In case you are planning a visit to Morocco, you’re not alone. Final 12 months, the dominion dethroned Egypt as the highest tourism vacation spot in North Africa. In keeping with UN tourism data, Morocco’s tourism numbers have been steadily rising, with a 20% leap from 2023 to 2024, when 17.4 million vacationers visited. Amongst of all its cities — together with Casablanca, Fez and Rabat — Marrakech ranks the most popular 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 simple escape from the crowds obtainable if you’d like a quieter journey. Lower than an hour’s drive from the bustling metropolis, the Atlas Mountains supply 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 house 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, lease a automobile or snag a bus to the world by yourself, this 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 probably the most accessible from Marrakech, with the closest massive village of Asni nearly an hour’s drive away from Marrakech.
Go climbing
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 talent ranges. Mount Toubkal, the best mountain in northern Africa at 13,665 toes, may be trekked with a information. For a scenic, tougher hike, strive a path by way of 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 sometimes carry you to a Berber village on the finish of your trek (typically a relative of theirs), which is a good way to expertise the native tradition. Within the mountains, it’s common 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 normally grown of their backyard, by repeatedly pouring the combination between the pot and glasses to completely mix it earlier than serving the brew in dainty glasses. In the meantime, his spouse will flatten the bread dough and press it in opposition to the within of her clay wood-fired oven to bake it. If you happen to’re fortunate, your hosts might 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 house 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 be able to 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 Foundation Tamgounssi Weaving Centre within the village of Tansghart, the place girls study to embroider and weave by hand to earn an unbiased dwelling. Watching the weavers on the loom is fascinating, and their lovely 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 Limited Edition Kasbah Tamadot in Asni is probably the most luxurious possibility within the Atlas Mountains. Like many buildings within the area, it sustained some harm throughout 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 children 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 characteristic rooms embellished with native textiles, metalwork and ceramics. In addition they include non-public swimming pools or sizzling tubs.
When it reopened, the resort additionally added a brand new restaurant beneath a large 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 outside patio restaurant overlooking the pool for lunch, the place each meal begins with an array of Berber flatbreads.
Do go away time to discover the resort: Take pleasure in a hammam remedy on the spa, play tennis on the clay courts, partake in a tagine cooking class and revel in a glass of freshly ready mint tea with Mohammad, an worker from Asni who has been working right here since 2005. All the 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 can even redeem Virgin Red factors beginning at 140,000 factors per evening. After a minimal two-night keep, extra nights price 70,000-85,000 Virgin factors. (This is likely one of the lowest redemption charges obtainable for any Virgin Restricted property.) To guide, contact Virgin Restricted Version at (877) 577-8777 or electronic mail enquiries@virginlimitededition.com to substantiate availability and factors charges.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club companions with each major credit card rewards program, and when you hyperlink your Flying Membership account to your Virgin Pink account, your factors will sync throughout the applications. (Word: Capital One miles transfer directly to Virgin Red.)
Although that is not the greatest redemption fee, you can also make your factors go barely additional by benefiting from Chase Final Rewards’ 25% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which runs by way of June 15.
Learn how to get there
The closest main airport to the Atlas Mountains is Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), which is seeing an growth of direct flights from the U.S. which are bookable on factors and miles.
United direct flights to Marrakech
Final 12 months, United Airways launched seasonal direct flights between Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to RAK. That route resumes Oct. 25, 2025, and runs by way of March 28, 2026.
If you happen to use United MileagePlus miles to guide 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 charges 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 obtainable to United bank card holders and Premier elite members.
Delta direct flights to Marrakech
Delta Air Traces will launch its own direct seasonal service to Marrakech on October 25, 2025, from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL). This service runs by way of the tip of April 2026.
To guide this ATL to RAK flight utilizing Delta SkyMiles, anticipate one-way financial system tickets to start out at 48,000 miles, and Delta One tickets from 270,000 miles, with taxes and charges round $5.60. Delta awards are additionally dynamically priced, so anticipate to make use of extra miles on peak dates. Delta bank card holders can anticipate discounts on redemptions.
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