High Atlas Valleys Tour 9 Days

Welcome at the Marrakech airport, transfer to your riad. The rest of the day is at leisure to unwind or explore the vibrant city. Overnight stay at the riad, and dinner at your leisure.

Your guide and driver will meet you at 8:00 a.m. at the hotel or riad, and depart for Demnat. A picnic lunch stop en route will follow, before arriving at the entrance to the Aït Bougmez Valley, in the village of Tighza (1,700 m). The first hike will take you through the Tamzrite Gorge to the village of Aït Saïd (1,850 m). Your luggage and other necessary supplies will be dropped off at the lodge by minibus. Walking time: 1.5 hours. Elevation gain: 150 m. Accommodation: Gîte.

After breakfast, departure for a day of exploration through the villages of Ait Bouguemez. Visit the Ait Imi springs and dinosaur tracks. Cross the Adazen Pass to reach the other side of the valley. Lunch in nature. Return to the gîte via several mud-brick villages. Mountain biking option available. Arrival at the gîte for shower, dinner, and overnight stay.

From the village of Agouti, the starting point of the hike, we climb to Tafanfante via the Arous Gorge. We leave the verdant valleys behind to immerse ourselves in a much more mountainous atmosphere. We meet the transhumant shepherds and their flocks who spend the summer in the stone Azib (sheepfolds). Magnificent view overlooking the Ait Bougmez Valley. Descent to the grassy Tafanfante Plateau. Bivouac on the banks of the river at 2,250 meters. Walking time: 5-6 hours. Elevation gain: 600 m.

Departing from the bivouac around 8:00 a.m., we head up the riverbed through a boxwood forest. A gradual climb leads to the Aghouri Pass at 3,400 meters, offering a panoramic view of the Mgoun summit. We descend to the Tarkeddit Plateau at the foot of Mgoun, where we set up camp. Walking time: 5.5-6 hours. Elevation gain: 1,100 m. Elevation loss: 500 m.

Very early in the morning, climb to the summit of M'Goun. At 4,068 m, it is the highest point in the central High Atlas. A gradual climb and a trail along the ridge lead you directly to the summit, offering a beautiful panorama. Return by the same route. If the ascent is not possible due to weather conditions: Hike and explore the high-altitude pastures, nomadic territory, chasms, and the Wandras Gorge from above. Walking time: 9-11 hours. Elevation gain/loss: 1,200 m.

Cross the pass above the Wandras Gorge at an altitude of 3,000 m. Descend along the Asdrem trail, which leads to the Wandras Waterfall. Reach Oued Tassaout to begin our day's hike with your feet in the water (bring shoes for walking in water). Lunch will be a picnic near the waterfall. Return and overnight at the bivouac (2,200 m). Walking time: 6-7 hours. Elevation gain: 500 m. Elevation loss: 1,000 m.

After breakfast, cross the first villages of the Tessaout Valley in a striking contrast of colors where the pinks and reds of the earth contrast with the shades of green of the crops. Arrival in Amezri, then continue to Imi n'Ikis n'Ichbaken. Lunch and take the 4x4s, descending along the Tessaout Wadi, passing villages clinging to the mountainside through an increasingly narrow valley. Visit the Imi n'Ifri natural bridge. Arrival in Marrakech in the evening. Walking time: approximately 4 hours.