Ourika Valley

One of the most popular day trips from Marrakech is to the Ourika Valley. During this tour, you'll follow the Ourika River at the foothills of the impressive High Atlas. A landscape like no other in Morocco.

Things to see in Ourika Valley

The main attractions in the area are the following:

• Setti-Fatma: Setti-Fatma is a small village from where visitors normally depart to see the Ourika Valley waterfalls. You won’t have any problem finding an English-speaking guide when you get to the hamlet.
• Ourika Valley Waterfalls: If you like the countryside and hiking this will be your favorite part of the trip. Getting to the first waterfall is relatively easy, but to get to the other six you’ll need proper shoes and be able to scale. If the day is warm enough you can go for a swim in the Ourika river, although be warned that it's extremely cold.
• Traditional Amazigh house:  In theory, this visit is to allow visitors to see the traditional Amazigh way of life and a typical family house. However, once you get there you'll see that this experience has become, like in so many, a staging for tourists. Normally the father of the family will welcome you into his house and will make you a mint tea and on your way out, try and sell you handicrafts.
• Traditional Markets: The most popular markets in the area are: The Ourika Market (on Mondays) and the Aghbalou Market (Thursdays). If you get to the region through the mountains, you can also visit the markets in Tahanaout (Tuesdays) and in Asni (Saturdays) there are also interesting bazaars.

Getting to Ourika Valley

• Book a day trip: With Introducing Marrakech, we offer day tours with English-speaking chauffeurs and hotel pickup for just € 25 (US$ 26.70) per person. We also offer very low-priced private tours. Click here to check out our day trip to Ourika Valley. 
• Rent a car: Driving in Morocco is not easy, especially if you have to drive in Morocco’s mountain passes, plus some of the highways are not very well kept. If this is the best option for you, we suggest getting a GPS.
• Hiring a taxi for the whole day: You can hire a taxi for the whole day for approximately € 80 (US$ 85.60) – € 100 (US$ 107) if you're good at haggling. Keep in mind that most taxi drivers speak very little English, the cars are normally very old, and their driving is often sketchy at best.