Getting to the Ourika Valley from Marrakech: every option explained

The Ourika Valley starts about 30 km south of Marrakech and the road ends at Setti Fatma, 60-65 km from the city, about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 by road. You can go by shared grand taxi, rental car, organised tour or private driver. Here is how each works.

• About 60-65 km and 1 hour to 1 hour 30 from Marrakech to Setti Fatma
• Shared grand taxis leave when full; petits taxis cannot leave the city
• Attended parking along the road in Setti Fatma, busy at weekends
• Oukaïmeden is reached by a mountain road that branches off at Aghbalou
• Summer thunderstorms: watch the river in July and August afternoons

We drive the Ourika road every day, and the question we hear most often before a visit is simple: what is the best way to get there? The honest answer depends on your budget, your group and how much freedom you want. This guide covers every option, including the grand taxis that local families use, with the tips our drivers give their own friends.

The road from Marrakech to the valley

The valley road leaves Marrakech to the south-east, on the Route de l'Ourika, and crosses a flat plain of olive groves and new housing before reaching the foothills. At about 30 km you reach Tnine Ourika, the small town at the entrance of the valley, named after its Monday souk. The road then follows the Oued Ourika upstream, past earth and stone villages, orchards and roadside potters, to Aghbalou, where the road to Oukaïmeden branches off. It continues up the narrowing valley to Setti Fatma, at about 1,500 m, where the paved road ends, 60-65 km from Marrakech.

Count about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 to Setti Fatma. Traffic when leaving Marrakech, weekend crowds near the end of the road and the stops you make (cooperatives, gardens, photo stops) make the difference.

Grand taxis from Marrakech to Ourika

Grand taxis are the way most local people travel between Marrakech and the valley, and they are the cheapest way for independent travellers. Here is how they work.

Petit taxi or grand taxi?

Marrakech has two kinds of taxis. Petits taxis are the small beige cars you hail in the street: they are licensed for the city only and cannot take you to the valley. Grand taxis are larger vehicles that run fixed routes between towns, either shared (you pay for a seat) or chartered (you pay for the whole car).

Where shared grand taxis for Ourika leave from

Shared grand taxis to the Ourika Valley leave from a grand taxi rank on the south side of the medina. Over the years this rank has moved, and travellers and guidebooks give different locations (the Bab Er Robb area and the Bab Ghmat side of the city are both mentioned). Rather than walking around looking for it, ask your riad or tell a petit taxi driver "la station des grands taxis pour l'Ourika". Every driver in Marrakech knows where it is on the day.

How a shared grand taxi works

• Say where you are going: "Ourika" usually means Tnine Ourika or the valley in general, so say "Setti Fatma" clearly if that is your destination. Some taxis stop at Tnine Ourika; check before you get in.
• The taxi leaves when every seat is full. Grand taxis carry six passengers, so on a quiet morning you may wait. Early mornings and weekends are busiest.
• You pay per seat, in cash, in dirhams. Fares are fixed for each route; ask a local passenger what they pay and pay the same. Have small notes.
• If you do not want to wait, or want more space, you can buy the empty seats or charter the whole car. Agree the price with the driver before leaving.
• For the return, shared taxis wait at Setti Fatma and in Tnine Ourika. The last departures of the day can be hard to predict, so do not leave your return late.

Chartering a grand taxi for the day

You can also hire a grand taxi with its driver for the whole day, which is close to a private transfer. The price is negotiated with the driver. Agree clearly on the destination, the waiting time and the return time before you leave, and pay at the end. Keep in mind that grand taxi drivers are transport professionals, not guides, and that the vehicles are often older and less comfortable than a tourist minivan.

Rental car

A rental car gives you full freedom, and the road to Setti Fatma is paved all the way. A few points to know:

• Leaving Marrakech is the most stressful part: roundabouts, scooters and horse carts. Once in the valley, traffic is lighter on weekdays.
• The upper valley road is narrow and winding, with villages where children, donkeys and parked vans share the road. Drive slowly and use your horn gently on blind bends.
• Police checkpoints are common on roads out of Marrakech. Keep your licence, rental papers and passport handy.
• Avoid driving back after dark if you are not used to Moroccan roads: unlit vehicles and pedestrians are hard to see.

Parking at Setti Fatma

Setti Fatma has attended car parks along the road at the entrance of the village and near the end of the road. An attendant in a vest watches the cars and collects a small fee in cash. On summer weekends and public holidays, when families come up from Marrakech to the river, the car parks fill and the last kilometres slow down. Arrive in the morning, or visit on a weekday.

Organised tour

An organised tour takes care of everything: transport, a driver who knows the road, stops on the way and usually a local guide for the walk to the falls. Our Ourika Valley day trip is private (your group only), with a local guide in the valley, pickup at your hotel or riad, and a price per person that drops as the group grows, from 25 EUR per person for groups of six or more. If you want to share with other travellers to lower the cost, our shared excursion costs 25 EUR per person, lunch and return transport from Marrakech included.

Private driver

A private transfer is transport only, without a guide: a car or minivan with driver from your hotel, riad or the airport to any point of the valley, one way or return with the driver waiting. It suits families, travellers going to a lodge, and anyone who wants to decide their own timing. Unlike a chartered grand taxi, the price is agreed in advance by email or WhatsApp.

Comparison of the options

Getting to Oukaïmeden from Aghbalou

At Aghbalou a road branches off the valley road and climbs through the mountains to the Oukaïmeden plateau, at about 2,600 m, one of the highest ski areas in Africa. The total distance from Marrakech is about 70-75 km. The road is paved but steep and winding, with hairpin bends and few places to stop. In winter, snow and ice can make it difficult, and after heavy snowfall it may be closed for a while; ask locally before going up. Public transport up to the plateau is limited, so a car, a driver or a tour is the realistic way. Our packages include an Ourika and Oukaïmeden day.

Safety tips for the valley

• Flash floods. On 17 August 1995 a flash flood devastated the valley. Summer thunderstorms can still raise the river within minutes, mostly on July and August afternoons. If the sky darkens over the mountains, leave the riverbed and the riverside terraces and move to higher ground. Our page on the weather in the Ourika Valley explains the seasons.
• Mountain roads. Keep to the speed of local traffic, not faster; watch for falling stones after rain.
• The walk to the falls. The path to the Setti Fatma waterfalls is rocky with some scrambling. Wear shoes with a good grip and consider a local guide.
• Cash. Carry dirhams for taxis, parking, lunch and guides.

If you are not sure which option suits you, send us your dates and group size on WhatsApp (+212 661 454 738) or at booking@ourika-valley.com and we will give you an honest recommendation, even if it is the grand taxi.