Kasbah Bab Ourika

Imperial Cities by Rail

Foodie Culture & History + 1 more + 2 more

Ride the rails on a journey through Morocco’s historic heart.

12 days

from £3,320 pp

Ultimate Morocco

Off-the-beaten-track Ultimate + 2 more + 3 more

A 21-day adventure through Morocco’s cities, mountains, and desert.

21 days

from £8,385 pp

Best of Morocco

Classic Adventure + 2 more + 3 more

An action-packed adventure through Morocco’s must-sees.

14 days

from £4,580 pp

Marrakesh, Mountains & Ocean

Classic Beach + 1 more + 2 more

A classic Moroccan trio: Marrakesh, the Atlas Mountains & Essaouira.

11 days

from £2,455 pp

Northern Circuit of Morocco

Foodie Culture & History + 1 more + 2 more

A journey around Morocco's lesser-visited northern highlights.

10 days

from £3,620 pp

Journey to the Sahara

Off-the-beaten-track Adventure

Luxury desert camps, Berber culture, and endless landscapes.

10 days

from £3,550 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in Morocco

4x4 Berber Trails

Today you will head off on our Berber Trails excursion, in a 4x4 exploring some of the more remote areas of the High Atlas Mountains. Initially you are on the beaten path as you head to the popular Lalla Takerkoust lake, before driving off the tarmac roads to the village of Ouarialt to meet a local family and visit an educational centre supported by our local agents. You then drive ever upwards to the remote Kik Plateau, a place of wide-open vistas, scenic roads, and very few visitors, before descending into the lush valley of Asni and on to the olive groves of Marigha, where you will stop for lunch. There will then be the option to walk down the valley to the salt vats before heading back to your accommodation.

High Atlas Traverse (3 days)

This trek crosses the roof of the High Atlas, from the valley of Imlil to the ski resort of Oukaimden; there are some high passes to cross and remote valleys to explore, without ever reaching the very tops of the mountains. Your trek begins a few miles short of Imlil where you meet your guides, porters and mules, then head off up your first pass, the Aguer Sioual pass. Descending on the other side, you stop for a picnic lunch beside a stream, before following the stream for the afternoon to your campsite in Tigouna at 2,500m. Your second day begins with a climb to the highest point of the trek, the Tacheddirt pass at 3,200m. At the col you’ll enjoy some spectacular views over the mountains before descending through woodlands to Ibassene village for some lunch. The afternoon is spent climbing to the remote village of Agouns, where the locals will greet you with mint tea before you settle into your camp for the night at 2,600m. Your final day also begins with a steep, switch-backing climb to the Ouattar Pass at 3,100m. It’s literally downhill all the way from here, breaking the journey beside a natural spring for lunch before continuing to the ski resort of Oukaimden where you’ll meet up with your vehicle again. Total 16hrs walk over the three days at a demanding level (ideally requiring some mountain experience).

Go Berber!

'Go Berber!' is a wonderful local living excursion, immersing you in the daily life of an authentic mountain community. The round-trip through lush Ourika Valley and dramatic Atlas landscapes by luxurious SUV will be your only non-Berber experience on this eye-opening, hands-on adventure. Bake bread and prepare tagine in the kitchen of a village family and get to know them better over a pot of traditional mint tea – made by you! The conversation should also start to flow, with a little help from your guide. While lunch is simmering, get your hands stuck into wet clay in a ceramics workshop. Later, try your hand at weaving a colourful kilim with the local women behind their prized ancestral looms, and walk the farm terraces to see the sweated labour that goes into ancient irrigation and subsistence farming methods. You’ll also meet the community’s youngest members at the charity pre-school centre where little Berbers learn Arabic in preparation for big school.

Half-Day Imlil and Armed Hike

This three-hour walking excursion heads out from just above the village of Imlil, one of the most scenic parts of the Atlas Mountains region. You firstly meet your professional mountain guide at the hotel and follow the footpath uphill through small Berber villages and fertile fields covered by various kind of fruit trees including walnut, apples and cherries. From here you continue along a dirt track uphill to Armed village (at an altitude of 2,000m) where you will stop for a glass of mint tea with the locals and learn their way of life. At this point you'll be right in the heart of the spectacular scenery, with views back down to Imlil and down into the valley. If you’re walking in spring or early summer, you may still be able to spot snow on the mountaintops. After your refreshing break you'll continue your walk downhill, through a narrow street in the village to join the dirt track for a gentle stroll along Mizane Valley, enjoying the panoramic view of Mount Toubkal. You carry on downhill to return to Imlil and head back to your hotel.

Jebel Toubkal Ascent (3 days)

Bagging Toubkal, the highest mountain in north Africa, is within the reach of most people of a reasonable level of fitness and with some experience of hiking and mountains. At 4,167m it is high enough that altitude sickness can be an issue for some, but for the majority it is still manageable as a 3-day trek. Your first day begins in Imlil, where you meet your guide, porters and mules. Setting off up towards the distantly-visible Toubkal, the road takes you to the village of Armoud, after which you take a zig-zagging mule path that hugs the side of a small, forested river valley up to Sidi Chamharouch. Here you’ll see the shrine of the eponymous saint, and shortly beyond the village is a small set of waterfalls, the ideal spot for your picnic lunch. You then follow another river valley for most of the afternoon, just beneath the ridgeline, before the outline of the Neltner Refuge becomes visible on the skyline. It takes another hour to reach it, where you’ll be glad to eat the great trail supper prepared by the cook and fall into your tent. Day two begins with an early start and you head out of camp to tackle the steep climb over streams and scrambling up rock faces into one of the cwms on the southern side of the summit. Depending on the time of year, it’s about now you’ll begin to encounter snow. You trek along the base of the cwm before putting in one last big effort to zigzag your way up the scree slope to the summit ridge. From here it’s a relatively short hike to the summit cone, from where your view stretches way across the desert valleys of the south almost towards the Sahara, and looking northwards over the High Atlas and the route you’ve just come. After enjoying the views and a restorative snack and drink, you begin the descent, covering the same trail to the village of Armoud, where you spend your second night camping. Your last day is a short one, requiring just a one hour walk back to Imlil where you meet your vehicle. Total 15hrs walk over the three days at a demanding level with fitness and mountain experience required.