Atlas Mountains Village Trek

Drive east from Marrakech across the fertile Haouz plain toward Azilal, passing the foot of the Central High Atlas. Wind through the Ait Abbas gorge to the first village of the Happy Valley: Agouti (1,800 m). Meet our muleteer team and cook. Afternoon warm-up hike through walnut trees to the village of Timit, resting at our first traditional Berber guesthouse.

Follow ancient stone-walled pathways alongside tiered barley and apple fields. Walk through traditional villages where daily agricultural life has remained largely unchanged for generations. Ascend the conical hill crowned by the 16th-century fortified granary of Sidi Moussa (2,000 m) for a 360-degree panorama of the entire Aït Bouguemez valley. Descend to the market hub of Tabant.

The premier panoramic day of the expedition. Begin climbing early through the spring oasis of Aït Imi up ancient pastoral mule tracks toward the ridge divide. Reach Tizi n’Aït Imi at 2,905 meters, the dramatic gateway connecting the High Atlas with the southern valley of the M’Goun. Unobstructed views of the second-highest peak in North Africa (Jbel M’Goun, 4,071 m). Descend to high shepherd settlements for tea.

Hike across red sandstone plateaus to inspect genuine fossilized dinosaur footprints preserved in Jurassic limestone near Rbat. Continue into the dramatic gorge of Assif n’Arous, where limestone walls rise hundreds of meters above rushing clear mountain streams. Walk through remote hamlets built into vertical rock faces.

A gentle morning walk through the lower orchards of Agouti to conclude the loop. Say farewell to our muleteers and mountain cook over mint tea. Board our private transfer vehicle for the return drive to Marrakech, stopping at the dramatic waterfalls of Ouzoud before arriving at your riad by early evening.