Ait Ourir
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Ait Ourir

Ait Ourir

Berber market town southeast of Marrakesh, where the Ouarzazate road starts climbing toward Tizi n'Tichka.

Ait Ourir is a small Berber town on the main road between Marrakesh and Ouarzazate, about 40 kilometres southeast of Marrakesh, just before the road begins its climb toward the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Most travellers pass through without stopping, but the town's Tuesday souk is one of the liveliest in the region and worth timing a visit around if you can.

The Oued Zat valley runs through town. For much of the year it's reduced to a trickle, but the riverbed and its smooth stones are pleasant to walk. The valley between here and the High Atlas is good amethyst country — local vendors sell rough crystals.

Guide

Day Trips

Ait Ourir is best treated as a base for short trips into the Atlas foothills or a coffee stop between Marrakesh and the south. The villages of Tighedouine and Sidi Rahal lie within an hour, and the road over the Tizi n'Tichka pass starts climbing in earnest just a few kilometres east, carrying you over the High Atlas toward Telouet, Ouarzazate, and Aït Benhaddou.

Guide

Getting There

Buses from Marrakesh run to Ait Ourir about four times a day. Shared taxis (grands taxis) are faster but pack six passengers per car. If you're heading over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass to Ouarzazate, renting a car in Marrakesh and driving yourself is far more comfortable and lets you stop at the pass and the Kasbah Aït Benhaddou along the way.

Guide

Things to Do

Ait Ourir is a stopover town, not a destination, but a couple of things are worth your time if you're passing through. The Tuesday souk is the headline event — one of the busiest weekly markets in the Marrakesh hinterland. Outside market day, the Oued Zat valley and the road climbing toward the Atlas reward a short detour.