Day 1: Imlil – Tizi N’ Tamatere (2279m) – Ouanskra – Tachdirth

From Imlil, we set out along a path for a 1 hour and 45 minute eastward hike towards the Tizi N’ Tamaterte (2279m) and on through fields of barley and orchards of walnut, apple and cherry trees until we reach the village of Tamaterte.

Once through the village we shall take a path, which leads us up though pine and juniper woods and we stop at the Tizi to admire the Imlil and Imnane Valleys. The latter has many Berber villages tucked precariously onto the slopes stretching around us.

We carry on along the upper valley slopes for another hour or so to the villages of Ouanskra and then Amagdoul set amidst terraced plots of land carved from the hard slopes where we will stop for our field picnic on the plateau which is used in summer as a favorite bivouac site.

Our afternoon will be spent hiking for some 2 hours up through the valley along the mule trails until we reach the pretty and the oldest Berber village in the Toubkal massif (Tachdirth 2291m).

This is set amongst terraced plots clawed from the surrounding craggy slopes, where we will overnight in the Gite d’ Etape .

Day 2: Tachdirth – Iaabbassen – Timichi

After an early breakfast, we start our 6-hour hike south-eastwards to the terraced village of Timichi (1850m), at the western offshoot head of Ourika Valley.

For 2.5 hours we hike slowly up to the Tizi N’ Tachdirth (3200m), which affords us a stunning panoramic view of Jbel Aksoual (3842m) and Bouignouane (3882m) on one side and Angour on the other, with the beginning of the luscious nature of the beautiful, Verdant Valley stretching out far below us.

We will traverse the pass and continue on down through the rocks north-eastwards for a further 2 hours until we reach the Berber village of Iaabbassen (2030m), where we will stop for our welcome field picnic next to a spring just outside of the village.

In the afternoon we take a 2 hour hike up further to the northeast in the valley to the old village of Timichi, a charming terraced conglomeration of homes set amongst ancient nut trees, where we will have our dinner and overnight in a Berber family home.

Day 3: Timichi – Tiwerdiwe – Tadrart – Agadir N’ Ait Boulmane – Setti Fadma

After breakfast we set out for a 4 to 5 hour hike eastwards down along the valley full of cornfields and walnuts groves, with many streams flowing down from the upper slopes.

We pass through the villages of Anfli and Tadrart to arrive at the end of the beautiful Ourika valley proper and the renowned Berber village of Setti Fadma, with its ancient nut trees and waterfalls.

We shall stop for our picnic just outside of the village, before hiking for another half hour to get to the vehicle.