# Imlil and Toubkal A Berber village at 1,740 m, among walnut trees and terraces, at the foot of Toubkal (4,167 m). You come to walk for a day or to climb the summit in two, always with a guide. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/morocco/imlil-and-toubkal ## How to get there from Marrakesh It is about 65 km and around an hour and a half via Asni, with the last kilometres of bends. The usual way is a shared or private grand taxi from Marrakesh, or your accommodation's car. By hire car it is easy; park at the entrance to the village. ## Do you need a guide for Toubkal? Yes. To climb Toubkal you need to go with an accredited mountain guide, and there are checks on the way past Aroumd. Local sources agree that it is enforced (checked in November 2026). You hire in Imlil, at the guides' office or through your accommodation; short walks round the valley can be done independently. ## How is it after the earthquake? The September 2023 earthquake hit this area hard and reconstruction is still under way. As long as the Foreign Ministry advises against travel to the province of Al Haouz, what this page says is for when that advice changes: check it before booking. ## Dónde está - Zonas: High Atlas, Atlas - Cerca: Marrakech (a 55.1 km), Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate (a 75.6 km) ## Qué hacer - **Climbing Toubkal** (20 h · Fit mountain walkers · Guide compulsory): What it is Toubkal, at 4,167 m, is the highest summit in the Atlas and North Africa. The normal route leaves Imlil, at 1,740 m, climbs the Aït Mizane valley to the refuge, at 3,207 m, and the next day reaches the summit before descending. In summer it has no climbing sections, but it is more than 2,400 m of ascent in two days and a night above 3,000 m. Since 2019 it has been compulsory to go with an accredited mountain guide on all routes of the Toubkal National Park, and there are checks on the path. The route, day by day Day 1: from Imlil to the refuge. About 5 or 6 hours, about 11 km and about 1,460 m of ascent. You leave Imlil with the guide and the mules, which carry your luggage up. You pass through Aroumd, the mud-brick village hanging above the valley. You climb the slope to Sidi Chamharouch, the white-rock shrine, at about 2,500 m. It is the lunch stop. The terrain becomes high mountain: scree and bare slopes up to the Toubkal refuge, at 3,207 m. You arrive mid-afternoon, have an early dinner and the guide explains the next day. Day 2: summit and descent to Imlil. 8 to 9 hours, about 13 km, about 960 m of ascent and 2,430 m of descent. You set out around 5:00 with a head torch. You climb for 3 to 4 hours over scree and high terrain to the summit. You descend to the refuge, rest a while and continue down the valley past Sidi Chamharouch to Imlil. If you want to take it more calmly, add one more night in Imlil before starting to acclimatise, or at the refuge. Guide, price and how to hire The guide is hired in Imlil or through an agency or your accommodation. Imlil Trek, an agency based in the valley, offers the two-day ascent with an accredited local guide, a night at the refuge in a dormitory, mule, full board and private transfer from Marrakesh. The price per person falls with group size: €450 for one person alone, €290 each if there are two of you, €220 in a group of four and €160 in groups of 14 to 17. In winter or with snow it may rise. Crampons, ice axe, boots and poles are hired separately. When to go From June to September the summit is usually free of snow. Spring, from March to May, and autumn, from October to November, are good seasons, with possible snow above 3,500 m. From December to February there is snow and ice: crampons, ice axe and winter experience. In summer the valley is cool, but the climb gets a lot of sun. What to bring Mountain boots with ankle support. Warm layers: at the summit it drops below zero. Head torch, hat, sunglasses and high-protection sun cream. Travel insurance covering trekking up to 4,200 m and evacuation. A sheet sleeping bag for the refuge. Altitude and health Above 3,500 m it is normal to notice a mild headache or tiredness. Drink water, climb slowly and tell the guide how you feel. If symptoms get worse, you go down. Rescue resources in the area are limited. With teenagers For teenagers in good shape and used to walking, it is an achievable challenge. It is not recommended for children because of the altitude and duration. - **Walk to Aroumd** (2 h 30 · Families who walk · Independently · free): What it is Aroumd (also written Aremd or Armed) is the Berber mud-brick village that hangs above the Aït Mizane valley, above Imlil. Its stone and mud houses step up the slope, with terraced fields and walnut trees below and the Toubkal mountains behind. It is the first village on the normal route to Toubkal, and for anyone not going up to the summit it is the easiest and most rewarding excursion from Imlil. The route, step by step Imlil (1,740 m). Leave the village up the valley by the mule track that goes towards Toubkal. If your accommodation is in the upper part, like the Kasbah du Toubkal, you start with part of the climb already done. The climb. The path climbs at a gentle gradient between walnut trees and terraced fields, with the river below. There is a steeper stretch with loose stone. Aroumd. In about an hour you reach the village. Cross its alleys with respect: it is an inhabited village, not a film set. There are terraces and guesthouses where you can have a tea with a view of the valley. Return. Go back the same way, or ask a guide to take you by another path among the terraces. Allow two to three hours round trip, with tea. It is an easy route for anyone who walks, also with children used to it. Independently or with a guide You can go independently as far as Aroumd: the path is clear and runs along the valley floor. Local sources place the Toubkal National Park guide checkpoint past Aroumd, on the way to Sidi Chamharouch. If you want to go further, you need an accredited guide. A local guide is also worthwhile even if you don't go further: they introduce you to people in the village and show you the ways back among the terraces. When to go From April to June and in September and October. In summer the valley is cool, but go early: the climb is in the sun. In autumn the walnut trees change colour. In winter there may be snow on the path; with snow, go with a guide. What to bring Mountain trainers or light boots. Water and something to eat. A hat and sun cream. Dirhams for the tea. With children and a dog With children who walk it works very well: an hour's climb, a reward on arrival and a downhill return. With a pushchair you cannot: it is a mule track. With a baby carrier, yes. With a dog, you can, but on the path you will meet loaded mules: always step aside on the mountain side. Watch out for mules The path is the valley's and the refuge's service route. When you hear mules, stand on the mountain side, never the precipice side, and let them pass. - **Sidi Chamharouch** (5 h · With some fitness · Accredited guide compulsory): What it is Sidi Chamharouch is a shrine and a small pilgrimage hamlet at about 2,500 m, on the path from Imlil to the Toubkal refuge. It is recognisable from afar: a large rock painted white beside the torrent, with huts, drink stalls and little shops crowded around it. It is a pilgrimage site for Muslims of the region. For those climbing Toubkal, it is the lunch stop of the first day; for those not going to the summit, it is a good goal for a day excursion from Imlil. The route, step by step It is an out-and-back along the same path, the normal route to Toubkal. Imlil (1,740 m). You leave the village up the valley on the mule track. Aroumd. In a little over an hour you reach Aroumd, the mud-brick village above the valley. The climb. After that the path climbs the valley, well marked by the passage of mules and walkers. As you climb, the valley closes in and the landscape becomes high mountain. Sidi Chamharouch (about 2,500 m). You reach the white rock. Have something at one of the stalls and rest. Return. You go back down the same path to Imlil. Allow about 5 hours round trip, with about 760 m of climbing from Imlil. The difficulty is moderate: there are no technical sections, but the climb is continuous and the path has loose stone. Rules at the shrine The shrine is reserved for Muslims: non-Muslims do not cross the small bridge leading to the rock. It can be seen up close from the path. Dress respectfully and do not photograph people who come to pray without permission. Guide Since 2019 it has been compulsory to go with an accredited mountain guide on the routes of the Toubkal National Park, and local sources place the checkpoint on the path past Aroumd, before Sidi Chamharouch. Plan on going with a guide. You hire in Imlil, through your accommodation or with agencies in the valley such as Imlil Trek. When to go From April to June and in September and October. In summer set off early: the climb is in the sun. In winter the path may have snow or ice above Aroumd. What to bring Mountain footwear. Water, at least a litre and a half per person; drinks are sold at Sidi Chamharouch, but do not count on it in the low season. A hat, sun cream and a warm layer. Cash in dirhams for the stalls. If the weather changes In the mountains the weather changes fast. If it clouds over or starts to rain, turn back: the torrent rises quickly and the path gets slippery. The Spanish Foreign Ministry warns of sudden flash floods in the area in the rainy season and that rescue resources are limited. With teenagers For teenagers who walk, it is a good mountain excursion without the demands of the summit. For small children it is long. - **A loop through the valley terraces** (2 h · Everyone · Independently or with a local guide): What it is Imlil is at 1,740 m, at the bottom of a High Atlas valley, an hour and a half from Marrakesh. Around it, on the slopes, several Berber villages of stone and mud brick live off what the terraces give: stepped fields, walnut and fruit trees, watered by channels that come down from the river. Between one village and another there are mule tracks, the same ones people use to go to the fields and to school. This loop is not after a summit or a record: it is a two-hour walk among terraces and villages to see how people live in the Atlas. It is the plan for anyone not climbing Toubkal. What the loop is like There is no fixed or signposted route. The usual thing is a circular walk from Imlil that crosses the river, climbs a slope among terraces to one or two villages and returns along the other bank. An example: You leave Imlil crossing the river and climb the opposite slope among walnut trees. You reach the first village, among terraced fields. If you go with a guide, you may be invited to tea in a house. You continue along the slope on mule tracks, with views of the valley and the summits at the head. You come down by another path among terraces and irrigation channels to Imlil. Allow about two hours, with short climbs and the odd stretch of loose stone. It is suitable for anyone who walks. If you prefer a clear route without a guide, the climb to Aroumd follows an obvious path. Independently or with a guide On your own you can easily get lost: the paths cross and there are no signs. A local guide shows you the shortcuts, explains the irrigation and the crops and introduces you to the people in the villages. You hire in Imlil, through your accommodation or with agencies in the valley such as Imlil Trek, which organise walks through the High Atlas valleys with accredited local guides. Agree price and duration before setting off. When to go From April to June, with the terraces green, and in September and October, with the walnut trees changing colour. In summer the valley is cool, but go early. In winter there may be snow and ice on the paths and it is cold: wrap up. What to bring Mountain footwear or trainers with a good sole. Water and something to eat. A hat and sun cream. A warm layer: the weather changes fast in the mountains. Dirhams if you want to buy something in the village or leave a tip for the tea. Respect in the villages They are inhabited and conservative villages. Walk on the paths and not through the fields. Dress with shoulders and knees covered. Ask permission before photographing people, especially women and children, and do not hand out sweets or money to children. With children and a dog With children who walk it is a good, short walk with animals along the way. With a pushchair you cannot. With a dog, yes, but keep it on a lead near the flocks and always step aside from the mules, on the mountain side. Where to sleep At the top of the village, with views of Toubkal, is the Kasbah du Toubkal, which you reach on foot or by mule. ## Consejos ### Sleep a night in Imlil before climbing You acclimatise to the altitude, hire a guide without rushing and start early. ### Bring layers In the valley it is 25 °C at midday and at the refuge, at 3,200 m, it drops below zero at night even in June. ### Hire a mule for your rucksack For little money, a mule carries your luggage up to the refuge and you walk light. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Is Toubkal hard to climb? It is a long mountain route, without climbing sections in summer, but with a lot of ascent and altitude: more than 2,400 m of climbing from Imlil in two days. You need to be fit. ### How many days do you need? One day for walking in the valley from Marrakesh. Two days with a night at the refuge for the summit; three if you want to take it calmly. ### Can you climb it in winter? Yes, but with snow and ice: crampons, ice axe and a guide with winter experience. It is not for beginners. ### Can you go with children? To the valley and Aroumd, yes, with children used to walking. To the summit, it is not advisable for minors because of the altitude and duration.