Climb Mount Toubkal & Sleep in the Sahara – Self-Launched

Fly into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) and take the No. 19 public bus (approx. £0.40) or a petit taxi (£3–5, agree the fare before you get in) to your riad in the medina. Spend the day getting lost in the souks, wandering Djemaa el-Fna square at dusk, and eating a bowl of harira soup from a street stall. Grab mint tea on a rooftop terrace and get an early night — the trek starts tomorrow.

🚌No. 19 bus from airport to Djemaa el-Fna (~£0.40) or petit taxi (~£3–5)

🛏Stay in a riad or guesthouse in the medina — Riad Yasmine, Equity Point Marrakech Hostel, or similar. Budget £20–35/night for a dorm or £35–55 for a private twin.

• →Explore Djemaa el-Fna square and the surrounding souks
• →Visit the Bahia Palace or Ben Youssef Medersa (entry ~£2 each)
• →Eat street food around the main square — try pastilla, snail soup, and fresh-squeezed orange juice

Head to Bab Ghmat (near the medina) or arrange a grand taxi from your riad to Imlil (approx. £6–8pp shared, 1.5hrs). In Imlil, hire a licensed local mountain guide — mandatory for the Toubkal summit — through the Bureau des Guides (£35–50/day including the required permit). You can also hire a mule for your overnight bag (£12–15). Begin the hike up the Mizane Valley (~10km, 1,540m ascent, 5–6 hrs), passing Berber villages to the Neltner or Mouflon Refuge. Dinner and a bunk bed at the refuge.

🚌Shared grand taxi Marrakech → Imlil (~£6–8pp)

🛏Neltner Refuge or Mouflon Refuge, Toubkal — dorm bunk ~£12–16pp including dinner and breakfast.

• →Grand taxi from Marrakech to Imlil (~£6–8pp shared)
• →Hire a licensed guide at the Imlil Bureau des Guides (£35–50/day — mandatory)
• →Hire a mule for overnight luggage (£12–15 optional but recommended)
• →Hike up the Mizane Valley to the Toubkal Refuge (~10km, 5–6hrs)

Wake at 4–5am and begin the summit push with your guide (~1,130m ascent). Reach the top (4,167m) at sunrise for panoramic views stretching to the Sahara. The descent back to Imlil takes around 4–5 hours (~17km total for the day). Book a night at a guesthouse or small hotel in Imlil — you've earned it. Celebrate with a tagine and sleep well.

🚌On foot — guide leads ascent and descent

🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Imlil — Dar Adrar or similar, ~£20–30pp for a twin room.

• →Summit hike to Mount Toubkal at sunrise (4,167m — highest peak in North Africa)
• →Descend back to Imlil via the Mizane Valley
• →Toubkal National Park entry permit — included via guide booking

Arrange a shared or private grand taxi from Imlil back to Marrakech, then onward via the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka pass to Ouarzazate (around £12–16pp, or hire a private driver for the full day for ~£60–80 split between a group). Stop at Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO-listed ksar, entry free, parking £1) — location for Game of Thrones and Gladiator — and Ouarzazate Film Studios (entry ~£5). Continue to the Dades Valley for the night.

🚌Shared grand taxi or private driver Imlil → Ouarzazate → Dades Valley (£12–20pp shared, or ~£60–80 for a full private day car)

🛏Small guesthouse or hotel in Dades Valley — Dar Essyaha or similar, ~£18–28pp twin.

• →Drive the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass — spectacular scenery
• →Explore Ait Ben Haddou UNESCO ksar (free entry)
• →Visit Ouarzazate Film Studios (optional, ~£5 entry)
• →Short hike in the Dades Gorge in the afternoon

Take a shared minibus or grand taxi to Tinghir (£5–8pp) and explore the jaw-dropping 160m walls of Todra Gorge on a self-guided hike (~1–2hrs, free). Continue east by shared taxi or local bus to Merzouga (£8–12pp). Book a camel trek directly with local operators in Merzouga — 1–2hr trek into the Erg Chebbi dunes to a Berber desert camp costs £25–40pp including dinner, overnight tent accommodation and breakfast. Sleep in a carpeted Berber tent or under the stars.

🚌Shared grand taxi or CTM bus Dades Valley → Tinghir → Merzouga (£8–15pp)

🛏Berber desert camp near Merzouga — included in camel trek package (~£25–40pp all-in with dinner and breakfast).

• →Hike through Todra Gorge (free, self-guided)
• →Visit a date palm oasis near Tinghir
• →Camel trek from Merzouga into the Erg Chebbi dunes (~1–2hrs)
• →Overnight at a Berber desert camp — dinner, fire, stargazing included

Rise before dawn for a sunrise camel ride back across the dunes to Merzouga — included in your camp package. Shower, eat breakfast and negotiate a shared grand taxi or CTM bus back toward Marrakech (£15–20pp, 8–10hrs with stops). Break the journey in Ouarzazate or Ait Ben Haddou if you didn't stop yesterday. Arrive back in Marrakech in the evening — head straight to a rooftop restaurant for a final tagine.

🚌Shared grand taxi or CTM bus Merzouga → Marrakech (£15–20pp, full day with stops)

🛏Return to your riad or medina guesthouse in Marrakech — £20–35pp dorm or £35–55 twin.

• →Sunrise camel trek back to Merzouga village (included in camp price)
• →Optional stop at Ouarzazate or Ait Ben Haddou on the return
• →Final dinner in Marrakech medina — try a restaurant on Djemaa el-Fna

Enjoy a final Moroccan breakfast of msemen flatbread, honey, argan oil and mint tea. If your flight is late, squeeze in a hammam session (£8–12 at a local hammam — ask your riad to recommend one) or pick up last-minute souvenirs. Take the No. 19 bus or a petit taxi to Menara Airport. Remember: Marrakech Airport requires a printed boarding pass — don't rely on your phone.

🚌Petit taxi or No. 19 bus to Marrakech Menara Airport (~£0.40–5)

• →Final medina wander and souvenir shopping
• →Traditional hammam session (optional, £8–12 at a local hammam)
• →Petit taxi or No. 19 bus to Menara Airport (RAK)