This is a winter mount toubkal trek with an ice-axe summit at one end and a ski lift at the other. Over 6 days from Marrakech you acclimatise at Imlil, climb to the Toubkal Refuge at 3,207 m, and push for the dawn summit of Jebel Toubkal — 4,167 m, the highest peak in North Africa — on crampons in around −15 °C. Then you drop to Oukaïmeden, Africa's highest ski resort, for a snow day. A licensed guide is mandatory. Runs December to April.
The summit is the hard part and we don't dress it up. From the refuge it's about 960 vertical metres of steep snow and scree, three to four hours up in the dark, axe in hand and crampons biting. Above the Tizi n'Toubkal pass the wind picks up and the temperature drops; this is real winter mountaineering, not a hike with a view. You don't need prior alpine experience, but you need to be fit enough to walk uphill for five hours at altitude — and honest with yourself about cold.
Since 2018 a licensed mountain guide has been legally required inside Toubkal National Park, enforced at Royal Gendarmerie checkpoints between Imlil and the summit. We use IFMGA-track guides from the Imlil Bureau des Guides who climb this peak weekly through the season and call the turnaround when the snowpack or the weather says no. Mule teams carry the heavy kit to the refuge so you climb with a day-pack.
After the mountain comes the easy reward: a transfer to Oukaïmeden, about 80 km from Marrakech, where seven lifts serve runs from a base near 2,600 m to roughly 3,200 m — the highest lift-served skiing in Africa. The snow is natural and conditions vary, so we treat the ski day as a bonus, not a guarantee; if the resort is bare we swap in a snowshoe day at the same altitude. (Our separate Sahara dark-sky tour also uses Oukaïmeden, but in summer for astronomy — different season, no snow.)
The honest trade-offs: weather can shut the summit down with no refund of the climb itself, the refuge is dormitory-style and basic, and December–February is genuinely cold up high. The pay-off is a trophy most people never attempt — North Africa's roof at sunrise — bracketed by Marrakech comfort and an afternoon on skis. Best window is mid-January to March, when the snowpack is settled.
- Dawn summit of Jebel Toubkal (4,167 m) — highest peak in North Africa and the Arab world
- Licensed High Atlas mountain guide throughout — mandatory by law in Toubkal National Park since 2018, checked at Gendarmerie posts
- Full winter kit: crampons, ice axe, B2 mountaineering boots and harness fitted in Imlil before you go up
- Two nights at the Toubkal (Neltner) Refuge, 3,207 m — the basecamp 960 vertical metres below the summit
- Summit-day temperatures to around −15 °C with windchill; sunrise over the Marrakech plain and the Sahara haze beyond
- Ski or board day at Oukaïmeden — Africa's highest lift-served resort, base ~2,600 m, top lift ~3,200 m, ~80 km from Marrakech
- Berber village of Imlil (1,740 m) as your trailhead — mule support carries the heavy kit to the refuge
- Small private group with a 1:4 guide ratio on summit day; no fixed departures, you set the dates
Day by day
- Day 1
Marrakech → Imlil (1,740 m): kit fitting & valley walk
Late-morning pickup from your Marrakech riad and the 1.5-hour transfer up to Imlil, the Berber trailhead village at 1,740 m. Meet your licensed guide, fit crampons, ice axe, harness and B2 boots, and check layers. An easy 2-hour acclimatisation walk through the walnut terraces to Aroumd village before dinner in a guesthouse. Early night.
Drive · 1.5h
- Day 2
Imlil → Toubkal Refuge (3,207 m)
The big approach day: 1,467 vertical metres over roughly 11 km, five to six hours on foot past the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch and up the Mizane valley. Mules carry the heavy kit. Snowline is usually around 2,600 m in deep winter, so crampons may go on mid-route. Arrive at the Toubkal (Neltner) Refuge by mid-afternoon, rest, hydrate, and run through ice-axe self-arrest and crampon technique on the slope behind the hut.
Camel trek · 6h
- Day 3
Summit day: Jebel Toubkal (4,167 m), back to the refuge
Alpine start around 5 a.m. in the dark and around −15 °C with windchill. About 960 vertical metres of steep snow up to the Tizi n'Toubkal pass, then the final exposed ridge to the summit — three to four hours up. Sunrise over the Marrakech plain with the Sahara haze on the southern horizon, ten minutes at the trig point, photos, then a careful crampon descent. Back at the refuge by early afternoon for a second night and a hot meal.
Stay overnight
- Day 4
Refuge → Imlil → Oukaïmeden
Descend the Mizane valley to Imlil — three to four hours, knees working, snow giving way to walnut groves. Hand back the mountaineering kit, hot shower and lunch in the village, then a scenic 1.5-hour mountain transfer across to Oukaïmeden ski resort. Collect ski or board rental, check the snow report, and settle into the resort lodge.
Drive · 1.5h
- Day 5
Oukaïmeden ski day (Africa's highest resort)
A full day on Africa's highest lift-served slopes, base around 2,600 m up to roughly 3,200 m, with seven lifts and a half-day instructor included for first-timers. The skiing is high-altitude and the snow is all natural, so we go where the cover is best; if the resort is bare we swap in a guided snowshoe outing at the same altitude. Long lunch on a sun terrace looking back at the Toubkal massif you stood on two days earlier.
Stay overnight
- Day 6
Oukaïmeden → Marrakech
Slow morning — an optional hour on the easy lifts or a coffee in the sun — then the 1.5-hour transfer back down to Marrakech (about 80 km). Drop at your riad or the airport by early afternoon. Trip ends.
End of journey
What's included
- Licensed High Atlas mountain guide throughout (mandatory in Toubkal National Park) and Toubkal National Park fees
- Full winter mountaineering kit rental: crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet and B2 boots
- Two nights half-board at the Toubkal (Neltner) Refuge, 3,207 m, plus mule portage of heavy kit
- One night guesthouse in Imlil and one night lodge at Oukaïmeden, both with breakfast
- All private transfers Marrakech → Imlil → Oukaïmeden → Marrakech
- Oukaïmeden ski/board rental, lift pass and a half-day instructor
- Gendarmerie checkpoint permits and all in-park access
Not included
- International flights to and from Marrakech
- Marrakech riad nights before or after the trek (we can book on request)
- Travel and mountain-rescue insurance valid above 4,000 m — mandatory; we suggest Global Rescue or a BMC alpine policy
- Lunches on the trekking days and all drinks
- Personal warm clothing (base layers, down jacket, gloves, goggles) — packing list sent on booking
- Guide and mule-team gratuities, at your discretion
- Summit altitude
- 4,167 m (highest in North Africa & the Arab world)
- Refuge altitude
- 3,207 m — 960 m below the summit
- Summit-day cold
- to about −15 °C with windchill
- Oukaïmeden distance
- ~80 km from Marrakech, top lift ~3,200 m
“People ask if they can skip the guide. You can't — it's been the law inside the park since 2018 and the Gendarmerie checks IDs on the way up. But the law isn't the reason I'd never let you go alone in winter. The slope above the Tizi n'Toubkal turns to ice by February, and that's where the turnaround calls get made. I climb this peak most weeks of the season. I'd rather bring you down at the pass and put you on the Oukaïmeden lifts than push a summit the snow won't give.”
What past travellers say
Sophie & Marc
Paris, France
“The best trip of our lives. Our guide knew every village, every viewpoint, every hidden riad. Seven days in Morocco felt like a month somewhere else.”
James H.
London, UK
“Everything was seamless from landing in Fes to the Sahara camp and back to Marrakech. The night under the stars is something I'll never forget.”
Ana Rodrigues
Lisbon, Portugal
“Organized, warm, professional. They built the itinerary around what we loved and gave us complete freedom to stop anywhere along the way.”
Read these first if you're still researching
Toubkal Summit & Ski — Winter Mount Toubkal Trek — frequently asked
- Do I legally need a guide to climb Mount Toubkal?
- Yes. Since 2018 a licensed mountain guide has been mandatory inside Toubkal National Park, introduced after a fatal attack near Imlil. Royal Gendarmerie checkpoints between Imlil and the summit check both your passport and your guide's official credentials. Going without one is illegal and, in winter conditions, dangerous. Our guides hold Morocco Ministry of Tourism credentials and climb the peak through the whole season.
- How hard is the winter Toubkal trek and do I need climbing experience?
- No technical climbing or prior alpine experience is required, but it is strenuous. Day 2 gains 1,467 m over 11 km, and summit day adds about 960 m of steep snow at altitude. You walk on crampons with an ice axe in roughly −15 °C. You need to be fit enough to walk uphill five to six hours and tolerant of cold. We brief crampon and self-arrest technique at the refuge before summit day.
- How cold does it get on the summit of Toubkal in winter?
- Summit-day temperatures drop to around −15 °C with windchill, especially on the exposed slope above the Tizi n'Toubkal pass before sunrise. The refuge at 3,207 m is well below freezing at night too. A proper down jacket, insulated gloves, goggles and warm base layers are essential — the full packing list goes out on booking, and we fit boots, crampons, axe and harness in Imlil.
- When is the best time to climb Toubkal and ski Oukaïmeden?
- December to April for snow, with mid-January to March the sweet spot when the snowpack is settled and the Oukaïmeden lifts are most reliable; the resort typically runs early January to mid-March. December can be thin on snow and April gives warmer, softer afternoon snow with longer daylight. We hold a flexible weather day and make the final summit call about 48 hours out.
- Is Oukaïmeden really a ski resort, and how far is it from Marrakech?
- Yes — Oukaïmeden is Africa's highest lift-served ski resort, about 80 km and a 1.5-hour drive south of Marrakech. Seven lifts serve runs from a base near 2,600 m up to roughly 3,200 m. The snow is entirely natural so cover varies year to year; we treat the ski day as a bonus and swap in a high-altitude snowshoe outing if the resort is bare.
- What happens if the weather closes the summit?
- Safety comes first and your guide makes the call. If a storm or unsafe snowpack shuts the summit we turn around — often at the Tizi n'Toubkal pass — and you still get the refuge nights, the valley trek and the full Oukaïmeden ski day. The mountain portion isn't refundable for weather, which is standard for winter mountaineering; that's why we build in a flexible day and watch the forecast closely.
- Where do you sleep on the mountain?
- Two nights at the Toubkal Refuge, also called the Neltner Refuge, at 3,207 m. It's the basecamp 960 vertical metres below the summit — dormitory-style shared bunkrooms, a heated common area and hot meals, basic by design. Bring a sleeping-bag liner; bedding is provided. You also get one night in an Imlil guesthouse and one in a comfortable Oukaïmeden ski lodge.
- Is this the same as your Sahara dark-sky astronomy tour at Oukaïmeden?
- No. Our dark-sky tour visits Oukaïmeden in summer for stargazing at the observatory, when there's no snow. This is a winter trip built around snow and the Toubkal summit, running December to April. Same plateau, opposite season and a completely different experience — crampons and ski lifts rather than telescopes.
