Toubkal Summit & Sahara Desert Trek
Pre-trek: Marrakesh β Imlil
You will be collected from your Riad in Marrakesh at 0800 and transferred through the foothills of the High Atlas β passing traditional Berber market towns and the spectacular Moulay Brahim gorge β to the village of Imlil (1,740m). Here you will meet your mountain guide, who will brief you on the days ahead and check your equipment. Rental gear is available in Imlil village centre if required.
Overnight: Riad, Marrakesh (pre-trek night, own arrangement).
Atlas Mountains
Day 01: Imlil (1,740m) β Isk Summit (2,700m) β Aroumd (2,000m)
An acclimatisation day that packs genuine reward. After the briefing your guide leads you through terraced fields and walnut groves above Imlil, climbing steadily to the rocky summit of Isk (2,700m). The panoramic views across the Toubkal massif set the scene for what lies ahead. Descend via a shepherd's shelter β where lunch is served beside a spring β before dropping into the handsome Berber village of Aroumd (2,000m), perched dramatically above the Mizane valley.
This day doubles as essential acclimatisation before the push to higher altitude. Approximately 5β6 hours of walking. Elevation gain: 960m.
Overnight: Traditional guesthouse, Aroumd. Dinner included.
Day 02: Aroumd β Sidi Chamharouch (2,350m) β Toubkal Refuge (3,207m)
Breakfast early, then the valley narrows and steepens as you follow the Mizane river upstream. The trail passes through Berber hamlets and apple orchards before reaching the sacred shrine of Sidi Chamharouch (2,350m) βa striking white-painted marabout wedged into the cliff face above the river, where local families make pilgrimages throughout the year. Lunch is taken here in the shade.
The afternoon climb to the Toubkal Refuge (3,207m) is direct and progressively lunar in character β loose scree, rockfall terrain and the occasional mule train carrying supplies. Arrive in time to watch the alpenglow turn the surrounding peaks copper and gold.
Approximately 6 hours. Elevation gain from Aroumd: 1,367m.
Overnight: Toubkal Refuge (Neltner Hut), 3,207m. Dinner and breakfast included.
Day 03: Toubkal Refuge β Toubkal Summit (4,167m)
The summit day. Departure at 0500 β head torches on, the sky still dark above the ridge. The south couloir is a sustained scree and boulder climb that demands a patient, consistent pace. As you gain the final ridge, the summit triangle of Jebel Toubkal appears for the first time, and from the cairn at 4,167m the view encompasses the entire High Atlas, the Anti-Atlas, the Draa Valley, and on clear days a glint of the Atlantic.
Descend to the Refuge for a late lunch, then continue trekking all the way back down the valley to Aroumd for a second night's rest before the desert leg. A long but immensely satisfying day: 8β10 hours total.
Overnight: Traditional guesthouse, Aroumd. Dinner included.
Sahara Desert
Day 04: Aroumd β Oulad Driss (via Draa Valley)
After breakfast in Aroumd, your mountain guides hand you over to your desert team. A long but spectacular vehicle transfer takes you south through the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m), then east along the Draa Valley β 200km of ochre kasbahs, palm oases and date groves β before arriving at Oulad Driss, a quiet settlement on the edge of the desert near M'Hamid el Ghizlane.
This is the gateway village to one of Morocco's most remote and least-visited desert regions. Approximately 5β6 hours of driving.
Overnight: Desert guesthouse or camp, Oulad Driss.
Day 05: Oulad Driss β Sidi Naji Mosque (Desert trek begins)
The camel caravan assembles at dawn. Your muleteers and camels will carry the camp equipment and supplies for the days ahead β you carry only a daypack. The morning's route crosses hamada (flat, stony desert plateau) and low dunes, with the silence growing profound as the last piste track disappears behind you.
By afternoon you reach the sacred marabout of Sidi Naji, a lonely white tomb venerated by desert nomads. Camp is made nearby. Dinner is cooked over an open fire; the night sky at this latitude and altitude of darkness is extraordinary. Approximately 5β6 hours walking.
Overnight: Wild camp, Sidi Naji area. All meals included.
Day 06: Sidi Naji β Zhair
Deeper into the Sahara. The terrain alternates between flat saline plains, dried riverbeds and corridors of low dunes sculpted by the prevailing northerly wind. Zhair is one of the most remote overnight points on the route β no tracks, no other groups, nothing but desert in every direction.
The experience here β the quality of the silence, the scale of the landscape, the absence of any human imprint β is what distinguishes this route from the more frequented Erg Chebbi circuit. Approximately 5β6 hours.
Overnight: Wild camp, Zhair. All meals included.
Day 07: Zhair β Erg Smar
Today the dunes grow larger. Erg Smar is a beautiful erg of classic golden sand dunes β the kind of landscape most people picture when they imagine the Sahara. Arriving in the late afternoon gives you an hour of golden-hour light in the dunes before sunset, with the shadows deepening across the slip faces and the air cooling rapidly once the sun drops.
Your camp is made among the dunes. Nomadic Berber music around the fire after dinner. Approximately 5β6 hours.
Overnight: Camp, Erg Smar dunes. All meals included.
Day 08: Erg Smar β Oued Naam
Sunrise from the top of a dune β worth setting an alarm for. After breakfast, the caravan moves on across open desert toward Oued Naam, a broad dry riverbed fringed by desert grasses and tamarisk. In wet years the oued flows briefly and nomads bring their herds; in most years it is a wide, silent corridor of pale sand threading through the hamada. There is a good chance of encountering nomadic families in this area, who will often share tea.
Approximately 5β6 hours.
Overnight: Camp, Oued Naam. All meals included.
Day 09: Oued Naam β M'Hamid el Ghizlane
A final short morning walk across the desert to reach M'Hamid el Ghizlane (470m), the last village before the Sahara on the tarmac road south of the Draa Valley. Your driver meets you here.
M'Hamid el Ghizlane β Ouarzazate
The transfer north through the palm-lined Draa Valley to Ouarzazate (4β5 hours) passes Zagora, Agdz and the dramatic pre-Saharan landscapes of the Jbel Saghro foothills. Arrive in Ouarzazate in time for dinner in this unexpected desert city β Morocco's Hollywood, with two major film studios and the world's largest concentrated solar power plant on its doorstep.
Overnight: Hotel, Ouarzazate. Dinner own arrangement.
Day 10: Ouarzazate β AΓ―t Benhaddou β Tizi n'Tichka β Marrakesh
A morning of culture before the return crossing of the Atlas. First stop: Atlas Studios, one of the world's largest film lots and the location for scenes from Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy and Game of Thrones.Then the UNESCO World Heritage ksar of AΓ―t Benhaddou β a fortified clay citadel above the Ounila river that has stood for over five centuries and served as a backdrop for dozens of major productions.
After the visit, the N9 climbs back over the High Atlas via the Tizin 'Tichka pass (2,260m) β remarkable from the desert side for how quickly the landscape transforms from arid plateau to green terraced valleys β before descending to Marrakesh. Driving time: 4β5 hours.
Arrival Marrakesh: late afternoon.
Your driver collects you from your Ouarzazate hotel and transfers you back to Marrakesh via the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass, with an optional stop at AΓ―t Benhaddou en route. Journey time approximately 4β5 hours.
What's included
- Collection from and return to your Riad in Marrakesh
- Professional mountain guide for the Atlas section (Days 1β3)
- Experienced desert guide and camel caravan team for the Sahara section (Days 5β8)
- Camel transport of all camping equipment and supplies during desert trek
- All accommodation: guesthouses in the Atlas, wild camps in the desert, hotel in Ouarzazate
- All meals during trek days (breakfast, lunch and dinner cooked by your team)
- Mules and muleteers for the Atlas section
- Vehicle transfers: MarrakeshβImlil, AroumdβOulad Driss, M'HamidβOuarzazate, OuarzazateβMarrakesh
- Entry to AΓ―t Benhaddou and Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate
- Trek permits and documentation
Additional cost considerations
- International flights to and from Morocco
- Moroccan tourist visa (if required)
- Meals in Marrakesh and Ouarzazate (own arrangement)
- Travel and emergency rescue insurance (required)
- Tips for your mountain guide, desert guide, muleteers and camel team
- Personal spending: WiFi, laundry, alcoholic beverages, souvenirs
- Single room supplement (on request)
You will be collected from your Riad in Marrakesh at 0800 and transferred through the foothills of the High Atlas β passing traditional Berber market towns and the spectacular Moulay Brahim gorge β to the village of Imlil (1,740m). Here you will meet your mountain guide, who will brief you on the days ahead and check your equipment. Rental gear is available in Imlil village centre if required.
Starting your day early in Marrakech, you'll wind your way up through the Moulay Brahim Gorge and the upper valleys, taking in the stunning scenery along the way. As you arrive at the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, you'll meet up with your Berber muleteer crew who will accompany you on your trek.
Welcome to the world of Team Toubkal itineraries, where personalised adventure takes centre stage! Our custom itineraries are carefully crafted to elevate your Toubkal journey into an unforgettable experience. Recognising that each adventurer's aspirations are unique, we excel in tailoring your expedition to align with your dreams and preferences.