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

Take a petit taxi or the airport bus (Bus 19, ~£0.50) from Menara Airport into the medina — skip the included private transfer and save immediately. Check into a well-rated riad or hostel in the medina. Spend the afternoon wandering Djemaa el-Fna square (UNESCO-listed), the colourful souks, and the spice markets. Eat a bowl of harira soup and a tagine at a local restaurant for pennies. Get an early night — the trek starts tomorrow.

🚌Bus 19 from Menara Airport to Djemaa el-Fna (~£0.50), or petit taxi (~£3-5 negotiated)

🛏Budget riad or hostel in the Marrakech medina (e.g. Equity Point Marrakech hostel or a guesthouse near Bab Doukkala) — dorm ~£10-12/night, private room ~£20-25/night

• →Explore Djemaa el-Fna square and watch the evening entertainment (free)
• →Wander the souks of the medina — spice market, leather tanneries, lantern stalls (free)
• →Visit the Bahia Palace (entry ~£2) or Koutoubia Mosque gardens (free)
• →Eat street food and a sit-down tagine dinner (~£4-6)

Take a shared grand taxi from Bab Rob in Marrakech to Imlil (~£4-5 per person, ~1.5hrs). In Imlil, hire a licensed local mountain guide directly through the Bureau des Guides (~£35-45/day for a private guide, or split with other independent trekkers you meet there). Mule hire for luggage is ~£15-20/day and is strongly recommended for the ascent. Begin the classic trek up the Mizane Valley, passing Berber villages like Around and Sidi Chamharouch. Lunch on the trail (pack food from Imlil's small shops). Arrive at the Neltner/Mouflon Refuge (CAF refuge) in the afternoon. Dinner is served communally at the refuge.

🚌Shared grand taxi Marrakech (Bab Rob) to Imlil (~£4-5pp)

🛏Neltner Refuge (CAF — Club Alpin Français) on Mount Toubkal — dorm bunk ~£10-12/night including dinner and breakfast

• →Hire a licensed local guide at the Bureau des Guides in Imlil (~£35-45/day)
• →Arrange mule hire for overnight luggage (~£15-20/day)
• →Trek the Mizane Valley: Imlil → Around → Sidi Chamharouch → Neltner Refuge (5-6hrs, ~10km, ~1540m ascent)
• →Refuel with dinner at the refuge — tagine or pasta served communally

Rise at 4–5am and begin the summit push with your guide. The final scree slope to the summit (4,167m / 13,671ft) takes 2-3 hours from the refuge. Reach the top in time for sunrise over the Atlas and a distant glimpse of the Sahara. Descend back to Imlil (another 4-5hrs). Your guide will manage the pace and monitor for altitude sickness — follow their lead. Back in Imlil, check into a guesthouse, shower, and eat a well-earned dinner.

🚌On foot (summit and descent) — your guide leads the way

🛏Guesthouse in Imlil (e.g. Dar Adrar or similar) — double/twin ~£18-25/night

• →Pre-dawn summit push to Mount Toubkal (4,167m) with your guide (~2-3hrs from refuge)
• →Watch sunrise from the summit of North Africa's highest peak
• →Descend via the same scree slope back to the refuge, then down the Mizane Valley to Imlil (~4-5hrs)
• →Rest and eat dinner in Imlil — local guesthouse usually serves set Moroccan meals (~£5-7)

Arrange a shared or private minibus from Imlil/Marrakech toward Ouarzazate and the Dades Valley — ask your guesthouse to connect you with a local driver, or use the CTM/Supratours bus from Marrakech to Ouarzazate (~£6-8, ~4hrs). En route, stop at Aït Ben Haddou ksar (UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry ~£1.50) — famous from Gladiator and Game of Thrones. The Ouarzazate Film Studios are optional (entry ~£5). Continue to the Dades Valley. Hiring a private driver for the full day (shared between 2-4 people) is ~£30-40pp and gives much more flexibility for stops.

🚌CTM bus Marrakech → Ouarzazate (~£6-8), then local shared taxi or private driver to Dades Valley (~£5-10pp shared); OR full-day private driver from Imlil/Marrakech (~£30-40pp split between group)

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in the Dades Valley (e.g. Auberge Tissadrine or similar) — double/twin ~£15-22/night

• →Stop at Aït Ben Haddou ksar — UNESCO-listed fortified village (~£1.50 entry)
• →Optional: Ouarzazate Film Studios tour (~£5 entry)
• →Drive through the dramatic Dades Gorge and surrounding palmeries
• →Short afternoon hike in the Dades Valley (free — ask your guesthouse for trail info)

Arrange onward transport to Todra Gorge (shared taxi or continue with your private driver from Day 4). Walk through the towering 160m canyon walls of Todra Gorge (free entry) and visit a nearby date palm oasis. Continue east to Merzouga (~2-3hrs drive). Book a camel trek and Berber camp experience directly in Merzouga — prices are very competitive when booked locally. A 1-hour sunset camel trek + overnight in a traditional Berber camp with dinner and breakfast included typically costs ~£25-35pp booked directly. Sleep under the stars or in a carpeted Berber tent surrounded by Erg Chebbi's famous dunes.

🚌Shared taxi or private driver Dades Valley → Todra Gorge → Merzouga (~£10-18pp)

🛏Berber camp near Merzouga/Erg Chebbi — overnight tent with dinner and breakfast included (~£25-35pp booked directly)

• →Walk through Todra Gorge — 160m sheer canyon walls (free entry)
• →Visit a date palm oasis near Tinghir (free or small guide tip)
• →Sunset camel trek from Merzouga into the Erg Chebbi dunes (~1hr each way)
• →Dinner around the campfire at a Berber camp — traditional couscous and tagine
• →Sleep under the Saharan stars or in a furnished Berber tent

Rise early (before 6am) for the sunrise camel trek back across the dunes to Merzouga — a highlight included in your camp package. After breakfast and a shower at a local auberge, arrange return transport to Marrakech. The most budget-friendly option is a CTM/Supratours bus from Rissani (10km from Merzouga, shared taxi ~£1-2) to Marrakech (~£12-15, ~9-10hrs with stops). A shared private driver/minibus can be arranged for ~£20-30pp and allows scenic stops along the route. Arrive back in Marrakech in the evening for a final tagine dinner.

🚌Shared taxi Merzouga → Rissani (~£1-2pp), then CTM/Supratours bus Rissani → Marrakech (~£12-15pp, ~9-10hrs); OR shared private driver (~£20-30pp)

🛏Budget riad or hostel in Marrakech medina — same as Day 1 (~£10-25/night)

• →Pre-dawn sunrise camel trek back through Erg Chebbi dunes (included in camp price)
• →Breakfast and freshen up in Merzouga before departure
• →Scenic stops along the return route (rose valley, kasbahs) — ask your driver
• →Final dinner in Marrakech — couscous, tagine, or pastilla at a medina restaurant (~£6-10)

Enjoy a final Moroccan breakfast of msemen (flatbread), amlou (almond dip), mint tea, and fresh orange juice at a café near Djemaa el-Fna (~£2-3). If you have time before your flight, revisit the souks for last-minute shopping, or take a taxi to the Jardin Majorelle (Yves Saint Laurent's famous garden, ~£8 entry). Take Bus 19 or a petit taxi to Menara Airport (allow 30-45 minutes). Note: Marrakech Airport does not accept mobile boarding passes — print yours before you go.

🚌Bus 19 or petit taxi to Menara Airport (~£0.50-5)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final Moroccan breakfast at a medina café — mint tea, msemen, fresh orange juice (~£2-3)
• →Optional: Jardin Majorelle and YSL Museum (~£8 entry, book ahead in peak season)
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping in the souks
• →Transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport (Bus 19 ~£0.50, or petit taxi ~£3-5)