Toubkal is the highest peak in the north Africa and the favorite destination for adventure lovers, especially for hikersand trekkers passionate about the mountains and wild nature.

If you are a good trekker and you are looking for a great adventure full of thrills and challenges, you should not miss this impressive hike in the Atlas Mountains.

Toubkal is much more than a standard trekking tour, in fact, it’s an outstanding experiencewhere you will have the chance to discover the authenticity of the Moroccan Atlas, the picturesque Berber villages and the beautiful mountainlandscapes.

In this article, we will present some useful information about how to organize a successful ascent to Mount Toubkal and we will discover together the highlights of thistop recommended tour.

What should you know about climbing Toubkal?

With an altitude of approximately 4116 meters, Toubkal is considered one of the highest accessible peaks in the world. The ascent of this famous mountain does not require any special technical level or a previous experience in mountaineering or alpinism, but good physical conditions are important to succeed in this experience.

The summit is accessible from several Berber villages, but the beautiful village of Imlil remains the most popular starting point for all the hikers. 

Usually this great Toubkal Trekking Adventure can be organised in 2 or 3 days, depending on the personal preferences of each hiker, but there is a multitude of multiday tours that include also a visit to the most charming Valleys and Villages of the Atlas.

It is also important to choose the right period to join this experience, in general, you should avoid the coldest time of the year when there is bad weather and lot of snow in the mountains.

If you don’t have all the necessary equipment to climb the mountains, you can hire it in Imlil before starting the trek in order to respect the security measures and avoid any possible risk.

How to get to Mount Toubkal ?

The excursion to Mount Toubkal is often organized from Marrakech, through the road to Tahnaout, then over the valley of Asni before heading to Imlil, this small Berber village nestled at 1740 m altitude is located about 64 km from Marrakech and considered as the main gateway to the Toubkal National Park.

For transportation, you have the choice between public transportation ‘Grands Taxis’ which are often available in Bab Agnaou and Sidi Mimoun in the Medina, or you can book a private transfer with a local travel agency.

You can also go directly to Imlil by your own car or you can rent a car in Marrakech, although the fact that the road between Asni and Imlil is quite difficult and has many curves.

So you need to drive carefully while enjoying the beautiful landscapes and breath-taking views of the amazing Atlas Mountains.

What is the best available tour for this adventure?

As mentioned before, among many available tours for this outstanding trekking experience in the heart of the Atlas Mountains, we highly recommend one of the most populartrek programs, that will allow you to live this big adventure in only 2-days from Marrakech:

On the first day, you will arrive to Imlil by car from Marrakech, where you will meet your mountain tour guideand depending on the number of your bags or suitcase, you many need to hire a muleteer who will help to carry your luggage on the back of mules.

You will start your trek through the fabulous Berber village of Aremd located about 15 minutes from Imlil, then you will visit the famous Sidi Chamharoush on your way, a very famous Marabout in Morocco that attracts many visitors who come to be cured of certain diseases. This mausoleum is located at approximately one hour walk from the village of Aremd.

After few minutes’ walk, you will take a break at the inhabitant’s house to have a picnic lunch before continuing to the refuge located at the foot of the Toubkal, at only 4 hours walk from the summit.

Depending on your budget, you can spend the night in the Refuge de Toubkal which offers standard accommodation with dormitories or common rooms, ‘Auberge Les Mouflons’ where you can have your private room with more comfortable facilities.

Some hikers and adventure lovers choose to spend the night in a bivouac under a tent, in this case, it will be safer and more secure to set up your tent near the hostels.

We will have dinner in the hostel as a last step of the first day Trek in the Atlas.

The next day, you will have to wake up very early in the morning to have breakfast and start the ascent before 5 am with your mountain tour guide.

The trek become more difficult because you will walk in an upward slope through stony paths then through larger boulders.  The last part of the path is wide, and then it gradually gets lower as you approach the summit.

After 4 to 5 hours of walking, depending on your rhythm, you finally reach the highest summit of the Maghreb and north Africa, an unforgettable moment for each trekking amateur.

You can relax for a while, take some souvenirs pictures and enjoy and the magic views from this great summit, before heading back to imlil.

Although the descent is the most difficult part of this adventure in Atlas Mountains, it remains a rather pleasant experience that will give you a great chance to better see and appreciate the landscapes since the ascent took place very early in the morning.

Once you reach Imlil, you will meet your driver to go back to Marrakech.