This 12-day combined program offers the best of Morocco’s contrasting landscapes: the vast Sahara Desert and the soaring High Atlas Mountains.
Your adventure begins in Marrakech, where you’ll discover the vibrant medina before heading south across the Tizi n’Tichka pass towards the Draa Valley and Zagora. Here, your camel caravan awaits to lead you through rolling dunes, oases, and hidden ksours, with nights spent in traditional desert bivouacs under the stars.
After six days of immersion in desert life, the journey continues towards the High Atlas and the charming village of Imlil, gateway to Mount Toubkal. With the support of a local team (guides, muleteers, and cook), you’ll ascend gradually to the Toubkal Refuge before making the early-morning push to the summit (4,167 m). From the top, enjoy breathtaking 360° views over the Atlas, Marrakech plain, and even the distant Atlantic.
The program concludes with a return to Marrakech, where you’ll have time to explore the city’s monuments, gardens, and souks before your departure.
Highlights:
Camel trekking and bivouac in the Sahara Desert
Crossing palm groves and discovering Berber villages
Nights under starry skies in the dunes
Trekking in the High Atlas with local Berber team
Climbing Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa
Cultural immersion in Marrakech
This program is ideal for travelers seeking a complete Moroccan experience, combining desert adventure, mountain trekking, and cultural discovery in one unforgettable journey.
Meet your Berber mountain guide upon arrival at Marrakech airport. Transfer to Hotel Ali, located in the historic heart of Marrakech. Free evening to explore the medina, Djemaa El Fna square, and the souks. Overnight at Hotel Ali.
Early morning departure by minibus or private Land Rover. Cross the Tichka Pass (2,260 m), passing lush valleys, fortified villages (ksours), and Ouarzazate. Continue via the Aït Saoune Pass (1,702 m) into the Draa Valley with its thousands of date palms. Stop in Zagora for water supplies, then continue to Tagounite and the dunes of Nesrate where the caravan of dromedaries awaits. First desert camp among the dunes.
(8 hours drive)
After breakfast, camels are loaded and the caravan sets off. Cross dunes, ksours, and the palm grove of Aït Isfoul before reaching the village of Zaouiat Sidi Saleh for lunch. Continue across a plateau to Tidiri at the foot of Mount Larjam (with its old Jewish cemetery). Desert camp at Tidiri.
(5 hrs walking – 16 km)
Walk around Mount Larjam, follow the Draa riverbed, and cross dunes scattered with tamarisk trees to reach the oasis of Rgabi. After lunch, trek across long dunes to camp near M’hamid, the last village in the Draa Valley.
(5 hrs walking – 17 km)
No wells today – careful water management is required. Follow your guide across sand dunes and ridges while camels skirt the larger dunes. Camp in the romantic dunes of Mezouaria.
(5 hrs walking – 12 km)
Morning walk through dunes to reach the famous Oued Naam well, once used by Paris-Dakar rallies and still a vital water source for nomads. After resupplying, cross a rocky plateau to the oasis of Oum Laalag. Camp before the oasis for a final quiet night in the desert.
(5.5 hrs walking – 19 km)
Farewell to camel drivers and transfer by 4x4 across a rough track (50 km) to meet the minibus. Drive via Zagora, Ouarzazate, the Tichka Pass, and the Ourika Valley to the village of Imlil in the High Atlas. Overnight at Riad Atlas Imlil.
(10 hrs drive, meal stop en route)
Meet the muleteers and trek team. Begin the ascent via the village of Aremd and the shrine of Sidi Chamarouch. Continue up the valley to the Toubkal Refuge at 3,207 m. Optional afternoon climb to a 3,900 m peak if time and energy allow. Dinner and overnight at the refuge.
(+1,400 m ascent, 4–5 hrs walking)
Early morning climb to the summit of North Africa’s highest peak (4,167 m). Enjoy a 360° view stretching from the Sahara to Marrakech and, on clear days, the Atlantic Ocean. Descend to the refuge for lunch, then continue down to Imlil. Evening hammam and celebratory dinner with the local team. Overnight at Riad Atlas Imlil.
(+1,000 m / -2,000 m, 8.5 hrs walking)
Breakfast, then transfer to Marrakech. Free afternoon and evening. Overnight in hotel.
Guided or independent visit of the red city: the medina, souks, gardens, palaces, and the iconic Koutoubia Mosque. Overnight in hotel.
Transfer to Marrakech airport for return flight.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.