The best things to do in Morocco.

Merzouga is a small Saharan village beside Erg Chebbi, a sea of wind-sculpted dunes rising up to around 150 metres. It is Morocco's classic desert base, and here are twelve experiences worth your time.

Asilah is a whitewashed Atlantic town on Morocco's north coast, famous for its mural-covered medina, Portuguese ramparts and breezy beaches. Here are twelve experiences that capture its artistic, seafaring spirit.

At 1,740 metres in the High Atlas, Imlil is Morocco's gateway to Mount Toubkal. This Berber village trades souk crowds for walnut groves, mule paths and snow-tipped peaks. Here are the experiences worth lacing your boots for.

Once a sleepy fishing village north of Agadir, Taghazout has become Morocco's surf capital. Reliable Atlantic point breaks, laid-back yoga retreats, argan groves and golden beaches make it a relaxed base on the Souss-Massa coast.

Set high in Morocco's Middle Atlas, Ifrane is an alpine town of red-roofed chalets, cedar forests and clear mountain lakes. Built in the 1930s, it offers cool air, winter snow and easy access to a national park rich in wildlife.

Tucked into the Middle Atlas near Azilal, the Cascades d'Ouzoud are Morocco's tallest waterfalls, tumbling some 110 metres in red-rock terraces. Here are the experiences worth your time around the falls.

Dakhla sits on a slender peninsula where the Sahara meets the Atlantic, framing a vast flat-water lagoon. Steady trade winds, year-round sun and turquoise shallows have made it one of the world's premier kitesurfing destinations.

Cut into the eastern High Atlas near Tinghir, the Todra Gorge funnels travellers between sheer limestone walls rising up to roughly 300 metres. River, palm groves and Berber villages reward those who linger here.

Often called 'little Marrakech', Taroudant is a walled market town in the fertile Souss Valley. Its earthen ramparts encircle bustling souks, palm-shaded squares and artisan workshops, with the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas rising on either side.

Tucked into the High Atlas about an hour south of Marrakech, the Ourika Valley pairs a rushing river with Berber villages, terraced gardens and waterfall hikes. Here are the experiences worth your day.

Around 45 minutes from Marrakech, the Agafay is a rocky stone desert of arid hills, not dunes. Its lunar hammada frames sweeping Atlas Mountain views, luxury camps and quiet adventure within easy reach of the city.

Stretching some 700 kilometres across Morocco, the High Atlas holds North Africa's loftiest summits, remote Berber valleys and ancient mule paths. From a single dawn push up Toubkal to week-long traverses, here are the named routes worth shouldering a pack for.

At 4,167 metres, Jbel Toubkal is the highest peak in North Africa and the most popular high-mountain trek in Morocco. It is a non-technical climb in summer but a serious one in winter, and altitude is the real challenge. Here is an honest guide to the standard two-day ascent from Imlil.

At around 1,740 metres in the Mizane valley, the Berber village of Imlil is the trailhead for Mount Toubkal and the hub of High Atlas trekking, about 90 minutes by road from Marrakech. Even without a big climb it makes a wonderful mountain base. Here is what to know about Imlil and the walks around it.

The High Atlas can be trekked most of the year, but conditions change sharply with season and altitude — from flower-filled spring valleys to snow-bound winter summits. Choosing the right window for your route matters. Here is an honest season-by-season guide.

Tucked deep in the Central High Atlas, the Aït Bougmez valley — long nicknamed the Happy Valley — is a broad green corridor of terraced fields, walnut groves and flat-roofed Berber villages beneath the snow-streaked peaks of the M'Goun massif. Reached by a long mountain road, it stays quieter and more traditional than the Toubkal area, and rewards those who make the journey. Here is what to do in and around Aït Bougmez.

You do not need a multi-day expedition to taste the High Atlas. Within roughly 60 to 90 minutes of Marrakech, valleys like Imlil and Ourika put waterfalls, Berber villages and mountain trails within reach of a single day out. Here are the best High Atlas day hikes from Marrakech, plus what to bring and how guides and mules work.

Few visitors expect to ski in Morocco, yet the High Atlas above Marrakech holds Africa's best-known ski resort. Oukaïmeden sits at roughly 2,600 metres, with slopes climbing toward 3,200 metres, about 70 kilometres and an hour and a half by road from the city. The season is short and entirely snow-dependent — roughly January to March in a good year — so the golden rule is to check conditions before you set out. Here is what skiing and snow in the High Atlas actually involves.

The Atlas mountains are laced with rivers fed by melting snow, and where those rivers tumble over the rock they form some of Morocco's finest waterfalls. From the seven cascades above Setti Fatma in the Ourika valley to the great curtain of Ouzoud and the natural rock bridge of Imi n'Ifri, these falls reward a short hike with cool spray, swimming pools and dramatic scenery. They are at their most powerful in spring, when snowmelt swells the streams. Here is a guide to the best Atlas waterfalls and cascades and how to reach them.

On the Tizi n'Test road about an hour southwest of Marrakech, the Ouirgane valley sits at the western edge of Toubkal National Park, where olive groves, juniper and red-earth hills fold down toward a reservoir below the snow-streaked peaks. Greener and gentler than the higher Toubkal trailheads and quieter than the Ourika Valley, it makes both an easy day trip and a restful walking base. Here is what to do in and around Ouirgane.

High in the Nfis valley of the High Atlas, on the historic Tizi n'Test road beyond Ouirgane, stands the 12th-century Tin Mal mosque (also spelled Tinmel) — the spiritual cradle of the Almohad dynasty and one of the few historic mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims have traditionally been allowed to enter. Important: the monument was seriously damaged in the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake, whose epicentre lay in this region, so it may be closed, under restoration, or viewable only from outside. Always check current access before travelling. Here is what makes Tin Mal so significant and how to plan a visit.

Jbel Toubkal (4,167 m) is North Africa's highest peak and a non-technical climb in summer — but it is still a serious mountain where fitness, altitude and the right kit make the difference between a great trek and a miserable or unsafe one. This is a practical, safety-first guide to getting ready, separate from the route itself. Rules and conditions change, so always check the latest with a licensed Imlil operator before you go.

The Tizi n'Tichka is the great High Atlas mountain pass — topping out around 2,260 m — that the N9 road climbs on its way between Marrakech and Ouarzazate and the south. It is the main route over the mountains toward the desert, a spectacular drive of switchbacks and hairpins that threads through Berber villages with panoramic views in every direction. Historically it followed a caravan route across the Atlas, and near the top a turn-off leads to the Telouet kasbah and the Ounila valley back road to Aït Ben Haddou. The road has been widened and upgraded in recent years but can still be slow and winding, and is subject to winter snow and occasional closures — always check conditions before you set out. Here is what to expect and how to make the most of the crossing.

The Tizi n'Test is one of Morocco's highest and most dramatic tarmac mountain passes — cresting at roughly 2,090–2,100 m — carrying the historic R203 road over the High Atlas through the Nfis valley between Marrakech and Taroudant, on the way to the Souss plain and Agadir. It is a far quieter, wilder and more nerve-testing drive than the better-known Tizi n'Tichka: narrow and steep, with sheer drops, tight hairpins and single-lane sections that demand confidence and patience. Along the way are Berber villages, the historic Tin Mal mosque — the Almohad cradle, reportedly damaged in the 2023 earthquake — and, from the pass itself, a celebrated sweeping view down toward the Souss plain and the Anti-Atlas beyond. Road conditions vary and can change with weather and rockfall, and the route is exposed to winter snow, so always check the latest before you set out. Here is what to expect on the crossing and how to approach it sensibly.

Setti Fatma is a Berber village at the head of the Ourika Valley, roughly 60 km and about an hour and a half south of Marrakech. It is best known as the trailhead for the Cascades de Setti Fatma — the 'seven waterfalls', a series of falls tumbling up a rocky gorge above the village. The first fall is an easy short scramble lined with cafe terraces; the higher ones get steeper and rockier. Here is what to know before you go.

Jebel Saghro (Jbel Saghro) is a rugged volcanic massif in the Anti-Atlas, lying south of the High Atlas roughly between Boumalne Dades and Nkob. Lower and drier than the Toubkal area, it comes into its own as a winter and shoulder-season trekking destination, staying walkable when the high peaks are buried in snow. Its eroded rock towers, spires and gorges — crowned by the famous Bab n'Ali pinnacles — make it one of Morocco's most dramatic and least crowded mountain regions, and the traditional grazing land of the semi-nomadic Aït Atta. Here is an honest guide to trekking Saghro.

The Kik Plateau (Plateau du Kik) is a high limestone tableland — roughly 1,200–1,500 m — in the foothills southwest of Marrakech, rising above the Lalla Takerkoust reservoir on the scenic back route toward Asni, Ouirgane and the High Atlas. Its great draw is a two-way panorama: on one side the land falls away across the Haouz plain toward Marrakech, while on the other the snow-capped High Atlas, including Toubkal, rises in a wall along the horizon. In spring the plateau turns green and is scattered with wildflowers, grazed by the flocks of the Berber (Amazigh) hamlets that dot it. Easily reached as a half-day from Marrakech, it is popular for a scenic drive, road cycling and mountain biking, quad tours and gentle walks, and it pairs naturally with a stop at Lalla Takerkoust lake. Conditions, greenery and access vary with the season and weather, so treat the notes below as orientation rather than a fixed itinerary.

Asni is a Berber (Amazigh) market town in the High Atlas foothills, roughly 45 km and about an hour's drive south of Marrakech on the road that climbs toward Imlil and the Toubkal valley. That position makes it the natural gateway to the High Atlas trailheads: almost everyone heading up to Imlil to climb Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, passes through Asni, and the town is a common stop or lunch break on the way. Asni's biggest draw in its own right is its weekly Saturday souk, a large, bustling and refreshingly non-touristy rural market where Amazigh people from the surrounding valleys come down to trade produce, livestock, spices, household goods, second-hand clothes and street food. The town sits among walnut and fruit orchards in apple-growing country, with the Kik Plateau and the shrine town of Moulay Brahim and its gorge close by. Market days, orchard seasons and mountain conditions all shift through the year, so treat the notes below as orientation rather than a fixed timetable, and always check locally before relying on a particular day or route.

Moulay Brahim is a small town dramatically set on the lip of a gorge in the High Atlas foothills, roughly between Tahanaout and Asni and around 40 km south of Marrakech on the road that climbs toward Imlil and Jebel Toubkal. It is best known as a pilgrimage town, built around the zaouia and shrine of the venerated saint Sidi Moulay Brahim, which draws Moroccan pilgrims throughout the year and especially around the Mouloud and the saint's moussem. The shrine itself is a Muslim religious site that non-Muslims generally cannot enter, so for most visitors the appeal is the lively town that has grown up around it, the colourful stalls of dried fruit, nuts, kaftans and religious souvenirs, the cafés perched above the drop, and the gorge and mountain scenery rather than the sanctuary. The cliffside setting and the views make it an atmospheric short stop on the way up into the High Atlas. Religious calendars, market rhythms and mountain weather all shift through the year, so treat the notes below as orientation rather than a fixed schedule, and always check locally and behave respectfully.

Tahanaout (also spelled Tahannaout) is a small town in the High Atlas foothills, roughly 30 to 35 km south of Marrakech, and for many travellers it is the first proper town you reach as the plain gives way to the mountains. It serves as the administrative centre for the Al Haouz area and sits in olive and fruit country where the Rehraya and Ourika valleys open toward the higher Atlas. Tahanaout is best known for its lively weekly souk (market day traditionally Tuesday, though it is always worth checking locally) and for its position as a gateway: the roads onward climb toward Moulay Brahim, Asni, Imlil and the Toubkal massif, while the nearby Terres d'Amanar adventure park offers zip-lines, climbing, archery and mule rides in the foothills above town. It is more of an authentic, working foothill stop than a major sight, which is exactly its appeal for travellers who want a genuine first taste of the Atlas rather than a polished attraction. Market days, road conditions and mountain weather all shift through the year, so treat the notes below as orientation and confirm details locally before you rely on them.

One of the most rewarding ways to experience the High Atlas is to stay overnight in a Berber (Amazigh) mountain village rather than passing through on a day trip. In villages such as Imlil, Aroumd (Around) above it, Ouirgane, or in the Aït Bougmez valley, families run simple guesthouses, often called gîtes d'étape, and offer homestays where visitors share a meal, a roof and a glimpse of everyday rural life. The appeal is not luxury but warmth: home-cooked tagine and fresh bread, endless glasses of mint tea, a bed in a traditional pisé (rammed-earth) house, and mountains framing the window when you wake. From the door you can walk straight into the hills, and around you the daily rhythms of Amazigh farming, bread baking and weaving carry on much as they have for generations. Facilities are usually basic but clean, bathrooms are often shared, and electricity and hot water can be limited, so it suits open-minded travellers more than those seeking hotel comforts. Done respectfully, a village homestay is a low-impact, meaningful way to travel that puts money directly into the local mountain economy. Standards, availability and conditions vary widely from house to house and season to season, so treat the notes below as orientation and confirm the specifics with your host or guide before you go.

Lac d'Ifni is the largest natural lake in the Moroccan High Atlas, cradled in a stark bowl of scree and rock on the southern flank of the Toubkal massif. Most trekkers reach it from the Toubkal side by crossing the Tizi n'Ouanoums pass, descending steeply to the turquoise water; others approach from the village of Amsouzart in the valley to the south. It is usually walked as part of a multi-day Toubkal circuit rather than a quick day out, and the long descent and remote setting make it a serious mountain day. Here is an honest guide to the lake and the trek to it.

Imlil, the trailhead village for Toubkal at around 1,700 metres in the High Atlas, has a mountain climate: cool, sometimes snowy winters and warm, dry summers, with conditions much colder and windier higher up. Here is what each month is like in the village, with average temperatures, rainfall and sunshine from ten years of measured data. Expect it to be far colder on the summit. Figures are averages for 2015 to 2024 from ERA5 reanalysis data (via Open-Meteo).

The Atlas Mountains are famous for Jbel Toubkal, at 4,167 metres the highest peak in North Africa, for the Amazigh (Berber) villages that cling to their valleys, and for the trekking, passes and kasbahs that lie within a day's drive of Marrakech. The range runs some 2,500 km across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Here is what makes it known.