M'Goun trek: Ighil M'Goun from the Aït Bouguemez valley via the Tarkeddit refuge

Which route should you choose?

M'Goun rises from the Aït Bouguemez, a valley at about 1,800 m to 2,200 m in Azilal province, about 77 km by road from the town of Azilal. Tabant is the valley's main village, with a Sunday souk; treks often start further west at Agouti, Aït Saïd or Arous. Above the valley the mountain is a long ridge that stays above 4,000 m for nearly 10 km.

There are three common ways to do it. The summit loop from the valley takes 4–6 days and is the one most groups walk. The out-and-back from Arous takes 2–3 days but goes high fast. Longer traverses of six days or more continue down the Tessaout valley or south through the M'Goun gorges to Kelaat M'Gouna. The massif lies in the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, which joined the Global Geoparks Network in 2014, became a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015 and had its label renewed after expert visits in 2018 and 2022.

5-day Summit loop from Aït Bouguemez itinerary at a glance

The itinerary below is the five-day summit loop, pieced together from two trip reports and a published itinerary, none of them from an operator. The trek usually starts with a night in the valley: the drive from Marrakech via Azilal takes about 6 hours.

Day 1 walks up the Arous valley, past walnut and apple terraces, to the Ikkis pastures. Day 2 is long, about 16 km and 1,400 m of climbing from Arous or Ikkis, over a high col of about 3,350 m to 3,400 m and down to the Tarkeddit plateau and refuge, with a spring about 150 metres from the hut. Day 3 is summit day: a dawn start, the ridge to the top, then a scree descent south to the Assif Oulilimt. Expect 8 to 9 hours; one trekker measured 20.3 km, 1,152 m up and 1,506 m down. Day 4 crosses red hills and Aït Atta shepherd camps towards Tizi n'Aït Imi. Day 5 crosses the pass, with views over the whole Aït Bouguemez, and drops back to the valley.

A four-day version goes straight from Aït Saïd to Tarkeddit on day 1, about 19 km and 1,620 m of climbing, with no night at Ikkis. One trekker's GPS measured that loop, finishing at Imelghas, at about 72 km. We found no measured distance for the five-day loop shown here.

1. Day 1 Aït Saïd or Arous (Aït Bouguemez) Azib Ikkis (shepherds' pastures)
2. Day 2 Azib Ikkis Tarkeddit refuge night at 2,930 m
3. Day 3 Tarkeddit refuge Assif Oulilimt (camp) summit 4,071 mnight at 2,650 m
4. Day 4 Assif Oulilimt Camp below Tizi n'Aït Imi
5. Day 5 Camp below Tizi n'Aït Imi Aït Imi and Tabant via Tizi n'Aït Imi 2,905 m

Altitudes differ between sources, so only the better-supported ones are shown. Ikkis is given as 2,200 m to 2,350 m; Tarkeddit as 2,930 m by two trip reports and 2,935 m by refuges.info; the Oulilimt camp as 2,650 m, or 2,600 m in an older report; Tizi n'Aït Imi as 2,905 m, or about 2,900 m. We found no source for the altitude of the camp below the pass or of Tabant itself. Some sources give the summit as 4,068 m.

What it really costs

Package prices depend on group size, the number of days and whether you sleep in gîtes, the refuge or tents, so compare them on the booking sites. These are the costs to plan around if you organise the trek yourself or want to check what a package includes, as of November 2026; none is an official price. Pay in Moroccan dirhams (MAD). You may take at most 2,000 MAD in banknotes out of Morocco, and it is wise to withdraw cash in Marrakech before you head into the mountains.

Fees and estimates checked on 6 November 2026.

Insurance that covers M'Goun trek

Choose a policy that covers trekking up to 4,071 m, including mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation. Rescue in Morocco's mountains is carried out by the Gendarmerie, Civil Protection and the army. Phone coverage is limited in the Aït Bouguemez with any provider; do not count on a signal higher up.

Emergency numbers are 15 for ambulance and fire, 19 for police in towns and 177 for the Gendarmerie Royale in the countryside and mountains. As of November 2026 the US State Department rates Morocco Level 2, exercise increased caution, and the UK government's Morocco safety page has a section on hiking: read both before you go.

Staying connected in Morocco

An eSIM installed before you fly works in Morocco, and tourist SIM stands are found at the airports. In the Aït Bouguemez coverage is limited with any provider, and Maroc Telecom is reported strongest in rural areas. Do not count on a signal on the high route.

Download offline maps before you leave Tabant: the path can vanish in the dark or in poor visibility, and one hiking site calls the available map unreliable. Carry a power bank, because the valley's power can fail in bad weather, as it did in Tabant in December 2025.

Getting there and where to stay

Fly into Marrakech Menara (RAK), the closest airport to the Aït Bouguemez. The valley is about 6 hours away by road via Azilal. Nonstop flights from the hubs below land in Casablanca; connect there to Marrakech.

Gear: rent or buy

Nothing technical in summer, but altitude, cold nights, scree and long dry stretches. In early October one trekker found it below freezing above 3,000 m, snowstorms are possible even in July, and the ridge is often windy. In winter and spring, snow can cover the ridge: then you need crampons or snowshoes and mountaineering experience, and the trek becomes a winter climb.

• Broken-in boots with ankle support for scree and loose stoneBuy
• Down jacket, hat and gloves for the dawn start and the ridgeRent or buy
• Warm sleeping bag for freezing nights at altitudeRent or buy
• Bottles or a bladder for summit day, plus purification tablets or a filterBuy
• Headlamp for the pre-dawn start from TarkedditBuy
• Trekking poles for the long scree descent to OulilimtRent or buy
• Sun hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen for the midday heatBuy
• Offline maps or the Edition Piolet "Ighil M'Goun" map, and a power bankBuy
• Shoes that can get wet, if you walk the M'Goun gorgesRent or buy

Add a few days in Morocco

The Aït Bouguemez and the geopark around it reward a spare day before or after the trek.

Frequently asked questions