Ourika Valley and Agafay desert in one private day

By the Ourika Valley team · Updated 21 October 2026

• Two landscapes in one day: mountain valley and stone desert
• 180 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people, 260 EUR for 8 to 17, 50% deposit online
• Morning in the Ourika Valley, up to Setti Fatma and the river
• Sunset in the Agafay desert, facing the High Atlas
• Options at Agafay, per person: camel ride 30 EUR, quad 35 EUR, dinner with show 45 EUR
• Options in the valley: lunch 20 EUR per person, local guide 40 or 80 EUR per group
• 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 after booking: 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, you choose how to use the time on this combined day: 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 not included: add it at booking (20 EUR per person) or pay the restaurant on the spot. A local guide for the waterfall is also an option at booking (40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR for 8 to 17).

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. If you added the camel ride or the quad session at booking, it takes place here.

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 added the dinner with show at a desert camp when booking (45 EUR per person), you stay on in Agafay after dark and return to Marrakech later in the evening.

The Ourika Valley and Agafay desert day trip is a private day from Marrakech that joins two landscapes. The morning is spent in the Ourika Valley, with a cooperative stop and Setti Fatma; the late afternoon in Agafay, a stone desert without sand dunes about 30-40 km south-west of Marrakech, for sunset; the return is in the evening. The two places lie in different directions, so the day includes about 4 hours of driving. The price is 180 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people and 260 EUR for 8 to 17: private vehicle with fuel, a driver who speaks French, English and Spanish, pickup and drop-off. Options at Agafay are chosen at booking, per person: camel ride 30 EUR, quad 35 EUR, dinner with show at a desert camp 45 EUR. Lunch in the valley (20 EUR per person) and a local guide for the waterfall (40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR for 8 to 17) can also be added at booking. A 50% deposit is paid online with PayPal or by card via PayPal, and the balance is paid to the driver on the day. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the trip.

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, past earth houses, terraces and the seguias that share the river water between families. A local guide is not included, but you can add one at booking for the waterfall walk: 40 EUR per group for 1 to 7 people, 80 EUR for 8 to 17.

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 in the price: add the lunch option at booking (20 EUR per person, at a riverside restaurant), or pay the restaurant directly and order what you like. Tell us your preference when you book 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, three options can be added at booking, each priced per person: a camel ride (30 EUR), a quad session (35 EUR) and a dinner with show at a desert camp after dark (45 EUR). Choose them when you book, not on the day, because they have to be reserved ahead. Example: 4 people with the camel ride and the dinner show pay 180 + 4 x 30 + 4 x 45 = 480 EUR, 120 EUR each.

What time is sunset in Agafay?

The whole day is built around the sunset, so the departure time and the return change with the season. Here is the time of sunset in Agafay in the middle of each month, in Morocco's usual time (GMT+1):

During Ramadan Morocco puts its clocks back one hour, so the sunset comes an hour earlier on the clock: in 2027, from about 7 February to about 8 March, it falls around 6:15 to 6:35 pm. We give you the exact pickup time on WhatsApp the day before. Count about an hour after sunset to be back at your hotel or riad, more with the dinner option.

If you plan to spend a night at a camp in Agafay on another day of your stay, Taxi Agafay runs transfers between Marrakech, the airport and the desert camps.

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.

Agafay or the Ourika Valley: which one if you only have one day?

Many travellers hesitate between the two. They are very different days:

If you have only one free day and want both, this combined day is the answer. If you can give each place its own time, the valley in the morning one day and Agafay in the evening another day is a more relaxed choice.

What should you 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 much does it cost for your group?

The table gives the total for typical group sizes, as the booking form calculates it.

Prices in EUR for the whole group, 50% deposit online, balance to the driver on the day. Options, chosen at booking: Camel ride in the Agafay desert, 30 € per person; Quad in the Agafay desert, 35 € per person; Lunch at a riverside restaurant, 20 € per person; Local guide for the waterfalls walk, 40 € / 80 € (1-7 / 8-17) per group; Dinner with show at a desert camp, 45 € per person.

How do you book the Ourika and Agafay day?

The day costs 180 EUR per vehicle for 1 to 7 people and 260 EUR for 8 to 17 people. You book on our booking page: choose your date, the number of people, your pickup address and your options in the valley (lunch 20 EUR per person, local guide 40 or 80 EUR per group) and at Agafay (camel ride 30 EUR, quad 35 EUR, dinner with show 45 EUR, each per person), then pay a 50% deposit online with PayPal or a bank card via PayPal; the balance is paid to the driver on the day. The confirmation email arrives at once. Tell us whether you want the walk or the long lunch in the valley. Online booking goes up to 17 people; above 17, contact us. Cancellation is free up to 48 hours 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.