A Day in the High Atlas Mountains with Amazigh Artisans

To understand Moroccan weaving, you have to begin long before the rug.

You have to start with the wool, the landscape, and the women whose knowledge has been passed down through generations. In the High Atlas Mountains, these traditions remain closely tied to daily life, shaped by place, ritual, and the quiet rhythm of making by hand.



This experience offers a chance to step off the beaten path and into that world. Set in a remote valley in the High Atlas Mountains, it is a closer look at the origins of Moroccan weaving and the ancestral techniques still used to prepare wool today.

The day begins with a private drive into the mountains, where steep valleys, winding roads, and Amazigh villages set the tone for what is to come. There, you are welcomed by a community of female artisans whom we have worked for many years, relationships built slowly and with care over time.


By the riverbank, over Moroccan tea, you are introduced to one of the earliest stages of the weaving process: washing raw wool by hand. Using age-old techniques, the women work the fleece in water to release its natural lanolin, gently cleaning the wool without chemical detergents. It is a beautiful process to witness, one that reflects the resourcefulness and depth of traditional Moroccan textile making.


From there, the day continues to the women’s village, where a traditional Moroccan lunch is served in an Amazigh mountain home. In the afternoon, you will learn how wool is carded and spun by hand using a drop spindle, offering a deeper understanding of the skill and patience behind handmade Moroccan rugs.


It is more than a day trip. It is a deeper look into the people, processes, and places that continue to shape Moroccan weaving today.

To book your trip, email experiences@salamhello.com.

Photography by Annie O. Waterman.