Undiscovered Atlas

The adventure begins in Agadir, a coastal city at the foothills of the Anti-Atlas Mountains. We join together at the hotel in the early evening for our welcome briefing. This is a great opportunity to meet the group and ask any questions you have. Stay: Oasis Hotel & Spa (or similar).

From Agadir, we drive inland to Taroudant where we enjoy a brief tour, including time for a coffee on the square. We have lunch in the oasis of Tiout before continuing onto Ighrem, a copper town that has survived for centuries on a trade of pots and water urns with the Saharan caravans. It lies on a plateau near the Tizi'n'Touzlimt pass (5,970ft/1,820m), where the road to Tata and the desert landscape meets the Anti-Atlas range. Here we start our trek into the mountains towards our camping spot for the evening, Tagragra No. 1. Our camping spot is perched on a plateau, so the sunrise tomorrow is well worth an early night. Stay: Tagragra No. 1 campsite (full-service camping) Drive time: Two hours (B/D).

We have a long first day as we climb over a col and then a series of spurs before entering a broad valley.

After a picnic lunch, we continue past an abandoned mine towards the head of the valley, eventually reaching the beautiful village of Amal. Finally, we cross over a pass for the final stretch of today's walk (in the beautiful evening light) to the village of Tagdicht. Here we camp on a traditional threshing platform that lies between the many agricultural terraces and is just outside a village at the foot of Jebel Aklim. Stay: Tagdicht campsite (full-service camping) (B/L/D).

Today is a steeper day's walking. We climb Jebel Aklim (8,303ft/2,531m), one of the highest summits in the Anti-Atlas, for excellent views to the High Atlas and the extinct volcano of Jebel Siroua. The summit is reached via a high col and a series of spurs. Pausing for a scenic picnic lunch, we then descend to our camp at Tagragra No. 2. This area is one of the most remote in this range yet is still surrounded by Amazigh villages. During harvest, the valleys are full of brightly dressed women and children working in the field. We enjoy our picnic lunch on the summit of Jbel aklim, Stay: Tagragra No. 2 campsite (full-service camping) (B/L/D).

We travel from Tagragra through the wonderfully remote village of Irtem. Walking through these villages, we can chat with the Amazigh people, enjoy their friendly conversation (mainly through hand gestures and basic French) and gain true insight into their traditional way of life. We will enjoy a cup of mint tea with villagers. We arrive at our campsite close to the village of M'dint (City of Cats). Nestled in a valley of olive groves and trickling streams, the campsite is protected from the elements and provides a peaceful resting spot. Stay: Lamdint-No-Oumouch campsite (full-service camping) (B/L/D).

Leaving M'dint, we cross two cols, slowly weaving our way up the valley. The villagers are very friendly and, if we are lucky, we may get invited in to try mint tea and local delicacies. Passing through ancient olive plantations, we admire the irrigation channels before resting for a picnic lunch under the shady trees. Be sure to hunt out the small river for a soothing paddle! We work our way up the last pass of Tizgue for a steady uphill push, well worth it as we are rewarded with views of our entire route. Our campsite rests next to ancient argan trees and there is a natural series of rock pools where we can enjoy a swim and a wash as the sun sets. Stay: Laainn-Tmaoiat campsite (full-service camping) (B/L/D).

Today offers picturesque walking among date palms and through rocky landscapes. We walk along a dry riverbed (wadi) before arriving at Anammer village for our final picnic lunch. In the early afternoon, we transfer by minibus to Oulad Berhil. After check-in at our riad, there is the option to rest or make the journey to Taroudant (45 minutes) where we are free to explore the city, dubbed Marrakech in miniature. There is the chance to visit the souk for authentic Moroccan souvenirs or relax in one of the hammam steam baths before our farewell meal. Stay: Riad Hotel l'Arganier d'Or (or similar) Drive time: Three hours (B/L).

Today we check out of our riad in Oulad Berhil and make our way to Agadir via Taroudant, where again there will be time to wander around and pick up any last minute souvenirs. Those on the group flights are taken to Agadir Airport in time for their flight, which is usually in the evening. For those not on the group flights, the trip ends in Taroudant. It is possible to join the group transfer to Agadir Airport with prior arrangement (B).