If you’re planning a visit to Morocco, you are not alone. Final yr, the dominion dethroned Egypt as the highest tourism vacation spot in North Africa. Based on UN tourism information, Morocco’s tourism numbers have been steadily rising, with a 20% bounce from 2023 to 2024, when 17.4 million vacationers visited. Amongst of all its cities — together with Casablanca, Fez and Rabat — Marrakech ranks the hottest vacation spot in Morocco for guests.
Although Marrakech is not fairly struggling the full-blown results of over-tourism, some early indicators, together with crowds and better costs, persist. Fortunately, there’s a straightforward escape from the crowds out there if you need a quieter journey. Lower than an hour’s drive from the bustling metropolis, the Atlas Mountains provide nature, journey and a singular tradition, making them a really perfect detour vacation spot to get off the overwhelmed path from Marrakech for a day or two.
The mountains are dwelling to jutting peaks ripe for climbing (by foot, bike or donkey), dramatic desert landscapes and dozens of villages the place the indigenous Berber communities dwell. Whether or not you rent one of many myriad tour firms providing excursions to the mountains, hire a automobile or snag a bus to the world by yourself, here is what to do when you arrive.
What to see and do
The Atlas Mountains have three sections: the Excessive Atlas (or simply Atlas), the Center Atlas and the Anti-Atlas (or Little Atlas) Mountains. The Excessive Atlas Mountains are essentially the most accessible from Marrakech, with the closest massive village of Asni nearly an hour’s drive away from Marrakech.
Go mountaineering
The Excessive Atlas Mountains have greater than 400 peaks, with a number of over 13,000 toes. Nonetheless, the vary has quite a lot of trails with an assortment of ability ranges. Mount Toubkal, the best mountain in northern Africa at 13,665 toes, could be trekked with a information. For a scenic, tougher hike, attempt a path by Mgoun Nationwide Park, a UNESCO World Geopark recognized for its scenic rivers, deep gorges and dramatic mountain surroundings.
Go to a Berber village
One motive to hike with a information is that they may usually convey you to a Berber village on the finish of your trek (usually a relative of theirs), which is a good way to expertise the native tradition. Within the mountains, it is not uncommon for Berber households to open their humble properties to hikers and vacationers, making recent mint tea and flatbreads of their clay ovens.
Witness the person of the home put together Moroccan mint tea, made with recent herbs often grown of their backyard, by repeatedly pouring the combination between the pot and glasses to totally mix it earlier than serving the brew in dainty glasses. In the meantime, his spouse will flatten the bread dough and press it towards the within of her clay wood-fired oven to bake it. In the event you’re fortunate, your hosts can also serve cured olives from their bushes and olive oil hand-pressed of their village’s communal stone mill.
The Atlas Mountains had been additionally dwelling to a number of Jewish communities within the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most Jewish Berbers from the Atlas Mountains left Morocco within the Fifties and ’60s, however a number of villages stay, though they’re unpopulated. One is Anraz, a photogenic ghost city of deserted clay constructions, which you’ll go to with a neighborhood information. There’s a well-kept synagogue — nonetheless used for holidays by Jews from Casablanca — and a preserved cemetery.
Store domestically made textiles
One other spotlight is a go to to the Eve Branson Basis Tamgounssi Weaving Centre within the village of Tansghart, the place ladies be taught to embroider and weave by hand to earn an unbiased residing. Watching the weavers on the loom is fascinating, and their stunning handmade rugs, tablecloths and different gadgets are additionally on the market.
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The place to remain
There are a number of native kasbahs to remain in, however if you wish to use factors, the Virgin Restricted Version Kasbah Tamadot in Asni is essentially the most luxurious choice within the Atlas Mountains. Like many buildings within the area, it sustained some harm in the course of the 2023 earthquake; after a seven-month closure, it reopened on the finish of 2024, simply in time for its twentieth anniversary in 2025. The renovation introduced the resort from 28 to 42 rooms, including a brand new restaurant and youngsters membership.
The unique constructing, a kasbah first owned by a neighborhood governor after which an Italian businessman who restored it, dates again to 1920. Richard Branson, the founding father of the Virgin Group, purchased the property in 2000 and turned it right into a resort in 2005.
A few of the largest lodging are the newly constructed, stand-alone riads, which function rooms embellished with native textiles, metalwork and ceramics. In addition they include personal swimming pools or scorching tubs.
When it reopened, the resort additionally added a brand new restaurant below an enormous canvas tent. Assays serves Moroccan and Western meals, some nights providing a standard Moroccan tasting menu accompanied by dwell Moroccan music. There’s additionally an out of doors patio restaurant overlooking the pool for lunch, the place each meal begins with an array of Berber flatbreads.
Do depart time to discover the resort: Bask in a hammam remedy on the spa, play tennis on the clay courts, partake in a tagine cooking class and luxuriate in a glass of freshly ready mint tea with Mohammad, an worker from Asni who has been working right here since 2005. The entire staff at Kasbah Tamadot are Moroccan, so ask them for his or her native ideas — they’ve many.
Reserving with factors
Charges at Virgin Restricted Version Kasbah Tamadot begin from $577 per evening. However you may also redeem Virgin Purple factors beginning at 140,000 factors per evening. After a minimal two-night keep, further nights value 70,000-85,000 Virgin factors. (This is without doubt one of the lowest redemption charges out there for any Virgin Restricted property.) To e-book, contact Virgin Restricted Version at (877) 577-8777 or e mail enquiries@virginlimitededition.com to substantiate availability and factors charges.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership companions with each main bank card rewards program, and when you hyperlink your Flying Membership account to your Virgin Purple account, your factors will sync throughout the packages. (Be aware: Capital One miles switch on to Virgin Purple.)
Although that is not the greatest redemption charge, you may make your factors go barely additional by benefiting from Chase Final Rewards’ 25% switch bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which runs by June 15.
The best way to get there
The closest main airport to the Atlas Mountains is Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), which is seeing an enlargement of direct flights from the U.S. which can be bookable on factors and miles.
United direct flights to Marrakech
Final yr, United Airways launched seasonal direct flights between Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to RAK. That route resumes Oct. 25, 2025, and runs by March 28, 2026.
In the event you use United MileagePlus miles to e-book this flight from EWR to RAK, one-way financial system tickets begin at 42,200 miles, and business-class tickets from 180,000 miles (taxes and costs are minimal at round $5.60). United costs its awards dynamically, so you could have to make use of extra miles on peak dates, whereas even decrease pricing could also be out there to United bank card holders and Premier elite members.
Delta direct flights to Marrakech
Delta Air Strains will launch its personal direct seasonal service to Marrakech on October 25, 2025, from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL). This service runs by the top of April 2026.
To e-book this ATL to RAK flight utilizing Delta SkyMiles, count on one-way financial system tickets to start out at 48,000 miles, and Delta One tickets from 270,000 miles, with taxes and costs round $5.60. Delta awards are additionally dynamically priced, so count on to make use of extra miles on peak dates. Delta bank card holders can count on reductions on redemptions.
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