Trek the Atlas Mountains
Explore remote Berber villages and rugged valleys surrounded by Morocco’s highest peaks
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with expert, local, English-speaking mountain guidesHomestay & Traditional riad
2 nights in a Marrakech riad, 3 nights in traditional Berber gitesMeals
4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinnersTransfers
To and from the airport and everything in betweenPorterage
Mules to carry your luggageSmall Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 14 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
…
What's it like?
Explore the remote and peaceful landscape of the Atlas Mountains with the support of an experienced guiding team
Trek along cascading streams, ascend mountainsides, visit remote Berber villages and stay in traditional gite homes
Enjoy awesome views of Mount Toubkal - the highest peak in North Africa
Key Information
Day 1
Explore the sights and sounds of Marrakech
Your host will meet you at the airport and take you to your traditional riad accommodation in Marrakech’s historic medina. You'll then get the chance to spend the day exploring the city’s colourful souks, wander the UNESCO-listed main square and indulge in some amazing Moroccan food.
Day 2
Imi Oughlad to Tiziane
Hiking
Meet your fellow adventurers and drive to the trailhead in Imi Oughlad where you’ll meet your local support team. Hike along a dirt track and into the Moroccan countryside alongside your mule train. Enjoy a picnic lunch at 2000m and after a rest in the shade, continue to the picturesque, red clay village of Tiziane (1750m) where you’ll indulge in a delicious Moroccan dinner in a local gite.
Day 3
Springs and forests
Hiking
Hike through walnut and cherry groves to the refreshing Assaka spring where you’ll relax over a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, gently descend along the forest edge to the traditional Berber village of D’knt or nearby Agouns n Assol (1870m) and enjoy a hot meal in another working Berber home.
Day 4
Berber life
Hiking
Hike to a freshwater spring, passing shepherds and goatherds tending their flocks and Berber women and children carrying firewood and herbs on their backs in the traditional way. Continue through an amazing landscape of steep, stacked agricultural terraces to the scenic village of Tamsoult (1850m) for another night in a traditional home.
Day 5
Back to Marrakech
Hiking
Start the day with a scenic hike to a nearby waterfall and then continue up and over the Tizi n Mzik pass. At 2000m, this is the highest point on the trek! Enjoy the view and then descend through a shady valley of juniper and pine to the town of Imlil. Eat lunch while you stare at majestic Mount Toubkal – the highest peak in North Africa – then say farewell to your guide and support team and head back to Marrakech in time for onward travel or some more time in this beautiful country.
Day 6
Time to go home and rest those legs
Relax over your last Moroccan breakfast, explore the town some more if you have time, then transfer to the airport to catch your flight home.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Marrakech Airport (RAK)
Arrive anytime on Day 1
Ends
Marrakech Airport (RAK)
Depart anytime on Day 6
Transfers
Private transfers between the airport and your riad are included for any time you choose to arrive on day 1 and depart on day 6, or if you have booked additional pre or post trip accommodation with your host.
If you are making your own arrangements to extend your stay in Morocco, private transfers between Marrakech airport and Marrakech city are not included but can be arranged with your host for an additional cost. Please see Optional Extras for details.
Travel options
There are regular flights to Marrakech from airports across the UK and Europe.
Please note that mobile boarding passes are not accepted at Marrakech airport. You will need to present a printed boarding pass on departure.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3 – Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Meals on this trek are fresh, healthy and distinctly Moroccan prepared by your Berber cook. For breakfast, expect bread and jam/butter, cookies, fruit, juice, coffee and milk. For lunch, expect salad, tomatoes, carrots, lentils or beans, rice or pasta, sardines or tuna, and fruit. For dinner meanwhile, expect soup, tajine, couscous, olives, nuts and fruit. Most dietary requirements can be catered for, just let your host know in advance.
Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for - please just request on your passenger info form
What is the accommodation like?
Marrakech
In Marrakech, you'll stay in a beautiful riad - traditional Moroccan houses with an interior garden or courtyard. The exact riad you stay in will be confirmed nearer the time based on availability and group size. All are chosen for their excellent reputation, location, beautiful decor and welcoming service.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge (only for the Marrakech nights), see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
The Atlas Mountains
You'll stay in local Berber homes known as a Gite d'Etape or just gite. Translating roughly as 'staging post,' these gites are home to Berber families who will be your hosts. Facilities are basic, but there's no better way to see the real Morocco.
Upgrades
Because of the style of accommodation, private upgrades are not available on this trip.
This trip has been rated as Moderate
You'll be following established trails but the elevation and long days can be tiring, so a moderate level of fitness and stamina is needed as you'll be hiking for 4-7 hours a day.
What will I need to carry?
Mules will carry your main overnight luggage during the trek and you will need to carry your daypack with your daytime essentials (extra layer, snacks, water etc.). For the welfare of the mules, please ensure your main overnight luggage is in a soft-sided bag and weighs no more than 15kg.
From April to October, daytime temperatures in the valleys are typically warm (25 - 30°C) but cool off considerably at night, and the higher you go, the cooler it gets. In the winter, daytime temperatures are still warm (10 - 20°C), but nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing. Afternoon storms are always possible in the Atlas Mountains during the summer months, but typically the winter months are wetter.
It rains a little in the valleys and snows on the peaks for a few days a month in the winter. Still, the amounts are small and generally, they don’t prevent anyone from enjoying the trek. The valleys are still warm and the snow on the high peaks makes the scenery that much more beautiful!
View detailed weather for the area here on Mountain Forecast
Spring and autumn temperatures in Marrakech average 10 - 25 °C, and it rains a small amount roughly 7 days each month. From June to September it gets quite hot in the city, averaging 15 - 35 °C, and it only rains a few days each month. In the height of summer, daytime temperatures in Marrakech have been known to approach 45°C on occasions so please ensure that you come prepared with sun protection, light and airy clothing and electrolytes/rehydration solutions if travelling at this time of year.
Atlas Mountains Trek
An overall excellent trip! Our group of 13 were made up of a mixture of couples, solo travellers and friends. The value for money is so good- 5 nights of accommodation, 3 meals a day and water provided whilst on the trek and the expertise of our great guide Mohammed and his team.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all very nice and well prepared (see pics), would cater for a variety of diets and give good fuel for the walking! The accommodation varied but was overall better than the basic expectation we had of the rural villages- all the accommodation had hot water for showers, comfortable beds and again, well catered for!
The trek itself has amazing views, the climbs can take 3-4 hours each day but the pace is steady with breaks as needed. 'Moderate' difficulty is about right- if you're comfortable with a hilly 15km UK walk then this should be manageable (altitude dependent as the highest point is 2.7km). Mohammed gave us really good information on our plans each day, on the surroundings and the locals that we passed during the trek!
Recommendations for useful extras would be: toilet roll, plenty of snacks (to eat during the trek between meals), hydration bladder.
Would thoroughly recommend the trek to solo travellers, couples and small groups!!
A magical time in the Atlas Mountains
This trip had been on my 'must do' list for a while and it didn't disappoint. Everything from MBA was so well organised - from the first airport pickup to being dropped at my next accommodation in Marrakech. There were 13 of us in the group and we all got on well which really elevated the experience and certainly helped while staying in close proximity in the mountain villages! Note here - the facilities are basic and you can expect to be without mobile service or wifi. Great for a 'digital detox' but something to be prepared for in advance. For us, none of that really mattered because the surroundings were so beautiful and peaceful. We ate delicious breakfasts and dinners together in our accommodations and enjoyed wonderful picnic lunches up in the mountains. All locally sourced ingredients served family style and cooked with experience and love. Mohamed - our lead guide - consulted us often on our preferences and was happy to get us going on the trails earlier than normal each day so we could do the toughest walking before the sun got strong. The hiking itself took in varied views, elevations and terrain. Anyone in good physical condition health and fitness wise should have no problem, but bear in mind that the hike starts at altitude. There was no shortage of spectacular views and there are a couple of nice surprises thrown in too. All in all, this tour is a great way to experience a beautiful region that would otherwise be quite difficult to navigate as a solo traveller. And Marrakech is a vibe too, so there's loads to like!
Mountain Bliss ✨
Well there aren’t many words to describe this trip. One of my favourite so far. Challenging, don’t get me wrong! 50km walk, 3000m of elevation, 2 mountain passes and steep rocky mountain terrains to cover in 4 days. Out of breath on the ascents, knee pains on descents and sweat pouring down your face constantly, nevertheless it was still all worth it. The stunning sceneries and the immense beauty of this place is mind blowing. The professionalism of Aztet Trek crew was outstanding. Our tour guides, Mohammed and Hussain, went above and beyond to make sure our group had the best time and were incredibly proud to show us around their backyard and introduce us to the beautiful Berber culture. Much Better adventure is a great community which attracts likeminded outdoor people and we had the pleasure to share this journey with wonderful ones. Tanmirt 💫
A Perfect Adventure in the Atlas Mountains
Trekking the Atlas Mountains was an unforgettable experience! From start to finish, the entire trip was well-organised and stress-free.
The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. We trekked through remote Berber villages, climbed rugged mountainsides, and enjoyed stunning views of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. The local guides were fantastic – friendly, knowledgeable, and always eager to share stories about the area and Berber culture.
Staying in traditional Berber gite homes gave the trip a truly authentic feel, and the homestays were a unique highlight. Our hosts were incredibly welcoming, and the food was delicious – traditional, hearty meals that kept us fuelled for the hikes. Marrakech’s riad accommodation was also stunning, providing a peaceful and relaxing environment at both the start and end of the trek.
With everything from transfers to meals taken care of, all I had to do was enjoy the surroundings. The logistics were seamless, and knowing that our luggage was being transported ahead of us made the trekking even more comfortable.
I can’t recommend this trip enough – if you’re looking for a mix of adventure, culture, and stunning landscapes, this trek is perfect! Huge thanks to the team for making this an unforgettable journey.
Super recommended
The trip exceeded our expectations: the landscapes are stunning, the food and facilities great (given the context), and our guide Hussein was awesome!
This was my first MBA
This was my first MBA trip and I can't wait for my next one! Our guide Hussein was amazing, he was very happy to answer any questions we had about the area and culture. The food was incredible and freshly cooked by a chef who is with you for the whole trip. The scenery was beautiful and so different to the UK. The riads we stayed in at the start and end of the trip were very comfortable. The gites in the mountains are quite basic but that's to be expected and they all had a hot shower! I tagged on a few extra days to explore Marrakech before the trip started and I would highly recommend doing this to have time to experience the city as well. I felt so looked after on the whole trip and it was a great introduction to my first multi-day hiking experience.
Well organised
Very well organised tour. We were with company called Aztat treks and it was the best.
It was very hot but plenty of breaks and they have provided plenty of water. But don't forget to bring own snacks, as there aren't much place you can get snacks once hiking trip starts.
Do not expect 5 star hotels. Some places we had only 1 shower and toilet available for 14 people. But it was all good experience and was much fun with others in the group.
Bring own toilet papers. And bring own water bottles! You definitely will need 2* 1liter bottles to hydrate yourself.
It was very dusty as we went on dry season. Buff was good job to cover nose and mouth. And don't bring good clothes. Comfortable and good shoes will be needed.
Whatever they say to bring with you, do that. Our guide was very helpful, he gave us good tips for rest of the trip. Recommend good place to go and visit.
Hopefully you all have good trip. It was very worth spending time and money!
Great trek.
This was a great trek. The guides were super helpful and set a quick but manageable pace. The views were amazing. The weather was warm but not too bad for mid-late May, just be sure to pack a lot of sunscreen! Accommodations were better than expected and the group was fantastic. The terrain could be a bit slippery (lots of dust and loose rocks) so good shoes with solid grip are a must. The uphills can be challenging but I found the hikes to be quite enjoyable. The food was good and plentiful, but I would recommend bringing snacks for the trek. I would highly recommend! This was my first trip with Much Better Adventures and it won't be my last.
A million miles in a thousand years
I have never left Europe before, and I have never hiked before. This adventure was a perfect start - amazing people in the group, super helpful and kind guides. The hike is not easy, but with an OK fitness level, its definitely doable. The landscape was beautiful, despite the terrible weather we had, I enjoyed every moment of it.