Luxury trekking holiday in the Atlas Mountains
Our bestselling Morocco walking holiday is based at one of the country’s most iconic kasbahs – an award-winning ecolodge with panoramic Atlas Mountain views and treks from the front door accompanied by expert mountain guides from local Berber villages.
Luxurious Kasbah stay views of Mount Toubkal stay in Azzaden Valley trekking lodge village to village hikes in Azzaden Valley optional: all day hike passing Lepiney refuge hut optional: all day hikes passing the cols Tizi n’Teouti and Tizi n’Tougdalt
Price
€1036 excluding flights
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More info
Trip reference: DLD (excluding flights and insurance): 1036 EUR per person (Based on 2 people sharing) 724 EUR single supplement.
Included in the price • Private transfers • Qualified guide and muleteer • All food and soft drinks on full board basis.
Description of Luxury trekking holiday in the Atlas Mountains
This trekking holiday in the Atlas Mountains is a tailor made trip, with five nights in a stunning Kasbah outside Imlil. Although we call this a luxury place to stay, we have a slightly different definition of what luxury is all about here. Because this Kasbah is at the heart of the community and, although we have beautiful, luxury rooms, we also cater for a whole mixture of guests who want to explore the mountains.
On this trekking holiday you will have your own personal mountain guide, from the local Berber community, who is there to support you throughout your stay, discussing routes that you may want to explore as well as being a font of knowledge of Berber life in these magnificent mountain environs. Although we are only about an hour and a half from Marrakech, the Kasbah allows you to experience a whole other side to Morocco, walking among peaks that tower over 4000m, the highest being Toubkal itself, the highest peak in North Africa.
The price of this holiday includes all meals, with our fine Moroccan cuisine and hospitality a highlight here for many, although the views out towards Toubkal and the High Atlas are what remains in most people’s minds after they go home. Our Kasbah is at the trailhead for those heading off on the Toubkal climb, but there are many other trails all around for those who still want to explore this terrific terrain. The High Atlas Mountains are home to our guides, whose families and ancestors have walked these ancient foot paths and mule tracks, farming the luscious terraces, tending apple orchards and walnut groves and sheep farming for generations. You will see villages with traditional adobe houses where people farm the land in ways that have been the same for generations and where traditional values and hospitality have been largely unaffected by the outside world.
As well as your mountain guide, you will have the services of a muleteer and mule to carry your bags. And your holiday will also include a night in our trekking lodge, at a more elevated location, with more spectacular views and its own hammam. Some guests choose to extend this trip to include two nights in Marrakech, or two nights in the coastal town of Essaouira.
Map
Price information
€1036 excluding flights
Convert currency:
Trip reference: DLD (excluding flights and insurance): 1036 EUR per person (Based on 2 people sharing) 724 EUR single supplement.
Included in the price • Private transfers • Qualified guide and muleteer • All food and soft drinks on full board basis.
Departure information
This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
Travel guides
Anyone who has swerved their way through a sweltering Marrakech souk might not guess at the peaceful walking trails and cool, unspoiled scenery that l...
Holiday information
Our top tip:
Plastic waste is a nightmare to recycle here, so best take packaging home. Bring refillable bottle and imbibe the mountain spring water for free.
Trip type:
Tailor made.
Activity level:
Moderate/hard. Treks to suit all.
Accomm:
3 nights eco luxury Kasbah, 2 nights luxury trekking lodge.
Included:
Full board accommodation, transfers, guide and muleteer, hammam, local community levy.
Solos:
Solos welcome. Surcharge for single room.
Reviews
32 Reviews of Luxury trekking holiday in the Atlas Mountains
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 25 Sep 2023 by Paul Lee
For me this was a very special trip that really did give a great sense of adventure and very much a physical and mental challenge highly rate all aspects of it and would recommend to all. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Feb 2023 by Gavin Rodgers
The food, accommodation and the landscape was fabulous. As was the hospitality of the Moroccan people... Loved it. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Jan 2023 by Regina Gambino
There was no part of the trip that was not memorable. We enjoyed everything, the warm hospitality, the lovely setting, our guide, hammam, the food (delicious). The most exciting part was the hiking. Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Oct 2022 by Chris -
Fantastic - we really felt that we gained an insight into Berber life. Also stunning scenery & fantastic trekking routes. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Sep 2022 by Jenny Kenny
It was amazing. Loved the variety of scenery, fabulous food, terrific guide, & meeting villagers and getting a sense of their life was memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 18 Apr 2022 by Roddy MacLeod
The views are truly wonderful. The food is excellent. The staff are great. Read full reviewReviewed on 24 Oct 2021 by Linda McDonald
Walking through the small berber villages seeing where the animals stay at night and how the woman care for them. Read full reviewReviewed on 05 Mar 2020 by Guy Crossland
Fantastic-really loved it and would like to get to summit of Toubkal. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Dec 2019 by Marion Hills
Accommodation and all meals were outstanding and beyond expectations. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Dec 2019 by Steve Schinagel
From the moment we were dropped off in the car at the bottom of the village and then had a mule carry out luggage up to the Kasbah, we felt immersed in the Berber culture. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Oct 2019 by James Lee
The most memorable part of the holiday was walking in the remote Azzaden valley through the local villages. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Oct 2019 by Paul Quarry
A beautiful walk - some steep ascents but not too tough. Read full reviewReviewed on 27 Jun 2019 by Mickey Pettiford
The most memorable part of the holiday was the mountains, the weather, the people that looked after us so well Read full reviewReviewed on 13 May 2019 by Fiona Betournay
It was a unique experience walking through the spectacular countryside and going through the Berber villages. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Apr 2019 by Donald Stewart
Marrakech was crazy but great fun. The mountains are just amazing and seeing how the Berbers farm was fascinating. Flowers, apple, cherry and irises, were everywhere. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 Apr 2019 by Maria Thi Mai
Meeting the Berber people, learning the culture, the trek, remote villages and scenery were the most memorable parts of the trip. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Nov 2019 by Andrew Cupit
The most exciting part of the holiday was trekking in the mountains to Azzaden valley and back to Imlil. Read full reviewReviewed on 08 Apr 2018 by Paul Watling
The views are stunning. The accommodation (both in the mountains and in Marrakech) is great. The food is terrific - the best tagine that we had was cooked 'on the hoof' by Ibrahim during our trek back to the Kasbah. The people that we met in the mountains were, without exception, friendly. Everything was superbly organised and presented. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 Apr 2018 by Liz Alun-Jones
Trekking through the Atlas Mountains was the highlight. Excellent. Great staff and lovely accommodation exactly as described on the information. Read full reviewReviewed on 26 Feb 2018 by Craig Perry
The views from the trekking were my favourite part and settling down after a hard days trek to a nice comforting meal and relax. Read full reviewReviewed on 31 Oct 2017 by Lynne Kingsbury
True " Berber hospitality centre" which makes it memorable and special. The location straddled across the valley is stunning, the accommodation was atmospheric and charming. Our room was decorated in Berber style and was very comfortable... Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Jul 2017 by Paul Green
Beautiful scenery, great hospitality and it worked with a family including two teenagers and two less than fit parents, even if we resorted to using the mule a couple of times! Read full reviewReviewed on 15 May 2017 by Marie Jones
Sitting and having dinner by candlelight and chatting with other guests was so lovely. Read full reviewReviewed on 24 Oct 2017 by Gillian Newsum
Reaching the Tizi Oussem pass was the highlight! Also very much enjoyed walking through the Berber villages from the trekking lodge. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Sep 2017 by Stephen Howle
Staying at the Kasbah with its high quality everything, and then trekking across the pass to the Trekking Lodge and seeing the marked difference in the village there compared to Imlil. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Apr 2017 by Mary Flynn
The most memorable part was trekking from Imlil to the Azzedin valley and back, and the amazing "picnic" feasts served on both days. Read full reviewReviewed on 20 Apr 2017 by Ulf Karmeback
The most memorable moment was hiking with our local guide Abdel who is a very gentle and intelligent person to spend time with. Read full reviewReviewed on 19 May 2016 by Colin Ingram
It was a wonderful holiday, the staff, guide, locals and countryside were great. Read full reviewReviewed on 05 May 2015 by Shireen Kassam
Stunning location and great service from all staff involved Read full reviewResponsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) holiday so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet
1. Village labourers used traditional building techniques and local materials in its construction, with everything having to be carried in by hand or on the backs of mules. Power tools could not be used, as electricity didn't arrive in this remote region until 1997.Perched on imposing outcrop 1,800 metres above sea level, the kasbah crowns Imlil Valley with its population of around 5,000 mostly subsistence farmers, whose own fields and walnut, cherry and apple orchards flourish below.
2. Trying to reduce plastic waste. Please help us to make this a reality.
As in many countries, Morocco has a waste disposal problem which here in the inhabited Toubkal National Park can be more noticeable. Rubbish, particularly plastic rubbish, that does not decompose, is one of the main culprits.
Accordingly we are trying to reduce the use of plastic bottles at the Kasbah, as we believe these are unnecessary. We are in the very privileged situation of having safe spring water as our water supply, so we are instigating a new system at the Kasbah based on 2 of the R’s, Reduce and Rethink in relation to plastic water bottles.
Our ultimate aim is that we and our guests will not be a source of plastic water bottle waste. We believe this is possible, as we have a source of safe drinking water and hence bottled water serves no useful purpose.
A NOTE ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE: We work closely with “SPANA” a British charity working for the Protection of Animals abroad.
We only use mules whether ours or hired in that are in good health have Spana bits, are loaded with 60 to 80 kg of baggage and muleteers are discouraged/banned from riding when the mules are loaded. We worked with Spana to produce this website www.imlilvalley.com and associated pdf brochure for use by everyone involved in tourism to encourage good practice in several area’s of sustainable tourism including mule welfare.
People
1. Education for All Morocco Limited EfAM is a charity established in 2006 by Discover Ltd and other friends in Marrakech. EfAM was set up to build boarding houses near to secondary schools in Morocco, providing accommodation and care to girls from remote mountain communities in the High Atlas mountains, enabling them to further their education through the Moroccan state system. Primary education in Morocco is compulsory and readily available to both boys and girls between 7 and 14 years old. However, it is unusual for girls in the High Atlas mountains to continue their education beyond primary level. This is because the nearest secondary school may be over 20km away, and impractical to travel to each day. Many families do not have the financial resources to support their daughters through secondary education. Those that do may lack a family network near to a secondary school to whom they can entrust their daughter. Girls from these communities deserve the opportunity to continue their education.“We believe that if you educate a girl, you begin to educate the next generation.”
Education for All and Discover Ltd organise community work and service projects through which you and your students can make an essential contribution to our ongoing work in Morocco. We have already built 3 boarding houses, which between them accommodate over 100 girls. Through fund raising and practical community work or service projects.
2. All our invoices will incur a 5% charge this is in favour of the local Village Association “Association des Bassins d’Imlil” and Education For All. The Association Bassins d’Imlil covers the whole of the surrounding valleys. This association provides the ambulance that you see in Imlil which provides a service to the local population and visitors, other community projects that have been undertaken include the rubbish clearance system and the provision of the village Hammam. Education For All helps provide college education for girls from the rural High Atlas.
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