Toubkal Climb - Long Weekend

Fabulous weekend. Itinerary was spot on - challenging but met our expectations. Excellent leaders/support team and lovely food. Camping at base camp was comfortable but sanitation was very basic so that was a bit of a challenge at times as toliets at refuge were a good 15 minute trek away. Early rise to summit was an amazing experience. We were part of a lovely small group which helped make the weekend memorable - I hope to come and do it again with my son next year.

Amazing experience walking to top of Mt Toubkal. The tour leader Youssef and his colleague Mustapha were friendly, professional and very knowledgeable about the area. The support team were also excellent, food was fantastic. Tents were pitched up waiting for us when we arrived at the ‘base camp’ , foam mattress provided to sleep on. I was very glad I had a 4 season sleeping bag as the temperature really dropped at night. Met a lovely group of fellow adventurers. Hard work, but amazing experience!

I recently completed the Mount Toubkal Weekend Trek and had a hugely enjoyable experience. The trip was well organised, with good communication from Explore both before and during the trek. The 3-day route was scenic, challenging, and absolutely stunning – a fantastic way to experience the beauty of the Atlas Mountains. Our group was a great mix of people, and the camaraderie definitely added to the experience. It might be helpful in future if Explore could facilitate an online introduction a week or so beforehand – it would have been nice to connect before meeting in person. Our guide was excellent – friendly, competent, and clearly experienced. He looked after the group well throughout the trek. The campsites were comfortable and ready upon arrival, and the food was exceptional – the support team really worked miracles with the limited resources. We never went hungry and the meals were always plentiful. That said, there were a couple of things that could be improved... The transfer from the airport was around 45 minutes late, which wasn’t ideal. Also, more food on Summit day would have been advisable – breakfast was at 4am (at which time the group wasn't that hungry) and we didn't return to camp until around 2pm. Food could have been provided during the trek to the summit or we could have been told to bring plenty with us. Lastly, tipping was a bit awkward. Within 10 minutes of arriving at the hotel, I was told I needed to provide £40 to my guide the next morning for tips. While I had no problem tipping and was happy to do so, it would have been far better to include this information clearly in the itinerary so everyone could be prepared and not leave it up to the guide to ask for this. Despite those minor issues, the trek was an unforgettable experience and one I would absolutely recommend.

I would highly recommend the long weekend trip climbing Mount Toubkal, with Explore, which has it all; adventure, challenges, stunning scenery, fabulous food and hospitality and the best guides, Hisham and Farid. The itinerary was perfect, starting with a chance for relaxation by the pool at the hotel in Marrakech, a chance to meet our fellow hikers, followed by a slow walk up to base camp from the pretty village of Imlil. The first day was a nice slow pace as we climbed up through the mountains, giving us chance to enjoy the scenery and have plenty of stops to catch our breathe, when needed. We camped a little distance from the Refuge, which I think was a nicer experience. The food provided was plentiful and delicious! Day two was the challenge of summitting the mountain - ours guides Hisham and Farid were amazing, ensuring that the differing levels of the group were accommodated for, but still keeping a good group moral and ensuring we summitted together as a group. We had plenty of time to bask in our achievement at the top, before heading back down to camp. The day was really challenging physically and emotionally, but the such a sense of achievement. The evening was topped off with Berber songs performed by our amazing crew, using pots, pans and water containers! The final day, we retraced our steps back down through the mountains to Imlil, where we had a really lovely shaded lunch with the whole team, which was a perfect end to our adventure and a great chance to thank all of the staff that made our trip so enjoyable and run smoothly.

An incredible trip! Hicham ait ydir and Farid el houssain were amazing guides.. I would not have made it up the mountain without them. The food was perfect.. beautiful meals every day, even at base camp! Would highly recommend the trip and Explore. Thank you so much!

Hicham and his team were brilliant.

The tour was incredible. Our guide was excellent and the whole weekend was spectacular - we cannot fault it.

Great way to spend a long weekend although to get the Marrakech experience I would recommend arriving early or staying on a day or two. Excellent crew and the food provided on the trek was exceptional. Petrol, tasty and nutritious. Absolutely bargain for the price and flights are so cheap and easy to find to Marrakesh.

I've just completed the Mount Toubkal hike in October 2024. I chose to tag an extra day/night to the trip so I had some time to explore Marrakech on arrival. The hotel was great, staff friendly with a good breakfast and swimming pool. Our mountain guide Aziz met the group of 14 in the hotel on the morning of the hike, clearly explaining the itinerary and what to expect on the mountains. The drive to the mountains was around 1.5 hours and we arrived at our starting point in Imil. Here we began meandering our way to basecamp, this section of the walk is quite straightforward following the mule tracks and there are plenty of small huts into the mountains where you can restock on water, buy snacks or souvenirs (roughly every hour!). Our Chef Ali, cooked lunch on the mountain which was incredible, fresh and tasty. I think camping at basecamp is the better option than staying in the refuge, having the freedom of the tent and the team cook and serve meals was a wonderful experience. You are also able to use the toilet and shower facilities at the refuge and refuel with water and snacks. It was an early start on summit day, leaving camp at 6am. This section of the hike is a lot more technical but our leader Aziz ensured a steady pace and reassured the whole group, he brought knowledge and laughter to the mountains. The route isn't super busy which makes it very pleasurable and the views are spectacular. Reaching the summit is a real highlight, marvelling at the stunning scenery and plenty of opportunities to take photos. The walk back to basecamp is steep but again we took it steady as a group. Aziz always checking everyone was ok. Staying another night at basecamp was bliss, allowing time to recover, sleep and again enjoy the delights of Chef Ali's food. The final day was the walk back to Imil and finishing with lunch again cooked by the Chef in the village. The whole experience was one that will stay with me forever. The hospitality and knowledge of the Berbers, the mountain guide and assistant guide Rashid was sublime, I couldn't have asked for another more. Aziz also kindly arranged a restaurant back in Marrakech for our final meal as a group. Don't hesitate to book this trip, I whole heartedly enjoyed every minute. My advice would be consider what you pack, of course you need plenty of layers in the mountains but don't carry anything unnecessarily as what's not in your daypack is carried by the mules, they are very well looked after but you do still feel for them (especially in the heat). Also you don't need huge amounts of snacks as the meals were plentiful (almost too much food) and again water is regularly available to buy in the mountains. Thank you, Explore, Aziz, Rashid and the whole team who made this such a memorable adventure.

A brilliant weekend climbing Mount Toubkal. Our group was friendly and fun. Tour leader Aziz and his assistant Lisham are an asset to Explore. They were excellent in every way. Also big shout out to chef and his team, the food was delicious! Definitely bring your thermals for nighttime. The loo was a bit of a challenge!