8 Days Combination of Atlas Trek and
Desert trip
Day1: Transfer from Marrakech to
Agersioual, meet the team ; guide, cook and muleteers then set off on first
day which will be an acclimatisation trek in the Ouirgane National Park. The
terrain here is gentler with copper green soil and juniper trees. Overnight in
Gite in a Berber Village of Tizian. Aprox. 4-5 hrs walking time. (B,L,D)
Day2: After breakfast you値l head up and
out of the valley and traverse over to the stunning Azzaden Valley. The views
open up with a rushing mountan stream surrounded by lush walnut groves leading
up towards Toubkal and her sister peaks at the head of the Valley. Overnight in
a village Gite or camping. Aprox. 7 hourswalking. (B,L,D)
Day3: Today involves a fairly stiff climb
out of the Azzadene Valley to the Toubkal Refuge past the the Ighouliden
waterfalls and over the Aguelzim Mountain pass at 3,560m. Lunch will be taken
with spectacular views over the Atlas Mountain Range. Overnight in the Toubkal
Refuge (Niltner Hut) at 3,200m where you値l likely be sharing a bunk room with
other trekkers tackling Toubkal early the next morning. Aprox. 7 hours walking.
(B,L,D)
Day4: Up early for the climb up Toubkal
(4,167m) from where, clouds allowing, you値l have wonderful views over the Atlas
Range and the Sahara Desert then a long way back down past the refuge and the
well-worn path back to Imlil. This is a fairly long day with 8-9 hours of
trekking, involving 900m up then almost 2,500m back down to Imlil! Where you
will spend the night in Dar Adrar guesthouse.
Day 5:
Imlil - Dades Valley
You will be picked up from your accommodation in Imlil at 9.00am and head out
over the Atlas Mountains, driving over the stunning Tizi-n-Tichka mountain pass.
You値l pass through lots of Berber villages, and once you池e in the desert,
you値l see riverside oases and barren hillsides dotted with kasbahs (fortified
dwellings that house families and their livestock). Along the way, you will have
the option either to take a break and visit the Ouarzazate Film Studios or stop
for a hike. Once you reach Dades Gorge, you have the option of going for a hike,
or relaxing at your hotel. Overnight in Dades. (Total driving time 4 - 5 hours)
( HB)
Day 6: Dades Valley -
Todra Gorge - Merzouga
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from the Dades Valley to Todra Gorge - a
massive fault dividing the High Atlas mountains, rising up 300 metres in a
narrow valley with palmeries and Berber villages. Here, you can go for a hike to
explore the palmery, a green oasis full of large date palms. After lunch you値l
head further into the desert to the gateway town of Merzouga to pick up supplies
for your desert trip. You will then drive on to a kasbah to pick up your camel.
At sunset, you値l trek for an hour-and-a-half by camel to a Berber camp where
you will enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner, and sleep under the stars or in
tents at a desert camp. (Total driving time 3 - 4 hours) ( HB)
Day 7: Merzouga - Ait
Benhaddou
Wake to a desert sunrise and then return to the kasbah by camel. You will then
have a chance to freshen up and enjoy a breakfast. Once you are refreshed, you
will head out of the desert for a drive to Ait Benhaddou. This is an ancient
fortified city containing countless kasbahs and has been the atmospheric subject
of numerous hollywood movies (The Mummy, Gladiator, Alexander, Lawrence of
Arabia...) You will have the chance to walk around the buildings and explore
with your guide. You will overnight in a hotel close to Ait Benhaddou. (Total
driving time 5 - 6 hours) ( HB)
Day 8: Ait Benhaddou -
Marrakech
Travel along the Ounilla Valley to the Telouet Kasbah, a crumbling kasbah that
was once an important stop for traders. Explore the Kasbah and then after lunch,
you will head back over the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass to Marrakech (Total driving time
2 - 3 hours). ( B)
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