Lodge to Lodge High Atlas Trek 4 Days | Ouirgane — Azzaden Valley — Imlil — Tamatert Pass
4 Days/ 3 Nights
There is no better way to understand the High Atlas than to walk through it over several days — sleeping in mountain lodges, waking to peak-framed dawns and earning each new landscape step by step. This four-day lodge-to-lodge trek is one of the finest routes in Morocco: a traversal from the rust-red foothills of Ouirgane National Park through the lush Azzaden Valley, over the Tizi Mzzik Pass into Imlil, and finally across the Tamatert Pass with its sweeping views of the Imnane Valley before the road carries you back to Marrakech.
Each night ends at a characterful mountain lodge or guesthouse, each day on the trail brings new terrain, new communities and new perspectives on a mountain range that has been sheltering Berber life for centuries. You carry only a day pack. The mountains do the rest.
Tour Duration: 4 days
Starting time 08:00
Walking grade:
Moderate To Challenging
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Ouirgane → Tinzert → Marigha Lodge
Meet your fellow trekkers and driver in Marrakech for the drive to Imi Oughlad — the gateway to the Atlas foothills and your introduction to your local support team. The trail begins on rust-red mule paths through Ouirgane National Park, winding through juniper forest and past the traditional clay village of Tinzert, its earthen walls the colour of the hillside they emerged from.
A scenic picnic lunch under the trees breaks the day at a comfortable mid-point, then the trail continues through olive groves and rolling valleys to arrive at your first mountain lodge in Marigha. A hearty dinner, a warm welcome and the sound of the mountains at night.
Duration: 5–6 hrs | Distance: 12 km | Ascent: 650m | Descent: 350m
Day 2: Marigha → Azzaden Valley → Azzaden Trekking Lodge (1,820m)
After breakfast, the trail climbs steadily out of Marigha through peaceful olive groves before entering the Azzaden Valley — one of the most beautiful and least-visited corridors in the High Atlas. A narrow, fertile world of walnut trees, wild herbs and fragrant juniper, the valley is flanked by terraced slopes and red-earth trails that gain height gradually and magnificently.
Your guide will find the perfect al fresco lunch spot as the panorama across the High Atlas fills the horizon. The afternoon follows the river through a string of traditional Berber villages where life moves at the unhurried pace of the mountains. The day ends at the Azzaden Trekking Lodge in Aït Aïssa at 1,820 metres — beautifully positioned, beautifully run and one of the finest mountain lodges in Morocco. Watch the sun set behind the peaks before dinner.
Duration: 5–6 hrs | Distance: 10 km | Ascent: 760m
Day 3: Aït Aïssa → Imlil Waterfalls → Tizi Mzzik (2,500m) → Imlil
The morning starts in mountain stillness. Today's route enters Toubkal National Park, heading first to the Imlil waterfalls: a picturesque cascade tucked into a steep-sided gorge, the water catching the morning light as it falls. It is a natural pause point and a refreshing one.
After the falls, the trail turns upward towards the day's main challenge: the Tizi Mzzik Pass at 2,500 metres. The ascent is steady rather than brutal, gaining height through open mountainside with the views expanding with every hundred metres of altitude. At the top, the panorama is the reward — the Ait Mizan Valley laid out below, the scattered rooftops of Imlil visible in the distance, the dramatic peaks of the High Atlas cutting the skyline in every direction. The descent into Imlil is long and satisfying. A warm welcome, a glass of mint tea and a night at the guesthouse in one of Morocco's most celebrated mountain villages.
Duration: 5–7 hrs | Distance: 12 km | Ascent: 640m | Descent: 700m
Day 4: Imlil → Tamatert Valley → Tizi n'Tamatert (2,279m) → Marrakech
Rise early — there are still miles to walk and they are among the best of the trek. The Tamatert Valley is quiet and beautiful, the trail winding past small farmsteads and terraced fields before the climb to Tizi n'Tamatert at 2,279 metres begins in earnest. The pass delivers sweeping views over the lush Imnane Valley on the far side, and the descent follows a scenic mule trail through remote Berber settlements where the hospitality is warm and the pace of life unchanged.
A final picnic lunch under the great bulk of Jbel Oukaimeden (3,268m), one last round of mint tea with your mountain crew, and then the road back to Marrakech for a well-earned farewell dinner in the city.
Duration: 6–7 hrs | Distance: 13 km | Ascent: 789m | Descent: 929m
Tour Details
Price includes
- English-speaking, experienced mountain guide throughout
- Local support team and mule for luggage transport between lodges
- 3 nights accommodation at mountain lodges and guesthouses
- All meals on trail: picnic lunches (Days 1–4), dinners (Nights 1–3), breakfasts (Days 2–4)
- Private vehicle transfers to trailhead (Day 1) and from end point back to Marrakech (Day 4)
- Bottled water throughout
- Farewell dinner in Marrakech on return
Not Included
- Travel insurance (required — please arrange before travel)
- Personal hiking equipment (see packing list below)
- Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
- Tips for guides, mule drivers and lodge staff
- Any meals not listed above
