Toubkal Trek: Winter

From

£1,095

Duration

12 days

Style

Difficulty

Overview

Get ready for a thrilling winter trek to the highest peak in North Africa—Mount Toubkal. This adventure is perfect for those looking to experience the magic of the Atlas Mountains covered in snow. Starting in Marrakech, you’ll venture into the heart of the High Atlas, where the journey takes you through Berber villages, stunning valleys, and snow-covered slopes. Along the way, you’ll stay in cozy mountain lodges and a refuge at high altitude.

The ultimate highlight is the ascent to the summit of Mount Toubkal (4,167m), offering incredible panoramic views across the Atlas range and the Sahara Desert. This trip blends the excitement of winter trekking with the warmth of Moroccan hospitality, giving you a true taste of adventure in a unique and beautiful setting. Just make sure you pack your hat and gloves—it’ll be cold up there!

What's Included?

  • Airport Transfers & Private Local Transport
  • Expert Local Guides
  • 5 Nights in Riads
  • 3 Nights in Mountain Gites
  • 2 Nights in Berber Tents
  • 1 Night in a Desert Camp
  • Daily Breakfast, 7 Dinners, 6 Lunches
  • Guided City Tour of Marrakech
  • Mule Support During the Trek
  • Camel Ride in the Sahara Desert
  • Entrance Fees & Permits
  • International Flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Soft Drinks, Alcohol or Drinking Water
  • Tips for Guides
  • Personal Equipment & Clothing
  • Souvenirs

Trip Highlights

  • Camel Ride in the Sahara Desert: Experience a magical camel ride through the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, followed by a night under the stars in a traditional Berber camp.

  • Winter Trekking in the Atlas Mountains: Trek through snow-covered landscapes and remote Berber villages, hopefully summiting Mount Toubkal (4,167m), the highest peak in North Africa.

  • Explore the Medina of Marrakech: Pedal through the vibrant streets of Marrakech, explore its bustling medina, and enjoy the sensory overload of its colourful souks.

  • Amal Cooking Class: Learn to cook traditional Moroccan dishes at Amal Women’s Training Center, a social enterprise that empowers local women through culinary training.

Daily Itinerary

Welcome to Marrakech! After landing, you’ll be whisked away to your riad in the heart of the city. Once you’re settled in, feel free to explore the vibrant medina or relax and soak up the atmosphere of the Red City.
Meals Included: None

Pedal & Plate. Explore the best of Marrakech by bike, winding through Gueliz and the bustling medina. Later, dive into Moroccan cuisine at Amal, where you’ll learn to make local dishes while supporting a social enterprise that empowers women through hospitality training.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Trek to the Atlas. Today we head into the Atlas Mountains. After meeting your mule team, it’s time to trek through the valleys, crossing passes and exploring Berber villages on the way to Ousertik. Your first taste of mountain life awaits!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Snow and Ski Slopes. Today’s trek takes you through Morocco’s premier ski resort (Oukaimeden). From here, it’s on to Tizi 'n Addi before reaching Tacheddirt—the highest village in the Atlas Mountains. The views? Unreal.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

High Atlas Views. A shorter trek today as we cross the Imnane Valley and descend into the bustling mountain town of Imlil. You’ll have time to relax and get ready for the Toubkal ascent ahead!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Heading for the Heights. Today’s trek takes us through the stunning Mizane Valley, passing through Berber villages and climbing towards Toubkal Refuge at 3206m. Get ready for some altitude—tomorrow’s the big day!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’re up before dawn today for the final push to the summit of Toubkal (4167m). It’s a 5-6 hour round trip with incredible views that will make every step worth it. Pack your layers—it’s chilly up top!

Descent Day. After conquering the Toubkal summit, it’s time to descend back to Imlil. Enjoy a well-earned rest at your guesthouse tonight—it’s all downhill from here!
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Atlas to Desert. Today we cross the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, stopping at Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou (famous for its appearance in films like Gladiator). Then it’s on to Dades Gorge for the night, where adventure continues.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Dunes & Camels. The desert awaits! After a stop at Todra Gorge, we head for the sands of Erg Chebbi. You’ll hop on a camel and ride into the dunes for an unforgettable night in a Berber camp under the stars.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Start the day with a sunrise camel ride across the dunes, then head back to Marrakech, crossing the Tizi n’Tichka Pass one more time. It’s a long journey, but worth it for one last night in the Red City.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Farewell Morocco. Time to say goodbye as we transfer you back to the airport. Hopefully, you’re leaving with amazing memories, sore legs, and plenty of photos!
Meals Included: Breakfast

Where We'll Stay

We’ve taken on the tough task of staying at some of the best hotels and guesthouses around the world to hand-pick those that we think you’ll love. We’ve hand-picked a range of cozy accommodations to keep you comfortable throughout your winter trek. You’ll experience a mix of traditional riads, mountain gites, and a night under the stars in a desert camp.

In Marrakech, relax in beautifully restored riads that blend traditional Moroccan architecture with modern comforts. As you trek through the Atlas Mountains, you’ll stay in mountain gites that offer a warm and welcoming base after each day’s adventure. During your desert experience, you’ll sleep in a Berber tent, surrounded by the golden dunes of the Sahara and a sky full of stars.

While the exact accommodations may vary, rest assured that every place we stay has been chosen for its comfort, cleanliness, and unique atmosphere.

 

Like the sound of this trip, have a question or want to check something before you book? Maybe even have a great idea to customise this itinerary? Get in touch and start your adventure!

Interactive Route Map

Check out the interactive map of this trip below. You can simply zoom in and have a look at the route.

Or, if you’re wanting to get a feel for the route or to dive into the daily details then click on any of the steps and you’ll be redirected to our Polarsteps page.

What is Polarsteps?

We’ve loaded all of our itineraries onto Polarsteps. It’s an app that can help you plan, track and relive your travels. We’ve used it to display our trips in all their glory but anyone can easily create on-the-go mementos of their adventures. 

Carbon Emissions

This trip emits approximately 565 kg of carbon per person. This includes emissions from transport, accommodation, food, activities, and the operations behind the scenes to run the trip.

What does this mean?

This is roughly equivalent to driving a typical petrol car about 1,815 miles.

It’s similar to the carbon emissions from heating an average UK home with a gas boiler for about 26 days during winter.

Our Approach

At Earth Dog Travel, we recognise the environmental impact of travel and aim to make responsible choices. This Morocco itinerary helps support local communities and encourages sustainable tourism practices in the High Atlas and desert regions. Understanding the carbon footprint of your trip allows you to make informed decisions and consider carbon offsets to balance your environmental impact.

More Information

What's the fitness level required for this trip?

We grade all of our trips to try and make it easy to understand the fitness levels required. These are broad guidelines however so you’re welcome to chat to us about any specific concerns you might have.

You’ll find more information about these levels here and you can find the difficulty rating for this specific trip at the top of the page.

What if someone under the minimum age wants to travel?

It might not be an issue. Some destinations such as Rwanda have firm rules in place about how old people should be in order to visit the gorillas. In other destinations it’s more of a guideline.

Please do contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Can I customise this trip in any way?

We list a range of itineraries on our website to give you ideas and inspiration and to act as a starting point for planning your adventure.
Each of our itineraries are customisable. This might mean:
  1. adding in extra days or cutting out a day here or there;
  2. squeezing in other destinations or removing them;
  3. starting or finishing the trip in a different place;
  4. staying in a hotel or guesthouse that we don’t list as an option.
There’s really no limit to how customisable a trip is. However it’s important to be aware that we’ve spent a huge amount of time building, refining and travelling on these trips to make sure they maximise your time, budget and experience of each of the destinations we offer.

What are your payment terms and is my booking financially protected?

Yes, absolutely. Here’s a link to where you can read more about how we are an ABTOT member and have an ATOL licence and what this means for your financial protection when booking a trip with us.

Deposits vary from destination to destination and from trip to trip. Generally speaking we require a deposit of 25%. This amount may be higher for certain trips where more services that usual need to be booked and paid for in advance (such as gorilla permits in Rwanda). Deposits are non-refundable.

Balance payments are required up to 70 days prior to travel.

If you need to cancel your booking, the following fees will apply based on the time before your scheduled departure:

  • Immediate loss of deposit (25% of total cost) upon cancellation.
  • 50% of the total cost if cancelled after the balance is paid and up to 45 days before departure.
  • 75% of the total cost if cancelled 30 to 45 days before departure.
  • 100% of the total cost if cancelled within 30 days of departure.

These fees compensate for expenses and bookings made on your behalf in anticipation of your trip.

Which airport do I need to fly into and out of for my trip to Morocco?

Our trips to Morocco either start or finish in Marrakesh (Menara Airport – RAK) or Casablanca (Mohammed V International Airport – CMN).

Please check the itinerary carefully or ask us before booking flights if you’re unsure.

How do I find out which hotels, meals and activities are included?

Unfortunately we can’t provide an exhaustive list of everything included in the ‘What’s Included’ section of this page as we include a whole bunch of stuff on our trips!

If it’s in the itinerary and we’ve not explicitly said that it’s an optional activity, then yes – it’s almost certainly included. If you’re not sure, please ask.

The meals that are included are all listed on the daily itinerary.

For the accommodation, we’ve got a shortlist of properties that we use. You can get a sense of the types of accommodation we use higher up the page in the ‘Where We’ll Stay’ section. We cannot guarantee any specific properties for your trip as it’s based on availability. If you are wanting to specifically request a property then please get in touch as we’re able to customise our trips.

How much should I tip in Morocco?

Tips are not included in any of our trips. They are entirely discretionary but in most cases are expected by the teams that will be looking after you. We know it can be daunting to work out exactly what to give so whilst this guideline hopefully helps, please remember that it’s a completely personal choice and you should feel free to tip more or less based on the quality of service that you receive.

Trekking Guide: 100-200 MAD per day

Porters or Support Staff: $50-100 MAD per day

Drivers: 50-100 MAD per day

Again, tipping is not compulsory and please only do so if the service you’ve received warrants it. It’s hugely appreciated and a way for the teams looking after you to supplement their income.

What should I know about the possible cold climate?

This trip spends time in locations where there might be significantly cold temperatures (below freezing) during the day with further temperature drops at night. You might be staying in poorly insulated accommodation in rural locations. It’s important that you are adequately equipped and that you remain sufficiently hydrated and nourished.

Our guides are trained to mitigate the risks associated with undertaking activity in cold weather but you should be aware of the risks and ensure you’re appropriately prepared.

What should I consider about trekking at altitude?

A lot of our trips spend considerable time above altitudes of over 2,500m. Some people may experience symptoms associated with Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). It’s really important to note a couple of things. Firstly, past experience at high altitudes is not necessarily an indicator of how you’ll fare in the future. Secondly, our itineraries have been curated and our guides  have been trained to mitigate the risks associated with trekking at altitude. However, due to the nature of trekking at altitude it’s vital that you report any symptoms to your guide immediately. It’s also important that you have travel insurance covering you up to the maximum altitude at which you’ll be trekking.

Is travel insurance mandatory?

Yes, it is. We run adventurous trips and it’s mandatory that you have suitable travel insurance in place to cover overseas medical treatment as well as evacuation or repatriation.

We can’t recommend which provider you use but the main things we’d encourage you to look out for is that you’re fully covered for the activities you’re taking part in (i.e., covers you up to the altitude you’ll be trekking at) and that it covers cancellation in the event that illness or other circumstances prevent you from travelling.

What information will I receive after I book?

After you book, we’ll get to work confirming that the dates you’ve selected are completely available.

There are extremely rare circumstances that may mean we’re unable to confirm your booking. These circumstances are limited to events beyond our control or not being able to secure the services that you wanted to book.

In the extremely rare event that we’re unable to confirm your booking you will be offered an alternative itinerary or a full refund without any fees. Please do not book any non-changeable travel plans until you receive the confirmation from us. This will be within 72 hours.

A detailed Trip Dossier will then be sent to you after you make your booking. It’ll contain all the information you might need to help you pack and get prepared for your trip, including information on visas, vaccinations, packing and training.

We encourage you to refer to the UK Government’s official travel advisory service when planning your trips. You can find the FCDO advice here.

And when you travel, we work closely with local experts to put together the best itineraries. We’ve worked with them exhaustively to provide safe adventures at great value. They know their destination better than we ever could so you’ll be in good hands! You can read a bit more about why we will only ever have locally-led trips here.

Book Now

Whether you’d like more information about this itinerary or to customise it to exactly what you want to do, drop us a line and let us know your plans!

Trip Snapshot

Destination

Min Age

12+

Difficulty Rating