7-Day Tour: High Atlas, Rose Valley & Jbel Saghro from Marrakech

Highlights

• Hike between the stone villages of Aït Bougmez, the 'Happy Valley'
• Cross the High Atlas passes on a panoramic mountain road
• Walk among kasbahs and rose gardens in the Houli-Limth valley
• Explore the sculpted cliffs of the Dades Gorges
• Meet Aït Atta nomads in the volcanic Jbel Saghro
• Drive through the palm groves and kasbahs of the Drâa Valley
• Around 3–5 hours of walking a day, with guide, muleteers and cook
• Stays in lodges, riads and with local families

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech

   A member of our team welcomes you at Marrakech airport and drives you to your hotel or riad. After settling in, take time to recover from the journey, explore the lanes around your accommodation or head to Jemaa el-Fna square as the evening food stalls light up and the musicians and storytellers gather. Dinner and first night in Marrakech, ready for an early start into the mountains the following morning.

2. 2

   Day 2: Marrakech – Aït Bouali villages – Aït Bougmez Valley · 4 h 30 walk

   An early departure takes you into the High Atlas. On arrival you meet the muleteers who will carry the luggage, then set off on foot through the Aït Bouali villages, where houses of stone and earth blend into the rocky slopes. The path leads down to the wide green floor of the Aït Bougmez valley, nicknamed the Happy Valley, where rural Berber traditions are still part of daily life. About 4 hours 30 minutes of walking. Overnight in a mountain lodge or with a local family.

3. 3

   Day 3: Aït Bougmez – High Atlas passes – Rose Valley · 4 h 30 walk

   Today you cross the High Atlas on a panoramic road over the mountain passes, with stops to photograph the peaks and the valleys far below. On the southern side, the landscape changes as you descend towards the Rose Valley. A walk of around three hours follows the Houli-Limth valley, between earthen kasbahs, irrigated gardens and fields edged with rose bushes. Total walking time is about 4 hours 30 minutes. Overnight in a lodge in the Rose Valley.

4. 4

   Day 4: Rose Valley – Dades Gorges · 5 h 30 walk

   The longest walking day of the trip. In the morning you wander through the villages and orchards of the Rose Valley, meeting farmers and families along the way and learning how the valley lives from its gardens. Later, you continue to the Dades Gorges, where the river has carved towering cliffs in shades of red and ochre. About 5 hours 30 minutes of walking in total, at an easy pace with plenty of breaks. Overnight in a lodge in the Dades valley.

5. 5

   Day 5: Dades – Jbel Saghro – N'Kob · 4 h walk

   Heading south, you enter the volcanic Saghro massif, a raw landscape of dark rocky peaks, desert plateaus and hidden valleys. This is the land of the Aït Atta, semi-nomadic Berbers who still move with their herds between seasonal camps, and with luck you will meet some of them on the trail. After around 4 hours of walking, you reach N'Kob, an oasis village set among palm trees on the southern edge of the massif. Overnight in a lodge in N'Kob.

6. 6

   Day 6: N'Kob – Drâa Valley – Marrakech · 2 h 30 walk

   A final walk of around 2 hours 30 minutes takes you through the Drâa Valley, with its earthen kasbahs and long ribbons of date palms. After lunch on the road, you drive back across the Atlas to Marrakech and check into your hotel or riad. If you still have energy, the evening is free to explore the medina at your own pace and enjoy a last look at the city after a week in the mountains and valleys.

7. 7

   Day 7: Free day in Marrakech – end of tour

   Enjoy a full day in the Red City at your own rhythm. Browse the souks for spices, leather and lanterns, visit the cool, blue-walled Majorelle Garden, or simply sit on a café terrace and watch life go by on Jemaa el-Fna square. The tour ends today, after a week that has taken you from the green Atlas valleys to the palm groves at the edge of the desert.

What’s included

Questions about this tour