Ourika Valley
By the Ourika Valley team · Updated
A valley is easier to understand with someone who lives in it. Our drivers know the road, and our guides take over once you leave the vehicle. Here is who they are and how to have one with you on the day.
Who are our guides?
Our team has four local guides: Hassan, Brahim, Mohammed and Hussain. They are from the valley, and they work alongside our drivers on the walks and the visits.
Two of them also write the articles on this site. Hassan signs the practical pages: walks, waterfalls, weather, transport and nature. Brahim signs the culture pages: history, people, food, cooperatives and crafts. Each article carries the name of its author and the date of its last update.
What does a local guide add in the Ourika Valley?
- The right path at the waterfalls. The walk above Setti Fatma is short but rocky, with a few places where you use your hands. A guide chooses the route that suits your group and the day, and gives a hand on the awkward steps.
- An eye on the sky and the river. On summer afternoons, storms over the peaks can raise the water very quickly. A guide from the valley watches both and decides when it is time to turn back.
- Introductions. In the villages and the cooperatives, a guide introduces you, asks before you take a photo and explains what is being made.
- Translation. The valley speaks Tashelhit. Your guide passes on your questions and brings back the answers.
How do you book a guide?
It depends on the offer you choose.
- Private day trip. The guide is not included by default. You tick the guide option when you book the Ourika Valley day trip: 40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR per group for 8 to 17.
- Half day. A local guide for the waterfalls walk is part of the half day, so there is nothing to add.
- Trek and lunch with a Berber family. A local guide leads the walk and is included in the price (60 EUR per person): see the trek and lunch with a Berber family.
- Ourika and Agafay day. A local guide accompanies you in the valley on the Ourika and Agafay day, which is booked by request.
- Shared excursion. We do not promise a guide on the shared excursion. Ask us when you book and we tell you what is possible on your date.
Tell us the language you need when you book and we assign a guide accordingly. Our drivers speak French, English and Spanish.
Can you ask for a guide by name?
Yes. Write the name of the guide you would like in your booking or in your request. We confirm who is available on your date by email or WhatsApp. We prefer to tell you clearly who will walk with you than to promise a name we cannot keep.
The official guides' office at Setti Fatma
Our guides are not the only ones in the valley. Setti Fatma also has an office of official local guides. If you come independently, hire your guide there and do not accept offers along the road. Our page on the village of Setti Fatma explains how a visit works, and our page on the waterfalls describes the path.
Frequently asked questions
Is a guide included in the private day trip?
No. The private day trip includes the vehicle, the driver and the pickup in Marrakech. The local guide for the waterfalls walk is an option chosen at booking: 40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR per group for 8 to 17. If you booked one, your guide walks with you above Setti Fatma.
Which languages can we have for the visit?
Our drivers speak French, English and Spanish, and our guides are local to the valley. Tell us the language you need when you book, and we assign a guide accordingly. If you have a doubt, ask us on WhatsApp or by email before you pay and we answer the same day.
Can I ask for a guide by name?
Yes. Write the name of the guide you would like, Hassan, Brahim, Mohammed or Hussain, in your booking or in your request, with your date. We answer by email or WhatsApp and confirm who is available on that date. If he is not free, another guide of our team walks with you.
Do I need a guide for the Setti Fatma waterfalls?
A guide is not compulsory, but we recommend one. The path is short but rocky, with some scrambling, and a guide knows which route suits the day and how the river is behaving. If you come on your own, there is also an official local guides' office in Setti Fatma.
