Morocco

Toubkal (4,167m)

122

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.

Accommodation in Riad Bab Imlil.

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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, and you can also get fresh orange juice from one of the local stools. Afterwards you continue for another 3 hours to Toubkal base camp, where you’ll stay for the night.

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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 hours to Imlil.

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Day 4: Return to Marrakech

After a relaxing breakfast, you will be taken back to Marrakech at 10am from Imlil. It will take 1h30-2h to drive to either Marrakech airport or to the main 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).

122 verified reviews

Rated 5.0
Jim
Jim

(Feb 2023)

Good experience and great trekking but no Toubkal as closed due to amount of snow. This happened 3 days before we arrived and skyhook could have informed us

Stuart
Stuart

(Jan 2023)

A great trip, organisation was second to none, the guides and muleteers and chef were exceptional. Nothing was too much. Safety was paramount, we didn’t reach Toubkal but the alternative climb’s arranged on the hoof were great. Thoroughly recommended.

Brent
Brent

(Jan 2023)

Absolute great trip/adventure! Really easy to book with skyhook and when we got to morroco the guys there were amazing . Life changing experience and I’d love to revisit ..

FAQs

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 especially between Dec till end March. 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 (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) & crampons (6€) ice axe (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.

Included: - Guides, porters and muleteers - Airport transfers - Accommodation in camp or in the refuge depending on season. - Food & purified water Excluded: - International flights - Tips - Any visa fees (not needed for UK citizens) - Personal travel/rescue insurance - mountain equipment

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.

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

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 stay in a hostel in Imlil and a mountain hut on the mountain. The lodge will offer twin 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 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.

Yes, you can leave anything you don't need.

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

Start: Your guide will meet you at the airport at 8pm (just outside arrivals). Alternatively they can meet you at 7.30pm 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, as it's just a short bus/taxi ride from the airport (around 10-15 EUR by taxi). For return transfer from Imlil to Marrakech kech Airport , you will be transported from Imlil at 10am. You will arrive at the airport at about 12-Noon so should not book flights before 14:00 (allowing 2 hours for check-in). You can also be dropped in Marrakech city, also at about 12:30, if you would like to stay on.

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 any spring water.

Yes! Many people choose to do this, and you can use the trip Facebook Group to arrange to meet other people from your team.

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

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

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.

Yes - all trips are guaranteed, even with only one person. In practice however most trips get fully booked up.

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