Morocco: High Atlas Valleys & Villages – 8 Days

Marrakech is the gateway to the High Atlas and the starting point for your walk. As the trip begins in the evening on day one, you can arrive that same day and still have time to settle in beforehand. Your first night is spent at a riad in the Marrakech medina, close to the souks and the Jemaa el-Fnaa square. If you can spare the time, an extra day here is well worth it, giving you a chance to wander the old town before you head up into the mountains. Marrakech Airport to the old city is a short airport shuttle ride (Line 19) or an even quicker registered taxi.

The trip ends with breakfast at the riad on the final morning, leaving time for a last stroll through the medina or some souvenir shopping before you go. Your guide will be able to assist in organising a taxi.

This trip runs in autumn and again in spring, the two windows when the High Atlas is at its best for trekking. Autumn brings clear skies and cool, comfortable days on the trail, and the passes stay free of snow. Spring offers similar mild conditions, with wildflowers through the lower valleys and snow still capping the highest peaks in the distance. Both windows avoid the summer heat of the Marrakech plains and the cold, snow-affected conditions of winter in the mountains.

The trekking days move through a real mix of terrain, from terraced farmland and walnut groves in the lower valleys to pine forest and traditional irrigation channels higher up. Several days climb to mountain passes for wide views over the range, with the route also crossing distinctive red-soil country and juniper forest in the Azzaden Valley. Nights alternate between village guesthouses and one high-altitude mountain refuge, so you're never far from a hot shower and a proper bed. A support vehicle handles the harder transfers between points, keeping the daily walking manageable rather than a full point-to-point trek.

You must hold adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for personal liability and accidental injury and illness. For all trips involving international travel, your policy must also include emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation cover. We strongly recommend your policy also covers trip cancellation and curtailment, and loss of or damage to luggage.

A cancellation fee usually applies if you cancel after your booking is confirmed. Travel insurance with cancellation cover will generally cover this fee, so it's worth arranging your policy at the time of booking.

Full insurance requirements are set out in our booking terms and conditions.