The 3 Peaks Challenge in Morocco
Tackle 3 summits over 4000m back-to-back on this tough traverse of the High Atlas, including the highest point in North Africa
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with expert, English-speaking Berber guidesAll accommodation
2 nights in a mountain refuge and 2 nights in a Marrakech riadMeals
4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinnersTransfers
To and from the airport and everything in betweenPorterage
Mules and muleteers to carry your overnight luggage on the trekSmall 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?
Scramble to the top of Mt Toubkal (4167m) and the double summits of Mt Ouanoukrim: Timzguida (4089m) and Ras (4083m)
Hike through the Imlil Valley alongside Berber guides and your very own mule train
Stay in a classic Marrakech riad and scenic mountain refuges built in incredible locations
Key Information
Day 1
Explore Marrakech
Fly into the colourful city of Marrakech and head to your traditional riad in the historic medina. Spend the day exploring the souk and the unforgettable main square/ever-changing show that is the Jemaa el-Fnaa – a place that’s been beguiling and entertaining travellers for centuries. Finish the day with some amazing Moroccan food in a local restaurant.
Day 2
The foothills of the Atlas Mountains
Hiking
Wake up early and drive through the foothills of the Atlas Mountains to Imlil, where you'll meet your support crew and start your trek. Gradually ascend the Toubkal Valley, pass Berber farming villages and stop for lunch on the trail. In the afternoon you’ll arrive at the refuge. Settle in, meet other hikers and refuel with a well-earned dinner cooked by your support crew.
Day 3
Bag two peaks in one
Hiking
Today you'll climb Mt Toubkal’s sister peaks; the Mt Ouanoukrim (4089m) 'twins', Timzguida (4089m) and Ras (4083m). You'll set off from the refuge and tackle a short scramble to ascend the ridge over the Tizi n Ouagane pass. Mega views to be had from the top as you stand atop the second and third highest peaks in North Africa. You can see all the way across the High Atlas range, including Mt Toubkal, your challenge for tomorrow. Head back to the refuge for a good sleep ahead of the final push.
Day 4
The mighty Mount Toubkal (4167m)
Hiking
Two down, one to go! You'll leave in darkness and climb to the summit of Mt Toubkal (4167m) arriving in time for a beautiful sunrise over the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. Rest up, bag some epic pics and begin the long descent back to Imlil. You’ll arrive at your riad in the early evening in time to find a restaurant for couscous or a tasty tajine before collapsing into bed.
Day 5
Time to say goodbye
Relax over a last Moroccan breakfast and if you have time, explore the city and the souks some more, before heading back to the airport in time for your flight home.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Marrakech Airport (RAK)
Arrive any time on Day 1
Ends
Marrakech Airport (RAK)
Leave any time on Day 5
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 5, 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 daily flights to Marrakech from major 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 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Moroccan food is a unique blend of sweet and savoury flavours. Local specialities include tajines (a stew cooked in an earthenware pot), couscous and pastilles (flaky pastries stuffed with meat and dusted with cinnamon and sugar). Food is often spiced with cumin, turmeric and ginger.
Meals on the trek are fresh, healthy and cooked by your Berber muleteers. Breakfast will usually feature bread, jam, cookies, fruit, juice, coffee and milk; while lunch will feature salad, tomatoes, carrots, lentils, beans, rice or pasta, fish (sardines, tuna) and seasonal fruit. Dinner will usually include soup, a classic Moroccan tajine, couscous, olives, nuts and fruit.
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
You'll stay in a beautiful riad - a traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard. The exact riad will be confirmed nearer the time based on availability and group size, however, all are chosen for their excellent reputation, location, beautiful decor and welcoming service.
On the trek
You'll stay in the Mouflons mountain refuge located at 3,207m. Facilities are basic, with bunk-bed dorms, however, there is a fun, social area to relax in the evening and chat with other climbers from all around the world.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge for the nights in Marrakech, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability and they are very limited due to the layout of traditional riads).
This trip has been rated as Challenging
Full days of scenic hiking, loose footing, altitude - you'll need a good level of fitness for this one. The walking, however, is of a moderate difficulty and relatively straightforward and the views make the journey more than worthwhile!
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.
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.
In the Atlas Mountains from March to October daytime temperatures average 25 - 30°C but it cools off considerably at night, and the higher you go the colder it gets (you may even need gloves on a summit day in August!) Nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing at and above the mountain refuge. Afternoon storms are always possible, but they are usually quick and generally don’t prevent anyone from enjoying the trek.
View detailed weather for the climb here on Mountain Forecast
Mount toubkal
Excellent trip. The guides were amazing
Amazing experience
Excellent experience from start to finish. Transfers, riad accommodation pre and post trek as well as the mountain refuge were all very pleasant and clean.
Our guide (Mohammed) as well a the other guides were lovely, insightful and caring. The guides catered to the ability of everyone in the group, ensuring that nobody was left out or strayed from the group.
The food at the mountain refuge was of a good standard and there was always more than we needed.
Excellent experience for mind body
Excellent experience for mind body and soul
Very intense few days!!
Loved the whole experience, no issues other than headache and nausea which I expected given there is very little time to get used to the altitude. I found the ascents very difficult especially the last 10% but the trip is described as ‘challenging’ so is to be expected. Guides were great as was food, although loss of appetite means I couldn’t fully appreciate it. A little disappointed with the misty weather when climbing the sister peaks but that’s mountains for you. But sunrise at the upper ridge on Toubkal was mesmerising and brought several of the group to tears, myself included. There was a fantastic mix of folks in the group and we all made the summit of Toubkal. A proposal at the top of one couple made it even more memorable (she said yes!) We found the queues at the airport both in and out very tiresome but obviously that is not an MBA issue.
Very good organized ... I
Very good organized ... I liked the tour very much :)
Amazing trip - great walking & spectacular views
Wow! What a trip! The team at Much Better Adventures made this a really easy trip to be part of - all the logistics were well communicated, our extra night was simple to organise, and pre arranged collection from the airport took all of the stress out of the travel.
The local team in Morocco were even better, and I can't praise them highly enough! Our guide, Mohamed, was excellent, and ensured the team was well supported throughout the trip. The pace uphill was just right - steady, but allowing for conversation. When a team member didn't feel well (altitude), this was managed quickly, and with compassion.
Generally, the walking was straight forward, with the main challenge being the altitude. Doing the extra day of walking (instead of only summiting Jbel Toubkal) made it much easier to be comfortable on the summits as we had some additional time to acclimatise. Having not been at this high altitude before, I was surprised how much it added to the challenge. The extra day for the two additional summits gave awesome views, and a much less busy route - easily my favourite day of the trip!
Staying in the refuge was good fun. We were lucky to have had a dorm for our group, so didn't need to worry about waking others on the sunrise summit day. Food in the refuge was authentic and plentiful, A small tuckshop was open in the afternoons for coffee/snacks in case of wanting anything supplementary.
The group dynamic was perfect - everyone was enthusiastic and invested in enjoying the trip. The group I was with was roughly even genders, and a mix of couples, friends and singletons across a wide spread of ages.
Overall, a 10/10 experience!
🏔️
The hikes were enjoyable and challenging, with excellent views. It was a good challenge to see how the body responded to the higher altitude. The food was great and the guides really looked after us. I think a better description could be given for this trip’s difficulty. There was a big disparity in the group in terms of fitness levels and experience - many struggled with the scrambling sections on Day 2
Amazing experience, can’t recommend enough
Unreal trip from start to finish! My luggage got lost on the way over to Morocco which made it a bit more difficult without any clothes or equipment. Arriving late the night before the itinerary started, I feared I would not be able to go on the trip at all. After speaking with the people at aztat treks who were the local guides arranging everything for us, they reassured me that I would still be able to take part in the trip and that they would help in any way they can. They have a rental shop to provide the essentials and other people on the trip also helped me out with basics such as clothes and toiletries. even with this huge inconvenience the trip was still manageable, albeit more challenging. Met some amazing people and you can see from the views that it was worth every second! Will be back for more next year for bigger and better!