Atlas Mountains & Ourika Valley Day Trip

The Ourika Valley is the favorite weekend escape for Marrakchis, and for good reason. Just 45 minutes from the city, the landscape changes from arid plains to lush, terraced valleys carved by the Ourika River. This day trip is a journey into the culture of the Amazigh (Berber) people. We stop at a traditional house to drink tea with a local family and see how they live. We visit a women's cooperative to witness the labor-intensive process of cracking Argan nuts to make oil. The road ends at the village of Setti Fatma. Here, you meet a mountain guide for a hike up the rocky cliffs to see a series of seven waterfalls. It’s a bit of a scramble, but the views are worth it. Afterward, reward yourself with a classic Tagine lunch. In the summer, the restaurants place tables literally *in* the river, so you can eat with the cool mountain water rushing over your feet.