5 Days Toubkal Summit & Sahara Desert Trek

Day 1: Marrakech → Imlil → Toubkal Base Camp (1-hour drive + 3-hour hike)

You are picked up from your Marrakech riad in the morning by a bilingual (French/English) driver. Drive to Imlil (about 1 hour), the gateway to the High Atlas. From there, with your trekking guide, begin your ascent through Aït Mizane valley. Along the way you’ll pass the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch. After a 3-hour hike, arrive at the mountain refuge/base camp at around 3,200 m. Dinner and overnight in the refuge to prepare for the summit push.

Day 2: Toubkal Summit → Imlil (6-hour hike)

Start before sunrise for the most challenging leg. Trek up to the summit of Mount Toubkal (4,167 m), North Africa’s highest peak. Expect about 6 hours of hiking, with rocky paths and steep segments. Once at the top, enjoy sweeping views; you may see far into the desert plains and coastal slopes. After celebrating with a packed breakfast, return to the base, then continue down to Imlil, where you’ll rest overnight in a lodge.

Day 3: Imlil → Aït Ben Haddou → Dades Valley (6 hours driving)

After breakfast, leave the mountains behind and drive over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, one of the most scenic roads in Morocco. Arrive at the UNESCO-listed Aït Ben Haddou Kasbah, where you’ll explore its ancient earthen architecture. Continue through the Valley of Roses, ending your day at Dades Valley. Dinner and overnight stay in a local guesthouse or lodge with views of Dades Gorge.

Day 4: Dades → Todgha Gorge → Merzouga Desert (4-hour drive)

Rise in the morning and depart Dades for Todgha Gorge, famous for its dramatic canyon walls and oasis walk. After enjoying the gorge and lunch locally, travel onward toward the edge of the Sahara. In the late afternoon, arrive at Merzouga. Mount a camel for sunset across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, then spend the night in a luxury desert camp, with dinner under the stars and local music.

Day 5: Merzouga → Ouarzazate → Marrakech (9-hour drive)

Wake up before dawn for a sunrise over the dunes, followed by breakfast. Afterward, ride camels back to Merzouga village to rejoin your vehicle. Then begins a long drive back to Marrakech, via Ouarzazate (the “Gateway to the Desert”). Cross the High Atlas Mountains one more time. Arrive in Marrakech in the evening, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel or riad.

Highlights

• Ascend Mount Toubkal, highest peak in North Africa
• High Atlas trekking and Berber village stops
• Sahara Desert camel rides and sunset views
• Desert camp overnight with traditional dinner and music