Ourika Valley
By the Ourika Valley team · Updated
A private morning in the Ourika Valley from Marrakech: departure at 7:00 am, breakfast at a table set in the river at Setti Fatma, a walk to the waterfalls with a local guide, a village and a cooperative, and you are back in the city around noon. Made for travellers short on time, hot summer days and families.
- 7:00 am departure: cool air and a quiet path to the falls
- Breakfast at a table set in the river at Setti Fatma
- Walk to the waterfalls with a local guide
- A village and a cooperative on the way back
- Back in Marrakech around noon, afternoon free
- Private vehicle and driver for your group only
The day, stop by stop
7:00 am, pickup in Marrakech
Your driver is at your hotel or riad at 7:00 am. If you stay inside the medina, where cars cannot enter the lanes, we meet you at the nearest point a vehicle can reach, as close as possible to your door. The evening before, your driver sends you a WhatsApp message so you know who to look for. Have a coffee if you need one, but keep your appetite: breakfast is waiting in the valley.
The road into the valley
We leave the city by the road south and cross the Haouz plain towards the mountains. At Tnine Ourika the valley begins, and the road follows the river upstream between earth and stone villages, terraced fields and orchards of walnut, apple and olive trees. At this hour the light is low on the slopes, the air is fresh, and the roadside stalls are only just opening.
Breakfast at a table in the river
The road ends at Setti Fatma, the last village of the valley, at about 1,500 m. Here the restaurants set their tables on the gravel banks and in the shallow water, reached by small footbridges. You sit down to breakfast with the river running beside you and the mountains all around. Breakfast is included. After heavy rain, the owners pull the tables back from the water, and we follow their lead.
Walk to the waterfalls with a local guide
After breakfast you meet your local guide and walk up the gorge behind the village towards the waterfalls. There are seven falls in the gorge; on a half day we aim for the first ones, which already make a fine goal. The path is rocky, with a few boulders to scramble over, so good shoes matter more than fitness. Early in the day you often have the path almost to yourself.
A village and a cooperative
On the way back down the valley we stop twice. First in a village, to see how the houses of earth and stone are built and how the irrigation canals, the seguias, carry water to the terraces. Then at a cooperative, where you see the work done by hand and can taste and buy if you wish. Buying is never required, and your driver does not hurry you.
Back in Marrakech around noon
Your driver takes you back across the plain and drops you at your hotel or riad around noon, with the whole afternoon ahead of you: lunch in the medina, a rest by the pool, the souks or a hammam. If you have a flight or another booking later in the day, tell us when you ask for the trip so we can plan the morning with a comfortable margin.
Not everyone has a full day to give to the mountains. This is the trip we run for guests who fly out in the evening, who have plans in Marrakech in the afternoon, or who simply do not want to walk in the midday heat. We leave early, do the essential things in the right order, and bring you home in time for lunch.
Why leave at 7:00 am?
The hour is the whole idea. At seven the city is still cool and the road south is quiet. When you reach the valley, the sun is only starting to light the slopes and the air smells of wood smoke and bread. By the time most day visitors arrive at Setti Fatma, late in the morning, you have already had breakfast, walked to the falls and started back down.
There are three practical gains. The first is the temperature: in July and August the difference between walking early and walking at noon is enormous. The second is the path, which is narrow in places and far more pleasant when you are not queuing behind other groups on the boulders. The third is the afternoon, which stays yours. In summer there is a fourth: storms sometimes build over the High Atlas in the afternoon, and with this schedule you are out of the valley well before then. Our weather guide explains the seasons in detail.
Breakfast with the river beside you
The famous tables of Setti Fatma, the ones set on the gravel and in the shallow water, are usually photographed at lunchtime, when every chair is taken. In the morning the same tables are quiet. You cross a footbridge, sit down, and breakfast arrives while the river runs past your chair. It is a simple Moroccan breakfast, the kind the valley eats, and it is included in the trip.
One thing worth knowing: the river decides where the tables go. After rain or during the spring snowmelt, the restaurant owners move them back to the bank, and on a cold winter morning you may prefer a table in the sun or under cover. Tell your driver, he knows the places.
The walk to the waterfalls
Your local guide meets you after breakfast. He is from the valley and knows the path, the river and the weather. From the village you climb the gorge towards the waterfalls of Setti Fatma. Seven falls follow one another up the gorge; on a half day we go to the first ones, which is also where most visitors stop on any trip.
The path is short but rocky, with a few places where you use your hands. Trainers with a good sole are enough, sandals and smooth soles are not. Your guide walks at the pace of the slowest person and gives a hand on the awkward steps. Anyone who prefers not to climb can stay at the table by the river with another glass of tea.
A village and a cooperative
On the way down we stop in a village. This is a short visit on foot: houses of pisé (rammed earth) and stone, flat roofs, small terraced fields watered by the seguias, mules still doing the carrying. People live and work here, so we walk quietly and ask before photographing anyone, especially women and children.
The second stop is a cooperative on the valley road, most often the women's argan oil cooperative, where the nuts are cracked between two stones and the kernels ground on a stone mill. A detail few visitors know: argan trees do not grow in the Ourika. They grow in the south-west of Morocco, and the valley cooperatives work with kernels brought from there. Our page on cooperatives and villages explains how to buy fairly if something tempts you.
Half day, full day or shared excursion?
The three trips do not suit the same travellers, so here is how we explain the choice.
- This half day is private, starts at 7:00 am and ends around noon. You get breakfast by the river, the first waterfalls, a village and a cooperative. No riverside lunch and little room for extra stops.
- The full Ourika Valley day trip is also private, with a morning pickup and a return in the late afternoon. It gives you about two hours for the waterfalls walk, lunch by the river (an option at 20 EUR per person) and optional stops such as a pottery workshop or tea in a Berber house. It is booked and paid online.
- The shared excursion is the budget option: you join other travellers in a shared vehicle on a fixed schedule, with lunch included. You do not choose the pace or the stops.
If your only constraint is the heat, the half day is the better answer. If you want to sit by the water with a tagine and no clock, take the full day.
What to bring
- Closed shoes with a good grip for the rocks
- A warm layer: the valley is cooler than Marrakech, and at breakfast time it is fresh by the water
- A hat and sun cream for the walk back down
- Some cash in dirhams for tips and anything you buy at the cooperative
- A small bag to keep your phone dry near the falls
How to book
This trip is booked by request. Send us your date, the number of adults and children and the name of your hotel or riad, by WhatsApp or by email. We confirm availability and the price for your group the same day. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the trip, as set out in our terms and conditions.
Looking for something longer or different? Our packages page lists the other private days we run in the valley.
Included
- Private vehicle with fuel
- Driver speaking French, English and Spanish
- Local guide for the walk to the waterfalls
- Breakfast by the river at Setti Fatma
- Village and cooperative visit
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech
Not included
- Lunch
- Tips
- Purchases at the cooperative and in the shops
Frequently asked questions
Is half a day enough to see the Ourika Valley?
Yes, for the essentials: the drive through the villages, Setti Fatma, the first waterfalls, a village and a cooperative. What you give up compared with the full day is the long riverside lunch, the extra optional stops and some slack in the schedule. If you want to linger, walk higher in the gorge or add a pottery stop, the full day trip suits you better.
Why does the trip leave at 7:00 am?
Because the early start is what makes the morning work. The air is cool, the path to the falls is quiet before the day visitors arrive, and you are back in Marrakech around noon with the afternoon free. In summer it also means you walk before the heat and leave the valley before afternoon storms can build over the mountains.
Is the half day suitable for children?
Yes, and many families prefer it to the full day: less time in the car, breakfast by the water, a short walk and home before the afternoon nap. The path to the falls is rocky, so keep a hand on young children and use a carrier for babies, not a stroller. Tell us the ages when you write to us.
Is lunch included?
No. Breakfast by the river at Setti Fatma is included, lunch is not. You are back in Marrakech around noon, so most guests have lunch in the city. If you would rather eat a tagine by the river and return later, ask us for the full day trip instead.
What should I wear?
Closed shoes with a good grip, because the path to the waterfalls is rocky and can be wet. Bring a warm layer: the valley is cooler than Marrakech, and early mornings by the river are fresh, cold in winter. Clothing that covers shoulders and knees is appreciated in the villages.
How do I book, and can I cancel?
Send us your date, the number of people and your hotel or riad by WhatsApp or email. We confirm availability and the price for your group the same day. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the trip; later cancellations and no-shows are not refunded. If the weather or the river makes the valley unsafe, we propose another date or a full refund.
