This was very much the trek we were looking for. Mustapha organized a four day trek for our family, and it was just about perfect. We are a family of five, including three kids ages 9-13, and were looking for some good distances and to get a taste of Berber culture. We had a guide, a cook and an additional mule handler. There was enough room with the mules to carry the bags we needed for the trek, and the remainder Mustapha was able to store at his guesthouse in Imlil. Transfer to and from Marrakech was also included, and our guide met us at our accommodations there to facilitate the pickup. From a logistical standpoint, everything about the trip was very easy for us.
We had two guides during the trip. Our guide for the first half spoke great English and was really knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, and even organized us visiting a Berber family for tea in their garden. Our guide for the second half spoke a bit less English, but had a lot of local knowledge and was great with our kids. Both the cook and muleteer also spoke a small bit of English, and were very friendly.
The food was excellent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all fully cooked hot meals and were traditional Moroccan dishes of the same quality you’d find at any restaurant in Marrakech. There was always enough food. You’ll want to organize your own water and other drinks (aside from the near-endless mint tea!), but there are shops in every village where we bought additional bottles each morning, as well as kiosks in a couple of the mountain passes.
Accommodations were totally adequate. The guesthouses had a bit of a range in their simplicity, but we were always comfortable and warm (the guesthouse at Tizi N’Taschendirt, at the highest altitude, was quite cold, but excellent blankets were provided and we slept warmly. Be sure to bring warm clothes for evening time). Not all of the guesthouses had hot water while we were there, and you should plan on bringing your own toilet paper and towels. Though basic, we were never uncomfortable, and every place was at least several steps up from camping.
The hotel in Imlil included at the end of our last day, dar Assarou, was excellent, and I’d recommend staying in it even if you weren’t trekking. A very pleasant way to celebrate the end of the trek.
I should note if you are considering bringing children on this trek that this is some moderately strenuous walking. The first two days were 10+ kilometers, and you are at altitude (2500m). Our kids did mostly fine, but they are experienced at this sort of thing- even our 9-year-old has half a dozen 15km hikes under his belt. If your kids don’t have experience with this level of strenuous activity, this might not be the place to start, though I’m sure Mustapha could also arrange something different (the itinerary he proposed when we were first organizing this included routes and altitudes so we had a clear idea what we were getting into). The muleteer was clear that the boys could always ride on the mules if they needed to get a break, so this might help bridge the gap for your little one.
Mustapha was always in excellent communication with us as we made our plans and as the time for the trip approached- including our dietary accommodations, organizing other activities, etc. He was also able to accommodate some last-minute changes we needed to make to part of our itinerary.
All-in-all, this was an excellent trip, and a great value. The scenery is stunning, absolutely stunning, the people in the villages we passed were welcoming. This trek was part of a larger trip, and it was really nice to be able to pass off planning, logistics and meals to someone else for a few days- everything went smoothly, and we were able to truly mentally relax. I’ll recommend this trip to any of my friends going to Morocco- it’s an essential stop, and Mustapha will take great care of you.
The best 3-days of our lives and we can't wait to visit it again once everything is back to normal. My wife and I spent an amazing time in Morocco and everything is just beyond our expectation. The tour guide provided was very friendly and accommodating. We learned the history and appreciated the beauty of the views all at the same time. And talk about the view - the view was amazing! It is not how I imagined it would be and I am so delighted. The guesthouses that we stayed in during our hike are also very nice. Really well spent and worth every penny spent. Highly recommended!
Hope to be back soon with our kids, and will try to check out the waterfalls in their offer tours. Can't wait!