Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma waterfalls: day trips from Marrakech
20 day trips, shared days under 30 EUR and 7 hours, with a 1 to 1.5 hour drive each way and a walk to the falls at the end of the road.
Seventeen of the 20 Ourika listings on this page mention a riverside lunch, all 20 include hotel pickup, and the median day lasts 7 hours and a shared tour costs under 30 EUR. That makes it the shorter of the two waterfall day trips from Marrakech, and the one that is mostly a walk. The Setti Fatma waterfalls are not a single drop but a series of falls up a river, reached on foot from the last village on the paved road. This page covers the valley, the walk, what the 20 tours include, the floods the valley has had in August, and how to read a listing that says "Ourika Valley" but never promises a waterfall. Many in the wider catalogue do exactly that, and we left them out. For the choice between this and the Ouzoud falls, see the Morocco page.
These figures describe the 20 listings we read on 22 October 2026, and they are medians. Prices are per person on the shared tours; the one private tour, a 6 hour day, is priced per person too and costs several times as much. One operator, Bel Mov Sarl, holds 51% of the reviews through its two listings, so the 4.82 score is largely its score. That is a good score, but it is one operator's, and the page says so where it matters.
Atlas Mountains Day Trip from Marrakech: Four Valleys, Waterfall Hike and Camel Ride
Four valleys, a guided waterfall hike and a camel ride from Marrakech, with an argan breakfast of mint tea, bread and honey. Pickup at hotels, Tazi or Islane.
Atlas Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Marrakech: Setti Fatma Hike and Argan Tea
Small group in an air-conditioned vehicle, an argan cooperative with mint tea and samples, a hike to the Setti Fatma falls and optional lunch by the river.
Marrakech Atlas Mountains Day Trip: Ourika Valley, Berber House and Women's Cooperative
Berber villages, a Berber house, a women's cooperative, waterfalls and the Ourika Valley in one outing from Marrakech, so separate excursions are not needed.
Marrakech to Ourika Valley Day Trip: Setti Fatma Waterfalls and Argan Cooperative
Gentle walk to the Setti Fatma falls along wooden bridges and the river, with a women's argan cooperative and Berber villages. Riverside lunch is optional.
Marrakech to Setti Fatma Waterfalls Guided Hike with Berber Breakfast and Riverside Lunch
Argan oil cooperative breakfast, a guided hike through green valleys to Setti Fatma and a tagine or couscous lunch by the river. Pickup at Hotel Tazi.
Ourika Seven Waterfalls Moderate Hike from Marrakech with Berber House and Souk Stop
Moderate guided hike to the seven falls with natural pools, a Berber house with mint tea, a souk stop and an hour for lunch by the river. Back at sunset.
Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma Waterfalls from Marrakech with Mint Tea and Optional Lunch
Pickup at 9:00 am, mint tea in a Berber home, an argan cooperative visit and a guided Setti Fatma hike. Lunch by the river is an add-on, back by about 4:30 pm.
Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech: Argan Breakfast, Optional Waterfall Hike, Lunch
Choose the hour-and-a-half climb to the falls or rest by the river in Setti Fatma, after an argan breakfast. Lunch offers couscous, tagine or kebab on the bank.
Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech: Private or Shared Waterfall Hike and Artisans
Pick a private hike with your own guide or a shared small group. Includes shared round-trip transport, a women-run argan cooperative and artisan workshops.
Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech with Berber Breakfast, Separate Guide and Driver
Morocco Tourism Travel sends a certified guide and a separate driver in an air-conditioned vehicle, with a Berber breakfast and a hike to the Setti Fatma falls.
Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech with Berber House, Argan Cooperative and Hike
Visit a Berber home, taste and buy argan oil from the women who make it, hike to the Setti Fatma falls, with optional lunch. Drop-off at your hotel or riad.
Ourika Valley Full-Day Trip from Marrakech: Guided Waterfall Hike and Argan Cooperative
Meet at the Tazi Inn and arrive 10 minutes early. The day covers Berber villages, an argan cooperative and a guided hike to the Setti Fatma waterfalls.
Ourika Valley Waterfall Day Trip from Marrakech: Riverside Lunch Before the Hike
Mint tea with local residents, a Berber home visit and a riverside Moroccan meal before the guided hike to the Setti Fatma falls. Back by late afternoon.
Ourika Valley Waterfalls Hike from Marrakech with Berber Breakfast and Three Course Meal
Breakfast with amlou and argan oil at a women's cooperative, a guided hike to the Ourika falls and a three-course meal by the river, back in late afternoon.
Ourika Waterfall Day Trip from Marrakech with Berber Breakfast and Setti Fadma Lunch
Breakfast with bread, honey and tea in a Berber home, lunch in Setti Fadma and a 90-minute guided trek. Anyone who skips the hike can wait at the restaurant.
Ourika Waterfall Day Trip from Marrakech with Dar Zite Visit and Optional River Lunch
Seven hours with a stop at Dar Zite, a Berber house in Tamzenndirt, then a guided hike at Setti Fatma. Pickup from your riad, hotel or Airbnb; up to 30 people.
Private or Shared Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech with Waterfalls and Berber Meal
Book it private or shared: a dedicated guide takes you through Berber villages and trails to waterfalls, at your own pace, with a Berber meal along the way.
Private Ourika Waterfalls Day Trip from Marrakech by Car with Guide and Optional Lunch
Private car with hotel pickup, a Berber house with mint tea, an argan cooperative in Tnin Ourika and a 1.5-hour hike. Lunch and a camel ride are optional.
Setti Fatma Waterfalls Group Day Trip from Marrakech with Dar Zite Berber House Visit
A group day trip with transfers from most hotels, a visit to Dar Zite, a Berber house, and a guided hike to the Setti Fatma falls. River lunch ends the day.
Small Group Ourika Valley Waterfalls Hike with Women-Run Argan Cooperative and Lunch
A local guide leads a small group to the Setti Fatma falls, with a women-run argan cooperative, Berber culture and an optional traditional lunch by the river.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
The Ourika valley and the road to Setti Fatma
The Ourika river runs down from the High Atlas toward the plain of Marrakech, and the road follows it up. Setti Fatma is the last village reached by paved road, according to Wikipedia, and the walk to the falls starts there. Before it comes Tnine de l'Ourika, where a market runs on Mondays and where several listings stop at an argan cooperative. Sources disagree on the distance from Marrakech, between 30 km and about 60 km depending on where they stop counting. The one figure that matters is the drive: 1 to 1.5 hours each way in the listings.
On the map the valley looks like a short hop south of the city, and it is. The detail to notice is Imlil in the top right corner: it belongs to a different valley, and one "Ourika" listing here sends you there for its hike. It sits on this page because its title says Ourika; its waterfalls are somewhere else. If you want Setti Fatma itself, check that the itinerary names it.
The walk to the falls
The Setti Fatma falls come one above another in a sequence of seven, and the first is the easy one. Hiking guides put it at 20 to 40 minutes of climbing from the village, and the full round of seven at about three hours there and back. One listing describes a hike of 1.5 hours to the falls with a licensed local guide, crossing small streams on the way. Estimates vary, and none of them is official.
The first fall is a short climb. The upper ones are a long one.
The listings are less careful. Several say "suitable for all physical fitness levels", while another asks for moderate fitness. Reports of a long climb to the upper falls, and advice to wear proper shoes, are why we would not promise all seven to everyone.
On the way up
Villages, terraces and a cooperative
Most of the listings we opened stop at a Berber house for mint tea and at a women's argan oil cooperative, usually in Tnine Ourika before the walk. One lists a small breakfast and a bottle of water among the inclusions, and another counts the cooperative visit as free. These stops fill the morning and make the day a mix of walking and village life, not a pure waterfall trip.
They also explain the pace. A seven hour day with a 1.5 hour walk leaves room for the road, the tea, the argan demonstration and a long lunch. If the waterfall is what you came for, ask whether the stops can be shortened.
Walk or valley tour: what the listing promises
Four kinds of listing sit under this heading, and they are not interchangeable. The table shows one real example of each, read from the listing itself.
| Kind | What it promises | Example and price |
|---|---|---|
| Setti Fatma walk | A guided hike to the falls, a Berber house, an argan cooperative, riverside lunch | Bel Mov Sarl, under 30 EUR, 7 hours, groups up to 30 |
| Three valleys | Several valleys and a camel ride, with a hike in the Imlil valley rather than at Setti Fatma | Art de Cuivre Travel, under 30 EUR, 7 hours |
| Small group | Smaller groups, with the local guide listed as not included in one | Yat S Yat Tours, under 30 EUR, 7 hours |
| Private | A private car, a licensed guide, two bottles of water; optional lunch and camel ride | Bel Mov Sarl, more than 30 EUR, 6 hours |
Read the small-group row twice. One small-group listing lists "guided hike in Ourika valley" as included and "local guide" as not included, which cannot both be right. Ask the operator before you pay for the premium.
What the price buys
The chart shows a tight cluster. Most listings run 6 or 7 hours, and a shared day at 7 hours stays under 30 EUR. The cheapest listings sell lunch as a separate option, so they are not like for like with a listing that mentions a three-course lunch. Seventeen listings mention lunch, and one that does says a drink with it costs a small extra.
So the real price of the day is the headline plus lunch plus the tip. The listing from Marrakech Outdoor Trips at the top of the shared range adds the three valleys and a camel ride. The shared Bel Mov day, with 5,385 reviews, is the benchmark everything else is measured against.
At the top of the road
A village in the Atlas
The villages on the road up the Ourika look like this one, in a green fold of the valley. At Setti Fatma, where the paved road ends, the walk begins, and the lunch the listings sell is at a restaurant beside the river. Several listings promise a starter, a main course and a dessert, chosen from a menu, though they list it as optional. Water or juice with the meal is extra.
Floods, summer and what to ask
The Ourika river has flooded in August. The two dated events we could confirm are in the table, and reports also mention an August 2016 flood. None of the listings we opened says anything about closing when the river rises, so ask the operator how it decides.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 17 August 1995 | A flood in the valley; the death toll is reported as over 200 and as high as 289, with no single agreed figure | Moroccan press (Medias24, Bladi, Le360) |
| 6 August 2018 | The valley flooded at Setti Fatma; no deaths were reported | Le360 |
Both dated floods came in August.
We found no flood record for 2023 or 2024. That is reassuring but not a guarantee, and on the day the guide's call is the one to follow.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Choosing among 19 operators
Nineteen operators sell these 20 listings, and one of them dominates. Bel Mov Sarl has two listings, a shared day with 5,385 reviews and a private one with 99, which together are 51% of the reviews on the page. The next largest are Marrakech City Life at 915 reviews and Maroc Adventure at 889. If you pick one of the long tail, read its inclusions, not its rating. A listing with 60 reviews is not worse than one with 5,000, but it has fewer people who have checked it.
If the road is what puts you off, the Ouzoud page covers the longer day to the bigger fall.
Questions about the Ourika valley waterfalls day trip
How long is the hike to the Ourika waterfalls?
Guides put the first fall at 20 to 40 minutes of climbing from Setti Fatma, and the full round of seven at about three hours there and back. One listing describes a 1.5 hour hike. Plan an hour or two for the walk inside a 6 to 8 hour day.
Is Ourika safe in summer?
The valley has flooded in August, in 1995 and 2018. Ask the operator how it decides to cancel when the river rises, and follow your guide's call on the day. Spring and autumn are the safer months, in our reading, though two August floods are a small sample.
Are all seven waterfalls for everyone?
No. The first is a short climb. The upper ones are a long climb that calls for proper shoes, and listings differ on the fitness required. Ask the operator which falls the day actually reaches.
How far is Setti Fatma from Marrakech?
Sources say between 30 and about 60 km depending on where they stop counting. The drive is 1 to 1.5 hours each way, so a day trip is realistic.
Is lunch included?
Seventeen of the 20 listings mention a riverside lunch. In several it is an option, and drinks with it cost a small extra. Check whether your listing includes it or lists it as optional.
Is a three valleys tour the same as the waterfall trip?
No. One listing here is titled Ourika Valley but hikes in the Imlil valley, with a camel ride. If you want Setti Fatma specifically, check that the itinerary names it.
Prefer the bigger fall?
The Ouzoud page covers the longer day to a fall of about 100 m, with an optional boat ride at its foot.
Data verified on . Tours, prices and ratings from 20 listings read on 22 October 2026. Valley and walk from Wikipedia and hiking guides; floods from Moroccan press.