Immerse yourself in the local life by hiking in the Imlil village, located in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Only 1,5 hour drive from Marrakech, Imlil village is my favourite destination for trekking and running away from the city bustle. You will not only experience the stunning nature of the Toubkal national park but as well will enjoy a lunch picnic in the mountains, and will explore local villages.
What to expect on the day hiking experience in Imlil?
- Pick up from your hotel in Marrakech at 9 am (1,5 hours drive to Imlil)
- Stop at the Saturday market at Asni (only on Saturdays)
- Welcome tea upon arrival
- Around 4-5 h gentle hiking around Imlil with the Berber mountain guide
- Lunch picnic in the mountains (2350m) (tagine, salats, fruits, tea)
- Visit the local Berber village
- Transfer back to Marrakech
FULL ITINERARY:
Hiking and picnicking in the High Atlas Mountains in Imlil is a full-day experience from Marrakech. The driver will pick you up at 9 am from your hotel in Marrakech for 1,5 hours trip. You will be driving south, passing the breathtaking High Atlas road, with small villages along the way. If you are going to Imlil on Saturday, the driver will make a short stop at the local market in Asni town. The market is easy to spot as it is located on the main road.
Surrounded by the Toubkal National Park and located at 1800 meters altitude, Imlil is dotted with small Berber villages. As you probably know, the Imlil village is the main base for attempting to summit Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, standing tall at 4160 meters above sea level.
The local licenced guide Mohamed will meet you in Imlil. Mohamed lives in the Aremd village (next to Imlil), and during his 16 years guiding career, he reached the Toubkal summit almost 400 times. So you can be sure he knows every meter of the Imlil surroundings.
You will be slowly hiking for around 4-5km. Your journey will start from Imlil towards the south to the Berber village of Aremd (1843m), passing by Achayn village (1800m), then hike up to Tidli (2350 m), lunch picnic is here with 360° views, then trek back down to Targa Imoula then back to Imlil.
The hiking scenery is diverse and beautiful – changing from pine trees to wast valleys and High Atlas mountain peaks. On the way, you will see not only the peak of Toubkal but also other mountain peaks of Jbels Aguelzim (3547m), Aksouâl (3847m) and the Adrar Adj (3122m).
For lunch, you will have a picnic in the mountains after drinking the sweet Moroccan tea and relaxing. After lunch, you will pass by Mohamed’s village Aremd. Then, hike back to Imlil and return to Marrakech.
You can read more about Imlil in my article The essential guide to Imlil village and more about this day hiking in my post My hiking and picnic at 2km above sea level experience in Imlil.
PRICE
If 2 people: the price will be 90 Euros/person
If 3 people: 80 eur/person
If 4-6 people: 65 eur/person
Discount for kids.
Contact me rasa@blondieinmorocco.com for more information.
Included in the price:
– Pick up from your hotel in Marrakech
– English-speaking Berber mountain guide in Imlil
– Lunch picnic (tagine, salads, fruits, tea etc)
– Transfer back to Marrakech
Not included: tips
It’s a private experience; can book it for any day of the week.
Possible variations of the experience:
– if you are renting a car and driving yourself to Imlil, contact me for a price for only the trekking experience;
– possibility to spend a night in Imlil (from a traditional guest house to more luxury accommodations);
– possibility of having 2 days trekking. Contact me for more info;
– if you are coming with kids, if they are younger than 12 years old, we recommend you hire a mule to ride in case they get tired.
– Staying not in Marrakech? The driver can pick you up early morning from other cities, as long as they are not further than 3 hours drive from Imlil.
GENERAL INFORMATION
It’s gentle trekking at a slow speed. However, contact me first if you have some medical conditions or injuries. No physical preparation is required, but you need to be ready to walk for around 5km. No worries if you fear heights – the trekking leads through the valleys, so the height is not visible. Don’t forget to wear comfortable walking shoes.
If you have additional questions about this tour or would like to book it, please contact me: rasa@blondieinmorocco.com