Mt Toubkal – Summiting the Highest Peak in Morocco

Fancy ‘bagging’ North Africa’s highest peak? Then get yourself to Morocco. The two day hike to Mt Toubkal’s 4,167m summit was a highlight of Kayne’s recent trip to Marrakesh.

Quick Overview

Mt Toubkal, locally known as Jebel Toubkal, is the crown jewel of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains. Starting from the rural town of Imlil, an easy drive from Marrakesh, the 28km out-and-back hike to the summit showcases a less touristy side of Morocco. Pair that with a sunrise from North Africa’s highest peak, and it’s a no-brainer for your Morocco itinerary.

Mt Toubkal Facts

Distance: 28.2km
Duration: 2 days
Elevation gain: 2,446m
Nearest town: Imlil

About Mt Toubkal

Mt Toubkal is North Africa’s highest mountain at a hefty 4,167m. Located just over an hour away from Marrakesh, the hike to the top is no mean feat. It requires a mandatory local guide, an overnight stay in a mountain refuge and a 2,446m climb including an ‘optional’ 3am start on day two. The things we do for a good sunrise.

If you’re making your ascent in the warmer months of April to October, you don’t need any technical equipment or climbing experience. Just a good level of fitness will suffice.

Made it to the top!

During the winter, you’ll need to be prepared to deal with snow, ice, and extreme temperatures. A tantalising challenge for the mountaineers among us.

Your guide, accommodation, and food can all be sorted through an organised tour, your chosen guesthouse, or by your own means either online or in Imlil. It all depends on the depth of your pockets and aptness at a good Google. Whichever way you go about it, it’s one hell of an adventure.

Read more: The Ultimate Hiking Safety Guide

Mt Toubkal History

Mt Toubkal, and the surrounding region, has been explored for centuries by local Berber communities that still call the area home and continue to have a deep connection to the mountain. It’s highly likely local Berber tribesmen were the first people to summit the mountain whilst out on hunting trips or other expeditions.

The first ‘recorded’ ascent however was back in 1923 by a group of Frenchman. Since then, summiting Toubkal has grown in popularity and beckons hikers and mountaineers from all over the world.

Can see why people travel far and wide to summit Toubkal

How to Get to Mt Toubkal

If you’ve opted for an organised tour, they’ll have this covered, otherwise you have a few options to get yourself to the trailhead in Imlil from Marrakech.

If you’ve hired a car, simply punch ‘Imlil’ into your GPS and you’ll be there in just over an hour. For those less fortunate, you can get a public bus or a taxi.

The public bus is always going to be cheaper but typically more difficult. And this is no different. After days scouring the internet, all I could find was that one existed but nothing about how to catch it. Alas, this leaves us with a taxi.

Surprisingly, this turned out to be super easy and reasonably affordable. Just head to the shared taxi stand near Jemaa el-Fnaa, the main square in Marrakesh, and look for the sign that says ‘Imlil’. Chat to anyone that looks like they know what they’re doing and they’ll point you to the right driver.

Taxis cost 300 MAD for the entire car, six seats in total, so best make some friends to split the cost. You can either wait an unknown amount of time for the taxi to fill up or pay the full cost. Them the rules I’m afraid.

Where to Stay Near Mt Toubkal

You could make this an overnight excursion from Marrakesh but what’s the fun in that? Imlil is beautiful and there are heaps of wonderful places to stay. I highly recommend a family-run guesthouse. You’ll get an authentic experience, local advice, and often an included breakfast which is always a welcomed bonus.

We stayed at Gite Atlas Mazik and are so glad we did. They helped us secure a guide, lended us some gear for free, and got us a good deal on a taxi back to Marrakesh. The included breakfast was incredible and they were just straight up good people.

Imlil looking beautiful

You’re also going to need to book a night at the CAF mountain refuge. You can book directly through the website or let your tour provider handle it. Either way, you’ll be sharing a room with 20 or so other hikers which is all part of the experience.

The only real difference is the food. The quality of the food directly corresponds to the price of the tour. If you’re organising everything yourself, expect a relatively modest included dinner and breakfast. They also supply you with bedding although some people brought their own sleeping bags.

Skill Level

Intermediate

There are no technical skills needed in the summer months and you’ll have a guide leading the way. The hike is strenuous though and you’ll need a good level of fitness if you want to enjoy yourself. Hiking at these altitudes also puts you at a slight risk of altitude sickness, so be warned.

Toubkal is definitely taller than Kosciuszko, beware of altitude sickness

Essential Gear for Climbing Mt Toubkal

• Hiking boots
• Water bottle
• Headlamp
• Warm clothes for the summit
• Hat
• Gloves
• Sleeping bag (optional)
• Passport (for the checkpoints)

Read more: Remember to leave no trace!

What It’s Like to Hike Up Mt Toubkal

As my partner Claire and I are what you might call ‘shoestring’ travelers, we opted to organise our Mt Toubkal trip without the help of a tour. We confirmed the dates we wanted to hike, booked a night directly with the refuge, and organised our accommodation in Imlil. Our guesthouse recommended a guide for the standard price of 100 Euro and we were all set.

Hiking to the Refuge

Having arrived in Imlil the day prior, we enjoyed a massive breakfast put on by our host before our guide met us at our guesthouse at 9am. Mouad, who we later found out was our guesthouse neighbor, led us through the village as we got acquainted.

We don’t typically get hiking guides but we were quickly happy to have him. Not so much for the guiding (the trail is very obvious) but for the rare chance to chat with someone who was born and raised in the village and had done the trek countless times. We couldn’t believe it when he told us he was currently fasting for the Muslim holiday Eid Al Adha and wouldn’t be eating or drinking anything the entire day. That’s one tough dude.

The 1,477m climb to the refuge was pretty gentle and included some spectacular views.

We had plenty of breaks with a couple of cafes on the way up where we grabbed a coffee, snacks, and some lunch. There was no real need to have much on us other than water and clothes for the summit.

We got to the refuge at 4pm, so had plenty of time to relax with other hikers before a simple, carb-loaded dinner and hitting the hay early in anticipation of the 3am start the next day.

Summiting Toubkal

A mountain refuge is a strange place at that time of the morning. It feels oddly normal to be up at an ungodly hour because everyone else is doing it. That is until you go outside to the freezing cold air and start climbing a mountain through the darkness.

The 989m climb to the summit was substantially tougher than the day before. It was steep, rocky, and slippery and progress felt limited with our headtorches only highlighting our next 10m. But boy was it worth it when the sun started coming up.

The surrounding mountains slowly woke up and we realised just how high we were. Mouad pointed out Marrakesh in the distance as we joined the other early risers at the summit.

It took us four hours and we only had five minutes to spare before an absolute cracker of a sunrise. Seeing the sun come up over the distant mountains was out of this world. A real sensory treat. We spent a good half hour basking in its glory before heading back down the way we came.

Nothing beats this feeling

Returning to Imlil

We got back to the refuge at around 9am and had time for a quick break before heading back down to Imlil. After our very steep morning, the gentle downhill felt like a breeze.

The view down the valley was arguably better then the day before. The cliffs felt more dramatic from that direction.

Everyone set up at the refuge

We stopped for a quick coffee and meandered through the bustling communities, enjoying feeling a part of mountain life.

After what felt like a very long day (because it was) we got back to Imlil around 2pm, picked up some lunch, and headed back to our guesthouse for a well deserved nap.

Tips for Hiking Mt Toubkal

• Make the most of being in Imlil. It’s unlike any other place in Morocco and so worth staying a night before and after the hike
• Bring plenty of cash. You’re not going to find anywhere that takes cards
• Don’t take too much stuff up the mountain. There are plenty of places to buy snacks (including at the refuge) and you can organise to store any unneeded holiday outfits at your guesthouse
• Consider organising your adventure yourself with the help of your guesthouse. You’ll save yourself an arm and a leg and it cuts out the middleman, guaranteeing all the money goes directly to the guesthouse and guides

FAQs for Hiking Mt Toubkal

Is there accommodation on the trail?

Yep! Most hikers rest up at one of the mountain refuges, like Refuge du Toubkal. Make sure to book in advance!

Can I hike Mount Toubkal solo?

It is possible to hike up Toubkal solo, however it’s not recommended for inexperienced hikers – especially when you’re unfamiliar with the area. High altitude and rough terrain can make for dangerous conditions when you’re alone.

When’s the best time to hike Mount Toubkal?

Depends on what kind of adventure you’re looking for! Hiking during the warmer months (May – October) would be the way most people would go. Hiking in winter is possible, you’d just need to be prepared for snow and ice.