Morocco

6-Days Mt Toubkal & Sahara Desert

22

Hike North Africa's Tallest Mountain and sleep under the stars of the Sahara Desert on this 6-day adventure.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Marrakech and drive to the Atlas Mountains (Imlil)

You will be picked up from Hotel Ali cafe in Jamaa Elfna square at 19h30. Often, we also make a stop at Menara airport (at 20h00) to grab the rest of the group. We then drive to Imlil (approx 1hr30) which lies at the foothill of Mt Toubkal. Our local team welcomes you followed with a freshly prepared dinner and trek briefing. You will stay in triple and quadruple rooms with showers.

image_T9C3NYDURU8V4EST

You will have breakfast around 7h30. Around 8h30, we begin the trek. You’ll give your main bag to the muleteers, and then hike for 3 hours to the tiny settlement of Sidi Chamharouch. Here your cooks will serve lunch. Fresh orange juice is available from one of the local stores. Afterward, you continue for another 3 hours to Toubkal Refuge, our accomodation for the night.

image_QGYGWBMUEBVEETNP
image_7U3X5MV94T38JDPF
image_L6QWDS95SGLVLW55
image_2CLEFECXGTKF7MHA

Today we get started very early. At around 5am, you will have breakfast. After this, we begin the hike as we slowly and steadily make our way upwards. It takes 2-3 hours to reach the summit of Mt Toubkal (4,167m), we aim to get there at sunrise! You can look down from the snowy summit to the green Anti-Atlas mountains and vast Sahara desert! After taking some time to enjoy the views, we’ll head back to Imlil. This is a long , 6 hour, trek but it is all downhill.

image_QAG7R6EC2XPGFKEA
image_XWMF2JHWHRUETR7A
image_BLBJ3QDCYC4WYJA9

After breakfast, we drive towards the south east of Morocco. Along the way we will visit Ait Benhadou Kasbah, Ouarzazate City and Rose Valley. By the end of the day will arrive at Dades gorges. We spend the night here in a hotel.

image_MNJKPULYVGPEGNG9

Today you'll make your way to the trul Sahara Desert. You will be able to hike or ride a camel across the dunes of Merzouga. In the late afternoon, you'll arrive at your traditional Berber camp in the desert, and sleep under the stars.

image_XJXJ6L6K53VCY4WE
image_ZDMPMPA8F8YCBCPH
image_V67UXZYTB52PTNYL
image_E29F3ECLE2WCALCD

Today you will have breakfast at sunrise. It's then time to return from the dunes to the main center. Meet your minibus for a long but spectacular drive back to Marrakech, where your tour ends. We should arrive back in Marrakech by 8pm.

What's Included

Included
  • Airport and in-country transfers.
  • Certified guide and porters for Toubkal trek.
  • All meals during the Toubkal mountain trek.
  • Accommodation in Imlil & Toubkal refuge.
  • Accommodation in Dades Valley hotel (this is in triple and quadruple rooms with dinner and breakfast included).
  • Driver guide for Sahara trip.
  • Accommodation in tent in Merzouga dunes with dinner and breakfast.
  • Mineral water (1.5 L per client per day).
  • Camel ride.
  • Visit of Ait Benhadou Kasbah.
Not Included
  • International and local flights.
  • Lunch meals during the Sahara portion of the trip.
  • Winter climbing equipment (see FAQs for the difference between summer and winter Toubkal climbs).
  • Tips and gratuities.
  • Travel insurance.

Rated 5.0

22 verified reviews

Antony
Antony

(Sep 2023)

The best experience of my life. Houssain was excellent in organising everything from the Toubkal climb, to my excursion into the Sahara desert. All queries were answered very quickly and helpfully. The guides provided for both Toubkal and the desert were extremely helpful, and the cook for the Toubkal expedition was amazing. Highly recommend this trip to everyone.

Dalemarc
Dalemarc

(Aug 2023)

Amazing experience! Had a very memorable and fun time especially during the hike. Such beautiful views and landscape. The food, culture and especially the people are nice. We were in a small group but very well taken care of. Our guides Hassan and Hicham are incredible. Also special mention to our cook (forgot his name) and his 'assistant' Elias for all the special meals they prepared during the entire hike. And to our mule who carried the heavy stuff. Hike was a bit challenging but manageable. Mostly hot during the day but plenty of stores selling water along the trail. Gets a bit chilly during the early morning ascent to the summit. Shower is available in the refuge. Definitely recommended! :) The Dades gorge and Sahara experience was nice as well. Be prepared for a long drive but plenty of stops for a bit of break. Beautiful scenery along the way. The camping facility in the Sahara was better than I expected, has beds and private toilet/shower. Slept with the doors opened though since it was a bit hot inside at night (August). Definitely recommend trip for a very memorable experience if you are feeling quite adventurous but still have the amenities of comfort :)

media_VE2B9ZHK8RNGF34B
media_WW92SFZ4994C4GZ5
SANDY
SANDY

(Aug 2023)

Absolutely brilliant trip. Morocco is a beautiful country. I will definitely travel with skyhook again especially being a lone traveller I throughly recommend this company.

Lizette
Lizette

(May 2023)

Fantastisk tur til tops af Toubkal og ud i Sahara 😍 Det er dog nødvendigt at være orienteret omkring evt højdesyge, så man selv kan reagerer hensigtsmæssigt, da guiderne ikke gør dette.

Ben
Ben

(May 2023)

Everything was well ran by skyhook food timing accommodation etc except for 2 thing s 1. Our guides had very poor English and we struggled to understand eachother. 2. I fell on the Mt Toubkal Morocco and cut my hands badly in a number of places the guide had no first aid kit not even a simple band aid - very poor service indeed

FAQs

Before you go

See the section above for a full list of exclusions and inclusions.

The summit day on Toubkal can be 9-12 hours (with lots of breaks) so you do need a good level of fitness. In the run-up to your trip, we recommend training with jogging or sport at least 2 days a week.

Documents • Passport & visa if needed • Travel insurance details • Boarding passes for flights • Wallet • Pen for filling in arrivals form Clothing • 2-3 base-layer t-shirts (e.g. running t-shirts) • Fleece/soft-shell jacket • Waterproof jacket • Insulated jacket for warmth, if possible (from e.g. Rab, Alpkit, Mountain Equipment) • Spare clothes for Marrakech • Underwear • Base-layer trousers (optional) • Trekking Trousers • Waterproof trousers • Shorts • Swimwear for Marrakech (optional) • 4 thick wool mountaineering socks • Warm Gloves and Hat • Walking Boots • Footwear for Marrakech Other • Large rucksack for the mules/porters • Daysack (25-35L) • 3L of water bottles (Minimum) • Sunglasses • Suncream • Sunhat • Insect repellant • Glasses/contact lenses (if needed) • Sleeping bag (2-3 season) • Bathroom items including travel towel • Electronics - Head torch, travel adaptor (French plug style), phone & charger • Lipsil • Book/mp3 player (optional) • Walking poles (optional -Available to rent for €3)

Absolutely! We get lots of solo travellers on the trips. Once you sign up you'll also be added to a private Facebook group, where you can meet all the other people before you go.

We recommend you check up-to-date advice from the National Health Service before you travel to Morocco. There's a useful link below.

The currency used in Morocco is Moroccan Dirham (MAD). You can take out cash at ATMs in the airport, as well as various locations on the trip. Please check with your bank that your card is accepted in Morocco before travel, and we highly recommend bringing two cards in case you have any issues.  Please note: your bank may charge transaction fees when you use your card in Morocco.

The minimum age for this trek is 18 years, or 16 years with a parent/guardian.

On your trip

The local guides use mules to carry your main bag, so that you can just carry a small bag with water, sun cream and waterproofs whilst trekking.

Winter season (Nov – Mar) Winter can be quite cold on Mt Toubkal, with temperatures on the summit going as low as -20 °C. March starts to warm up with a higher chance of rain. Early/late season (Apr– May & Oct) Temperatures at lower altitudes can reach 26°C, with little chance of rain. The summit can still go as low as -10°C with wind chill. Summer (Jun – Sep) June has a higher chance of rain, but still stays warm. July to Sept are the hottest months with temperatures at the lowest altitudes reaching 30 °C. The summit of Toubkal can be as low as -10°C with wind chill.

You will follow a sensible acclimatisation plan that works well for most participants. This includes regular breaks and a gradual increase in the altitude at which you sleep. Altitude affects everyone in different ways. However, the key is to mention if you are experiencing any symptoms to your guide (headache/nausea) as soon as you feel them.

You stay in a hostel in Imlil and Ouarzazate. camp in the desert, and a mountain hut on the mountain. The lodge will offer shared rooms, with intermittent internet and warm showers. The mountain refuge is very basic, and showers do not always offer warm water, with basic style toilets. The mountain hut does sell snacks. It is worth taking small denominations of cash, as they sometimes do not have change available. You'll camp in the desert with very basic facilities.

Maximum group sizes are 12.

The guides will provide you with 1.5L of water each day. Water is also available from natural springs and at various village stores along the way. You may want to consider taking purification tablets with you for use in the spring water. 

Start: we meet you at Hotel Ali Cafe at 7:30 PM or at the airport at 8:00 PM, then drive to Imlil. End: around 8:00 PM in Marrakech's famous square.

Wifi is available in the hostels, however it can be unreliable given the remote location. There is no internet available in the mountain refuge, and phone signal can be poor.

Other FAQs

Basic accommodation: - Hotel Ali - Riad Omar - Hotel Imilchil Luxury accommodation: - Riad Africa - Riad Anya

Climbing Toubkal in winter (November- March) is a very different experience from the warmer months. Depending on annual conditions, snow covers the mountain top which brings additional challenges to the route. Some years, the snowy season lasts longer or is shorter than usual so it's hard to predict exact conditions. The main difference if you are planning to trek during the winter months is that you will need additional equipment. Crampons and icepicks (which can be rented) become necessary to safely navigate the snow and ice-covered mountainside. This makes the trek somewhat tougher. We generally recommend winter treks for those with some prior mountaineering experience. You will also need additional, warm clothing layers.

Your head guide is Lahouceine

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run Atlas Vertical, based in Asni.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Lahouceine