Ourika Valley day trip from Marrakech: the tours, going by taxi, the Setti Fatma waterfalls and ANIMA

💡 The Short Version: The Ourika Valley runs up into the High Atlas, and the tours end at Setti Fatma, about 60 km from Marrakech. A group tour is 7 to 8 hours from pick-up to drop-off. The most-booked one, GetYourGuide’s Ourika Waterfalls tour with guidead (4.9 stars from 25,302 reviews), runs from £11.40 (list price £15.35) and includes the van, a guide, the waterfall hike and tea in a Berber house, with lunch as an extra you add. On your own, the garden at ANIMA (140 MAD, £10.70) has a free shuttle from the Koutoubia that you reserve at least 24 hours ahead. Agree the price before you sit down by the river: cafés at Setti Fatma were reported in August 2025 to charge for the river bank itself. Prices vary by option and date; the checkout shows the total (GetYourGuide).

Tour or on your own

The valley is short enough to do in a day either way. A tour includes the pick-up, a guide for the hike and the stops; on your own you choose the hours and the café.

Red hillsides above the Ourika valley, looking out towards the plain. Photo: Zahra IMEHLI, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The tours

Ourika Waterfalls tour with guide and optional lunch

4.9 stars from 25,302 reviews · 7 to 8 hours · from £11.40 (list £15.35) · Marrakech City Life SARL

A shared van with air conditioning, a licensed driver and a local guide from hotel and riad pick-ups. The itinerary is 50 minutes of mountain road, a stop at a women’s argan oil cooperative, tea in a Berber house, about 80 minutes at Setti Fatma for the waterfall hike, and about 80 minutes by the river for lunch. Lunch is included only if you select it, and drinks cost extra. Pick-up can take 30 to 40 minutes in a shared group, and the details come by WhatsApp and email from 19:00 the day before. Reviewers praise the guides; some say the day would be better with fewer shopping stops and more time at the waterfall. The tour is not recommended for people aged 70 and over, wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments or babies under one.

Ourika Valley lunch and guided hike

4.9 stars from 9,719 reviews · 7 hours · from £6.57 (list £12.66) · Mountain Soul Trips

The same shape from a smaller operator: pick-up in the medina, 50 minutes of road, an argan cooperative with a small breakfast, 2 hours 40 minutes at Setti Fatma for the guided walk, and 50 minutes by the river. Lunch is included only with the second option. It runs in private or small groups, with guides in Arabic, English and French. The tour’sad “from” price is for the cheapest date and the option without lunch.

What to see

• The drive. Terraced fields, red hills and Berber villages on the way up. Expect the first stop at about 50 minutes.
• The argan cooperative. A women’s cooperative where argan oil is made by hand. It is a shop as well as a demonstration, and it is on most tours.
• Setti Fatma waterfalls. Walk about 80 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes, depending on the tour. A walk along the river, over wooden footbridges and up to the falls. The tour page calls the trail rocky, uneven and sometimes steep, and the flow varies with the season and the rain. The hike is optional: guests who prefer not to walk can sit at a riverside restaurant.
• The river and lunch. The tours break for lunch at a café on the river. See the rule below before you sit.
• ANIMA. Adults 140 MAD (£10.70), ages 12 to 16 60 MAD, under 12 free · 09:00 to 18:00 every day. André Heller’s garden of sculpture and planting on three hectares on the Ourika road, 27 km from Marrakech, with a café. Allow 2 to 3 hours. It closes for the two Eid holidays, and wheelchair access is limited (anima-garden.com). GetYourGuide’s Ourika Waterfalls, lunch and ANIMA Garden day tripad (4.8 stars from 164 reviews) adds the garden to the valley. It is a different half-day from the waterfall, so choose one.

A cascade on the Ourika river at Setti Fatma. Photo: Abbas9, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Practical information

• The river-bank charge. A federation of civil-society associations in the Ourika area publicly denounced cafés at Setti Fatma in August 2025 for charging up to 70 MAD (£5.35) an hour to sit on the river bank, 30 MAD for a pot of tea and 250 MAD (£19) for a tagine, for a stay of no more than an hour. It says the banks belong to the water basin and no private business may charge for them (Bladi, 15 August 2025). Ask for the menu price, and whether there is a seat charge, before you sit.
• The ANIMA shuttle. It is free for ticket holders, leaves the Koutoubia car park (“Parking & Lavage”, behind the mosque) at 09:30 and 14:30, and leaves ANIMA at 13:00 and 17:30. Reservation is compulsory, at least 24 hours ahead, on the shuttle page; capacity is limited.
• By taxi. A grand taxi, the full-size shared or chartered car that leaves the city, can take you up the valley. Agree the fare, the waiting time and the return in dirhams before you leave Marrakech.
• Water. The Foreign Office warns that swimming in rivers and dams can be dangerous, and that heavy rain can cause flash flooding in the mountains and near rivers, particularly in winter (GOV.UK). Stay out of the river bed in rain and follow your guide.
• Weekends. The valley is busy at weekends and in peak season.
• Bring sturdy walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and cash.
• The one thing that ruins the day. Sitting down to a meal without asking the price.

Riverside café tables at Setti Fatma, with houses climbing the hillside above. Photo: Khadija31, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

For a trip with more mountain and less river, see the Imlil and Atlas Mountains day trip. The other trips are in day trips from Marrakech, and what to book before you go to Marrakech has the tickets that sell out. Marrakech safety and scams covers the rules for guides and taxis, 3 days in Marrakech shows where a day in the valley fits, and where to stay in Marrakech has the areas for the nights between trips.