Private day trip
Day Trip From Marrakech to the Atlas Mountains & Three Valleys
A private day into the High Atlas proper, through three linked valleys south of Marrakech: Asni and its Saturday market, Imlil at the foot of Mount Toubkal — at 4,167 metres the highest peak in North Africa — and the Oukaïmeden plateau, which is a ski station in winter and a shepherds' pasture the rest of the year.
- Duration
- Full day
- From
- €80 per vehicle
- Starts
- Marrakech
- Ends
- Marrakech
A starting price for one comfortable 4x4 carrying up to 4 people — not per person. What you finally pay depends on your dates, the accommodation you choose and any changes you make to the route.
The Atlas begins forty minutes from Marrakech and rises to over four thousand metres in the next thirty kilometres, which is why the city has snow on its horizon for half the year.
This day gets you properly into it: a walk between villages with a mule carrying anything you would rather not, lunch on a terrace with the ridge opposite filling the view, and a road up to 2,600 metres at Oukaïmeden. No technical walking, no altitude problems, and back for dinner in the medina.
Trip highlights
- Three valleys in one day: Asni, Imlil and Oukaïmeden
- Imlil, the trailhead village beneath Mount Toubkal (4,167 m)
- A guided walk between Berber villages, with a mule if you want one
- Terraced fields, walnut groves and irrigation channels a millennium old
- The Oukaïmeden plateau at 2,600 m — snow in winter, flocks in summer
- Lunch on a valley terrace, and back in Marrakech by evening
How the day runs
-
9:00
Marrakech → Asni valley
Pick-up at 9am and straight out through the olive groves to the mountain front. Asni sits in the first valley, and if it is a Saturday its market fills the riverbed — donkeys, wool, vegetables, blacksmiths, and no concessions at all to visitors. A stop for the view back over the plain and the first proper sight of the ridge.
-
10:30
Imlil and a walk between villages
The road up to Imlil at 1,740 metres, where the tarmac ends and the Toubkal trails begin. From here a local guide takes you on an easy walk — an hour or two, as much as you want — through walnut groves and stone villages, past the irrigation channels that feed the terraces. A mule can carry bags or tired children.
-
13:00
Lunch above the valley
Lunch at a village house or a small hotel terrace: tagine, bread, salads, and the whole valley in front of you. Slow, and worth being slow about.
-
15:00
Oukaïmeden plateau, then Marrakech
The third valley climbs to Oukaïmeden at 2,600 metres — Africa's oldest ski station, with a chairlift, a scatter of prehistoric rock carvings and, out of season, a plateau full of sheep. Then the descent back to Marrakech, arriving in the early evening.
What is and is not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle, fuel and driver
- English- or French-speaking driver-guide
- Pick-up and drop-off at your Marrakech accommodation
Not included
- Lunch and drinks (around 120 MAD per person)
- Local mountain guide for the walk (around 200 MAD per group)
- Mule hire (around 150 MAD)
- Tips and personal expenses
Good to know
Do we need to be fit?
No. The walk from Imlil is optional and can be anything from twenty minutes to three hours — you set it with the guide on the day. Everything else is reached by vehicle.
Can we climb Toubkal on this trip?
Not in a day. Toubkal is a two-day trek with a night at the refuge, and it needs a licensed mountain guide and proper gear. We arrange those separately — ask us and we will quote it.
What is it like in winter?
Imlil is cold and often has snow above it; Oukaïmeden may be skiable between January and March, and the road up occasionally needs chains. The valleys stay open and the light in winter is the best of the year.
How is this different from the Ourika Valley trip?
Ourika is lower, greener and centred on a river and waterfalls. The Three Valleys goes higher into bare mountain country and is more about ridges, villages and walking. If you only do one and you like mountains, do this one.
Is the Asni market on every day?
The big weekly souk is Saturday morning. On other days Asni is a quiet roadside town — still a good stop, but the market is the reason to aim for a Saturday if your dates are flexible.
Worth reading before you go
Ready to see the Sahara?
Send us your dates and we will tailor this Full day tour to you — no obligation, and a real reply from a local team.
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