Toubkal Summit Trek in 4 Days with Acclimatisation
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- Duration
- 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Tour type
- Guided
- Tour category
- Mountain Tours
- Availability
- All year
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Four days, three nights at the refuge, and a climb on the Ouanakrim peaks before the summit itself. The extra day is spent getting your body used to the altitude.
About this tour
Four days, three nights at the refuge, and a climb on the Ouanakrim peaks before the summit itself. The extra day is spent getting your body used to the altitude.
Tour highlights
- The Ouanakrim twin peaks climbed from the refuge on Day 2 as dedicated acclimatization, something unique to this four-day format
- Standing on Mount Toubkal at 4,167m, North Africa's highest point, at its well-known triangular marker, with a full circle of views across the Atlas, the Sahara and the plain below Marrakech
- Three nights based at the Toubkal mountain refuge (3,207m) so your body has the longest possible run at the altitude
- Two complete days spent at 3,207m ahead of the summit push, which is what gives this format the best summit success rate of the Toubkal treks in this range
- A weather buffer written into the plan: should Day 3 turn unsafe, the summit can be tried on Day 4 instead
- The walk in through the Ait Mizane Valley, past Aremd village and the shrine of Sidi Chamarouch with its waterfall
- A licensed bilingual mountain guide, which the route requires
- Mules to carry your luggage on the way up and the way down
- The format put forward for winter ascents, November to April
- Full board across all four days, water included
Route at a glance
4 Days / 3 Nights · Marrakech (hotel pickup) → Imlil (1,740m)
- Marrakech (hotel pickup) Starting point
- Toubkal National Park
- Imlil (1,740m) Ending point
About this tour
Four days built around one objective, the top of Mount Toubkal at 4,167m, the highest point in North Africa, with three nights spent at the Toubkal mountain refuge at 3,207m. Day 1 walks in from Imlil (1,740m) up the Ait Mizane Valley, by way of Aremd and the shrine at Sidi Chamarouch, to the refuge: 5 to 6 hours and +1,467m of climbing.
Day 2 is given over entirely to acclimatizing, on a climb of the Ouanakrim twin peaks straight from the refuge, which no other Toubkal format in this range includes.
Summit day comes on Day 3 by the south cirque, 6 to 7 hours all in for +960m and -960m, and you sleep at the refuge a third time; Day 4 brings a 4 to 5 hour descent back to Imlil, then the road to Marrakech. It is an out-and-back route of roughly 28km with about 18 hours of walking and +2,427m of total ascent, graded Moderate-Challenging, non-technical through summer, and in winter crampons and an ice axe are compulsory.
The price takes in the air-conditioned transfer both ways, mule support for luggage, a licensed bilingual mountain guide, three dormitory nights at the refuge and full board.
Availability: All year, in the two published seasons. May to October is the summer or dry season: dry trails, clear views, ordinary hiking kit and long daylight. November to April is the winter or snow season and is the format put forward for this trek, with crampons and an ice axe compulsory and temperatures dropping to -20C high up.
Day by day itinerary
Print this itinerary- Day 1 of 4
Marrakech - Imlil (1,740m) - Sidi Chamarouch - Toubkal Refuge (3,207m) (Walking In: Valley to Refuge)
Your driver collects you at your Marrakech hotel for a 90-minute run into the mountains to Imlil (1,740m). Your licensed mountain guide and the muleteers are waiting there. From Imlil the path climbs the Ait Mizane Valley, passing Aremd village and reaching Sidi Chamarouch, where the shrine sits beside its waterfall and the picnic lunch is taken. The climbing carries on to the Toubkal mountain refuge at 3,207m, where you take a bed in the dormitory. This is home for the next 3 nights. Elevation 1,740m to 3,207m. Walking time 5-6 hours. Elevation gain +1,467m. Overnight: refuge dormitory.
- Day 2 of 4
Toubkal Refuge (3,207m) - Ouanakrim Twin Peaks - Refuge (Acclimatization: Time on the Ouanakrim)
This is the day that makes the four-day format what it is. Breakfast at the refuge, then a climb of the Ouanakrim twin peaks, which stand in view from the door and belong to the Toubkal massif. The point of it is deliberate altitude training: it puts your body to work high up, opens a different angle on the Toubkal summit and settles the nerves before tomorrow. Dinner is back at the refuge, and you sleep a second night at 3,207m, two full days of adjustment behind you. Focus: acclimatization day. Overnight: second night at the refuge.
- Day 3 of 4
Toubkal Refuge (3,207m) - Summit (4,167m) - Refuge (Summit Day: The Roof of North Africa)
You are up early. The line of ascent is the south cirque: scree and boulders through the summer months, while in winter it turns to hard snow and ice, and crampons and an ice axe become necessary. Two days spent at 3,207m mean your body is ready for it. Reckon on 3 to 4 hours to reach 4,167 metres, where the triangular marker stands and the view turns a full 360 degrees over the Atlas, out towards the Sahara and down across the plain below Marrakech. You get around 45 minutes up there. Then down to the refuge again, for lunch and for a third night; unlike the two-day and three-day Toubkal treks in this range, summit day here does not oblige you to drop the whole way to Imlil. Elevation 3,207m to 4,167m and back to 3,207m. Total walking time 6-7 hours (up 3-4h, down 2-3h). Elevation gain and loss +960m / -960m. Overnight: third night at the refuge.
- Day 4 of 4
Toubkal Refuge (3,207m) - Sidi Chamarouch - Imlil (1,740m) - Marrakech (An Unhurried Descent and the Road Back)
Breakfast first, then an easy-paced descent past the Sidi Chamarouch shrine and back down the Ait Mizane Valley to Imlil (1,740m), where lunch is taken before the driver runs you on to Marrakech. You arrive with the evening to yourself. Elevation 3,207m to 1,740m. Walking time 4-5 hours. Elevation loss -1,467m. No overnight, you return to Marrakech.
What's included
Included
- Air-conditioned return transfer between Marrakech and Imlil
- A licensed bilingual mountain guide
- Mules to carry your luggage
- 3 nights in the dormitory at the Toubkal mountain refuge
- The Ouanakrim acclimatization day on Day 2
- Every meal on a full-board basis, all 4 days, water included
Not included
- Your own hiking kit (hire available in Imlil)
- Winter kit, crampons and ice axe (around EUR 5 per day for each)
- Snacks and personal spending
- Tips for the guide and muleteers (at your discretion)
- Travel insurance (we strongly recommend it)
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Hat
- Water bottle
- Phone & charger
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
Group rates
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 person | €575 per person |
| 2 people | €340 per person |
| 3 people | €330 per person |
| 4 people | €310 per person |
| 5 people | €295 per person |
| 6 people | €280 per person |
| 7-9 people | €270 per person |
| 10-13 people | €260 per person |
| 14-17 people | €250 per person |
Frequently asked questions
What makes the four-day version different?
The Ouanakrim acclimatization climb, plus three nights at the refuge. Two full days at 3,207m ahead of the push is something no other Toubkal trek in this range offers, and the weather buffer means a bad Day 3 can be swapped for a summit attempt on Day 4.
What is the difficulty?
Moderate-Challenging. Having the acclimatization day behind you takes the sting out of the summit. Good fitness is required. Through winter you must carry crampons and an ice axe.
What exactly is the Ouanakrim climb?
Day 2 altitude training. The Ouanakrim twin peaks are climbed straight from the refuge, the massif opens up around you, your body works hard at height, and then you come back down to rest. It belongs to the four-day trek alone.
Is this the format to pick for winter?
Yes. It is the one put forward for winter, with the extra acclimatization and the weather buffer behind it. Crampons and an ice axe are needed from November through April, temperatures reach -20C and the guides read conditions daily.
What does the price cover?
The transfer, a licensed guide, the mule, 3 nights at the Toubkal mountain refuge, the Ouanakrim day and every meal. From EUR 250.
What will it cost?
From EUR 250 per person at 14-17 pax. Two travellers pay EUR 340 each, one traveller alone EUR 575. Everything is included apart from personal gear and winter kit.
Is previous experience needed?
Not in summer, where no mountaineering background is called for. In winter, basic snow skills are advised. Good fitness is essential either way, since the days run to 5 or 6 hours of trekking with height gain.
Why spend three nights at the refuge?
To get the most out of altitude adjustment. Basing at 3,207m means every climb starts from there, with no detour through villages. Travellers who want village nights should look at the three-day Toubkal trek or the 5-Day Private Toubkal Summit and Berber Villages Trek.
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