The Ourika Valley, with the people who live there

The Ourika Valley at a glance

What is there to see in the Ourika Valley?

Most visitors come for the river and the waterfalls, then find that the villages and the workshops along the road are what they remember. These are the places we stop at most often, each with its own guide:

• The seven waterfalls of Setti Fatma: a rocky path to the first fall, further for the others. See how the waterfalls hike works.
• Setti Fatma village: river restaurants, footbridges and the August moussem, in our guide to Setti Fatma.
• A women's argan oil cooperative: how the oil is made by hand and how to recognise a good one, in the argan cooperative guide.
• Potters and rug weavers: the potteries of the Ourika road and Berber rugs, with advice on buying fairly.
• Gardens: the bio-aromatic garden and Anima Garden, both near the entrance of the valley.
• Berber food: tagines cooked on charcoal and bread from clay ovens, in what to eat in the valley.
• Nature: the river, the orchards and the wildlife of the High Atlas, in nature and wildlife of the Ourika Valley.

If you would like to stay longer than a day, see where to stay in the Ourika Valley.

What we offer

The Ourika Valley day trip

Our main product is a full private day trip from Marrakech: pickup at your hotel or riad, a stop at a women's argan oil cooperative, the walk to the waterfalls of Setti Fatma, and time by the river. The price is per vehicle, not per person: 120 EUR for 1 to 7 people, 200 EUR for 8 to 17, driver and fuel included. Lunch at a riverside restaurant (20 EUR per person) and a local guide for the waterfalls (40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR for 8 to 17) are options, and you pay online when you book.

Transport to the valley

If you prefer to explore on your own, we drive you there and back. Our private transport covers one way or return trips, with waiting time if you want it: 100 EUR one way from Marrakech, 120 EUR one way from the airport, 120 EUR for a same-day return with the driver waiting, per vehicle for 1 to 7 people, 200 EUR for 8 to 17. For travellers on a smaller budget, our shared excursion costs 25 EUR per person, lunch and return transport from Marrakech included, with a fixed meeting point and schedule. Staying in the valley? We also drive you to your hotel: see our guide to the best rated hotels of the Ourika Valley.

Packages

Some visitors want more than one day of waterfalls. Our packages add a camel ride, a quad session, a trek with lunch in a Berber home, or a trip up to Oukaïmeden. The trek and family lunch costs 60 EUR per person (transport from Marrakech optional), Ourika with Oukaïmeden 180 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people (260 EUR for 8 to 17), and a camel ride or a quad session adds 15 or 30 EUR per person to the 120 EUR vehicle. All are paid online.

Cooperatives and villages

The valley lives on small crafts: argan oil pressed by women, tagine pots shaped by hand, rugs woven at home. Our cooperatives and villages tour takes you to meet the makers, with time to understand what you are buying and why the price is what it is. It costs 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people, 200 EUR for 8 to 17, local guide included.

How booking works

We kept it simple, because nobody wants to spend their holiday on email.

1. Choose your offer and date. On the booking page, pick your offer, your date, the number of people and your pickup address.
2. Pay online. Every offer is paid at booking through PayPal, with a PayPal account or a bank card. You never share your card details with us.
3. Receive your confirmation. An email arrives straight away with the details of your booking.
4. Hear from your driver. The day before the trip, your driver contacts you on WhatsApp to confirm the pickup time and place.

The half day (from 120 EUR per vehicle), the Ourika and Agafay day (from 180 EUR per vehicle), the cooking class (60 EUR per person) and the pottery workshop (30 EUR per person) are booked and paid online the same way. For a question, or for a group of more than 17 people, write to us on WhatsApp at +212 661 454 738 or at [email protected].

Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the trip, with a full refund.

Plan your visit

A little preparation makes a big difference in the mountains. These guides answer the questions our guests ask us most often:

• When to go: the valley is cooler than Marrakech all year, but each season feels different. Our weather guide explains the best months, snow on the peaks, and why summer afternoons need watching.
• Where everything is: the road, the villages and the distances on our map of the Ourika Valley.
• Coming with children: what works and what to skip in the Ourika Valley with kids.
• How to get there: grand taxi, rental car, organised tour or private driver, compared in our guide on getting to the Ourika Valley.
• What to do: waterfalls, gardens, markets, potteries and more in our list of things to do in Ourika.
• In winter: cold mornings, snow on the peaks and quiet villages, with Christmas and New Year dates, in the Ourika Valley in winter.
• Snow and skiing: the high plateau above the valley, its snow season and its lifts, in our guide to Oukaïmeden.
• Walking: from the waterfall path to the three-day trek to Imlil, in hiking in the Ourika Valley.
• On a Monday: the weekly country market at the entrance of the valley, in the Tnine Ourika souk.
• Choosing a valley: Ourika, Imlil, Asni, Ouirgane or Oukaïmeden, compared in our Atlas Mountains day trip guide.
• The story of the valley: from Amazigh settlement to the shrine of Setti Fatma, read the history of the Ourika Valley.
• Who lives here: language, village life, mint tea and photo etiquette in our page about the Ourika people and culture.

A practical tip to finish: bring shoes with a real grip. The path to the waterfalls of Setti Fatma is rocky, and visitors in flip-flops or smooth sandals often turn back well before the first falls.