Ourika Valley and Agafay desert in one private day

By the Ourika Valley team · Updated 1 October 2026

A private day from Marrakech that joins two very different landscapes: the green Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma in the morning, then the stone desert of Agafay in the late afternoon for sunset, with a return to Marrakech in the evening. For travellers with one free day who accept more time on the road.

• Two landscapes in one day: mountain valley and stone desert
• Morning in the Ourika Valley with a local guide
• Sunset in the Agafay desert, facing the High Atlas
• Camel ride, quad or dinner in a desert camp as optional extras
• Private vehicle and driver for your group only

The day, stop by stop

1. Morning pickup and the Ourika road

   Your driver collects you in the morning at your hotel or riad in Marrakech (inside the medina, at the nearest point a vehicle can reach). We take the road south across the Haouz plain to Tnine Ourika, where the valley begins, then follow the river upstream between earth villages, terraces and orchards. The pickup time is confirmed in your quote: it depends on the season and on the hour of sunset.

2. Cooperative stop on the valley road

   On the way up we stop at a women's argan oil cooperative. You see the nuts cracked between two stones and the kernels ground on a stone mill, and you taste the oil with bread. Argan trees grow in the south-west of Morocco, not here: the valley cooperatives work with kernels brought from that region. The stop is short, and buying is never required.

3. Setti Fatma: a short walk or a riverside lunch

   At Setti Fatma, the last village on the road, your local guide joins you. On this combined day you choose how to use the time: a short walk up the gorge towards the first waterfall, on a rocky path, or a quiet lunch at one of the restaurants with tables by the river. Lunch is paid on the spot and not included. What fits your group is settled in your quote.

4. Afternoon drive to the Agafay desert

   This is the long leg of the day, and we prefer to say so. The Ourika Valley and the Agafay desert lie in different directions from Marrakech, so we drive back down the valley and across the plain, passing the edge of the city, to reach Agafay to the south-west. Count a little under two hours, about 100 km. It is a good moment to rest after lunch.

5. Sunset in the Agafay desert

   Agafay is a desert of stone and bare, pale hills, not of sand dunes, with the High Atlas along the horizon. We arrive in the late afternoon, when the heat drops and the light turns the hills gold, then pink. You have time to walk a little, take photographs and watch the sun go down. A camel ride or a quad session can be arranged here on request, as an extra.

6. Evening return to Marrakech

   After sunset your driver takes you back to Marrakech, about 45 minutes to 1 hour away, and drops you at your hotel or riad in the evening. If you asked for the optional dinner in a desert camp, you stay on in Agafay after dark and return later. The dinner is not included: we arrange it on request and its cost appears separately in your quote.

Mountains in the morning, desert at dusk: guests ask us for this pairing more and more often, usually because they have one free day around Marrakech and do not want to choose. It can be done, and done well, as long as you know what the day really involves. Here is the honest version.

Two landscapes, two directions

The Ourika Valley lies south of Marrakech, in the High Atlas. It is green, cut by a river, lined with orchards and villages of earth and stone, and the road ends at Setti Fatma, about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 from the city depending on traffic and stops.

The Agafay desert lies about 30 to 40 km south-west of Marrakech. It is a rocky desert, a wide expanse of bare, pale hills of stone and dry earth, with the line of the High Atlas behind. There are no sand dunes: travellers who picture the Sahara are sometimes surprised, so we say it before you book.

The two places are not on the same road. To go from one to the other we come back down the valley, cross the plain and pass the edge of the city before heading south-west. From Setti Fatma to Agafay, count a little under two hours, about 100 km. With the morning drive and the evening return (about 45 minutes to 1 hour from Agafay), that makes about four hours in the vehicle over the day, in three legs.

The morning in the Ourika Valley

After the pickup we drive up the valley with a stop at a women's argan oil cooperative, then continue to Setti Fatma, where your local guide is waiting. He is from the valley and explains what you see on the way: the earth houses, the terraces, the seguias that share the river water between families.

On this combined day the valley part is shorter than on our full Ourika Valley day trip, and we would rather you chose one thing and enjoyed it than rushed two. Most guests either walk towards the first of the waterfalls of Setti Fatma, a short but rocky climb where good shoes are essential, then eat something quick, or skip the walk and sit down to a proper lunch at a table by the river. Lunch is not included: you pay the restaurant directly and order what you like. Tell us your preference when you write and we build the timing around it.

The late afternoon in Agafay

We time the drive to arrive in the desert when the sun is already low. This is when Agafay makes sense: the heat falls, the wind often rises a little, the hills go from beige to gold, and on a clear day the Atlas stands sharp to the south, white with snow in winter.

What you do there is simple. You get out, walk on the stony ground, climb a low hill for the view and watch the light change until the sun is gone. Nothing more is needed, and nothing more is included.

If you want more, two extras can be arranged on request and appear separately in your quote: a camel ride or a quad session in the desert, and a dinner in a desert camp after dark. Tell us at the time of your request, not on the day, because both have to be booked ahead.

Is it too much for one day?

For some travellers, yes, and we would rather tell you now.

It is a long day. You leave in the morning and return in the evening, with about four hours on the road. The valley visit is shorter than on a dedicated day: you will not go far up the gorge, and you will not linger for two hours over lunch if you also walk. If you are prone to car sickness, note that the upper valley road has bends.

It suits travellers who have a single free day and want both landscapes, photographers who care about the evening light, couples and groups of friends, and families with older children who travel well by car.

It suits less families with toddlers, anyone who dislikes long drives, and walkers who want time at the waterfalls. For them we suggest two lighter outings: our Ourika half day, which leaves at 7:00 am and is back around noon, and Agafay on another evening. And if the valley is your priority, the full day trip gives it the time it deserves.

What to wear and bring for both

• Closed shoes with a good grip: they are needed on the rocks at Setti Fatma and are fine on the stony ground of Agafay.
• Layers: the valley is cooler than Marrakech, and the desert cools quickly once the sun is down. In winter, bring a real jacket for the evening.
• Sunglasses and a scarf: Agafay is open and dusty when the wind blows.
• Hat, sun cream and water for the middle of the day.
• Cash in dirhams for lunch, drinks and tips.

Our weather guide describes what to expect in the valley month by month.

How to book

This day is booked by request. Send us your date, the number of adults and children, your hotel or riad, and tell us whether you want the walk or the long lunch, and any extras in Agafay. We confirm availability, the programme and the price for your group the same day, by email or WhatsApp. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the trip, as set out in our terms and conditions.

For our other combined days, such as Ourika with Oukaïmeden or a trek and lunch with a family, see the packages page.