TOUBKAL

Arrival day at Marrakech. Transfer from the airport to the hotel or riad, and spare time depending on the arrival time. Possibility of hiring a local guide to know the city.

After breakfast, you will be fetched by the vehicle and taken to the mountain. You will go directly into the greatest area of the High Atlas, the Toukbal massif and the Toukbal National Park around the massif. You will go deeper and deeper into the Berber area during 64 km until reaching the mountain.This area is characterized by its traditional architecture of houses made of adobe and stone, located along the banks of the rivers and its crop fields which are the base of the local economy as well as the cattle and goat breeding. In Imlil (1740m) the team of pack mules, mule drivers and cooks will be waiting for you to start the trekking. After putting the luggage on the pack mules, you will go to  (1945m), a village in a 45-minute walk. Once you get accommodation and have lunch, you’ll have the rest of the day for you to know the place on your own. Lunch, dinner and lodging in a cottage. Difference in height: 205m.  .    

Early in the morning and after savoring breakfast, you’ll start the climb. A short downhill will lead you to the apple trees orchards and then the path starts to go up the river Assif n Isougouane, towards Sidi Chamharouch. This path runs through a dry and rocky landscape with almost no vegetation and uninhabited villages, with just some lonely houses, sheepfolds and little shepherd shelters that sometimes are used as improvised refreshment stalls where hikers can get soft drinks. Midway through the trekking day, you’ll stop at the only group of buildings on your way, Sidi Chamharouch (2350m), a holy village where the local saint is buried and that receives the pilgrimage of the tribes under his protection. One part of the village is forbidden for no Muslim people. After abrief stop you’ll go on the path towards the lodge of Neltner (3208m), where you’ll arrive about 5 hours after leaving Aremd.Lunch, dinner and accommodation in the lodge.

Departure before daybreak from the lodge towards the summit, you’ll just go with the guide. The pack mules, the mule drivers and the cooks will stay in the lodge, so you’d better carry a backpack with snacks, water, a raincoat and all you may need for the 6 or 7 hours that will take you to go to the summit and back to the lodge. The path may be snowy and it’s rocky and not signalled. From the summit you’ll luckily see Marrakech in the distance but if not, you’ll be able to see all the others summits of the Toukbal massif, some of them rising to a height of over 4,000 meters as Timezguida ( go back to  Neltner you will find the lunch ready and you’ll have time to rest a bit, put your luggage on the pack mules and continue to Aremd by the same path of the day before. Arrival at the village at mid-afternoon. Dinner and accommodation in a cottage.

After breakfast, you’ll move to Marrakech, the Red Medina, one the imperial cities of Morocco, maybe the most beautiful of the four imperial cities in the country and the most comfortable and easy to visit. Museums, gardens, souks and monuments will be waiting for you in the Red Medina as well as the Jemaa el Fna square, declared World Oral Heritage by UNESCO, where you will see music shows, storytellers, theatre plays, games, stalls selling orange juice, sweets, nuts, warm food, Berber herbal products, snake charmers and many other things.Lunch and dinner on your own. Accommodation in hotel or riad as contracted

Breakfast and transfer to the airport according to the flight departure time.You may visit Marrakech depending on the departure time. If you have spare time, you can enjoy the day visiting the gardens of Marrakech, you could spend the whole day doing it. The Majorelle garden, with its tropical plants and birds, the Menara garden with its olive and citrus trees, a large water pond built by the Almohads in the 12^th century and a pavilion built in the 19^th century from which you can see the snowy summits of the Atlas, the Arset Moulay Abdessalam garden, next to the city walls, a refuge of freshness to run away from the hustle and bustle of the medina or the Harti garden, located in the modern neighbourhood of Gueliz, built by the French and many other gardens. You can also go for a walk around the modern neighbourhoods of Marrakech, Gueliz and Hivernage, with luxury hotels. There’re many other places to visit in Marrakech, the museums and monuments such as the Saadi tombs, a little garden with pavilions of Andalusi architecture containing  the tombs of Ahmed Al Mansour, the most important sultan of the Saadi dynasty   and his family and other members of the court. The Palace El Badi, is not worth a visit since it was plundered by Moulay Ismalil, the second sultan of the Alaouita dynasty reigning at present. The Bahia Palace, residence of the vizier Bou Ahmed, great palace devoted to his wife and his family and other members of the court. The Palace El Badi, is not worth a visit since it was plundered by Moulay Ismalil, the second sultan of the Alaouita dynasty reigning at present. The Bahia Palace, residence of the vizier Bou Ahmed, great palace devoted to his wife