Premium: Hike Morocco's Atlas Mountains and Sleep in a Kasbah

A 5% community levy is included in every bill at the Kasbah du Toubkal, whether you visit independently or on a group trip like this one. Funds from this levy go directly to local projects through the Association des Bassins d’Imlil and the charity Education For All. Your contribution supports vital initiatives such as a local ambulance service, waste management, a public hammam and boarding facilities for girls from remote villages, so they can attend school.

This 5% levy is an integral part of the kasbah's sustainable tourism model. It has helped fund infrastructure and community development across the Imlil Valley since the kasbah opened in the mid‑1990s, anchoring its long-standing commitment to benefit the local Berber community. The levy is included in the price you pay to book the trip through Much Better Adventures – there’s nothing extra to pay on arrival.

Your host for this trip is the Kasbah du Toubkal itself, along with its team of experienced hiking guides. They know this part of the Atlas Mountains inside out and can adapt the route if needed due to unforeseen circumstances or adverse weather.

Depending on the group size of the trip, you will have one or two main trekking guides, plus a muleteer and a cook will join the group on each hike to transport supplies for the group to enjoy some sumptuous and memorable picnic-style Moroccan lunches.

Your base is at the Kasbah du Toubkal for the duration, so you can leave your luggage in your room throughout the trip.

The tap water in Morocco is not safe to consume. The kasbah has a courtyard filter station providing safe drinking water to guests; you can fill up your water bottle or bladder here ahead of each day of hiking. Plastic bottled water is not provided as part of the kasbah's sustainability policy.

Ramadan is an Islamic festival during which the religious do not eat or drink during daylight hours. This can be a fascinating time to travel, particularly to witness the evening celebrations when the fast is broken. However, you can expect some business hours to be shortened, alcohol not to be served during daylight hours, and some restaurants to be closed during this period. Daytime activities for local people are often limited, while the nights are very lively in cities, with a wide variety of foods being sold and enjoyed. Ramadan will not affect the inclusions on your trip, although you should be aware that dinners will be served after locals break their fast in the evenings.

As Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, the dates change from year to year. We recommend checking whether your chosen trip dates fall during this period.

At Much Better Adventures, we work hard to accommodate dietary requirements and allergies so your trip is safe, inclusive and enjoyable. That said, options can vary by country, location and accommodation, and in some places options may be limited or unavailable. The information below has been provided by your host so you’re fully informed about what will be possible on your trip depending on your individual requirements. This information should be read carefully prior to your trip to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the situation ‘on the ground’.

Once you have booked on your trip, please fill out your passenger information form asap with any dietary requirements. Once you complete your passenger information, your dietary needs and any allergies are automatically shared with your host and, in turn, your guide. Please submit this as early as possible so they can plan accordingly and deliver the best experience. Please also remind your guide about your dietary requirements upon arrival, as mentioning these in person allows your guide to comprehend individual preferences and limitations as soon as you arrive.

BACKGROUND Food in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains is shaped by Amazigh (Berber) traditions and historic trade routes, giving it a distinctive mix of sweet and savoury flavours, with staples like tajines and couscous, often spiced with cumin, turmeric and ginger.

SPECIAL DIETS

Vegetarian Vegetarian diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Moroccan cuisine features plenty of delicious vegetarian-friendly options such as vegetable tajines (often with olives and preserved lemon), couscous topped with seasonal vegetables, lentil or chickpea soups, loubia (white beans in tomato sauce), bissara (fava bean soup/purée), and cooked salads like zaalouk (aubergine and tomato) or taktouka (pepper and tomato), usually served with bread and olives.

Vegan Vegan diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Vegan-friendly options include vegetable tajines cooked with olive oil, lentil and bean dishes (such as loubia or bissara), roasted seasonal vegetables, simple tomato-and-cucumber salads, and mezze-style plates of olives, salads and dips such as zaalouk and taktouka made without butter. It’s worth noting that bread, pastries and couscous can sometimes include butter, milk or eggs, so it helps to flag this clearly to your guide and host.

Kosher Fully certified kosher options are limited in Morocco and are mainly found in larger cities such as Casablanca and Marrakech. On this trip, kosher-supervised kitchens and ingredients are not available, so vegetarian or vegan meals can be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above, and plan ahead with your guide.

Halal Halal diets can be catered for on this trip, provided your host is made aware in advance. As Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, most local restaurants, hotels and suppliers prepare food in line with halal norms.

INTOLERANCES

Gluten Free (for Coeliac, please see Allergies section below) Gluten-Free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. However, options may be more limited compared to those without dietary requirements. While your local hosts will do their best, it’s worth knowing that gluten-free supplies are generally only available in the major cities. In more remote areas, it's harder to source specialist products, so meals will be based on naturally gluten-free dishes rather than substitutes. That said, most standard meals already include several options without gluten, even without special preparation. Please do consider bringing your favourite snacks or food supplements from home to ensure that you always have enough fuel for your adventure.

Lactose Free Lactose-Free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance. Many traditional dishes are naturally lactose-free or can easily be prepared without dairy, such as vegetable dishes, couscous, legumes, salads, and mezze based on olive oil rather than yogurt or cheese.

ALLERGIES

Our host has confirmed that they are able to accommodate mild allergies to the 14 allergens identified by the UK Food Standards Agency, where these are disclosed in advance. However, if you have a severe or life-threatening food allergy (including Coeliac disease), please get in touch with our CX team prior to booking to discuss whether your requirements can be accommodated safely on this trip. This will allow us to carefully consider the sensitivity and severity of your allergy, the available provision on the trip and the accessibility of medical care should a reaction occur. Your safety is always our top priority.

*Please note that when travelling overseas, local ingredients, food preparation methods and labelling standards may vary, particularly in remote areas. It is also worth noting that any allergies may result in more limited options and repetitive provision in some areas. Whilst your guide will help communicate dietary requirements where possible, customers remain responsible for managing their own allergies during the trip.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

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

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

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.

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

Don't just take our word for it:

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

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

January to February is winter in the mountains. Days are crisp and cool, perfect for hiking – with average daytime temperatures around 10°C (50°F), dropping to freezing at night. Snow dusts the higher peaks, adding a dramatic backdrop to your views, while the trails around Imlil remain accessible and uncrowded. Morocco can be described as a cold country with a hot sun – so in winter you can easily get hot when in the sun, Layers are the order of the day as you can be in shirt sleeves in winter in the day, but will need layers in the evening.

July to August brings warm, sunny days and cooler mountain air – a welcome escape from the Moroccan heat. Expect daytime highs between 25-30°C (77-86°F), with lower humidity and comfortable evenings. It’s the ideal season for long hikes and relaxed terrace dinners under starry skies.

November to December sees the return of cooler temperatures, with daytime averages of 10–15°C (50–59°F) and chilly nights. Autumn colours linger in the valleys and the snow line begins to creep down from the peaks, making for atmospheric trekking conditions.