High Atlas & 5 Valleys: Marrakech's Breathtaking Nature Escape

Brilliant trip, really knowledgeable guides, we were well looked after. Communication was good before the trip and lots of knowledge shared on the day itself

An amazing day trip out from Marrakech. Not to be missed. Ismail is the greatest guide I have meant - so full of amazing facts, and endless energy- he made the trip such fun . Great way to see the beautiful Atlas Mountains and also a Berber village and get a better understanding of life in the mountains. Amazing day Thank you Ismail for making g it such fun 😊

This is an amazing experience!!! Ismail was our guide and he was great! Really friendly and welcoming right from the start. He got our group chatting and had lots of interesting facts to share whilst also asking everyone in the group lots of questions. He was also a great driver and we felt we were in safe hands! We had a group of 6 in total which was a perfect size. We were all picked up and dropped off at our hotels. Everyone in the group was friendly and seemed to enjoy the experience as well. Spoiler free: This is a great day out for couples or adventurous families. Ismail was great, the drive safe, access to toilets, water, handwashing facilities. You see amazing views, meet Berber people, eat great food and see a different way of life. With spoilers: The day started with a drive to a women’s Co-operative where they hand make argon oil. We were served delicious fresh bread with a variety of toppings/dips which we thoroughly enjoyed alongside some tea. We were told about the process for making the oil - both edible and cosmetic oils. Following this we were shown their shop and presented with the opportunity to buy some oil - there was no pressure but we chose to buy two products. Following this we drove to the next stop having coffee and an opportunity to chat and go to the toilet before moving on to the hike. The hike was a little over 3km with 180m of elevation led by a local guide who was very good! The hike wasn’t too challenging for us but very enjoyable and interesting to see the Berber life and villages. Be prepared to get a little dusty. Bring suncream! Lunch was fantastic, the Tagine was delicious as was the soup and fruit dessert. There were toilet and handwashing facilities here. Afterwards we headed back towards Marrakesh and made a few more stops for some great photos. Many of the village children would recognise the car and come running to it hoping for some sweets etc. which Ismail gladly gave out. We would have liked to have brought something with us, Ismail mentioned they love football cards, stickers, sweets, colouring in books and crayons. Overall this was a great experience and one we would 100% recommend. Book it! Well worth the money! Thank you Ismail!

Mohamed was an excellent guide and driver; gave a very personal experience and a lot of local information. All of the places he took us too we would never have found on our own. We would highly recommend the tour and Mohamed in particular.

Amazing trip through 5 valleys! Stunning views, great guide Ismael, kind people, unforgettable day !

We went on the Atlas Mountains trip yesterday and we were truly blown away. From the moment we were picked up by our guide Ismail to the moment we were dropped off it was an amazing experience. Ismail was kind, considerate, knowledgable and kept us all entertained. He created a great group dynamic with the other 5 travellers in our party. We visited a Women’s Coop and had lunch with a Berber family high in the mountains it was a humbling and interesting experience. So great to learn about local culture and customs. It was my husband’s and another member of the groups birthdays and what a way to celebrate. I could not recommend our guide Ismail and the trip highly enough. Thank you.

A must visit on a trip to Marrakech that takes one away from the chaos of the medina to the pristine rugged beauty of the Atlas where we met some of the most wonderful people who welcomed us to their homes and fed us the most delicious food. We were a small group of 7 in a comfortable car driven by Ismail The trip started with breakfast at the women’s cooperative , and excellent project to generate employment for the village women who make argan oil and various derivative. Lamiya and her team served us freshly baked bread with honey, amlou and argan oils and lots of green tea. She talked us through the products made in the cooperative. There was no obligation or expectation to purchase. But it made sense to support the project by purchasing the products made right there. Thereafter we had coffee by the river in the Ourika valley. This was followed by a drive to the mountains. We were invited to the home of a Berber family in the village. Limo our guide from the village walked us up to the house and telling us about the life of the villagers. Life in those mountains in nowhere near easy especially after catastrophic earthquake 2 years ago. Survival is a challenge and only makes one realise how fortunate we are to have the life we do. Despite all hardships all I saw were smiles and an innate love and respect for us travellers to make our trip memorable. The food cooked by the Zadiya and her family was the best Tagine we had in the most amazing rooftop of their home. Everything was immaculate with arrangements to make us urban foreigners feel at home. Lastly the star of our trip was Ismail. He was our chauffeur, guide, commentator and trip advisor on the go. I am surprised how much knowledge he has managed to acquire through the world of Google and Wikipedia ! Well done Ismail in running the non stop all day pub quiz and also he is an excellent DJ with his collection of music on the way back. If in Marrakech try this trip as it takes you away from the touristy medina to the real life in the country of the most wonderful friendly people we have met.

Highly recommend- very comfortable all day tour to the mountains-clear communication for pick up, tour started with breakfast at the women’s cooperative. It’s a beautiful project allowing women to be self sufficient where they produce Argan oil and its derivatives. We had freshly made bread in their kitchen with argan oil, Amlou and honey and plenty of green tea with Verbena and mint. Lamiya was the kindest host and talked us through the different products that the cooperative made. From there we went for coffee at the Ourika valley beside this beautiful stream. This was followed by a drive up the mountains. We had lunch at a Berber home in the most amazing rooftop overlooking the valley and the mohntains. The hospitality, food and location would beat any post restaurant terrace. It was the best Tagine we had. Zadiya was a wonderful host and an amazing cook. Everything was spotless and beautiful. Looking at the harshness of the topography and the challenges that these people face everyday makes one realise how fortunate we are to be able to have the life we do. And despite all odds all I have seen are the smiles on their faces trying their best to make our trip memorable and comfortable. And last but not the least the hero of our trip was Ismail who drove us in the “company car”. He was our chauffeur, guide , live commentator for the day keeping us entertained with his stories and rapid fire pub quiz! I have to admit he is very knowledgeable and certainly spends a lot of time on Google maps and Wikipedia 😂. Thanks for making it a memorable day for us and have to say was the highlight of our holiday. Cannot believe the quietness and beauty that lies outside the mental chaos of the medina in Marrakech.

We booked the Atlas Mountain trip and we were completely blown away. We have had a wonderful day from the moment we were picked up to the moment we were dropped off. Our guide Ishmail was knowledgeable, entertaining and very kind. We were a small group of 7 and he drew us all together brilliantly. We feel we have made some lovely new friends. Our guide kept us entertained on the drive, remembered all our names and was really helpful. It was my husband’s birthday and it was a brilliant present. We could not recommend Ishmail and the trip highly enough! The visit to the Women’s Cooperative and the meal with the Berber family were humbling and inspirational. Thank you.

This was an amazing trip, we went on three excursions this holiday and this was by far the best. Abdullah, our guide, was very knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. He taught us about the local nature and customs. You geta beautiful view of the countryside, acompletely different side of marrakesh than the medina so definitely worth the experience. You also get lunch cooked by a local family overlooking a great view- super nice people and the lunch was excellent.