Luxury Atlas Mountain trek and Sahara Desert tour /7 days

Trekking Adventures

Ultimate Atlas Mountains & Sahara Expedition: Peaks and Deserts

INFORMATION:

This combined Atlas Mountain and Sahara Desert trip is a complete and varied experience allowing you to explore the High Atlas mountains and climb the highest peak in North Africa (Mt Toubkal 4,167 m).

You will be driven through the stunning Atlas rage to the south of the country where you well see scenic landscapes, gorges, kasbahs, the Sahara and more.

Highlights

Visit some of the more remote areas of the High Atlas

An insight into Berber village life

Stunning panorama from mountain passes

Jebel Toubkal – summit of north Africa’s highest peak

Cross the High Atlas Mountains and its Tizi Ntichka pass

Visit the UNESCO world heritage site of Ait Ben Hadou village

Enjoy a scenic drive through the Anti-Atlas mountains

Ride a camel in the heart of the Sahara while taking in the dramatic sunset

Sleep under the stars in Sahara tents

Visit Todgha Gorge and drive across the Valley of the Roses

TOUR PLAN:

• Day 1: Marrakech – Imlil – Toubkal Refuge (3,200m) :
  We will pick you up from your Hotel/riad in Marrakech at 8:00 a.m. then drive to Imlil where we will start our walk. Our friendly muleteers will deal with your luggage, food & all other equipment you will need. An experienced local mountain guide will take you through the Berber villages along a mule trail which leads up to the mountain by way of the legendary shrine of Sidi Chamhrouch (2,500 m) where you will enjoy a tasty lunch. After a short break, we will continue on to the Toubkal refuge base camp (3,200 m),
• Day 2: Toubkal Refuge – Toubkal Summit – Toubkal Refuge :
  Early the next morning you will begin your hike up to the summit of Mt. Toukbal, the highest peak in Northern Africa. The trail takes us up the south cirque, crossing the stream above the refuge. The hike is relatively straightforward, but the scree and the altitude will make the going quite difficult in parts. The views along the way make the effort more than worthwhile. When you reach the summit you will get a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape, with unrestricted views in every direction from the Marrakesh Plain to the High Atlas in the north and as far south as the Anti-Atlas and the Sahara. Afterwards you will retrace your steps and return down the mountain, heading back to Toubkal Refuge where you will spend the night.
• Day 3: Toubkal Refuge – Imlil (Armed village) :
  This is an easy day compared to the previous one. After breakfast we will head down to Chamharouch where we will stop for lunch, after which we will walk to Imlil where you will spend the night in the Berber village of Armed. In the evening you can enjoy an authentic refreshing Moroccan Hammam.
• Day 4: Imlil – Ouarzazat – Dades Gorges
  Following an invigorating walk after breakfast you will drive through Tizi-n-Tichka (2,260m) and pass through Ouarzazat, AKA “the door of the desert”. This is a popular filming location, with Morocco’s biggest studios producing many international and Hollywood movies, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999) and many others. You will enjoy lunch there after visiting the Atlas Studio, then we will continue on to Dedes Gorge, where you will spend the night at a hotel located in the spectacular gorge. Before arriving you will stop at the rose valley of Kalat Mgouna, where people celebrate a rose water festival every May, and there are many beautiful rose products on offer to anyone interested. We will spend the night in a hotel overlooking the gorge.
• Day 5: Dades Gorges – Toudra gorgest – Merzouga
  After breakfast we will check out of the hotel and drive through the colorful Berber villages of the Dedes Valley, passing through Tinghir with its beautiful palm groves and old Jewish Quarter. Then on through the Toudra Gorges where you will have the chance to take an easy walk around the canyons, which are nearly 300 meters high. The canyon is well known for rock climbing. After that you will have lunch in the town of Tinjdad and then continue on to the awe-inspiring Sahara Desert, where your camels will be waiting to take you on an overnight adventure in the Sahara dunes. On the 90-minute camel ride, you will enjoy the breathtaking Sahara sunset on your way to the bivouac in the dunes of Erg Chabbi. After arriving at the Berber tents where we will spend the night, you will be free to explore the dunes. After dinner you will enjoy a roaring fire and Saharan music under the stars in the clear Moroccan sky.
• Day 6: Merzouga – Agdez – Ait Ben Hadou
  Wake up early to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise over the Saharan dunes. Return by a 90-minute camel ride to the center of the village of Merzouga. Here you can have a refreshing shower to wash off the Saharan sand and enjoy a healthy breakfast. You will then be taken in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle to Agdez via the Draa Valley, where you will have the option of walking one to two hours through the palm oasis and the Berber villages, after which you will sit down to a nice lunch in Agdez. In the afternoon we will travel on to the stunning Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah. Here you will spend your third night in a hotel or guest house in the old village.
• Day 7: Ait Ben Haddou – Kasbah Talout – Marrakech
  After breakfast you can enjoy a one-hour walk around the old Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ait Ben Haddou is a fortified village along the ancient caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. In Ait Ben Haddou you will see the traditional Moroccan architecture of the Kasbahs. This is an ancient trading hub, and a recent location for filming many series, including Game of Thrones. After this you will be driven along scenic roads, colorful landscapes and Berber villages as we make our way to Talouat, where we will stop to visit the Kasbah of Kaid lglaoui. Finally we will travel through the Atlas Mountains, arriving back in Marrakech at around 4:00 pm.

TOUR GALLERY:

INCLUDED & EXCLUDED: