Day trip · private vehicle and driver
Day trip to the Ourika valley.
A river valley that climbs into the High Atlas, ending at the seven waterfalls of Setti Fatma. The closest green escape to Marrakech.
The itinerary
- Drive south through the argan and olive country.
- A Berber house, and how a mountain family actually lives.
- Setti Fatma and the walk up towards the waterfalls.
- Lunch on a terrace over the river.
- Back in Marrakech for the end of the afternoon.
Practical details
The day is accompanied by your private tour guide in Marrakech, with a driver and vehicle kept for your group alone.
Cancellation terms depend on the bookings already made and appear on your quote, before any payment.
What you actually see
Ourika is the closest valley to Marrakech, an hour away, and the greenest. The river comes down from the High Atlas between banks of poplars and willows, with Berber villages clinging to either side. In April and May the cherry and apple blossom changes the landscape entirely.
Setti Fatma, at the head of the valley, is where you arrive. It has the tables set in the river itself, the picture everyone brings back from Ourika, and the start of the path to the seven waterfalls. The first is reached in forty minutes of scrambling over rock; the ones beyond need proper shoes.
Along the way you stop according to your interests: a Berber house where the workings of a mountain household are explained, a women’s argan oil cooperative, or a pottery workshop on the Tafza road. Adil tells you which are worth stopping for and which have turned into shops.
Questions about this tour
Do we need good shoes?
Trainers are enough for the first waterfall, but the rocks are wet and slippery. Beyond that you need proper walking shoes. The rest of the day needs nothing special.
Can we swim?
In the pools, yes, but the water comes off the mountain and stays cold all year. After heavy rain the flow becomes dangerous and Adil calls off the climb.
Is it a good summer trip?
It is the best one. It is easily ten degrees cooler than Marrakech, with shade and water. This is the trip people from Marrakech make themselves in July and August.
