adventurous?

You can climb Mount Toubkal as part of the epic Morocco Three Peaks challenge. Tackle the dual summits of Mount Ouanoukrim, Timzguida (4089m) and Ras (4083m). These can be reached from the Mount Toubkal refuge, via the Tizi n Ouagane Pass. Another option is to trek the Toubkal Circuit, which takes you on a loop around Mount Toubkal - it’s 72 kilometres including the ascent.

What are the accommodation options for climbers on Mount Toubkal?

When climbing Toubkal there are only two options - Les Mouflons and Neltner (the Refuge du Toubkal) - or camping. On our trips we stay in the mountain refuges, as temperatures on the summit can be cold, especially during winter.

You might end up spending a night in Imlil before or after your Mount Toubkal climb. There are plenty of accommodation options in Imlil, ranging from upmarket riads to Gite d'Etape - rustic homestays with Berber hosts - and kasbahs.

What gear do you need for a winter ascent?

A winter ascent of Mount Toubkal requires crampons, ice axes, ropes, headtorches, warm layers, waterproof boots and gaiters. Guided trips often provide technical gear, but proper winter clothing is essential for safety.

What’s the summit-day schedule on guided trips up Mount Toubkal?

On summit day you’ll strike out for the summit from your refuge while it’s still dark, often between three and four in the morning. Ascend for over 1,130m (3,707ft) on steep, rocky terrain, with some loose scree. Reach the ridge and finish the climb to the top (4,167m/13,671ft) in time to watch the sunrise. You’ll return to the refuge for a rest break and an early lunch, before continuing back to Imlil; a total descent of 2,530m (8,301ft). From Imlil, you’ll be driven back to Marrakech, and will arrive in the early evening.

When is the best time to climb Toubkal?

Mount Toubkal can be climbed year round. However, the best times to climb Mount Toubkal are considered to be spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) when conditions are stable. Winter climbs are possible with proper gear and mountaineering experience (or a guide and some training!).

What are the refuge facilities like at Mount Toubkal?

There are two refuges at Mount Toubkal, Les Mouflons and Neltner (the Refuge du Toubkal). Les Mouflons is newer, and offers some private rooms. Both have restaurants serving limited menus of Moroccan food, dormitory-style accommodation and shared bathroom and shower facilities.

How much does it cost to climb Mount Toubkal? 

How much it costs to climb Toubkal depends on several factors. One of the biggest factors affecting costs is whether you try to organise everything yourself or book in with an adventure travel company like Much Better Adventures. Climbing Toubkal with a company like Much Better Adventures can, depending on time of travel and which itinerary you go for, cost anywhere from roughly £430 and £1,100 (not including flights and spending money). Unsurprisingly, this is more expensive than arranging things yourself. The DIY approach will be cheaper but also come with far logistical challenges. Either way, hiring a guide is legally required.

Read More:

• Taking on Mount Toubkal: A Photo Story
• How a Murder Suspect Became the First Tourist to Climb Toubkal
• Atlas Mountains: Your Adventure Guide
• What I Wish I Knew Before Climbing Mount Toubkal

Inspired? Check out our Toubkal treks, including the classic route, climbing Toubkal in winter, and Climb Toubkal and Sleep in the Sahara.

There are alpine starts and then there’s a 2.30am alarm buzzing in your ear in a remote refuge, somewhere deep in the mountains of Morocco. It was around -10°C (14°F) outside, but I was snug in my down sleeping bag - and sharing a bunk room with 15 other people.

I lay still for a moment, listening to the cacophony of tinny phone alarms as my fellow trekkers stirred awake. Outside, the hulking mass of the Atlas Mountains was buried in darkness. Today, our plucky group would set off for the summit of Mount Toubkal, the highest point in North Africa at 4,167m (13,671ft).

At 3.30am, I was outside, strapping crampons to my boots under a sky crowded with stars, the Milky Way a pale streak overhead.

Lacing up my hiking boots and popping ski goggles in my rucksack, I felt a long way from the sun-drenched souks of Marrakech, where not long before I’d been dodging scooters and inhaling the scents of spices, leather and street food.

A few days earlier, we’d stepped off the bus from Marrakech into the cool air of Imlil, a Berber mountain village that’s the starting point for the trek to Toubkal. Stone shops lined the streets selling hot coffee, hiking supplies and Amazigh textiles, and pack mules trundled by, carrying loads towards the mountains.

Downstairs in the refuge, our brilliant Much Better Adventure guides, Mohamed and Ibrahim, had laid out breakfast and piping-hot coffee. Trekkers attempting Toubkal are required to have a guide, and most mountaineers stay two nights in the refuge, with an acclimatisation day before the summit push.

The refuge was pretty basic – cavernous communal rooms and toilets I wouldn’t write home about – but in winter, it was a warm and welcoming place to eat and sleep, and the night before, a cosy fire had crackled away in the stove. I hadn’t expected haute cuisine at 3,200m (10,498ft), but our support crew somehow kept producing hearty, generous meals – tagine, tasty stews, flatbreads and on our painfully early morning, stacks of pancakes to fuel us up before we headed out into the cold.

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At 3.30am, I was outside, strapping crampons to my boots under a sky crowded with stars, the Milky Way a pale streak overhead. Muffled up against the cold, we set off into the darkness, the hulking mass of the mountain looming over the group. Above us, another group of hikers, even keener for a dawn summit, were a string of star-like headlamp lights, snaking up and up the steep mountainside.

Jebel Toubkal isn’t a technical peak in the mountaineering sense – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The route is a long, sustained mountain day, and winter changes the character of the climb completely. Snow and ice can (and did!) cover the entire trail, footing becomes less certain and, higher up, the wind can be brutal. The final approach involves steep snowy slopes where crampons and ice axes are essential.

The eastern sky slowly turned from black to charcoal, then to pink and gold. The peaks of the High Atlas emerged from the shadows...

At more than 3,000m (9,842ft), every step seemed strenuous. My calves were already complaining and the summit looked impossibly far away. I put one foot in front of the other and found it oddly comforting to be in a line with my fellow trekkers, in my own little world, watching the glimmer of head torches and listening to the crunch of crampons on snow.

Then the darkness started to lift. The eastern sky slowly turned from black to charcoal, then to pink and gold. All around us, the peaks of the High Atlas emerged from the shadows, their ridges catching the first light of dawn. Mohamed checked we’d all filled up on water and trail mix as we took a breath on a narrow ridge. Then, ice axes firmly in hand, we picked our way upwards over the ice-slicked rock of the ridgeline and stepped out onto a mercifully soft slope of snow – and the top of Mount Toubkal.

For centuries before mountaineers eyed its summit, Toubkal was part of the landscape and culture of the Amazigh people who lived in the High Atlas. The mountain’s Amazigh name, Adrar n’Dern, translates as “mountain of mountains”, and local people are thought to have reached its summit long before any ascent was officially recorded. Small stone cairns, known as kerkours, were traditionally built on the summit and had symbolic and religious significance. The mountain is also associated with Sidi Chamharouch, a revered local saint whose shrine sits on the route above Imlil.

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The first recorded ascent came much later, on 12 June 1923, when French mountaineers Marquis René de Segonzac, Vincent Berger and Hubert Dolbeau reached the summit. Fun fact: the year before, they’d climbed what they thought was the highest mountain in the Atlas, only to notice that an unnamed peak nearby was just that bit taller – Toubkal.

The dawn glow created an eerie trick, throwing the shadow of the big trigonometrical marker on the summit across the distant peaks. From the summit, the Atlas Mountains stretched away in every direction, a vast landscape of snowy ridges and deep valleys as far as the eye could see. The morning was so clear and still, we could glimpse the Sahara Desert. We took photos in the golden glow for a few minutes, but our group – and Mohamed and Ibrahim - hadn’t forgotten an important truth about mountain days: getting to the summit is only half the job.

After the stark whiteness of the upper mountain, it was a pleasure to watch the snow recede as we passed herds of goats, green terraces and the rose-pink geometric shapes of Amazigh villages...

The way down was – there’s no way of dressing it up – a slog. There was no longer any mystery about where we were going, and we picked our way slowly down over the ice until, finally, we were sipping hot tea and attacking plates piled with fluffy couscous, fresh salads and fruit in the warmth of the refuge.

There was more trail to go. Four hours back down to Imlil, winding back through the Toubkal Valley. After the stark whiteness of the upper mountain, it was a pleasure to watch the snow recede as we passed herds of goats, green terraces and the rose-pink geometric shapes of Amazigh villages scattered through the sun-warmed valley.

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We said goodbye to the Atlas Mountains and climbed into the bus for the drive back to Marrakech, and the delights of a riad - and hot showers and clean clothes - in the city centre. We’d woken up sardine-like in a mountain refuge, stood at 4,167m (13,671ft) at dawn and, by nightfall, we were sitting on a warm Marrakech terrace with ice-cold Casablanca beers. Below us, scooters buzzed through the streets, music drifted through the medina and the rooftops glowed in the evening light. I don’t know of many other mountain treks this epic you can fit into a weekend - returning to such an iconic city in time to toast your adventure.

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Deep in the middle of the rainforest, we catch sight of only the vaguest hints of what’s lurking behind a dense clump of leaves - a patch of black fur; a snout; a few twitching fingers. My group falls silent, barely breathing, as we strain to hear some very satisfying-sounding grunts and chomps; something is tucking heartily into lunch. Then, with a gentle signal from our tracker, Justin, who, along with his colleagues, interacts with these fascinating creatures every day, we edge sideways - and suddenly there she is. A young female gorilla, named Urahiriwe, sits calmly plucking handfuls of greenery to scoop into her mouth. Just seven years old, she’s part of the Sabyinyo family, one of several gorilla families which inhabit Volcanoes National Park in northwestern Rwanda, but who also travel freely along what is know as the Virunga Massif, a chain of volcanoes in the area where Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo meet.

He turns around, making piercing, and rather uncomfortable, eye contact - it’s a silverback: the alpha male of this group, the protector, the father.

We’ve trekked for two and a half hours to find this particular family, and can consider ourselves lucky; some groups who come to view gorillas here can be walking, and waiting, for much longer.

Before entering the park itself, we receive a thorough briefing about how to behave around them from our guide, park ranger Jovit Siborurema. First and foremost is to only talk amongst ourselves in low voices, although we are encouraged to try and communicate with the gorillas in their own language. "They make around 16 different vocalisations," he explains, "each with their own meaning. If you hear a noise that sounds like someone politely clearing their throat, that’s a happy sound." However, a cough is the opposite; they might do this if they feel we are standing in their way, or too close to their food. He finishes by advising us never to panic or run away if they approach. "They might kick out at you, but they’re just playing!" he says, somewhat alarmingly.

Urahiriwe barely glances at the eight humans who are now avidly staring at her, but for most of us, this is an absolutely jaw-dropping, bucket-list experience. Then it gets even better. In a nearby clearing, two playful juveniles somersault from bushes like exuberant toddlers, while their mother looks on with what seems like weary indulgence, and suppressed giggles ripple through our group. And then, the most awe-inspiring sighting of all. First, it’s only a glimpse: a flash of argent moving at pace through the undergrowth. But then he turns around, making piercing, and rather uncomfortable, eye contact - it’s a silverback: the alpha male of this group, the protector, the father. He weighs approximately 430lb (195kg) and stands around 5ft (152cm) high on two legs. He is utterly magnificent and utterly terrifying, and we are, essentially, invading his territory.

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Thankfully there are no signs of discomfort or threat; no warning chest-beating or loud roars. We are all transfixed by his sheer size and power, as he also shrugs off our presence to grasp great handfuls of bamboo to shove into his vast, gaping mouth, flashing dagger-sharp canines. Beside me, one of my fellow trekkers, Theodore, is becoming emotional. A thirty-something teacher from New Jersey, he’d struggled to reach this point - largely because our route to the park entrance (there are several different ones) was, to put it mildly, tricky. There were a few moments when I didn’t think I was going to make it either, having fully forgotten about the effects of altitude.

Our trek began at 2,400m (7,874ft), winding through lush farmland before climbing into the dense rainforest. We might even, cautioned Jovit, reach around 3,000m (9,842ft), depending on where these gorillas headed today in search of food. I was breathless and panting all the way to the entrance (from where things thankfully levelled off), but at several points Theodore was seriously considering giving up and turning back. However, he’s made it, and as we stand, observing the silverback, I ask him how he feels. "Incredible," he says quietly, with tears in his eyes. "I’ve wanted to do this since I was 13 years old, watching Animal Planet with my brother. I can’t believe I’m actually here."

The revenue funds habitat preservation and directly supports local communities, with 10% reinvested into schools, health centres and roads.

That sense of awe is exactly why gorilla trekking in Rwanda, known as the ‘land of a thousand hills’, has become one of the world’s most sought-after wildlife experiences. Over the past few decades, the country has become an ecological success story. Volcanoes National Park - Africa’s first national park - was established in 1925 to protect the gorillas from poachers. Despite this, by the 1980s, the country’s gorilla population had plummeted to just 230-250, from a total of around 400-500 in the 1960s, becoming one of the most critically-endangered species in the world. This crisis was only reversed thanks to the tireless efforts of conservationist Dian Fossey. Today, the latest, pre-COVID census shows a much healthier number of over 1,000 in the wild, with more babies being born every year.

Protective measures are far-reaching; fewer than 100 visitor permits are issued daily, each allowing a maximum of 60 minutes with the gorillas. At $1,500 (£1,115) per person, the cost is steep, but essential. The revenue funds habitat preservation and directly supports local communities, with 10% reinvested into schools, health centres and roads. A compensation scheme ensures farmers are reimbursed for crop damage, helping to foster harmony between local people and gorillas. The industry also sustains livelihoods, employing rangers, trackers, porters and lodge staff. Now there are plans afoot to ensure the number of gorillas keeps on growing, thanks to new government-led initiatives.

"We are hoping to extend the park by around 500 hectares," explains Jovit, "buying back farmland that was once the gorillas’ habitat." The project will return vital bamboo forest to the animals, attract more visitors, and ensure the gorillas’ survival well into the future.

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After eventually making our way back out of the park, absolutely exhilarated, we then have the chance to learn more about the sterling work Fossey did here with a visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund nearby.

I see a gorilla skeleton contrasted with a human one, and the original typewriter Fossey used to type her field notes.

Fossey first visited Rwanda in 1967, establishing a permanent research base there later that year. She would spend the next two decades in the country before her untimely death in 1985. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund was originally established in 1978 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia, but the DeGeneres Campus was opened in Rwanda in 2022, in honour of the US actress and talk show host’s childhood heroine. DeGeneres wants to continue Fossey’s legacy of protecting endangered mountain gorillas and she and her wife, Portia de Rossi, funded a beautiful 12-acre, eco-friendly site designed by the Kigali-based architecture agency, MASS.

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It provides a permanent, state-of-the-art facility to house scientific laboratories, classrooms, and meeting spaces that accelerate research on gorillas and their habitats. On a self-guided tour, I learn more about Fossey’s history - there’s a recreation of the cabin in which she used to live - and browse interactive digital experiences and virtual reality exhibits which bring gorilla anatomy, daily life, and habitat boundaries to life. A small cinema, donated by actor Leonardo DiCaprio and named after his mother, Irmelin, screens high-resolution, panoramic films about the mountain gorillas and conservation. As I stroll around, I see a gorilla skeleton contrasted with a human one, and the original typewriter Fossey used to type her field notes. It’s heartening to know Rwanda is doing more than its fair share to ensure its wildest, and most beloved, animals not only survive, but thrive - for many years to come.

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The rain lashed the shore, dragging watery curtains across the window. Every so often, the reflection of the bedroom light would bend in the glass as the gale-force winds hurled themselves at our accommodation. The fjord tossed angrily in the storm.

This was a very different image from the postcard wintry scene we had in mind when booking our five-night trip to the Lofoten archipelago, and not exactly ideal conditions for seeing Northern Lights. But then, this is Norway, where this shattered chain of islands bends into the Norwegian Sea against icy Arctic winds.

You can imagine how myths and legends grew here, as people tried to make sense of water and weather that refused to be tamed.

Our guides – Carlos and Lucio – gave us the reality check on that first night: it’s going to be a very challenging week; the wind is extremely strong; we will have to see about the overnight camp. And would we see the Lights? Well, they danced around that question.

But they did provide us with reassurance: “We know the terrain and we are constantly checking the forecast, so we might be changing our plans last minute to get the best for you guys,” Carlos said. Little did we know how much we’d appreciate that expertise.

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Where the weather rules

In Lofoten, everything bends to the elements. Coming from Scotland, I’m used to seeing four seasons in one day, but Lofoten takes that to another level, with sun and rain hurried along in the blink of an eye.

On our first morning, Carlos and Lucio collected us at 7am, the storm outside immediately blowing away any sleep from our eyes. Rain thudded on the windscreen as we followed the one main road that snakes its way through the islands.

Our guides had spotted a weather window early in the morning. As soon as Carlos pulled the handbrake, the first ray of sun cracked the sky...

Soon enough, Carlos pointed out a feature distinctive to Lofoten – in fact, we smelled it before we spotted it. As we rounded the rain-soaked headland to reveal a craggy bay, line after line of cod hung from what islanders call hjeller: large wooden racks used to dry cod and create the Lofoten island delicacy of Stockfish (or tørrfisk in Norwegian). Such is the strength of the wind here that cod doesn’t need smoke or salt, just time and air.

Thanks to the warm seas created by the Gulf Stream, Lofoten is a haven for cod fishing. For millennia, cod has supported life on these islands – both for sustenance and employment. Now, that resource is demanded across the world, from Portugal to China.

Chasing weather windows

The reason for our early start was that our guides had spotted a weather window early in the morning. Sure enough, as soon as Carlos pulled the handbrake, the first ray of sun cracked the sky. The wind was omnipresent, but such was the knowledge of Carlos and Lucio that we often managed to avoid the worst of it.

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As we hiked uphill through boggy ground towards a pass, I got to know my fellow group members more. It was my first group trip since university and, I confess, I was unsure how I’d feel about it. After all, spending multiple days with a group of strangers, doing what I’d typically prefer to do alone, is daunting.

But by the time we reached the windswept and rocky pass to overlook Fredvang beach, those anxieties were gone and conversation came easily. Backgrounds blurred. It didn’t matter who had done what before arriving here – only that we were all leaning into the same wind, watching the same clouds race across the same sky, the same eagles soaring overhead.

Waves crashed against Kvalvika Beach where our guides made a campfire and passed around sausages. Just 100m away, the sea thundered violently...

At my feet, there was further evidence of the weather’s work. Only the bravest plants grow tall in Lofoten. Mosses and lichens carpeted the ground, intricate and unfamiliar, while birch trees stood low and twisted, shaped more by survival than ambition.

Waves crashed against Kvalvika Beach where our guides made a campfire and passed around sausages and marshmallows to roast in the open air. I couldn’t help but laugh at this heartwarming scene while, just 100m away, the sea thundered violently. That night, taking off my kit, the smell of campfire and sea would reach my nose again – a reminder of how the outdoors penetrated manmade defences.

We stayed for over an hour, marvelling at how the light raced across cliffs that rose like Viking longships from the sea. After plenty of hot food and drinks, we hiked out from the beach back to the cars. Sure enough, the first drops of rain arrived as soon as we reached our ride home. The weather window was closing. This happened several times across the trip. Our guides seemed to know exactly when to be out and where. We were able to take advantage of the good weather and work around the bad.

Legends of Lofoten

When it got really bad, we still managed smaller adventures. Walking along the cliffs above a foaming sea, we watched in awe as kittiwakes and shags flew in and out of precarious-placed nests. As we drove around the islands, we’d often pass harbours with their bright red rorbuer. These iconic fisherman’s cabins are designed to be easily spotted in harsh conditions and are sheltered from the worst of the storms. You can imagine how myths and legends grew here, as people tried to make sense of water and weather that refused to be tamed.

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For one hour in the five days, the wind relented, allowing us to push out from the shore at Eggum and kayak around the sea inlet.

The frozen sea stretched south, broken only by a smattering of grassy islands leading to the shrouded mountains beyond.

Two seals mosied over to us, wondering who these crazy creatures were. After a short paddle, we found our way was blocked by a layer of thick ice floating on the sea, forming a crust like crème brûlée. Despite egging each other on to break a path through it, we were unsuccessful, and contented ourselves with racing each other and laughing at some of the group’s navigational challenges. All the while, the frozen sea stretched south, broken only by a smattering of grassy islands leading to the shrouded mountains beyond.

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As the days went by, our group went from strangers united by common interest to genuine friends. The smell of drying kit and the warmth of the fire filled the house every night as we ate home cooked food, swapped jokes and stories, and watched nature’s dominion beyond the window.

In the end, we did see the Northern Lights. Briefly. Through a gap in the cloud that closed almost as soon as it opened.

But by then, it felt beside the point. We’d experienced the real Lofoten – and while the storms never really let up, the right people only made it better.

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I love solo travel – having an adventure by yourself in a country far from home can be a transformative experience, not least because of all the interesting new people you meet along the way. The air traffic controllers who befriended me at their completely wild winter conference in a spa hotel at a Serbian ski resort will live long in the memory, as a quick example.

But despite thriving in the company of others, I can be quite a shy person, and I always dread those first awkward interactions at a guesthouse, or wherever I’m staying. Like starting a new job or heading to university for the first time, I just want to fast-forward to the part where everyone knows each other and feels relaxed enough to start riffing off each other’s jokes.

Of course, the setting helps. Dusty red ochre cliffs dotted with gnarled argan trees, that contrast so starkly with the sparkling blue sea.

On some trips that process can take a while - on others it might not happen at all - but without doubt the times I’ve bonded the quickest and most deeply with a group while travelling has been when I’ve been surfing in Morocco.

Of course, the setting helps. Dusty red ochre cliffs dotted with gnarled argan trees, that contrast so starkly with the sparkling blue sea. The beach vendors serving up tasty doughnuts and steaming, sweet mint tea from elegant silver teapots. The bright sunshine, the warm weather, and the angular coastline, which provides a wide choice of rideable waves for all levels of surfer.

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It’s blue health in Technicolor, and I’ve never met an unfriendly Moroccan surf coach. Most locals are proudly Amazigh – the indigenous people of North Africa – and glad to be making a living from teaching surfing, as opposed to fishing or farming as their ancestors were obliged to do.

But there is also something about the act of surfing that accelerates group bonding. Catching waves together – or trying and failing to catch waves, an inevitable part of the process – fosters collective joy or as surfers would call it “shared stoke”.

The Science of 'Mindsurfing'

Lesley McKenna is a passionate surfer, and three-time Winter Olympic snowboarder from Scotland, who now works as an academic specialising in the unique benefits these action sports can bring to individuals and communities.

“Learning to surf is very humbling,” she says. “When I first started, it felt like I was being rolled around in a washing machine at times, but it was also hugely rewarding. These are not emotions that often go together – it made me feel insignificant, but in a positive and freeing way as opposed to feeling threatened.”

Surfing connects you directly to the big forces of nature and reminds you of your place in the world.

Lesley terms this “positive insignificance” and she believes it’s what sets surfing apart from more traditional, mainstream sports. “Surfing connects you directly to the big forces of nature and reminds you of your place in the world as a human in the natural environment. You learn about yourself, but you also learn about those who you’re doing the sport with,” she says.

Her research suggests that’s because when you’re learning a new action sport, such as surfing, you have a sense of not only what the sport looks like when you’re doing it but also how it feels at the same time. Whoever you’re doing the sport with has the same, so when they’re watching you, they can “mindsurf” using their imagination and you can do the same when you’re watching them.

Surfers are communicating without using language, Lesley says, adding: “The expressive and interpretative ways we relate to waves – and the people we’re surfing with – provide rich and powerful shared experiences.”

As a result, the connections you get in a group are very strong and intricate, and words don’t always do a good job of describing them, that’s why surfers often communicate through pictures or films, she says.

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That bonding is why it feels so good to surf in a group and why surfing can accommodate all kinds of people. “You don’t need to be an extrovert or loud person,” she says. “You don’t even need to be super into it, you can be whatever you like because you just communicate by doing it.”

Sharing the stoke

Lesley believes the conversations which come out of these surf sessions tend to be very authentic, which chimes with a trip I had in Morocco, where I met a French surfer called Karine. We were surfing waves that were slightly out of our comfort zone – having only met for the first time that morning – and we were getting bashed around a lot. But at some point, we started to find the situation funny instead of scary and found that laughing together in the frothing waves took the edge off our fear.

We talked about life in a way I wouldn’t have expected with someone I’d just met.

Walking back from the beach to the hostel, our conversation felt easy and relaxed – we hung out for the rest of the holiday and still message each other now. Surfing can be an all-consuming sport, so we naturally talked about waves a lot that trip, but we also talked about life in a way I wouldn’t have expected with someone I’d just met.

Perhaps it was due to the lack of competition between us in the water. In Morocco, whenever Karine caught a wave, I was genuinely happy for her, almost as pleased as if I’d caught the wave myself and she seemed to feel the same about my waves.

I had a similar experience on another trip to Morocco with a group that included surfers from Manchester, Canada, and Switzerland. As we traded beautiful peeling green waves, whooping and cheering each other on, it was a joy to witness the level of the group improving as everyone’s confidence soared.

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For Lesley, that’s the epitome of shared stoke “where energy, excitement and motivation spread through a group” and she says it’s a common thing to witness in surfing, even at pro-level contests. “By creating community bonds, it transforms competitive contexts into collaborative spaces,” she says, “We’re celebrating everyone’s progression not just our own and once you crack it, that shared stoke is so rewarding and valuable and connecting.”

In the minibus on the way back to the hotel, our surf coach, who was also buzzing from the session, cranked the music up, as we cracked jokes and gazed blissfully out at the passing coastline. None of us had met before the trip and two of us were travelling solo, but I felt as happy and natural as if I were on holiday with a bunch of old friends.

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