Morocco Hiking Adventure

Day 1: Welcome to Morocco!

Are you ready to turn a dream into reality? Your Moroccan adventure begins right now, as you step into the crowded arrivals, where a friendly face will greet you. After a quick drive to your hotel, it’s time to finally meet your fellow hikers over dinner. . Swap stories and chat about what’s to come as you start to forge bonds that will get stronger each day. Camino crew – let’s do this!

Accommodation: 2Ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel (Standard Room, B&B)
Included: Welcome Dinner

Day 2: Marrakech

Marrakesh hits fast. This morning starts in the local market, where spices, fresh mint – and yes, donkey dung – hang in the air as you shop  Moroccan-style with your guide. Don’t expect to recognise everything! Your local guide will unlock the mysteries of the market and help you magic up an authentic tagine for lunch. Which Camino Woman is a MasterChef in disguise?

The medina is  a maze of covered lanes and dead-end alleyways – easy to lose your bearings in, and part of the fun. Pass beneath beams strung with bright wool, past the clatter of metalworkers’ hammers and the dye pits where wiry men dunk hides in stinking vats. At dusk, retreat to a stylish rooftop bar for a sundowner with your new friends. For supper, follow the smoke from Djemaa-el-Fna’s charcoal grills…

Accommodation: 2Ciels Luxury Boutique Hotel (Standard Room, B&B)
Included: Breakfast, Cooking Class Lunch

Day 3: Marrakech to Tizi Oussem

Ease into the first day designed to get your legs moving. On a well-graded mule path, amble through the centuries-old terraces and ancient walnut groves of the Tassa Ouirgane valley.From here on, feet replace wheels. As you reach the village of Tiziane, give a cheery wave to the kids on their way to school.

Climb steadily and pace yourself – your future high-altitude-tackling self will be grateful for it. Today’s goal is to follow the river and reach the village of Tizi Oussem, 400 metres higher than where you started, by late afternoon. Bed down in a simple but comfortable mountain gîte and sleep soundly until daybreak.

Accommodation: Gîte Tizi Oussem (Private rooms, shared bathrooms with hot showers)
Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

What’s a Mountain Gite, Anyway?

Ever heard of a mountain gîte? If not, you’re in for a treat! It’s basically where we crash during our Moroccan hikes. These traditional village houses are a far cry from luxury hotels, but they offer the real deal Amazigh experience, and that’s priceless.

Inside a gîte you’ll find snug rooms, chill-out low couches, and lots of eclectic local décor. The coolest part? These aren’t just a one-off stop on the itinerary. You’ll be bunking in these cool pit stops for a few nights during your Morocco trip. Once you’ve swapped stories with your fellow Camino Women on a gîte’s terrace under the stars, you’re bonded for life. 

So, grab a blanket and settle in!

Day 4: Tizi Oussem to Mzik

This is the point when things ramp up a notch – expect to walk for at least five hours today compared to yesterday’s two. All the ‘I’m actually doing this’ moments will start kicking in as you tackle a route that ascends to 2,450 metres through the Azzaden valley.

Your challenging trail up is lined with small rewards: detours to tucked-away waterfalls and sights of local shepherds who tend their flocks just as their ancestors did. 

After a restorative picnic, it’s downhill for the rest of the day! Focus your attention on reaching Mzik and descend through groves of juniper trees, their trunks twisted and pleated with the ravages of age. From Mzik, take in the view across to the Toubkal massif, your reward for that not-inconsiderable effort and a glimpse of what’s to come.

Accommodation: Gîte Mzik (Private rooms, shared bathrooms with hot showers)
Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Mzik to Toubkal Basecamp

Brace yourself – today’s no walk in the park. Channel your inner tortoise as you zig-zag uphill, gaining 1,107 metres in one day, with the high altitudes starting to kick in (if they haven’t already).

Up here, it feels like the hills go on forever and on our increasingly crowded planet, views like this are few and far between.  Incredibly, this is only the prelude to something even more special. Eventually, you and your Camino tribe will reach the refuge. Rest, compare blisters, but don’t chat for too long. You’re going to need plenty of rest in preparation for the final leg tomorrow!

Accommodation: Refuge les Mouflons (Dormitory style accommodation)
Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Summit day

Pray the weather gods are on side as you prepare to conquer North Africa’s highest peak. To summit Toubkal, you’ll rise early – by afternoon, the clouds build and the wind picks up. Headlamps on, your tribe will pick the way along the scree path that hugs the peak’s south ridge in the dark.

It’s a truly magical moment as you stand at the south col, 3,800 metres above sea level and watch the sun’s rays signal the dawn of a new day.

That’s 660 metres done, 300 to go! The last push to the top involves some scrambling over loose rock – but no climbing at least! Finally, at 4,167 metres up, everything else is forgotten as you take in the scene: stellar views of the Atlas range all around, the southern desert haze shimmering to the south and the glint of the Atlantic Ocean out west. You made it! 

Accommodation: Refuge les Mouflons (Dormitory style accommodation)
Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Basecamp to Aroumd

Who’s in a celebratory mood after yesterday’s massive achievement? Well done, you! Now, after a leisurely breakfast, let’s get you down to somewhere the air’s less rarefied for some well-deserved R&R. Gravity harnessed, it’s only going to take the group three hours to get back down to 2,000 metres, where a real treat’s in store. 

After a yummy lunch at the mountain gîte that’s your base for the night, spend the afternoon at a traditional hammam. Say goodbye to all that dirt with an authentic, Moroccan-style deep clean – think steam bath, scrub and massage. 

See ya, knotted muscles, now let’s eat! Celebrate over dinner as you swap stories and relive favourite parts of the trek. And – oh the bliss – a comfortable bed, sure to be a rather welcome step up from last night at the refuge.

Accommodation: Local Gîte, Aroumd (Private rooms)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Celebration Dinner

Day 8: Aroumd to M’goun Valley via Skoura

After the stark beauty of Toubkal, today’s landscapes form the striking backdrop to a road trip you won’t forget any time soon. Kick off with a scenic drive up and over the fabled Tizi n’Tichka pass. At 2,260m, this is the highest road pass in Morocco. Clamber out for a photo stop, selfies obligatory, before descending to the Skoura oasis.

What a contrast this is… kilometre after kilometre of stands of date palms towering over historic kasbahs and modern-day villages. That warm Berber hospitality that you’ve come to love shines through again as you lunch at a local restaurant and nose around a village known for its pottery.

This afternoon, we have a special visit planned for you. Let’s just say you’ll be  stopping to smell the roses literally this time.

Accommodation:  Tighanimin Guesthouse, M’goun Valley (Private rooms with ensuite)
Included:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive: 5-6 hours with stops

Day 9: M’goun Valley

This morning, wander through the rose fields at a leisurely pace, following dusty paths and fording streams. You’ll stumble across Berber settlements, and don’t be surprised when you get an oh-so-welcoming invite to visit one of the families. They’ll share a meal with you and let you into their daily life with open arms.Shadow the locals as they work in the fields or ride a mule to cover more ground in this unspoilt valley.

As the afternoon draws to a close, experience a henna ceremony at the guesthouse. All dolled up, you’ll feast on local dishes and dance to Berber music with your welcoming hosts. They play their instruments as it’s part of who they are, making this a wonderful way to get to know them.

Accommodation: Tighanimin Guesthouse, M’goun Valley (Private rooms with ensuite)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch at local family home, Dinner

Day 10: M’goun Valley to Nkob via Saghro

In this part of Morocco, even a simple travel day has the potential to be soul-stirring. Over the course of three hours, you’ll cross the Saghro range, admire the stunning rock formations of the Dades Valley and climb steadily to the Tizi n’Tazazert Pass. Not bad for half a day’s worth of adventuring!

The road takes you to Nkob, an oasis settlement known for its many kasbahs – it’s estimated 45 of these mud brick fortresses cluster here, more than in any other village of this size. Take an evening stroll to get a better look, ambling through the palm groves as your mind inevitably flits to what’s ahead.

Accommodation: Hotel Kasbah Baha Baha, Nkob
Included: : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive: ~3 hours

Day 11: Nkob to Erg Chegaga via M’hamid

History connoisseurs will love this day, as a historic caravan route takes you to a 17th century Quranic library in Tamgroute. Over there, you’ll get to see ancient manuscripts written on gazelle leather, definitely worth the drive. 

At a nearby pottery cooperative, you’ll turn into a ceramics expert for a moment, while you inspect the wares bearing an unusual green glaze.One history and one art adventure later, you’re finally here.  In M’hamid, the gateway to the Morocco’s southern desert, you’ll clamber into 4x4s for the 90-minute drive on to Erg Chegaga. You’ll arrive at this luxury camp in time for sunset where you’ll dine under the desert stars for the first time. Can you believe you were at Morocco’s highest peak just a few days ago?

Accommodation:  Erg Chegaga Luxury Desert Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive: ~5 hours total

Day 12: Full Day at Erg Chegaga

If you feel up to dragging yourself out of bed while it’s still dark, you will almost hear the ‘tick’ as you cross off ‘watching the sun come up over the desert’ from your bucket list. Morocco’s vast sea of sand dunes comes alive with your guide, who’ll fill you in on desert ecology and structure, helping you connect more deeply to this landscape.   

Then, another special encounter awaits. You’ll ride a camel across the dunes to meet a nomad family who move seasonally with their goats. As you question Morocco’s last true nomads about their lifestyle, try not to pinch yourself too often.  

Chegaga’s night sky is unreal, so round off this magical day dining under the stars – in the darkness the Milky Way can appear bright enough for you to see your own shadow. As the campfire’s flames dance, hear the mesmerising sound of traditional music.

Accommodation:  Erg Chegaga Luxury Desert Camp (Private ensuite tents, Full Board)
Included:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13: Erg Chegaga to Tifoultoute Oasis

Take one last look at the desert in the soft light of early morning as the 4x4s are loaded ready for your departure. A wow-worthy landscape kicks things off as the cars bump and wind through a vast expanse of flat yet stony terrain, crossing the dry lakebed of Lac Iriqui. Savour the experience – at Foum Zguid you’ll say a wistful goodbye to the desert and pick up a paved road once more.

Settle back into the comfy seats of the minibus as the scenery evolves again. The foothills of the Anti-Atlas appear on the horizon, a smudge of colour at first and then more defined. Your base for tonight is an auberge in the nearby village, where you can rest and reflect.

Accommodation:  Auberge Imi Nyigrane or similar Kasbah
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive: ~5 hours total

Day 14: Tifoultoute to Marrakech via Telouet & Aït Benhaddou

As you cross Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, centuries-old fortresses are the order of the day. The first is a usually-overlooked jewel:: Kasbah Telouet. Even in its weather-worn state, you’d have to be a cultural heathen not to be impressed by its palatial interiors. The intricate tilework, stucco and cedar are evidence of the Glaoui family’s considerable wealth. Traders making the long and arduous desert crossing to offload their wares would also stop at Aït Benhaddou to rest.

Today, your guide will help you unlock the secrets of this ksar – the Moroccan term for a fortified village – an atmospheric ruin easily worthy of its UNESCO World Heritage status. Hours later, on the other side of the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, you’ll still be talking about it when Marrakesh finally appears on the horizon and you gather for a final, celebratory dinner.

Accommodation:  2Ciels Boutique Hotel, Marrakech
Included:  Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner
Drive: ~4-5 hours with stops

Day 15: Departure from Marrakech

It’s time to part ways – for now Firm friendships will stand the test of time and distance, as the shared experiences have created special bonds. As you hug your newly found hiking crew goodbye, promise that you’ll return one day. You’ll see that Morocco has a way of reeling you back in. But for now, the airport and real life awaits.

Included: Breakfast