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Ourika Valley |
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Cultural Tours Handcrafted in Morocco
Tour summary
Private day tour in 4x4 vehicle from Marrakech to Ourika Valley, waterfalls of Setti Fatma and cultural visits to Berber Ecomuseum, Nectarome aromatic gardens and a saffron farm. Hiking in the Ourika Valley with a local guide (optional) and lunch in the mountains. Group size from 2-6 people sharing. English-speaking driver/guide.
Or call us now on +212 (0)615 647918 (Morocco) or +44 (0)208 123 7969 (UK)
Please note: All our Morocco tours can be customised to allow extra days for shorter daily car journeys, extra activities, relaxation days, exploration days etc. We can also adapt tours to connect with different start/end locations in Morocco. Let us know your wishes and we will build your perfect Morocco tour itinerary.
Price: Contact us for a personalised quotation.
Prices will vary according to number of people travelling in vehicle, number of days, time of year, category of accommodation chosen and activities requested.
NB Our Morocco tours are private tours organised upon request.
Day tour itinerary
Day 1
Marrakech - Ourika Valley - Setti Fatma - Marrakech
Less than two hours drive, into the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, is the beautiful Ourika Valley with its terraced fields, Atlas Mountain peaks and mud-built Berber villages built from the rich red sandstone of the region. Our day tour to Ourika is popular year round and we have packed in several cultural experiences along the way. In winter you can expect to encounter snow as you climb towards the Setti Fatma waterfalls at the top of the valley. En route to Ourika you will stop at the tiny hamlet of Tafza, famous for its terracotta pottery. Here you will visit the fascinating Berber Ecomuseum project. It recreates a Berber house with antique carpets and jewellery and a photo gallery featuring traditional Berber tribesmen and women and dances taken in 1950s. Along the way you will also visit a Berber family home for a breakfast of home-baked bread and mint tea. You will see the true rural way of life and enjoy magnificent views down the valley. From here you continue to the end of the road, skirting along the edge of the Ourika River as far as the village of Setti Fatma. From here your leave the vehicle to cross a simple rope footbridge over the Ourika River which flows as an icy torrent down from the High Atlas. You can enjoy a hearty Moroccan tajine for lunch at one of the many small restaurants perched on the mountainside or you can choose to climb further up to the waterfalls above. The climb to the very top of the waterfalls to see all seven cascades is a tough ascent over boulders and along a steep narrow path, but the lower waterfalls are quite easy to reach. You can hire a local guide to walk with you if you wish. After lunch and the hike, as you return to head back down the valley towards Marrakech you will also visit Nectarome - an aromatic herb gardens and natural cosmetics manufacturer at Tnine, near Ourika. You can simply walk in the vast gardens amongst fifty kinds of herb and plants grown organically for medicinal and culinary uses. You may opt for a guided tour to learn more about the plants and their properties. The Nectarome shop is a treasure trove of organic health, beauty and culinary products. Bath essences, soaps, massage oils, essential oils and even Morocco’s famous ‘liquid gold’ or argan oil can be found here. By advance arrangement you can also enjoy a foot-bath and other relaxation treatments as part of our day tour to Ourika (perhaps on your way back from a hike in the Ourika Valley?).
La Safranière saffron farm is located nearby also and offer guided tours around its museum and gardens of purple crocus sativa. Go between October and November, when the crocuses are in flower and you can even participate in the picking and drying process. You could opt to visit La Safranière before you reach the end of the paved road into the Ourika Valley for your hike. NB It is best to book this day tour mid-week to avoid the weekend rush of visitors.
Stay: N/A
Meal plan:
- Daily departures 0900 hrs - return approx 1800 hrs.