{
 "key": "saffron",
 "kind": "article",
 "type": "guide",
 "language": "en",
 "url": "https://ourika-valley.com/services/saffron-garden-ourika/",
 "json": "https://ourika-valley.com/data/en/pages/saffron.json",
 "translations": {
  "en": "https://ourika-valley.com/services/saffron-garden-ourika/",
  "fr": "https://ourika-valley.com/fr/jardin-safran-ourika/",
  "es": "https://ourika-valley.com/es/jardin-azafran-ourika/",
  "it": "https://ourika-valley.com/it/giardino-zafferano-ourika/",
  "de": "https://ourika-valley.com/de/safrangarten-ourika/",
  "nl": "https://ourika-valley.com/nl/saffraantuin-ourika/"
 },
 "title": "The saffron garden of the Ourika Valley: how to visit Le Paradis du Safran",
 "meta_title": "Saffron Garden in the Ourika Valley: Paradis du Safran",
 "description": "Le Paradis du Safran on the Ourika road: open 11 am to 4 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday, 150 MAD entry, barefoot path, saffron tea and when the crocus flowers.",
 "summary": "Le Paradis du Safran is an organic saffron farm and botanical garden on the Ourika road, about 30 km from Marrakech, created by Christine Ferrari. According to its website, it is open from 11 am to 4 pm, closed on Monday and Tuesday, and entry costs 150 MAD per person in 2026. The saffron crocus flowers in autumn. We stop there on a private day in the valley.",
 "updated": "2026-10-13",
 "author": "Brahim",
 "highlights": [
  "Open 11 am to 4 pm, last admission 3 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday",
  "Entry 150 MAD per person in 2026, no reservation needed",
  "No admission for children under 12",
  "About 200 plant species, a barefoot path and a herbal tea with saffron",
  "The saffron crocus flowers in autumn"
 ],
 "facts": [
  {
   "label": "Name",
   "value": "Le Paradis du Safran, created by Christine Ferrari"
  },
  {
   "label": "Where",
   "value": "Ourika road, about 30 km from Marrakech"
  },
  {
   "label": "Opening hours",
   "value": "11 am to 4 pm, last admission 3 pm"
  },
  {
   "label": "Closed",
   "value": "Monday and Tuesday"
  },
  {
   "label": "Entry 2026",
   "value": "150 MAD per person"
  },
  {
   "label": "Children",
   "value": "No admission under 12"
  },
  {
   "label": "Reservation",
   "value": "Not required"
  }
 ],
 "itinerary": [],
 "includes": [],
 "excludes": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "question": "How much does the saffron garden cost?",
   "answer": "According to the garden's website, the 2026 price is 150 MAD per person. It includes a welcome drink, the self-guided visit of the organic garden, the barefoot path, a herbal tea with saffron and a small snack. Prices change, so check before you go."
  },
  {
   "question": "What are the opening hours of Le Paradis du Safran?",
   "answer": "From 11 am to 4 pm, with last admission at 3 pm. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. No reservation or ticket is needed."
  },
  {
   "question": "Can children visit the saffron garden?",
   "answer": "The garden's website states that children under 12 are not admitted. With younger children, the bio-aromatic garden or a women's argan cooperative are better stops."
  },
  {
   "question": "When is the saffron harvest in the Ourika Valley?",
   "answer": "The saffron crocus flowers in autumn, around late October and November, and the flowers are picked in the morning. The garden does not publish harvest dates: if seeing the flowers matters to you, ask before you come."
  },
  {
   "question": "How long does the visit take?",
   "answer": "Allow one hour to an hour and a half for the garden, the barefoot path and the tea. With the last admission at 3 pm, it fits best in the late morning or just after lunch."
  },
  {
   "question": "Can we combine the saffron garden with the Ourika Valley?",
   "answer": "Yes, from Wednesday to Sunday. The garden is on the Ourika road, so it fits into a private day: the garden when it opens at 11 am, then lunch by the river and Setti Fatma. Entry is paid on the spot, on top of the day trip."
  }
 ],
 "image": "https://ourika-valley.com/assets/img/valley-green.jpg",
 "videos": [],
 "content_markdown": "Le Paradis du Safran is an organic saffron farm and botanical garden on the Ourika road, about 30 km from Marrakech, created by Christine Ferrari, who is Swiss-born. According to the garden's website in October 2026, it is open from 11 am to 4 pm, with last admission at 3 pm, and closed on Monday and Tuesday. Entry costs 150 MAD per person in 2026, with no reservation needed, and children under 12 are not admitted. The price includes a welcome drink, the self-guided visit of a garden of about 200 plant species labelled in four languages, a barefoot sensory path with basins of water and medicinal plants, a spice quiz, brochures about saffron and a herbal tea with saffron. The saffron crocus flowers in autumn. The garden is on the road we drive every day, and we stop there on a private day in the valley.\n\nSaffron is one of the questions we hear most on the Ourika road, because signs for saffron gardens appear well before the mountains. This page explains what the visit is, what it costs and how to fit it into a day.\n\n## What is Le Paradis du Safran?\n\nIt is a farm where saffron is grown organically, laid out as a garden for visitors. Reviews on [Tripadvisor](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1847424-d5062613-Reviews-Le_Paradis_du_Safran-Ourika_Marrakech_Safi.html) give it 4.8 out of 5 from 379 reviews in October 2026, and many of them mention the welcome of the founder and her team. It is a quiet place, designed to be walked slowly.\n\n## Practical information at a glance\n\nEverything below comes from the [garden's website](https://paradis-du-safran.com/), read in October 2026. It can change, so check before you go.\n\n| | |\n|---|---|\n| Opening hours | 11 am to 4 pm |\n| Last admission | 3 pm |\n| Closed | Monday and Tuesday |\n| Entry in 2026 | 150 MAD per person |\n| Children | No admission under 12 |\n| Reservation | Not required |\n| Location | Ourika road, about 30 km from Marrakech |\n\n## What does the visit include?\n\nAccording to the garden, the entry price covers:\n\n- a welcome drink of mineral water with flower petals;\n- the self-guided visit of the organic garden, with about 200 plant species labelled in four languages;\n- a sensory experience: a natural barefoot path, basins of water with medicinal plants, towels and argan oil with essential oils;\n- a relaxation area with a view of the Atlas;\n- a quiz to guess the spices of the world;\n- brochures in three languages that explain saffron;\n- an organic herbal tea with herbs and saffron, and a small snack.\n\nYou walk at your own pace: there is no fixed route. The barefoot path is the part most visitors remember, so wear shoes that are easy to take off.\n\n## When does the saffron flower?\n\nSaffron comes from the crocus (Crocus sativus), which flowers in autumn, around late October and November. The flowers are picked in the morning and the red threads are separated by hand, which is why the spice is so expensive. Outside those weeks you see the plots and the plants, not the purple flowers. The garden does not publish its harvest dates on its website: if the flowering is the reason for your visit, ask before you come.\n\n## How do you get there, and how does it fit into a day?\n\nThe garden is on the Ourika road, before the valley.\n\n| Day | Morning | Afternoon |\n|---|---|---|\n| Saffron and a gentle day | The saffron garden at 11 am | Lunch in the valley, the [bio-aromatic garden](https://ourika-valley.com/services/jardin-bio-aromatique-dourika/) or a [women's argan cooperative](https://ourika-valley.com/services/womens-argan-oil-cooperative/) |\n| Saffron and the full valley | The saffron garden at 11 am | Lunch by the river at Setti Fatma and the walk to the first waterfall |\n| Gardens day | The [Anima garden](https://ourika-valley.com/services/anima-garden/) at 9 am | The saffron garden before the last admission at 3 pm |\n\nWith our [private Ourika Valley day trip](https://ourika-valley.com/day-trip-ourika-valley/), the driver waits at the garden and at each stop: 120 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people, 200 EUR for 8 to 17. Entry to the garden is paid on the spot. Remember the two closing days: on Monday, the [souk of Tnine Ourika](https://ourika-valley.com/tnine-ourika-monday-souk/) is the stop to choose instead.\n\n## Who is it for?\n\nTravellers who like plants, quiet places and learning how a spice is made. It is not suited to families with children under 12, who are not admitted, and it is not a place for a quick photo: allow at least an hour. Our [map of the valley](https://ourika-valley.com/ourika-valley-map/) shows the other gardens on the same road, and our list of [things to do in the Ourika Valley](https://ourika-valley.com/things-to-do-in-ourika/) puts them in order along the road.\n\n## Sources\n\n- [Le Paradis du Safran, official website: opening hours, 2026 price, what the visit includes](https://paradis-du-safran.com/)\n- [Tripadvisor, Le Paradis du Safran: rating and number of reviews read on 13 October 2026](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1847424-d5062613-Reviews-Le_Paradis_du_Safran-Ourika_Marrakech_Safi.html)"
}