Imlil & Toubkal Trek Itinerary: 2 Days

It is a moderate trek suitable for reasonably fit walkers with no technical climbing. You hike on rocky mule paths and cross a pass at around 2,489m, gaining and losing several hundred metres each day. The altitude makes you breathe harder, but with a steady pace and a local guide it is achievable for most active travellers, including confident first-time trekkers.

Yes. A qualified local mountain guide is required for treks in Toubkal National Park, and it is strongly recommended for safety, navigation and access to Berber villages and hospitality. Guides also arrange mules to carry your gear, organise gîte stays and share invaluable knowledge of the routes, weather and culture of the High Atlas.

Imlil sits at about 1,740m in the High Atlas mountains, roughly 64km and 90 minutes by road south of Marrakech. It is the principal gateway and trailhead for Toubkal National Park and the ascent of Mount Toubkal, with guesthouses, gear shops, guides and muleteers all based in and around the village.

Imlil is about 64km from Marrakech, a drive of roughly 90 minutes on a winding mountain road through the foothills and apple-growing villages. Private transfers and grand taxis make the trip easily, and many trekkers are picked up in Marrakech in the morning and back by the same evening on a 2-day itinerary.

The Tizi Mzik is a mountain pass at around 2,489m reached on a popular acclimatisation hike above Imlil. Cresting the col rewards you with panoramas of the Toubkal massif on one side and the green, terraced Azzaden valley on the other - a quieter, lesser-visited valley dotted with Berber hamlets and ideal for a scenic 2-day loop.

You typically spend the night in a traditional gîte or guesthouse in Imlil itself or the higher hamlet of Aroumd (1,900m). These simple, welcoming mountain lodges offer shared or private rooms, hot meals such as tagine and bread, and mint tea, giving an authentic taste of Berber hospitality in the High Atlas.

Absolutely. Many visitors come to Imlil purely for the valley scenery and Berber villages rather than the summit. Day hikes to the Tizi Mzik pass, the Azzaden valley, the Imlil waterfalls, Aroumd and Sidi Chamharouch offer spectacular High Atlas landscapes without the demanding high-altitude push to Toubkal's 4,167m peak.

Sidi Chamharouch is a small village and pilgrimage site at about 2,300m on the main route from Imlil toward the Toubkal Refuge. It is centred on a large white-painted boulder revered as a marabout (saint's) shrine. The hamlet is a busy rest stop for trekkers and pilgrims; non-Muslims should not cross into the inner shrine but are welcome in the village.

For the valley treks without snow gear, the best months are roughly April to October, with spring and autumn offering the most comfortable temperatures and clear skies. Summer is hot in the valleys but pleasant at altitude. In winter the higher passes hold snow and ice, requiring proper mountain experience and equipment.

Bring broken-in hiking boots, layers including a fleece and a windproof jacket, sun protection, a warm hat and gloves for the passes, a daypack with at least two litres of water, snacks, a headtorch and any personal medication. Mules carry your main bag, so you only need to walk with a light daypack each day.