The mountains and desert of Morocco
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A simpler kind of mountain trip in the Atlas Mountains with a climb to the highest mountain in Morocco, a trip to the Sahara Desert, and local cultural experiences!
The trip is also suitable for those who have never been to the mountains before and who do not have great mountaineering ambitions, but would be happy to hike along mountain trails in beautiful places with a small backpack. A good way to jump out of the dull autumn for a while!
This journey is made up of mountains and deserts.
🗻 First, the mountains - in the first half of the trip we will hike in the Atlas Mountains and climb to the top of Jebel Toubkal. This mountain is also the highest peak in North Africa. It is currently 4167 m high - but it is more of a "hiking mountain", meaning you don't need any mountaineering equipment or knowledge. All you need is hiking boots, walking poles and a sense of adventure. The view from the top is amazing and the feeling is indescribable :).
🐪 Secondly, the desert. In the second half of the trip we will do a longer road-trip'i, or a trip to the Sahara Desert. It gives you a taste of the real desert, where you can ride camels and hike on high sand dunes.
NB! The trip is completely affordable for an average person with an active lifestyle and a spirit of adventure.
“An ideal active vacation from the dark Estonian autumn, where you can still get a good physical workout, a refreshing change of cultural space (if not in some cases a slight culture shock), and of course, the sincere hospitality of the mountain and desert people. The local mountain guide is top-notch and very professional. Be sure to visit a traditional hammam in Marrakesh!"
- Kristina, 2025 trip participant
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: climb Jebel Toubkal (4167 m) and travel to the Sahara Desert
Dates: 08.-16.11.2026
Activity: mountain hiking + desert trip
Adventure guide: Sergei Kleidov
Technical difficulty level: 1/5 (easy mountain hike without special equipment)
Physical difficulty: 2/5 (moderate effort, suitable for people with an active lifestyle)
Group size: min 8, max 14 (including 2 guides)
Early bird (until 31.03.2026) — €1390
Standard Registration (from 01.04.2026) - €1530
Late Registration (from 1.06.2025) — €1670
Please note: For community members 5-10% discount applies. Read more and check your discount community members page.
Travel cost
Price includes - the entire mountain and desert program
Entire trip organization and on-site guidance
Local guide services on mountain and desert days
Local transport in Morocco
All overnight stays throughout the trip (riads, guesthouses, mountain huts)
All breakfasts and dinners in the mountains and desert and the final closing dinner
Stylish Elamus+ sports shirt for each participant
Group pharmacy
Elamus+ mountaineering preparation package (valued at €200)
Access to online mountaineering webinars
upon request, a personal 30-minute online call with a tour guide
Winter mountaineering training day*
Summer trial trip/training*
*Held once a year — participation depends on the time of registration. Trainings take place in Estonia.
Price does not include - flights, personal belongings and optional activities
Flight tickets Tallinn-Marrakech-Tallinn (~500 €)
Insurance (travel insurance and mandatory sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking equipment and, if necessary, climbing crampons (can be rented on site)
Drinks and lunches on mountain and desert days, dinners in the city
Tips for on-site helpers
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registering for the tour
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (20%) must be paid within 3 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
Although the goal of the trip is to climb Jebel Toubkal, the highest mountain in Morocco and North Africa, it is not exactly a classic mountaineering trip. There is no hard climbing involved, but rather a hike up the mountain.
In addition to the mountains, we will dedicate part of the trip to the Sahara Desert. While in Morocco, it is worth riding camels to explore the large sand dunes and spend the night on the desert sand under the starry sky. The day trip will take us there. road-trip, which is an experience in itself. We will also leave time to explore the culture and sights of Marrakech.
Since Marrakech is relatively close to the Sahara Desert, it is pleasantly warm there all year round. November is a good time to go, because then it is still warm enough for us in the summer, with an average of 25 degrees during the day, so shorts and a T-shirt are completely appropriate. Higher up in the mountains it is cooler and windier, but you can still see more sun than in some Estonian summers!
DAY 1 – Arrival and getting settled
Morocco is well connected by air to Western European cities, and several low-cost airlines also operate there. On the first day, we will deal with finding accommodation and then we will have a free plan - we can explore the city together, have dinner, etc. In Marrakech, we will stay in a traditional Moroccan riad - these are houses with a wonderful courtyard, where at first glance, behind an inconspicuous door, there are pleasant courtyards, swimming pools, fruit trees and stylish interior design.
DAY 2 - HEADING TO THE MOUNTAINS
After breakfast, we will take a two-hour bus ride to the village of Imlil, located at an altitude of 1700 m. This is the main starting point for climbers of Jebel Toubkal and hikers in the mountains. There we will put on our small backpacks and have a six-hour pleasant hike. For dinner and overnight stay, we will reach the Tamsoul mountain hut (2250 m). The mountain huts are simple huts, but you can eat properly, sleep on bunk beds on mattresses, and blankets and pillows are also available on site.
DAY 3 - HIKING TOWARDS JEBEL TOUBKAL MOUNTAIN
Breakfast at the Tamsoult hut, then pack up and set off. Continuing along the mountain hiking trail, but now the direction is more upward. On the way we cross the Tizi Aguelzim pass (3560 m), so there are still plenty of meters of ascent. In total, it will take 8-9 hours of hiking to reach the mountain hut at the foot of Mount Toubkal (3207 m). Then a proper dinner and an early night's sleep to be in shape for tomorrow.
DAY 4 - SUMMIT DAY
If we want to see the sunrise at the top of Jebel Toubkal, we start walking towards the summit early, even at 4 am. It is difficult at first, because sleep, ascent meters and the cold take their toll. If it is snowy and cold, we may put on crampons, but generally hiking boots and walking poles are enough. The hiking trail takes us to the top (4167 m), where we enjoy the sunrise and wonderful views and take the obligatory pictures. And then back down to the mountain hut, where we rest for a while, have lunch and continue down to the village. The descent route is not the same as when we came up, so there is a change. In total, it will be a long day, 8-9 hours at least. We will stay overnight in a village where there is still a beautiful mountain view - Aroumd village at an altitude of 1940 m.
DAY 5 - DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF MARRAKECH
Civilization is already visible! In the morning, a short one-hour hike back downhill to the village of Imlil. There you can relax and wait for the bus ride back to Marrakech. We plan to be in the city by lunchtime, so there will still be plenty of time to explore the city. A warm and peaceful day. If we want, we can walk around the city. If we want, we can visit the sights. If we want, we can shop with the market vendors. There must be a vacation, too! Our itinerary will definitely include the labyrinthine old town of Marrakech, the Medina, with its countless markets, and the main square near the old town, Djemaa El Fna, where restaurants, musicians, snake charmers and countless other activities take place in the evening.
DAY 6 - JOURNEY TO THE DESERT
Starts road-trip towards the desert. To reach the real desert, with real sand dunes and real camels, we have to drive a long way out of Marrakech. The bus picks us up from the riad in the morning and heads towards the desert. At first, we cross the Atlas Mountains from the northwest to the southeast over the Tizi N Tichka mountain pass (2260 m), where we can still remember the measured days in the mountains and enjoy the last mountain views. The cultural program includes a stop in the historic village of Ait Ben Haddou (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
DAY 7 - NIGHT IN THE SAHARA DESERT
Breakfast at the guesthouse and then the drive continues through the Dades Valley. Lots of rocks and cliffs, some of which are also popular destinations for rock climbers. Our bus destination is the village of Merzouga, located in the southeast corner of Morocco. From there, the desert begins. We meet our camels, who take us on a one and a half hour ride through the desert over the sand dunes to the Erg Chebbi desert camp. There we eat and sleep. At night, you can sleep in a tent or under the open sky, looking at the stars - since there is no light noise, the starry sky is unusually bright.
DAY 8 - RETURN
We wake up early to see the sunrise in the desert and ride camels back to the village of Merzouga. From there, our long drive back to Marrakech begins. On the way, we make several stops to look back at the Sahara Desert, admire the views of the Atlas Mountains and simply take pictures, explore and have lunch. We arrive in Marrakech around 6-7 pm, then there is still enough time to organize a final dinner to conclude the trip.
DAY 9 - DEPARTURE HOME
That's all. The warm Moroccan adventure is coming to an end and we have to return to the Estonian autumn, but richer in experiences and impressions.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Travel documents and other footnote information
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of their travel documents. The following documents are required for this trip:
pass (visa is not required for Morocco);
suitable for mountain hiking sports insuranceA suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance (including travel disruption, baggage, medical assistance);
Read more also Elamus Pluss OÜ travel conditions.
Don't worry, let's do it!
Is this mountain hike within my reach?
Jebel Toubkal is a fairly easy mountain and no prior mountaineering experience is required. Previous hiking experience and active exercise in Estonia will of course be beneficial.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?!
You'll have to spend a little money, but not much. For Jebel Toubkal, you'll mainly need standard hiking clothing and basic hiking gear (walking poles, backpack, headlamp, etc.). The only climbing gear you'll need (maybe) is crampons, which can be rented on site if needed. We'll sleep and eat in mountain huts under a roof, so there's no need to carry camping gear.
Okay, I registered. Now what?
To make your mountain hike more enjoyable, we recommend that you participate in our preparatory events before the trip - it's also part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheap equipment, what to train for, etc. We will definitely check the collected equipment just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
