{
 "key": "new-year",
 "kind": "article",
 "type": "guide",
 "language": "en",
 "url": "https://ourika-valley.com/new-year-marrakech-atlas-day-trip/",
 "json": "https://ourika-valley.com/data/en/pages/new-year.json",
 "translations": {
  "en": "https://ourika-valley.com/new-year-marrakech-atlas-day-trip/",
  "fr": "https://ourika-valley.com/fr/nouvel-an-marrakech-excursion-atlas/",
  "es": "https://ourika-valley.com/es/fin-de-ano-marrakech-excursion-atlas/",
  "it": "https://ourika-valley.com/it/capodanno-marrakech-escursione-atlante/",
  "de": "https://ourika-valley.com/de/silvester-neujahr-marrakesch-atlas-ausflug/",
  "nl": "https://ourika-valley.com/nl/oud-en-nieuw-marrakech-dagtrip-atlas/"
 },
 "title": "New Year in Marrakech: a day in the Atlas on 31 December or 1 January",
 "meta_title": "New Year in Marrakech: Atlas Day Trip on 31 Dec or 1 Jan",
 "description": "New Year in Marrakech: a private day in the snowy Atlas on 31 December or 1 January. Honest timings, late start, half day, normal prices from 120 EUR.",
 "summary": "If you spend New Year in Marrakech, the Ourika Valley and the High Atlas make a calm day out on 31 December or 1 January. We run every private outing on both dates at our normal prices, from 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people, with a late start after the night of the 31st if you want one.",
 "updated": "2026-10-23",
 "author": null,
 "highlights": [
  "Every private outing runs on 31 December and 1 January, at the normal published prices",
  "No surcharge and no special New Year package: the same day, the same price",
  "About 10 hours of daylight: sunrise about 8:31 am, sunset about 6:38 pm in Marrakech",
  "A late start on 1 January after the night of the 31st, or a half day on the 31st",
  "Snow on the High Atlas peaks, and at Oukaïmeden when the winter allows",
  "50% deposit online, balance to the driver, free cancellation up to 48 hours before"
 ],
 "facts": [
  {
   "label": "Dates",
   "value": "31 December and 1 January, like every other day of the year"
  },
  {
   "label": "Prices",
   "value": "Normal published prices, no New Year surcharge"
  },
  {
   "label": "Daylight in Marrakech",
   "value": "Sunrise about 8:31 am, sunset about 6:38 pm on 31 December and 1 January"
  },
  {
   "label": "Marrakech in January",
   "value": "About 19 °C by day and 6 °C at night on average (1991-2020)"
  },
  {
   "label": "1 January",
   "value": "New Year's Day, a public holiday in Morocco"
  },
  {
   "label": "Private day trip",
   "value": "120 EUR per vehicle (1 to 7 people), 200 EUR (8 to 17)"
  },
  {
   "label": "Half day",
   "value": "Departure 7:00 am, back around noon, 120 EUR per vehicle (1 to 7 people)"
  },
  {
   "label": "Payment",
   "value": "50% deposit online, balance in cash to the driver on the day"
  }
 ],
 "itinerary": [],
 "includes": [],
 "excludes": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "question": "Do you run day trips on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?",
   "answer": "Yes. Every private outing runs on 31 December and on 1 January: the Ourika Valley day trip, the half day, the three valleys, Ourika and Agafay, the Oukaïmeden day and private transport. You book them online for those dates like any other day."
  },
  {
   "question": "Is there a New Year surcharge?",
   "answer": "No. The prices on 31 December and 1 January are our normal published prices: 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people for the Ourika Valley day trip or the half day, 180 EUR for the three valleys, Ourika and Agafay or Oukaïmeden. There is no special New Year package either."
  },
  {
   "question": "Do you organise a New Year's Eve party or gala dinner?",
   "answer": "No. We organise days out in the valley and the mountains, not New Year's Eve evenings. On 31 December we bring you back to Marrakech in time for your own plans. Desert camps in Agafay hold their own New Year's Eve evenings, which we do not sell."
  },
  {
   "question": "Can we start late on 1 January?",
   "answer": "Yes. The Ourika Valley day trip is private, so you agree the pickup time with your driver. After a late night on the 31st, many travellers prefer to leave around 10 am. Remember that the sun sets at about 6:38 pm, so a later start means a shorter day in the valley."
  },
  {
   "question": "What is the best outing on 31 December if we go out in the evening?",
   "answer": "The half day. It leaves Marrakech at 7:00 am and you are back in the city around noon, with the whole afternoon to rest before the evening. The full day trip also works if you leave around 9 am: you are back in the late afternoon."
  },
  {
   "question": "Is 1 January a public holiday in Morocco?",
   "answer": "Yes, New Year's Day is a public holiday in Morocco, and so are 11 January (Proclamation of Independence Day) and 14 January (Amazigh New Year, Yennayer). Our outings run as usual on 1 January."
  },
  {
   "question": "How cold is it at New Year in the Atlas?",
   "answer": "Cold in the morning and mild at midday on a clear day. In the lower Ourika Valley, January averages are about 1 °C at night and 15 °C in the afternoon. Oukaïmeden, at about 2,600 m, stays around freezing and below. Bring a warm jacket, a hat and gloves."
  },
  {
   "question": "Will there be snow at New Year?",
   "answer": "On the high peaks, almost always: that is the white line you see from Marrakech. At Oukaïmeden snow depends on the year, and the old records give fewer snowy days in December than in January to March. We check the conditions before you book a snow day."
  },
  {
   "question": "What happens if the weather is bad on our date?",
   "answer": "If the weather makes the valley unsafe, or the authorities close the road, we propose another date or a full refund of your deposit, as you prefer. We look at the forecast the evening before and tell you on WhatsApp."
  },
  {
   "question": "How far ahead should we book for New Year?",
   "answer": "A few days ahead at least. The two holiday weeks are the busiest of the winter in Marrakech and vehicles are in demand. Booking early costs nothing extra: cancellation is free up to 48 hours before, with the deposit refunded."
  }
 ],
 "image": "https://ourika-valley.com/assets/img/valley-snow.jpg",
 "videos": [],
 "content_markdown": "If you spend New Year in Marrakech, a day in the Ourika Valley or higher in the High Atlas is one of the calmest ways to start the year. We work on New Year's Eve, 31 December, and on New Year's Day, 1 January: every private outing runs on both dates, at our normal published prices, from 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people. There is no surcharge and no special New Year package. In Marrakech the sun rises at about 8:31 am and sets at about 6:38 pm on those two days, so the day is short, the morning is cold and the light is beautiful. On the 31st, our half day brings you back by noon. On the 1st, you can start late.\n\nThis guide is for travellers who will see the New Year in somewhere in Marrakech and want one quiet day out of the city around it. It gives you the timings, the temperatures, the choice of outing for your group and the way to book, so you can decide in a few minutes. For the whole season, our guide to the [Ourika Valley in winter](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-in-winter/) goes further.\n\n## Do you run outings on 31 December and 1 January?\n\nYes. We run every private outing on 31 December and 1 January, exactly as on any other day: the Ourika Valley day trip, the half day, the three valleys, Ourika and Agafay, the Oukaïmeden day and private transport. The prices are the normal ones, from 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people, with no surcharge.\n\nFor us, the turn of the year is a normal working day. You book the date online like any other, with a 50% deposit, and your driver confirms the pickup on WhatsApp the day before. Two things we want to be clear about, because travellers often ask:\n\n- **There is no New Year surcharge.** The price you see on each page is the price on 31 December and 1 January.\n- **There is no New Year party or gala dinner from us.** We organise days in the valley and the mountains. Your evening on the 31st is yours, in the city or wherever you have planned it, and we make sure you are back in time.\n\n## What is the best plan on 31 December?\n\nOn 31 December, the best plan is a short day that brings you back to Marrakech early. Our half day leaves at 7:00 am and returns around noon, which leaves the whole afternoon to rest before the evening. The full day trip also fits if you leave around 9 am and come back in the late afternoon, before the sunset at about 6:38 pm.\n\nThe 31st is a day when most travellers have plans for the evening, and nobody wants to come back tired at 7 pm with a dinner booked for 8. So we suggest one of two shapes for the day.\n\n### The half day: back by noon\n\nThe [half day](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-half-day-trip/) leaves your hotel or riad at 7:00 am. In late December the sun rises at Setti Fatma at about 8:30, so you drive up in the dark and reach the valley as the slopes light up. The morning covers Setti Fatma, a walk towards the first waterfalls, a village and a cooperative, and you are back in Marrakech around noon. The price is 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people and 200 EUR for 8 to 17. Breakfast in the river (20 EUR per person) and a local guide for the waterfall walk (40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR for 8 to 17) are options.\n\nBe honest with yourself about the cold. At 7 am in late December the air is cold in Marrakech and colder in the valley, and the gorge at Setti Fatma stays in the shade for much of the morning. Dress for a winter walk and it is a lovely, quiet start to the last day of the year.\n\n### The full day: leave around 9, back before dark\n\nThe [private Ourika Valley day trip](https://ourika-valley.com/day-trip-ourika-valley/) is a full day, and on the 31st we suggest leaving around 9 am. You get the warmest hours in the valley, lunch by the river if you want it, and you are back in Marrakech in the late afternoon. Because the trip is private, you can also ask your driver to start the return a little earlier than usual so you have time to change before the evening.\n\n## What is the best plan on 1 January?\n\nOn 1 January, take it slowly: the Ourika Valley day trip is private, so you can be picked up later, around 10 am, after the night of the 31st. You still get about seven hours before sunset at about 6:39 pm. The quiet road, the cold clear air and the snow on the peaks make a gentle first day of the year.\n\nThe morning after New Year's Eve, very few people want a 7 am departure. That is why we do not recommend the half day on the 1st, unless you went to bed early. The full day trip with a late pickup is the natural choice. Two things to keep in mind:\n\n- **The later you leave, the shorter the day.** With a pickup at 10 am, you reach the valley around 11 to 11:30, walk towards the waterfalls around midday when the gorge is at its warmest, and have a late lunch by the river. Count on coming back down in the afternoon to reach Marrakech around sunset.\n- **New Year's Day is a public holiday in Morocco.** It is listed among the fixed public holidays of the country. Our outings run as normal.\n\nIf you feel fresh on the 1st, the day is also good for a longer outing: the [three valleys](https://ourika-valley.com/atlas-mountains-three-valleys-day-trip/) or the [Oukaïmeden](https://ourika-valley.com/oukaimeden-day-trip-from-marrakech/) plateau, with an earlier start around 9 am because those days need more hours of light.\n\n## How do 31 December and 1 January compare?\n\nThe two days work differently: on 31 December the aim is to be back early for the evening, so the half day or a full day starting around 9 am suits best. On 1 January the aim is a slow start, so the full day trip with a pickup around 10 am is the usual choice. Prices are the same both days.\n\n| | 31 December | 1 January |\n|---|---|---|\n| Your evening | New Year's Eve in Marrakech | Free, after a late night |\n| Best outing | [Half day](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-half-day-trip/) (7:00 am to about noon) | [Ourika Valley day trip](https://ourika-valley.com/day-trip-ourika-valley/) with a late pickup |\n| Suggested pickup | 7:00 am for the half day, about 9 am for the full day | About 10 am, or 9 am for a longer outing |\n| Back in Marrakech | Around noon (half day), late afternoon (full day) | Around sunset, about 6:40 pm |\n| Sunrise in Marrakech | About 8:31 am | About 8:31 am |\n| Sunset in Marrakech | About 6:38 pm | About 6:39 pm |\n| Price | Normal price, from 120 EUR per vehicle | Normal price, from 120 EUR per vehicle |\n\nSun times are for Marrakech, in Morocco's usual time (GMT+1), taken from the Open-Meteo archive for 31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026; they move by less than a minute from one year to the next. At Setti Fatma, deep in the valley, the winter sun rises and sets at almost the same times, but the gorge itself stays in the shade for much longer.\n\n## Which outing suits which group?\n\nThe private Ourika Valley day trip suits most groups, from couples to families, at 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people. Choose the half day if you want to be back by noon, Oukaïmeden for snow when the winter allows, the three valleys for more mountain scenery, and Ourika and Agafay if you accept about four hours of driving.\n\nEvery outing is private: the vehicle and the driver are for your group only, and the price is per vehicle, not per person.\n\n| Your group | Our suggestion | Price per vehicle (1 to 7 / 8 to 17 people) | Why at New Year |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Couple or friends going out on the 31st | [Half day](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-half-day-trip/) | 120 / 200 EUR | Back around noon, rested for the evening |\n| Family with children | [Ourika Valley day trip](https://ourika-valley.com/day-trip-ourika-valley/) | 120 / 200 EUR | Flexible pace, indoor stops when it is cold |\n| Travellers who want snow | [Ourika and Oukaïmeden](https://ourika-valley.com/oukaimeden-day-trip-from-marrakech/) | 180 / 260 EUR | The highest point of the day, when the snow is there |\n| Hikers and photographers | [Three valleys](https://ourika-valley.com/atlas-mountains-three-valleys-day-trip/) | 180 / 250 EUR | Three valleys under the white peaks, a long day |\n| Green valley and desert in one day | [Ourika and Agafay](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-and-agafay-desert-day-trip/) | 180 / 260 EUR | Sunset in the desert at about 6:40 pm, early return |\n| Your own plan, your own pace | [Private transport](https://ourika-valley.com/services/private-transport-ourika-valley/) | 100 EUR one way, 120 EUR same-day return / 200 EUR | Driver and vehicle only, you choose the stops |\n\nFor families, our guide to the [Ourika Valley with kids](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-with-kids/) explains what works for younger children, and in winter the indoor stops at a [women's argan cooperative](https://ourika-valley.com/services/womens-argan-oil-cooperative/) are welcome on a cold morning.\n\n## What is the weather like at New Year?\n\nAt New Year the Atlas is cold in the morning and mild at midday on a clear day. In Marrakech, January averages about 19 °C by day and 6 °C at night (1991-2020). The lower Ourika Valley is cooler, about 1 °C at night and 15 °C in the afternoon, and Oukaïmeden often stays near or below freezing.\n\n| Place, around New Year | Average night | Average day | What it means for you |\n|---|---|---|---|\n| Marrakech, January (1991-2020) | About 6 °C | About 19 °C | A jacket in the evening, often sunny by day |\n| Lower Ourika Valley, January | About 1 °C | About 15 °C | Cold start, pleasant lunch in the sun |\n| Setti Fatma area, last winter | About 3 °C | About 11 °C | The gorge is in shade: dress warmly for the walk |\n| Oukaïmeden, January (1982-1994 records) | About -3 °C | About 5.5 °C | Winter clothes, snow boots if there is snow |\n\nThe Marrakech figures come from the Menara airport climate table on Wikipedia; the valley and Oukaïmeden figures are the same ones we give in our [weather](https://ourika-valley.com/services/weather-ourika-valley/) and [Oukaïmeden](https://ourika-valley.com/oukaimeden-day-trip-from-marrakech/) guides. For the real days of last year, the Open-Meteo archive gives Marrakech a maximum of about 19 °C on 31 December 2025 and about 23 °C on 1 January 2026, with minimums of about 9 °C: a mild turn of the year in the city. Do not let that fool you in the mountains. At the grid point of the archive above the upper valley, at about 2,300 m, the maximum on those two days was between about 6 and 9 °C.\n\nWinter is also the wet season, and a rainy day in the valley is cold and grey. That is why we look at the forecast the evening before your outing. If the weather makes the valley unsafe, or the authorities close the road or the paths, we propose another date or a full refund of the deposit, as you prefer.\n\n## Will there be snow at New Year?\n\nThere is almost always snow on the high peaks of the Atlas at New Year: that white line above Marrakech is the view of the season. In the valley villages, snow is occasional. At Oukaïmeden, at about 2,600 m and above, snow depends on the year: the old records give 4 to 6 snowy days a month in December, against 9 to 10 from January to March.\n\nSo the honest answer is: you will see snow, but you may not walk in it. Last winter is a good example. The Open-Meteo archive shows snow already on the ground at the Oukaïmeden grid point at the turn of the year, with a heavy fall on 3 January 2026, two days after New Year. Another winter, the plateau can still be brown in early January.\n\nIf snow under your feet is the goal, tell us when you book the [Ourika and Oukaïmeden day](https://ourika-valley.com/oukaimeden-day-trip-from-marrakech/). We look at the conditions before your date, and if there is no snow on the plateau we tell you, so you can choose the [Ourika Valley day trip](https://ourika-valley.com/day-trip-ourika-valley/) instead. We cannot promise the ski lifts: a renovation of the lifts was announced in 2025, and our Oukaïmeden guide explains what we know about it.\n\n## Why spend New Year's Day in the Atlas?\n\nNew Year's Day in the Atlas is a change of pace after the medina's New Year night: an hour to an hour and a half from Marrakech, the air is cold and clear, the villages are quiet and the peaks are white. You walk, sit by the river, drink mint tea in the sun and come back to the city before dark.\n\nThe holiday weeks are the busiest of the winter in Marrakech. The Ourika Valley, about 60 to 65 km south of the city, is the closest mountain escape, and in winter it is at its quietest. What you can do on the day:\n\n- **Look at the mountains.** On a clear morning after New Year, the snow line of the High Atlas is the best sight of the year, from the road and from the villages.\n- **Walk towards the first waterfall** at [Setti Fatma](https://ourika-valley.com/services/visit-the-village-of-setti-fatma-ourika-valley/), on a dry day and with good shoes. The rock is cold and wet in winter, and a local guide sets a safe pace. Our guide to the [Setti Fatma waterfalls](https://ourika-valley.com/services/conquer-the-cascades-of-setti-fatma/) describes the path.\n- **Stop at a cooperative.** At a [women's argan cooperative](https://ourika-valley.com/services/womens-argan-oil-cooperative/) you see how argan oil is made, indoors and out of the wind.\n- **Have lunch by the river or indoors.** The riverside terraces are for sunny middays; on a cold day ask your driver for a restaurant with an indoor room.\n- **Go up to the snow,** at [Oukaïmeden](https://ourika-valley.com/oukaimeden-day-trip-from-marrakech/), when the winter allows.\n\n## How does Agafay fit at New Year?\n\nAgafay fits as a sunset stop at the end of our Ourika and Agafay day: the green valley in the morning, the stone desert south-west of Marrakech in the late afternoon. At New Year the sun sets at about 6:40 pm, so you are back in Marrakech about an hour later. The price is the normal 180 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people.\n\nThe [Ourika and Agafay day trip](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-and-agafay-desert-day-trip/) runs on both dates. On 31 December it is a long day, and with the return about an hour after sunset it is best for travellers whose evening starts late, or who are happy to spend a quiet New Year's Eve. On 1 January it is a fine way to see two landscapes in one slow day. Agafay has no sand dunes: it is a desert of bare stone hills, with the Atlas in the background. The camel ride (30 EUR per person) and quad session (35 EUR per person) are options chosen at booking, at their usual prices.\n\nIn Agafay, desert camps hold their own New Year's Eve evenings, which we do not organise or sell. If that is what you are looking for, our partner site in the desert describes [New Year's Eve in the Agafay desert](https://visitagafaydesert.com/tour/new-years-eve-agafay-desert/).\n\n## How do you book a New Year outing?\n\nYou book online on the page of the outing, choosing 31 December or 1 January like any other date. You pay a 50% deposit by PayPal or by card through PayPal, and the balance in cash to your driver on the day. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before, with the deposit refunded.\n\nA few practical points for the holiday fortnight:\n\n1. **Book a few days ahead.** The two holiday weeks are the busiest of the winter in Marrakech, and vehicles are in demand.\n2. **Say when you want to leave.** For a full day, mention your preferred pickup time in the booking (for example 10 am on 1 January). The half day leaves at 7:00 am.\n3. **Keep a spare day if you can.** If rain or snow makes the valley unsafe on your date, another day between Christmas and early January is the easiest solution.\n4. **Watch WhatsApp the day before.** Your driver confirms the pickup time and, if the weather looks bad, we tell you then.\n5. **Bring cash in dirhams** for lunch extras, tea and small purchases, as in every season.\n\nIf you stay in the medina, where cars cannot enter most lanes, the pickup is at the nearest point a vehicle can reach, as close as possible to your door.\n\n## What should you wear and bring?\n\nDress for a winter day in the mountains, not for Marrakech: a warm jacket, a jumper, long trousers, a hat and gloves for the morning, and closed shoes with good grip for the waterfall path. Add sunglasses and sun cream, because the winter sun is strong at altitude, and stronger on snow.\n\n- **Layers.** Midday in the sun can be much warmer than the morning, so you will take things off and put them back on.\n- **Shoes with grip.** Never smooth soles on the path to the waterfalls, and snow boots if you go to Oukaïmeden after a snowfall.\n- **Something for the evening.** If you come back at sunset, the temperature drops fast.\n- **A small bag** for water, a snack and the layers you take off.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Open-Meteo, historical weather archive: sunrise, sunset and daily temperatures for Marrakech, 29 December 2025 to 3 January 2026](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api)\n- [Open-Meteo, historical weather archive: snowfall and snow depth at the Oukaïmeden grid point, 25 December 2025 to 10 January 2026](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api)\n- [Wikipedia, Public holidays in Morocco: fixed public holidays, including New Year's Day on 1 January](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Morocco)\n- [Wikipedia, Marrakesh: climate table of Menara airport, 1991-2020](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrakesh)\n- [Climate-data.org, lower Ourika valley: approximate monthly lows and highs](https://en.climate-data.org/africa/morocco/douar-ourika-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A9/douar-ourika-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A9-205372/)\n- [Wikipedia, Oukaïmeden: temperatures and days of snowfall, records for 1982 to 1994 of the Association Internationale de Climatologie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouka%C3%AFmeden)",
 "offer": "day-trip"
}