Morocco

Toubkal (4,167m)

162

Hike North Africa's Tallest Mountain - 4 Days.

Itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Imlil (1,740m)

You will be picked up from marrakech city center (Hotel Ali cafe)at 7h30 PM or from Marrakech Airport at 8:00 PM, and then driven to the mountain village of Imlil. Here you can enjoy your welcome dinner, and take in the panoramic views of the High Atlas mountains.

All food, accommodation and transfers are included on this trip.

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Day 2: Hike to Refuge de Toubkal (3,207m)

In the morning 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 up lunch. Don't miss the chance to buy fresh orange juice from one of the local stalls. Afterward, we continue for another 3 hours to Toubkal base camp, where you’ll stay for the night.

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Day 3: Toubkal Summit (4,167m)

You start very early at around 5am, you will have breakfast. After this, we begin the hike with a slow and steady pace upwards.

After 2-3 hours you’ll aim to reach the summit of Mt Toubkal (4,167m) at sunrise! From here you can look down from the snowy summit, to the green Anti-Atlas mountains, and then finally the vast Sahara desert! After taking some time to enjoy the views, we’ll then head downhill for 6-7 hours to Imlil.

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Day 4: Return to Marrakech

After a relaxing breakfast, you will be taken back to Marrakech at 10 am from Imlil. It takes 1h30-2h to drive to Marrakech where you will be dropped either at the airport or to the city center. You will arrive at the airport at about 12-Noon so should not book flights before 14:00 (allowing 2 hours for check-in).

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What's Included

Included
  • Transport from Marrakech to Imlil.
  • Accommodation in Imlil with diner and breakfast.
  • Mountain guide.
  • Mules to carry the luggage and food.
  • Well-prepared food by our cook.
  • Mineral water 1.5L per person per day.
  • Accommodation in camp or refuge at 3200m.
  • Last night accommodation in Imlil with diner and breakfast.
  • Transfer from Imlil to Marrakech.
Not Included
  • International and local flights.
  • Extra mineral water.
  • Mountain equipment rental.
  • Tips and gratuities.
  • Travel insurance.

Rated 5.0

162 verified reviews

Jonathan
Jonathan

(Aug 2023)

Amazing trip from start to finish, very well organised. Our guide Abdo set a great pace, always answered any questions we had and got us all to the summit. Make sure to visit Marrakech for a few days also. Will be booking more tours through skyhook in the future.

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Charlotte
Charlotte

(Aug 2023)

We’ve just returned from our amazing 2 day hike up Toubkal mountain, yes it was tough at times but I couldn’t fault our experience . We were picked up from our accommodation in Marrakesh, driven to Imlil, where we stayed in a riad, clean, comfy and good food. After breakfast the next day, we met our guide, Abdul, he was excellent!! his english was good, he chatted to us all through the hike, pointing out places of interest. He paced the walk perfectly, I don’t think all of our group we’d have made it to the summit if he hadn’t set the pace so perfectly on the 2nd day, which started with breakfast at 3.30am!! The views at the summit made the early start so worth while, amazing. I would highly recommend this trip!!!

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Theresa
Theresa

(Aug 2023)

We had an amazing trip to Mount Toubkal. Our tour guides were excellent. They were very helpful all throughout the journey. We were well fed, well looked after and just had an amazing time. Special thanks to Jawab, Muhammad, the cook and muleteers.

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Paul
Paul

(Aug 2023)

From start to finish it was the best adventure ive ever been on,the hospitality of the people that helped us along our way was 100% amazing,the food was amazing and ive already recommended this trip to other's and i will be back to do more.

alice
alice

(Aug 2023)

Incredible, nicest food, nicest people, best guide (abdul). Felt safe, happy, excited, challenged and really looked after. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but an experience I will never forget. We had a great group who we really made friends with as well as the team looking after us, we really felt the love the whole time from everyone. They go above and beyond. They even presented my best friend with a birthday platter up in base camp which made her cry, it was an unforgettable kindness and we will treasure our time in the Atlas mountains! :)

FAQs

Before you go

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) • 2 pairs of thick wool hiking 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 (A 2-3 season bag, which is one that can withstand temperatures as low as 5°C or -5°C (for winter) Available to rent @ £5) • 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)

The summit day can be 9-12 hours (with lots of breaks) so you do need a good level of fitness. We recommend training with jogging or sport 1-2 times a week, in the run-up to your trip.

Please see 'Inclusions & Exclusions' section above.

You can see the latest NHS advice at https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/africa/morocco.

Yes, you can leave anything you don't need at the lodge. You will have a chance to pick it up when you come back after your trek.

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

Yes - all trips are guaranteed, even with only one person.

We would recommend a good pair of hiking boots. They need to be warm, waterproof and have good ankle support. For those a little technically minded, a B2 boot, or similar would be ideal. Crampons and ice axes are available for rent in Imlil. Here's a list of equipment we have available to rent (prices are for the entire trek); - Crampons: £6 - Ice axe: £5 - Gloves: £2 - Rain jacket: £3 - Sleeping bag: £5

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.

The weather will usually go from one extreme to another, with highs of 30°C in Marrakech and lows of around -10°C (with patches of snow) on the summit of Toubkal. Here is a general guideline of what to expect each season; Winter (Nov – Mar) Winter can be quite cold on Mt Toubkal, with snow on the summit and temperatures dropping as low as -20 °C. March starts to warm up with a higher chance of rain. Shoulder Season (Apr– May & Oct) Temperatures at lower altitudes can reach 26°C, with little chance of rain. Summit temperatures can still drop as low as -10°C with wind chill. Summer (Jun-Sep) June has a higher chance of rain but stays fairly warm, July to September 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 stay in a hostel in Imlil and a mountain hut on the mountain. The lodge offers twin-share rooms, with intermittent internet access and warm showers. The mountain refuge is very basic, and hot showers are not always available. Toilets are also very basic. Snacks are available to purchase at these huts. It is worth taking small denominations of cash, as they sometimes do not have change available.

You will follow a sensible acclimatization 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. Immediately notify your guide if you are experiencing any symptoms (headache/nausea) as soon as you feel them.

Each group is typically 12 people, with a maximum of 14.

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

Start: Your guide will meet you at the airport at 8 pm (just outside of arrivals). Alternatively, they can meet you at 7.30 pm at Hotel Ali in the Old Medina (Jemaa el-Fnaa). If you have arrived early, we definitely recommend you spend a few hours exploring Marrakech city. It's just a short bus/taxi ride from the airport (around 10-15 EUR by taxi). Return: Transfer from Imlil to Marrakech Airport, you will be transported from Imlil at 10 am. You will arrive at the airport at about 12-Noon. Please do not book flights before 14:00 as you will need to allow 2 hours for check-in. You can also be dropped in Marrakech city, also at about 12:30, if you would like to extend your trip.

Wifi is available in the hotels on the first and last nights, however, it can be unreliable given the remote location. There is usually internet available in the mountain refuge, but the signal can be poor.

Other FAQs

Yes! Many people choose to do this. You can use the trip Facebook Group/ Skyhook chat to arrange to meet other people from your team.

The muleteers have been trained by a UK-based vet on ethical treatment of the mules. They use modern harnesses and follow strict weight limits.

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.

These are our recommendations for extending your stay in Marrakech - Hotel Ali ( basic) good position - Riad Assia - Riad Omar - Riad Al Omara ( luxury) - Riad Africa ( luxury) - Hotel Chems ( 4stars Hotel)

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