On Day 1, the plan is to embark on a road trip from Marrakech towards Agouti via Azilal. This journey promises to be scenic and filled with lots of interesting sights to behold. Along the way, you’ll be treated to panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains, which is sure to be a breathtaking sight.

After a long and exciting drive, you’ll finally arrive at the village of Agouti, where you’ll be staying for the night. The accommodation for the night will be at a comfortable and cozy gite in the village. The gite offers a perfect setting to rest, relax and rejuvenate after a long day of travel. With comfortable beds, warm blankets, and a homely atmosphere, you’re sure to have a restful night’s sleep before continuing on your adventure the next day.

Day 2 will involve a 6 to 7 hour trek from Agouti to Rougoult covering a distance of 17km and an ascent and descent of 326m. Starting off from Agouti, you’ll be treated to stunning views of the Ait Bou Goumez Valley as you walk along the road. The valley is also known as the Happy Valley, and the reason for its name will become apparent as you soak in the beauty around you.

After an hour and a half of leisurely walking, a piste will lead off to the left from the road. From there, you have the option of following the piste or taking a steeper, shorter path that zigzags down into the valley. The shorter path rejoins the piste at the village of Agerssif, which should take you under three hours to reach from Agouti. Agerssif is located at the confluence of the Lakhdar and Bou Goumez Rivers and boasts a bridge. The river here provides an ideal spot for resting and camping.

As you continue along the Lakhdar Valley, the piste climbs the south side of the gorge, and the valley narrows. After around half an hour upstream, you’ll come across the charming village of Taghoulit surrounded by juniper trees and offering a simple gi^te for a comfortable stay. The piste carries on up the gorge, leading into the more fertile upper valley until it reaches Sebt Ai”t Bou Wlli, a sizable village above the river. The village has a school marked by flags and a Saturday market.

At Sebt Ait Bou Wlli, the piste heads left, south, and the valley becomes increasingly stunning as it winds up above fields of wheat and barley, juniper, wild fig, and almond trees. Tazouggart, a village on the opposite side of the valley, marks the halfway point between Sebt Ait Bou Wlli and the day’s end. From here, the landscape becomes more and more breathtaking, with hints of Shangri-la, until you finally reach Rougoult after two to two and a half hours. Rougoult sits at an altitude of 1893m and offers an excellent camping spot just below the village beside the Tifra River.

On Day 3, you will begin your six to seven-hour hike from Rougoult to Amezri, covering a distance of 14km with a 600m descent and 970m ascent. The first two hours of the hike will follow the Tifra River, with a stony path crossing it at several points. The valley is filled with terraces for cultivating crops, but in some places, it is too narrow for agriculture. As you climb, the landscape becomes more barren. The mule path, well-trodden and occasionally forced to climb above gorges, roughly follows the course of the river in a southerly direction.

The source of the Tifra is just below the Tizi n’Rougoult pass, which is at an altitude of 2860m. At this point, even the juniper trees are below you, and only alpine plants and bushes grow above. From the broad saddle beneath the pass, a path leads east to a ridge that climbs to over 3500m, while the Rougoult pass lies straight ahead. You’ll get to see the summit of Ighil M’Goun, which is just under 100m lower than Jebel Toubkal, due east from the pass. The views from the pass are stunning, with long vistas across the southern M’Goun Massif and the Tessaout River showing vast, primordial scenes that look newly formed.

The mule path from the Rougoult pass is well-marked and winds down the mountainside for two hours before reaching the first village, Tasgaiwalt. From there, keeping the river on your left, you will have a gentle 40-minute walk along the track to the village of Amezri, where you will spend the night.

On Day 4, the trail takes you on a leisurely 6-hour walk covering 18km with a descent of 427m and an ascent of 150m. You’ll be following the Tessaout River, and the valley is surrounded by magnificent cliffs, including the Ichbbakene escarpment, which rises 1000m above the river.

Although the river has little or no fish, it irrigates some exceptionally fertile farmland, which the Berbers of the Ait Atta tribe use to grow a range of seasonal crops. The Tessaout flows due west in this part of its course and is fed by several smaller streams that bring melted snow off the higher mountains. In spring, the valleys are carpeted with wildflowers, and the fruit and nut trees add their blossom to the spectacle.

You’ll cross the river at various points along the walk. In spring, the river may be too high to hop over stones, and you may have to wade through it, as at the village of Imi n’Ikkis, around 5km from Amezri. At Ichbbakene, a larger village, you’ll see the Hotel Edare, a significant building constructed by a villager who worked in France.

Further downstream, the path narrows and passes beneath the stone and mud houses of the village of Ait Hamza, where you’ll find a working water mill that’s used to grind the annual wheat crop. Another hour of delightful walking leads to the village of Ait Ali n’Ito.

If you have time, consider taking a side trip to the village of Magdaz, a three-hour round trip to the south of Ait Ali n’Ito. It’s one of the most beautiful villages in the Atlas Mountains, and its extraordinary architecture is worth checking out. Tower-houses have been built in steps using stone and wood, a technique only known here, in Fakhour (see tomorrow’s walk), Yemen and Afghanistan.

On Day 5, you’ll follow a dirt road that runs alongside the river and takes you on a leisurely walk to the end of your trek. Though the path does ascend at times, it eventually leads you to the charming village of Fakhour, which is known for its agadir, a fortified granary that can be visited for free, but it’s customary to tip the gardien around Dh10.

After spending less than an hour beyond Fakhour, you’ll reach the village of Ifoulou, situated on a bend of the river and the road. It’s typically quiet during the week, with only a drinks stand open, but on Mondays, the village comes alive with a bustling souq, where locals from nearby valleys come to trade and socialize. Thirty minutes further along the road, you’ll arrive at the main Demnate-Skoura road, where the piste joins by a new bridge over the Tessaout River. Ait Alla village is below, where your transport will be waiting to take you to Marrakech via Ait Tamlil and Demnate.

If you have more time, you may want to extend your trek to visit the picturesque village of Magdaz, which is a three-hour round trip south of Ait Ali n’Ito. The itinerary provided is a rough guide and subject to change depending on local conditions.