Morocco guide
Our Morocco travel guide whisks you into a rainbow of raucous colours and enlightening Islamic culture, where every town has a medina or souk.
Atlas Mountains travel advice
Walking tips
Simon Clifford, from our leading supplier of Atlas Mountains holidays, Exodus: “Climbing Mount Toubkal is quite challenging and we wouldn’t recommend it to first time climbers, or people not used to walking. A really nice introduction to walking in the Atlas Mountains to stay in the remote village of Tijhza for a week, staying in a basic gite, and taking day walks up into the mountains each day.”
Tips on activities
Mike McHugo, owner of Kasbah du Toubkal: “I just love going off the beaten track in the mountains here. I go almost anywhere in the mountains along minor roads. Increasingly, a lot of the secondary roads are being tarmacked now and they were only accessible by 4X4 in the past, but now you can see the same places and cover greater distances on a bike. So, you can easily go cycling from the Kasbah and hire mountain bikes in Imlil for about €20”
Simon Clifford from our leading supplier of Atlas Mountains holidays, Exodus: “Make sure you visit a traditional hammam. There are lots of tourist friendly ones, but they’re more like western spas. If you’re not lying on the floor, you’re not in a traditional hammam!”
Simon Clifford from our leading supplier of Atlas Mountains holidays, Exodus: “Make sure you visit a traditional hammam. There are lots of tourist friendly ones, but they’re more like western spas. If you’re not lying on the floor, you’re not in a traditional hammam!”
Cultural advice
Mike McHugo, owner of Kasbah du Toubkal: “Even for a day excursion it is worth coming to the High Atlas and people are absolutely astonished when they walk up the Imlil Pass, just an hour and a half from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech’s central square. We do ask people to remember that dress codes do differ in the mountains from Marrakech. In Marrakech it’s not unusual to see women in shorts, skirts above the knee, and scant or see-through tops. While it’s still not appropriate in Marrakech it’s much more shocking for people in villages — many of whose homes and front doors you’ll be walking past on a hike.”
Supporting local people
Mike McHugo, owner of Kasbah du Toubkal: “If people are looking for one way to make a difference when travelling in the Atlas Mountains, they are already doing so by staying with us, as they automatically pay a percent levy levy to the village association. The other best way to make a difference is to make a donation to Education for All, which gives opportunities for girls to be educated beyond primary education in rural areas of the High Atlas Mountains.”
Shopping advice
And we love this random tip from Andrew Appleyard, also from the excellent Exodus: “Word of warning don’t buy a large tagine cooking pot - they don’t fit in any conventional European cooker!”
Health and safety in the Atlas Mountains
HEALTH
SAFETY
Luxury trekking holiday in the Atlas Mountains
Trek and stay in style in the Atlas mountains
From
€1188
6 days
ex flights
Morocco holiday, central highlights
A relaxing journey through Morocco's hidden heartlands.
From
£1295 to £1450
15 days
ex flights
Atlas Mountains trekking and Marrakech
The very best way to explore Morocco’s Atlas Mountains
From
€1520 to €1605
8 days
ex flights
Kasbah du Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains
Peace and quiet only 40 miles from Marrakech
From
€200 to €1080
per room per night (sleeps 2)
Mount Toubkal climb in Morocco
Pass through remote villages and terraced fields
From
£750 to £845
7 days
ex flights
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
01273 823 700
Call us tomorrow after 9am
Calling from outside the UK
Atlas Mountains travel advice
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Atlas Mountains travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday.
We have selected some of the most useful Atlas Mountains travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday.
The Imlil area is a great place for walking, with or without a guide, if you feel energetic. Or you can just watch the Berbers go about their business, harvesting apples & walnuts doing the washing in mountain streams, driving their mules.![]()
– Irene Mitchell
“Take clothes for all occasions! A sun hat is essential but also warmer clothes and a good raincoat, as once out of the city and at altitude, the weather was more varied.” – Rosie Welch
“For camping in the Anti-Atlas, my sleep system was absolutely the best thing. I had my very expensive Exped down sleep mat, my down sleeping bag and a thermal liner. I was so comfy and had such a good night’s sleep.” – Linda Sankey (read a full interview with Linda about her trip to the Anti Atlas Mountains here)
“Don't forget the suncream – the mountain sun can be deceptive! (And cream the back of your hands – everyone I met missed that trick). You do need a guide for at least some of the walks because the mule tracks aren't always obvious and the maps aren't detailed enough to help. They can be booked at the guesthouse though - so see how you feel when you get there. Definitely have two or three days up here. I felt sorry for the day trippers to Imlil from Marrakech who were missing out on so much because of time and tour constraints.” – Martin Stott
“Don't leave it too late for November bookings if you want to enjoy autumn colours in the Atlas. We were just in time but probably late October/early November is best.” – Evin Dilber
“Take the fact you will be in a Muslim country seriously and no vests/skimpy tee-shirts and shorts for women; bring a book(s) to read; try and get as much loose change (coins) in dirhams as you can as in remote places they find in hard to change large notes.” – Amanda Dudman
"The Kasbah du Toubkal is the most wonderful experience. It’s a stiff 15 minute walk from the car park to get there if you are fit and healthy, although I do it on a donkey. And if I were to walk it, it would take me a lot more than 15 mins! There is a path, but it is done in such a brilliantly environmentally friendly way, you can’t really see it. So it is rugged and it is quite steep. The food is beautifully prepared, but it isn’t fancy cuisine. But true Berber cuisine which has been done to its best. The hospitality is true Berber hospitality. And truly wonderful." – Sallie Grayson from our People and Places, who has visited the Kasbah du Toubkal several times.
“For camping in the Anti-Atlas, my sleep system was absolutely the best thing. I had my very expensive Exped down sleep mat, my down sleeping bag and a thermal liner. I was so comfy and had such a good night’s sleep.” – Linda Sankey (read a full interview with Linda about her trip to the Anti Atlas Mountains here)
“Don't forget the suncream – the mountain sun can be deceptive! (And cream the back of your hands – everyone I met missed that trick). You do need a guide for at least some of the walks because the mule tracks aren't always obvious and the maps aren't detailed enough to help. They can be booked at the guesthouse though - so see how you feel when you get there. Definitely have two or three days up here. I felt sorry for the day trippers to Imlil from Marrakech who were missing out on so much because of time and tour constraints.” – Martin Stott
“Don't leave it too late for November bookings if you want to enjoy autumn colours in the Atlas. We were just in time but probably late October/early November is best.” – Evin Dilber
“Take the fact you will be in a Muslim country seriously and no vests/skimpy tee-shirts and shorts for women; bring a book(s) to read; try and get as much loose change (coins) in dirhams as you can as in remote places they find in hard to change large notes.” – Amanda Dudman
"The Kasbah du Toubkal is the most wonderful experience. It’s a stiff 15 minute walk from the car park to get there if you are fit and healthy, although I do it on a donkey. And if I were to walk it, it would take me a lot more than 15 mins! There is a path, but it is done in such a brilliantly environmentally friendly way, you can’t really see it. So it is rugged and it is quite steep. The food is beautifully prepared, but it isn’t fancy cuisine. But true Berber cuisine which has been done to its best. The hospitality is true Berber hospitality. And truly wonderful." – Sallie Grayson from our People and Places, who has visited the Kasbah du Toubkal several times.
More Atlas Mountains articles
March to November is usually considered the best time to visit these mountains.
High, Middle and Anti-Atlas - Morocco's mountain range divides the country.
Where to go, from the highest mountain, Jebel Toubkal, to the lower slopes of the Anti-Atlas.
Pictures speak louder than words when it comes to the Kasbah du Toubkal
More relevant guides
