Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma: Private Day Trip

Duration: Half day
Tour type: Private Tours
Tour category: Mountain Tours
Availability: To be confirmed by MTT operations.
Languages: English

Overview

An hour from Marrakech the valley turns green. Tea inside a Berber family's home, argan oil pressed by hand, and a waterfall walk you can skip entirely if you would rather sit by the river.

Tour highlights

A guided visit inside a traditional Berber family home, with mint tea, fresh bread, olive oil and honey
A stop at a women's argan cooperative to watch the oil being extracted
The choice of leaving the hike out altogether and settling at a riverside cafe under the walnut trees, with a natural pool to cool off in and stalls to browse
A local English-speaking guide in the price, covering the valley, the home visit and the waterfalls
Tagine lunch beside the river at a restaurant your guide picks on quality rather than on commission
An optional guided walk of about 45 minutes up to the Setti Fatma waterfalls, crossing the river on stepping stones
Stops along the valley road for the terraced fields, the walnut groves and the Ourika River
A private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver
A loose schedule: away at about 10:00, back when you decide

About this tour

The Ourika Valley cuts south into the High Atlas foothills, 60 km from Marrakech, and this private day takes you into it in a vehicle that is yours alone and air-conditioned, with a driver who speaks English and a local guide who speaks it too. You break the drive at a women's argan cooperative, and the driver pulls over along the valley road wherever the view earns it. Your guide then takes you into a traditional Berber family home, where you are given mint tea, bread, honey and olive oil. At Setti Fatma you can walk up to the waterfalls with the guide, roughly 45 minutes, or skip the climb entirely and spend the time by the river instead, before a tagine lunch at a riverside restaurant your guide chooses. Departure is around 10:00 and the return is whenever you want it, with per-person prices running from 125 EUR for a single traveller down to 25 EUR at 14 to 17.

Itinerary

Print this itinerary

Marrakech - argan cooperative - Ourika Valley - Berber home visit - Setti Fatma waterfalls - riverside lunch - Marrakech

Your driver comes to the entrance of your Marrakech hotel or riad at about 10:00 and heads south for the High Atlas foothills, roughly an hour to the valley. On the way you stop at a women's argan cooperative, where you can watch the extraction and buy what they make, and there are further pauses at villages and lookout points on the valley road, terraced fields and walnut groves either side of you and the Ourika River below. Then your guide takes you into a traditional Berber family home. They pour mint tea and set out fresh bread with olive oil and honey, and your host talks about farming, how water is managed here and the traditions of a mountain community.

At Setti Fatma the guide offers the walk up to the waterfalls, about 45 minutes, crossing the river on stepping stones and picking a line through the boulders. He chooses the safest route and knows where the photographs are. Sturdy shoes are essential for this. If you would rather have an easy day, leave the hike out completely and settle instead at a riverside cafe beneath the walnut trees, where there is a natural pool to cool off in and stalls along the water to look through. Lunch is a tagine by the river, at a place your guide picks for the food, the view and fair prices rather than for commission: Berber tagine, grilled meats, fresh salads and warm bread with the stream running past. Budget 60 to 120 MAD.

Nothing sets the time you leave. When you have had enough you find your driver and take the scenic valley road back, an hour to Marrakech, with drop-off at the entrance you were collected from. The day stretches to a full one or stays a half one, as you prefer.

What's included

Included

A private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver
Collection and return at the entrance of your Marrakech hotel
A local English-speaking guide, covering the valley, the Berber home and the waterfalls
The Berber home visit, with mint tea
The visit to the argan oil cooperative
Stops for the views along the valley road

Not included

Food and drink, paid by you on the day, 60 to 120 MAD
Gratuities for the driver and guide, entirely at your discretion
Anything you spend on yourself

What to bring

Sturdy shoes, essential for the waterfall walk

Good to know

Published price table, per person: 1 person 125 EUR, 2 people 75 EUR, 3 people 65 EUR, 4 people 55 EUR, 5 people 45 EUR, 6 people 40 EUR, 7-9 people 35 EUR, 10-13 people 30 EUR, 14-17 people 25 EUR. Prices verified March 2026
The "from 25 EUR" headline is reached only in the top tier of 14 to 17 people. One traveller alone pays 125 EUR
Allow 60 to 120 MAD per person for lunch, paid directly
The valley is 60 km out of Marrakech, roughly an hour of driving each way
The walk to the waterfall is optional and runs about 45 minutes in each direction. The day works perfectly well without it
The page sets this product against the shared version of the same valley trip, MTT's Shared Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma Day Trip from Marrakech, which it prices at 17 EUR with a fixed 09:00 departure, a minibus taking a maximum of 17 passengers and no guide in the price

Frequently asked questions

Why book the private trip rather than the shared 17 EUR one?

You get the vehicle to yourself, the guide comes as standard and you set the timings. The shared version has no guide and leaves at 09:00 on the dot.

Can we change the schedule and the stops?

Yes. The driver stops at villages, at viewpoints and at the argan cooperative at whatever pace suits you. Skip the walk, take longer over lunch, rearrange the day as you like.

Is a local guide part of the price?

Yes. The guide comes as standard, runs the Berber home visit and the waterfall walk, and explains how life in the valley works. On the shared version the guide is only an option.

What actually happens at the Berber home?

Your guide takes you inside a traditional family house. Tea with mint arrives, along with bread, honey and olive oil, and the family talk you through their farming, the irrigation channels and mountain traditions.

Does this suit families?

Yes. You move at the children's pace, the walk can be dropped, and both the home visit and the riverside lunch work for any age.

How long are we at the waterfalls?

That is up to you. The guided walk takes about 45 minutes each way. Swim, explore or turn back for lunch. There is no group clock running.

How does it differ from the shared version?

The private trip gives you your own vehicle, a guide in the price, a departure at 10:00, and a Berber home visit led by that guide, with stops for the views. The Shared Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma Day Trip from Marrakech, the shared version of the same valley trip, costs 17 EUR, leaves at 09:00, travels by minibus carrying up to 17 passengers, and no guide comes with it.

Can we drop the walk and simply enjoy the valley?

Yes, and plenty of people do. The drive, the Berber home visit, the tagine by the river and a wander round the village make a full day on their own.

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