Ouirgane is a green valley in the High Atlas, about an hour and a quarter from Marrakech on the Tizi n’Test road, with olive groves, juniper hills and red-earth Berber villages along the Nfis river. A local mountain guide from the valley walks with you between the villages, and lunch is served at a family home.
On Thursdays we add the weekly souk of Khemis Ouirgane, where people from the surrounding villages come to buy and sell. Market days are subject to change; we confirm the day with you before the trip.
Pickup from your riad or hotel in Marrakech · Drop-off back in Marrakech
Around 8:30 AM
An easy to moderate walk of 2 to 3 hours on village paths, with some ups and downs. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water and a hat. The route is adapted to your pace.
We pick you up from your riad or hotel in Marrakech at 8:30 and drive south towards the High Atlas, through the market town of Tahanaout and the village of Asni, where the mountains close in around the road.
In Ouirgane, a green valley of olive trees, junipers and red earth, you meet your local guide, who grew up here. If it is Thursday, we start with the weekly souk of Khemis Ouirgane, where villagers come down from the mountains to buy vegetables, spices, tools and livestock.
Then we walk for two to three hours between the villages of the valley, on paths through fields, orchards and along the river. Your guide shows you how families farm the terraces, how the irrigation channels work and how the houses are built from earth and stone. The walk is easy to moderate and the pace is yours.
Lunch is at the home of a local family: a tagine or a couscous cooked over the fire, bread from the clay oven and mint tea, sitting on the carpets of their living room. It is a simple, warm meal and the best way to see everyday life in the mountains.
We drive back to Marrakech in the afternoon and drop you at your riad or hotel around 17:00.
