The Trek of Lost Oases
A trek in the heart of the Anti-Atlas, between preserved oases, secret gorges and bivouacs under the palm trees.
Duration
8 days
From
€900/pers.
Ideal seasons
Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec
Style
Guided tour
Comfort
budget
Travelers
Solo, Couple, With friends
The spirit of travel
Discover the preserved oases of the Anti-Atlas on an itinerant trek through the remote landscapes of southern Maroc. Between secret gorges, palm groves, Berber villages and ancient fortified granaries, this itinerary takes you through natural and heritage sites that are still rarely visited. You will explore in particular the oasis of Amtoudi, the palm groves of Ighrir and Taril, as well as the spectacular horseshoe canyon of Aoukerda.
Several nights in bivouac, under the palm trees or amid mineral landscapes, punctuate this adventure. A 4x4 provides logistical support throughout the trek and offers great flexibility: walking stages can be adapted and non-hikers can also participate in the journey by vehicle. A way to discover the hidden treasures of the Anti-Atlas at your own pace.
The stages of your journey
Highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Meeting the local team in Amtoudi
Aéroport D'Agadir → Amtoudi
Upon your arrival at Agadir airport, the team from Hors Circuit Maroc welcomes you and arranges your transfer to Amtoudi. You travel along the road passing through Tiznit and Bouizakharne. The journey takes approximately 3 to 4 hours.
You settle in at the Tigmi Bulbul guesthouse, where you stay in a comfortable room with a private bathroom and enjoy half board.
This first stage is also an opportunity to meet the local team who will accompany you throughout the trek.
First hike between secret gorges and fortified agadir
The hike starts just behind your guesthouse, Tigmi Bulbul. Shortly after departure, you discover your first agadir, a fortified collective granary (not to be confused with the city of the same name).
You continue walking for approximately 5 hours, not counting breaks. A donkey accompanies you and carries your personal belongings necessary for this day of adventure, while setting the pace of your progression.
The route evolves between 850 and 1,250 meters altitude, with moderate elevation changes. However, remember to prepare yourself for the heat: outside the winter months, shade remains limited and is found mainly under acacias and, sometimes, argan trees.
This first day of discovery reveals varied landscapes: two rarely visited gorges, a very mineral mountainous massif, reliefs dotted with mineral formations, a pre-Islamic tumulus, threshing areas and rainwater cisterns used notably for preparing tea.
Depending on your travel season, you may also encounter a few dromedaries. Your guide will introduce you to certain medicinal plants that grow in the jebel.
Further on, you reach a gorge adorned with a few palm trees, where you'll find a large village almost entirely abandoned. However, it is home to the only still-active farm in the sector, managed by two elderly people.
Nearby, you set up your tent to spend the night in bivouac.
A secret oasis in the heart of the Anti-Atlas landscapes
Early in the morning, you join the old trail known as the Legionnaire's Path, which crosses a vast arid plateau with undulating terrain.
From the Legionnaire's Pass, the trail leads you through a long valley that you quickly leave to discover a village remarkable for its lush gardens.
The more athletic can extend the hike by taking a mule track that leads to the summit of a steep hill. A panoramic viewpoint then rewards their efforts.
You continue your progress through a narrow natural corridor where semi-nomadic communities still live, most of whom inhabit tents.
This discreet passage also allows you to observe rock engravings before reaching another isolated spot: a small valley sheltering a small oasis and several clusters of palm trees.
It is in the heart of this oasis, fed by a natural spring, that you set up your bivouac for the night.
Palm Groves and Traditional Villages in the Mineral Corridor
Amtoudi → Annemer
You continue your trek through a mineral corridor with the appearance of a stone desert, until you reach the beginning of a gorge. A road is currently under construction in this area, but the panoramas retain all their interest.
The most courageous can attempt to go back up this long gorge to the first palm grove. Throughout the route, the different viewpoints reveal landscapes that succeed one another as you walk.
By heading to the area connecting the villages of Timoula and Annemer, you discover a marked contrast between the landscapes crossed the day before and those of this day. Your guide leads you through a maze of winding paths, between green fields and palm groves.
Once at Annemer, it is advisable to climb to a pass by taking the new road in order to admire the palm grove and the old villages that stretch as far as the eye can see.
You then set up your camp in a pleasant place, shaded by palm trees and equipped with a well.
The spectacular Aoukerda horseshoe canyon
Annemer → Aoukerda
To avoid the long switchbacks of the main road, you take a shortcut over a small pass that offers beautiful viewpoints over the gorge.
You then reach the Igmir palm grove, where you finally leave the main road. You then head up the dried-up wadi bed through a gorge that narrows abruptly to form a deep canyon. Its rocky walls reach several hundred meters in height.
Over these 5 kilometers of hiking, the landscapes succeed one another, notably with clusters of palm trees that decorate the bottom of the canyon.
Before reaching the village of Aoukerda, you cross a curious tunnel carved into the rock. After this small unexpected locality, the canyon continues and forms an impressive horseshoe curve.
You then leave the bottom of the gorge by a narrow trail, which reveals other natural treasures of the area. You set up your bivouac overlooking the canyon, with a view of this remarkable rock formation.
From the Oases of Taril and Taskala to the Gorges of Amtoudi
Aoukerda → Amtoudi
To continue your circuit, you cross a particularly interesting secondary gorge. Your 4x4 allows you to avoid the plateau passage already covered at the beginning of the trek.
You then resume hiking towards the Taril oasis, a lush place nestled in a small ravine, facing a vast stone desert. A family of goat herders regularly stays there under tents. This oasis has another distinctive feature: it's the only place in the region where you'll find a well that always has water.
You continue your walk on small beaten paths to the second oasis, Taskala. Very different from Taril, it has its own characteristics that you discover as you progress.
The path continues through several small valleys before reaching the Amtoudi gorges, a haven of peace with remarkable landscapes in southern Maroc. You descend to the gueltas, natural springs forming pools and small waterfalls beneath the palm trees. A swim is possible in this peaceful setting.
You then enjoy a beautiful hike as you leave the bottom of the gorge to progress downstream. Along the way, you visit a second agadir, perched at height, before reaching Amtoudi through the fields.
You return to the Tigmi Bulbul guesthouse for a night with half board.
Return to Agadir and relaxing afternoon
You leave Amtoudi to reach Agadir or Taroudant. This transfer marks the end of your trek in the Anti-Atlas oases.
Upon arrival, you have a free afternoon to rest, do some shopping or enjoy body treatments.
You stay in a riad or 3-star hotel in Agadir or Taroudant, with overnight accommodation and breakfast included.
Price per person
Indicative price per person, based on double room. Each trip is customized according to your preferences.
This trip can be tailored to your preferences
This itinerary provides an excellent foundation for discovery, but it can be fully customized. Our local advisors build each trip tailored to your budget, dates and preferences.
Not included
- Airplane tickets
- Transfers from more distant airports such as Marrakech, Casablanca or Ouarzazate
- The midday meal on day 1
- The midday meal and the evening meal on the 7th day
- Beverages
Included
- Transfers from and to Agadir or Taroudant
- Three nights of hotel accommodation in Agadir and Amtoudi
- All meals from day 1 evening to day 7 morning included
- Guidance by an agency manager and a 4x4 throughout the entire trek
- The English-speaking local Berber guide
- The donkeys and muleteers, depending on the number of participants
- The visit of the agadirs
- The rental of complete bivouacking equipment
- The logistics required for quality meals and comfortable bivouacs
Practical Information
Registration is considered firm and final after payment of a deposit of 30% of the total price and acceptance of the specific terms of sale.
The balance must be paid no later than 45 days before the departure date.
See our specific terms of sale for full details.
In the event of cancellation by the traveller, the following fees apply:
- Plus de 60 jours avant le départ : 40 % du prix total (acompte retenu)
- Entre 60 et 30 jours avant le départ : 50 % du prix total
- Moins de 30 jours avant le départ : 100 % du prix total
We strongly recommend taking out cancellation insurance. See our specific terms of sale for full details.
The information below concerns travelers who are nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and Canada traveling to Morocco for a tourist stay. Entry rules may change, so we recommend verifying this information with the official authorities before your departure.
Passport
To enter Morocco, your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your stay and include at least one blank page for immigration stamps.
The document must be in good condition (no damaged, torn or altered pages).
Nationals of certain EEA countries may enter Morocco with a valid national identity card in accordance with applicable bilateral agreements. However, it is advisable to travel with a valid passport to avoid any inconvenience.
Tourist stay without visa
Nationals of the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Canada benefit from a visa exemption for tourist stays.
This exemption allows a stay of up to 90 days from the date of entry into Moroccan territory. Beyond this period, authorization of stay must be requested from the Moroccan authorities.
The authorities may also request:
an outbound ticket (return or onward flight),
proof of sufficient financial resources for the duration of the stay,
proof of accommodation (hotel booking or invitation from a private individual).
Health and vaccinations
No vaccination is mandatory to enter Morocco from the EEA, Switzerland or Canada. However, it is recommended to ensure that routine vaccinations are up to date (diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, hepatitis A).
It is advisable to consult a doctor or vaccination center before departure, particularly for stays in rural areas or remote regions.
Traveling with children
Minors must hold their own valid passport covering the duration of the stay.
In certain European countries, when a minor travels without one of their parents, an authorization to leave the territory may be required according to the regulations of the country of residence. The Moroccan authorities may also request documentation in case of travel with a single parent or a third party.
Other nationalities
Entry conditions may vary depending on nationality. Travelers concerned should inquire with the embassy or consulate of Morocco in their country of residence.
To participate in our trips, it is strongly recommended to have evacuation assistance and foreign medical expense coverage.
Your local agency encourages you to review the specific policy developed with our partner CHAPKA ASSURANCES and AXA ASSISTANCE.
To subscribe to an insurance plan, learn about coverage and rates, follow the link below.
Choose the plan that best suits you:
Explorer'Multirisque
Explorer'Annulation
Explorer'Assistance
Explorer' Complémentaire Carte Bancaire
Specific to our trips, we strongly recommend subscribing to them.
If you choose to subscribe to one of these plans, the policy detailing all coverage and claim declaration procedures is available on the insurer's website.
Your local agency will be aware of it, but only the participant is responsible for complying with the claim declaration procedures. The participant must therefore keep this policy with them throughout their trip.
Chapka — Cap Explorer
Our insurance partnerTravel with peace of mind with our partner Chapka. Cancellation, repatriation, medical expenses, baggage… All the coverage for a worry-free trip.
Travel with peace of mind — I'll handle the insuranceFrequently asked questions
You can stay in Morocco without a visa. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your entry. These conditions have been stable for a long time, but always confirm with the Moroccan consulate or embassy competent for your nationality before booking your trip.
Go to the My Trips section to find all your projects.
You can send a message to your host directly from the Tea Lounge.
For a quality tailor-made trip, expect between €150 and €260 per day and per person, including accommodation (riads, kasbahs), meals, internal transfers and activities. International flights (€200-450 return) are additional. Morocco offers excellent value for money in its charming riads.
Your documents are accessible in the Documents tab of your trip.
Absolutely. We adapt each circuit to your travel profile. For families, we prioritize relaxed paces, family-friendly accommodations, fun and educational activities, and comfortable private transfers. Our local English-speaking guides know how to capture children's attention with age-appropriate anecdotes.
It's simple. You exchange with our local team to define your wishes, budget and dates. You receive a detailed itinerary proposal within 48 hours. You adjust every detail together until you reach the perfect version. You confirm and travel with peace of mind. Your local agency remains available 7 days a week throughout your trip.
In case of emergency, contact your local agency immediately.
Payment is generally made in two installments.
Our agency is part of the Nomadays network, registered in France. You benefit from APST (Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme) guarantee which covers 100% of your funds. Secure payment, repatriation insurance included, and English-speaking assistance 24/7 on the ground throughout your stay.
Let's talk about your adventure — Southern Desert
Saharan trails companion, based in Taroudant
What I love about travel is that moment when you leave the obvious path. That's when the landscape shifts, but more importantly, so does your perspective.
— Luc
