Embark on an unforgettable adventure with our 5-day Berber Villages, Green Valleys, and High Atlas Mountain Passes trek in the beautiful High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. With just a 3-hour flight from the UK, you’ll be transported to a world of stunning natural beauty and cultural richness.
Over the course of the trek, you’ll trek through a range of breathtaking landscapes, from lush green valleys to dramatic rocky terrain, and everything in between. Along the way, you’ll be treated to awe-inspiring views of the Atlas Mountains, including some of the highest peaks in North Africa.
As you journey through the mountains, you’ll also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage of the Berber people, one of the oldest and most unique communities in the world. You’ll visit traditional Berber villages, meet the friendly locals, and learn about their fascinating way of life.
To make your journey even more comfortable and stress-free, the trek will be fully supported by a Berber team. This includes a knowledgeable mountain guide, an experienced cook to prepare delicious and authentic meals, and friendly muleteers and their trusty mules to carry your luggage.
At night, you’ll rest in comfortable and welcoming gites, traditional Berber homes that offer a cozy and authentic atmosphere. Here, you’ll enjoy hearty home-cooked meals and a chance to relax and reflect on your incredible journey through the Atlas Mountains.
Overall, our 5-day Berber Villages, Green Valleys, and High Atlas Mountain Passes trek is an experience not to be missed. Whether you’re a seasoned trekker or new to hiking, this journey will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.
The tour starts early in the morning from Marrakech, and we take a pleasant drive southward, winding our way up through the Moulay Brahim Gorge and upper valleys to arrive at the higher foothills of the Western High Atlas Mountains. Our trailhead for the day is Imi Oughlad, located at an altitude of 1450m, with Jbel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa at 4167m, Aglzim at 3650m, and Aksoual at 3884m looming before us.
Upon arrival at Imi Oughlad, we will meet up with our Berber muleteer crew and set off in a northwesterly direction for a 2-hour acclimatization hike up switchback mule tracks, passing by cornfields, woods of pine and juniper to reach Tizi n’Tachete (2000m). Here, we shall stop to look back down on the Imlikl and Ait Oussaden valleys before continuing for another half-hour to Imi n’Ifri, where we will have our field picnic. Then, we will embark on a slow hike for about 2 and a half hours south-west down along a dirt track to reach Assif n’Ait Oussaden and the red clay terraced village of Tiziane (1750m) for our accommodation in a bivouac or gite.
We begin our day with a delicious breakfast before embarking on our hike up the stunning Assif n’ait Oussaden valley. The path takes us through beautiful walnut groves, winding our way up to the Tizi n’taghrhourte pass (1995m) and through a rare, almost flat stretch of land until we arrive at the serene Assaka Spring. Here, we will enjoy a delightful field picnic and take in the awe-inspiring silence after approximately 2 and a half hours of relatively easy walking.
In the afternoon, we continue our hike along the forest’s edges until we reach the charming Berber village of D’knt (1870m), also known as Agouns n Assoul. We will have dinner and spend the night in a comfortable bivouac or gite.
On our third day, we embark on a morning hike that lasts for about three hours, taking us through beautiful groves of walnut trees, fields of corn and barley, and past many sheep and goatherders. We make our way up to the tizi n’tagdalte, traversing the juniper trees on our descent until we reach a small spring nestled amongst the trees. Here, we stop for our picnic, taking in the peaceful surroundings.
After our refreshing break, we continue our journey down winding tracks of upper slopes for about three hours until we reach a small river at the beginning of the valley of assif n’ait oussaden. We then enter the village of tizi oussem (1850m) before making our way up to the summer village of Tamsoult, where we will spend the night in our camp or gite.
On the fourth day of our trek, we’ll start with a pleasant hike to a small waterfall at Azib Tamsoulte. After enjoying the scenery, we’ll return and begin our ascent towards the Tizi ‘n Mzik pass, which sits at an elevation of 2,500m. As we make our way up, we’ll be treated to stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Once we reach the pass, we’ll start our descent towards the main Toubkal valley, and arrive at the village of Imlil, which sits at an elevation of 1,900m. Here, we’ll have a delicious lunch and spend the night at our comfortable guesthouse, Dar Adrar or a similar accommodation option.
On the final day of the trek, we embark on a circular 6 to 7 hour journey that offers breathtaking views of Berber hamlets and two mountain passes, with the majestic Jbel Oukaïmeden in sight. We begin our walk by heading east from Imlil (1,740m) along the Tamatert Valley, and then turn north through the Tizi n’Tamatert pass (2,279m). From there, we descend through the Berber village of Tinerhourhine into the Imenane valley, which we follow northwards along winding mule trails through almond, walnut and apple groves, and terraced Berber hamlets, until we reach the villages of Ikiss and Amssakrou. We take a picnic lunch at Amssakrou, which offers a magnificent view of the peak of Jbel Oukaïmeden (3,268m) and the two passes, Tizi n’Ou Arg (2,258m) and Tizi n’Tiratene (2,268m).
After lunch, we head westwards via the Tizi n’Aguerssiouâl pass (1,767m), which offers stunning panoramic views, and continue through the Assif n’ Aït Mizane Valley (2,664m) to the village of Aguerssiouâl. From there, we head southwards back up the valley towards the peaks of Jbel Toubkal, Aguelzim and Aksouâl to the villages of Taddart and Aït Souka. Finally, we head east back to Imlil, where we will be picked up and driven back to Marrakech in the afternoon.
