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Atlas Adventure

Trip type: 
Walking & Trekking
Trekking level: 
3. Moderate
Max group size: 
16
Avg user rating: 
4
Africa, Morocco | 8 days
Trip code: 
AZ
What's included: 

Transport - Minibus, on foot.

Accommodation - Hotels (3nts), gite (4nts).

Meals - 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Trip Highlights: 
Enjoy the renowned Berber hospitality staying in village houses
Walk through spectacular Atlas Mountain scenery
Discover the delights of Marrakech
see full itinerary >>
Trip Highlights: 
Enjoy the renowned Berber hospitality staying in village houses
Walk through spectacular Atlas Mountain scenery
Discover the delights of Marrakech
see full itinerary >>
What's included: 

Transport - Minibus, on foot.

Accommodation - Hotels (3nts), gite (4nts).

Meals - 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Trip Overview: 

This trip is a great introduction to hiking in the Atlas Mountains. Enjoy the mountain scenery on fulfilling day hikes without struggling with high altitudes and camping equipment. Your hikes take you across several passes up to an altitude of about 2,000m, where you can enjoy spectacular views, and for an authentic insight into life in rural Morocco you will stay in several traditional Berber villages.

Itinerary: 
Day
1
Fly to Marrakech

Fly to Marrakech

You fly to Marrakech where you are transferred to your hotel. Hotel - 1 night

The hotel is located just outside the city walls around the old Medina. It is about a 25 minute walk to the main square Djemaa el Fna but close to local shops and restaurants

Day
2
Ait Zitoun (950m)

Ait Zitoun (950m)

Please meet your tour leader in the hotel reception at 08:00. You set off this morning to the Atlas Mountains. Although only one and a half hours drive from Marrakech, they feel a world apart as you leave the noise and traffic of the city behind. As this is the first day, you warm up slowly and take it fairly easy, hiking for about 3 hours and gaining only about 100 metres of altitude. You meet your support team of muleteers and their trusty (if somewhat moody!) mules at Ait Zitoun (Village of Olives) Tonight you stay in a gite – a simple village house with a few rooms to share between the group. There are showers, a hamam and toilets available, but it is customary that the gite owners charge about 10 MAD (approx. £0.70) for showers. (BLD) Gite – 1 night

Day
3
Ait Ahmed (1400m)

Ait Ahmed (1400m)

After breakfast you pack up and set off for a more strenuous hike, as you climb over a pass of about 1450 metres – the views will reward you for the effort. The High Atlas region is a mix of fertile valleys and soaring, barren snow-capped peaks. Flat-roofed Berber houses constructed with local materials huddle together to create fortress-like villages which blend almost seamlessly into the mountainside. You will hike for about 6 hours, and on reaching Ait Ahmed you can kick back, relax, and look forward to a well-deserved dinner. (BLD) Gite – 1 night

Day
4
Imine Tala (1370m)

Imine Tala (1370m)

Today is only a half-day hike of about three and a half hours, but you still get a bit of a work-out as you climb over a steep pass of 1800 metres. Along the Amzmiz Valley you pass through several small villages, which give you a glimpse of life in rural Morocco. Finally you reach the village of Imine Tala at Fatima's house, where you will be based for the next 2 nights. (BLD) gite – 2 nights

Day
5

Imine; Tizi n'Fourna (2021 m)

There is no need to pack up your belongings this morning as you will return to Imine Tala for a second night. Your hiking route takes you to the highest point of the trek – Tizi n'Fourna at 2021 m. This means you will have to master a proud 650 metres of altitude gain, but you have a lot of time on your hands, so you can strike a leisurely pace which will allow you to enjoy the hike. Nevertheless, you will probably be quite tired at the end of the day, as you return to the gite for a final night in the mountains. (BLD)

Day
6
Marrakech

Marrakech

This morning you hike for about four and a half hours (mostly downhill) to Amizmiz, where say good-bye to the muleteers who have accompanied you on the trek. You meet the vehicles and return to Marrakech. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax. (BL) Hotel – 2 nights

Day
7

Marrakech; city tour

After breakfast you’ll have a walking tour of the city centre with a local guide. This takes in the main sights but the most exciting part is when you enter the sprawling souk. Here individual trades and crafts are concentrated together in a single street or area, so all the shoemakers are next to each other, as are the jewellers, the potters, the weavers, etc. This is the best place in Morocco to sharpen your bargaining skills and you’re almost certain to be tempted by some of the extraordinary variety of merchandise on display - even if it's only a trinket or a packet of exotic spices. In the afternoon you have time to wander and make your own discoveries. You could visit the Palais de la Bahia, built at the end of the 19th century for Si’ Ahmed ben Musa, the Grand Vizier of Soultan Moulay al Hassan. Only part of the palace is open, as the royal family still makes use of a fair proportion of the building. The beautiful courtyards and splendid living quarters provide a picture of a grand bygone lifestyle. Another possibility is Dar Si Said, housing the Museum of Moroccan Arts. This former royal townhouse now contains beautiful art and craftwork from all corners of the country. If you’d like to experience the relaxation of a traditional bath, your Group Leader can advise where to find the nearest hammam; for just a few dirhams, you’ll be steamed and scrubbed until you shine! (B)

Day
8

Fly Home

The trip ends in Marrakech for Land Only clients. Those on group flights transfer to the airport and fly home. (B)

Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains

The mountains of the High Atlas are only a short drive out of Marrakech but their atmosphere is far removed from the exciting bustle of the souks and the famous Djemma el-Fna. Following the quiet trails frequented by the Berbers is the best way to explore the dramatic and varied landscape of rocky mountains studded with cedars, villages of square walled and flat-roofed houses, and intricately irrigated fields. The route passes through the villages of Ait Ahmed and Imzayn, and the level of walking is moderate, so you do not need to be a hardened trekker to appreciate the scenery.

Marrakech

After enjoying five days in the mountains you return to Marrakech and explore the alleyways and stalls laden with spices, dates and all manner of artefacts. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere, enjoying a mint tea from the terrace of a cafe as the sun sets over the main square. You may have time to explore the Majorelle Gardens or the Palmerie, or to visit the Saadiens tombs.

 

Our Atlas Adventure trip is just one of our many Morocco tours. To find out more visit our Morocco holidays page