5 Day Toubkal Trek with an Acclimatisation Day

Altitude is the part of a Toubkal trek that catches people out, not the distance. This five-day plan is built around it: you spend your first two nights in a guest house in the village of Aroumd, use day two to walk up to the Tizi Mzik pass and come back down to sleep low, and only then go up to the Toubkal refuge for two nights, with the summit on day four. Mount Toubkal is 4,167 metres high, the highest peak in North Africa, and the extra time makes the climb easier on most bodies and gives you a better chance of reaching the top.

Why the acclimatisation day matters

Going high and sleeping low is the standard way to adapt to altitude. On day two you walk toward the Tizi Mzik pass (2,490 metres), with lunch under juniper trees, and return to the guest house for the night. If you still have energy, there is an optional extra climb to about 2,750 metres. Nothing about this day is difficult; its job is to prepare your body for day three, when you climb to the Toubkal refuge at 3,207 metres. Fitness does not protect you from altitude: a headache, nausea or a poor night’s sleep can strike anyone. Mention it straight away, hold your height while it lasts and head down if it worsens.

How this differs from our other 5 day trek

Our 5 day Toubkal trek from Imlil is a circuit that reaches the mountain through the Azzaden valley and Lake Ifni. This one stays on the Imlil side of the massif. It puts the time into acclimatisation, the guest house and two nights at the refuge, so that summit day starts from a well-rested base. Choose this one if altitude worries you or you want a calmer pace. Choose the circuit if scenery and a longer approach matter most.

The route and the nights

Day one takes you from Marrakech toward Imlil (at about 1,740 to 1,800 metres, around 64 km from the city) through Berber towns and the Moulay Brahim gorge, with a stop at a cooperative to see how argan oil is made, and ends with a short walk to Aroumd and a night in a guest house. Day two is the acclimatisation walk. Day three goes through Aroumd, stops at the shrine village of Chamarouch for a riverside lunch prepared by the cook, and climbs to the refuge. Day four is the summit, back to the refuge to sleep, and on the return your guide may choose a different trail, by Ikhibi, if the conditions allow. Day five descends to Aroumd for a traditional lunch in an old valley house or by the river, and then back to Marrakech.

Fitness and weather

You need a moderate level of fitness and should be comfortable walking for several hours a day at altitude. Trekking experience helps but is not essential. Summit day is the longest and steepest of the five. Mountain weather turns quickly and the refuge is cold at night. From about November to April snow and ice can lie on the upper slopes, and crampons and an ice axe may then be needed. Your dates tell us what to advise.

Your guide and the plan

The guides on this trek are licensed, speak English and come from the valley. They go through the plan with you at the start and keep it flexible. Summit day is a decision taken on the mountain, with the weather and the group’s energy in mind, and a turn-back is an ordinary part of a good trek.

What is included

The price covers the round-trip transport between your accommodation in Marrakech and the trek, accommodation in a guest house and at the refuge, professional guides, all meals freshly prepared, and mules to carry your equipment. It does not include personal trekking equipment, travel insurance or tips for guides and staff (optional).

Other routes

For a quicker climb, see the 2 day trek, the 3 day trek or the 4 day Berber villages trek. To see the valley without a summit or a night out, try the Imlil day trip. Everything is compared on the Mount Toubkal trekking page, or ask us to plan your own.