Tour itinerary
Day 1 Marrakech
Welcome to Marrakech, the town where the Arab culture of the cities meets the Berber culture of the mountain villages; where the weary sub-Saharan traders (carrying gold, salt and slaves) would ply their wares to the merchants who took them to Europe. This evening you will meet fellow travellers and tour leader (mountain guide), who will brief you on the next few days of your journey.
Day 2 Marrakech, Azilal, Ait Bougmez (D)
After breakfast we depart for Ait Bougmez Valley in the Central High Atlas mountains. After lunch we continue through the town of Azilal and along a winding mountain road to the valley of Ait Bougmez, the starting point for our trek. Ait Bougmez is one of the most beautiful valleys in the High Atlas. 14km in length and about a kilometre across, it’s a wide flat expanse of fruit orchards, fields of barley, and green pastures criss-crossed by streams flowing down from the surrounding M’Goun massif. We spend the night in a local cottage in the area.
Day 3 Ait Imi, Akourbi, Rbat, Ibaklioun (L, D)
(Morning trek : 3.5 hrs, Afternoon trek : 2.5 hrs) After an early breakfast we begin our trek through the valley along paths normally used by villagers and their mules. We walk through cultivated fields, orchards, and meadows of wild flowers. After visiting the villages of Akourbi and Rbat, we give a lunch break which will be brought by a donkey and served on the sheepfolds. In the afternoon we continue to the village of Ibaklioun where the vestiges of the dinosaurs can be seen. We then return to our base in Ait Imi.
Day 4 Lamane, Arouss Valley, Tassila (L, D)
(Morning trek : 4 hrs, Afternoon trek : 2 hrs) After a solid Moroccon breakfast we follow the valley eastward and trek to Lamane, through Arouss Valley. It’s a gradual climb up to Lamane Pass at 2.250 meters. We then follow nomad trails to the next valley, Ahabbak, where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we climb to the crest of Tassila with a fantastic panoramic view of the valley, where we may also have the opportunity to see the white storks nesting on village roof tops. After a deserved rest, it’s downhill all the way to our traditional cottage.
Day 5 Ait Moussa, Aguerd’n’ouzou, Takhida, Agouti (L, D)
Morning trek : 3.5 hrs, afternoon trek : 2 hrs. Today’s hike takes us to Ait Moussa Attic, where the villiage inhabitants used to stock and hide their weat against the pirates. Then we walk to Aguerd’n’ouzou and Takhida villages. Having stopped for lunch beside Sidi Ghitta Pyramids, we walk further until we reach the village of Agouti accross the plateau deep in the Mogoun area of the Atlas Mountains.
Day 6, Tizi N’Oughrbar, Arouss, Ait Said (L, D)
Morning trek : 4 hrs, afternoon trek : 2.5 hrs. After breakfast we start trekking to Tizi N’Oughrbar (2400 m) with a magnificent view of M’goun, the second highest mountain in Morocco, 4068 meters above the sea level. After our lunch in the sheepfolds of Arouss, we walk through the mountain paths and reach Ait Said village. In the afternoon we return our cottage to spend our final night at the valley.
Day 7, Ait Bougmez, Marrakech
Today we depart for Marrakech. In the afternoon we visit Djemaa el Fna Square - filled with story tellers, snake charmers, acrobats, musicians and folklore dancers -, Menara Gardens, Koutoubia Mosque, Saadian Tumbs and Bahia Palace . We remain in Marrakech overnight.
Day 8, Marrakech
Our trip concludes after breakfast in Marrakech.