Marrakech: Ouzoud Waterfalls & Boat Ride Adventure

The waterfall itself is stunning and definitely worth seeing. However, getting there is a bit of a journey — it’s a 3-hour drive from Marrakesh, with a challenging hike once you arrive. The trail involves a lot of stairs and uneven terrain, so wear proper shoes and be ready for a workout. On the way there, they stop about halfway for snacks and a bathroom break — but the catch is, you’re taken to a place where you have to pay to use the restroom, which feels like a setup. What makes it worse is that on the way back, they stop at a completely different place with free bathrooms. It really gives the impression that parts of the tour are designed to squeeze extra money out of tourists, and that some people along the route may be in on the hustle. Be careful with the ticket you purchase — some packages include a boat ride at the waterfall, but at the end, they may still try to charge you for it again, assuming you won’t notice. After the hike, they also pressure you to eat lunch at one of their designated restaurants. It would be nice if there was an option to skip the lunch stop, especially for people who would rather head back sooner or eat somewhere else. All in all, the natural beauty of the waterfall makes the trip worthwhile, but the overall experience is tainted by a lack of transparency and some clear attempts to upsell or overcharge tourists. Go in prepared, and you’ll enjoy it much more.

As far as tour guides go, Jalal was amazing! Knowledgeable, caring, and patient - not to mention, multilingual! As a solo traveler (and only English speaker) amidst a big group of tourists, he made sure I felt welcome rather than neglected or dismissed. He offered to take photos and even inserted some humor on our trek back up to the van. If you’re one for good food, insane views, and and plenty of memorable moments, you can’t afford NOT to book this experience with Jalal!

A brilliant trip! We had a lovely driver and just four of us in a spacious minibus. Our tour guides once we arrived were great, full of information and able to speak many languages. We stopped to see monkeys which was lovely in comparison to the poor ones chained up in the centre of Marrakech! The waterfalls are beautiful and the boat trip was great - with the guide taking photos for us as well. We then visited the restaurant but after seeing one of the staff serving up fries with his bare hands (literally scooping them up) and then munching them as he went on, we decided not to eat!

Was worth the 3 hour journey (with rest stop) to visit from Marrakech. The waterfalls were stunning even during the height of summer with less rainfall. The guide was friendly and it was lovely to meet the berber community to hear more about their ethically produced argan oil.

We enjoyed this although it’s a long drive, we enjoyed it when we arrived the waterfalls are stunning. The guide was good and we had a lunch watching the waterfalls. We even seen some monkeys

We were blown by the amazing view. The boat ride right up to the base of falls is a must do!! Many restaurants are available at ouzoud, they have many tajines and can make you a customized one if you want or if you're allergic to some food. Don't miss the chance to visit and enhance the local culture. Ps: you may need water resistant jackets for the boat ride

Our host gave many information, he was very friendly and sympathetic. Nice food and nice trip overall. Very good communication, pick-up at the Riad and good price! A pity that the waterfall was not blue but brown because it was muddy from the days before. Would recommend anyways!

All was great except for the people putting monkeys on your head even after saying no and then demanding money. The tour guide was great, I thought the boat ride was included but apparently not. They took us to a restaurant overlooking the waterful that was reasonably priced and either did kebabs or tajine.

The tour is good, however be aware that van seats are very small and trip is almost 3 hours each way. Even though my Viator ticket clearly showed boat ride was included, with a green check mark shown to that effect the tour operator told the local tour guide that we had to pay for the boat rides anyway. It’s not about the money as boat rides were 20dh per person, but it is something that future travelers must be aware of. I lodged a complaint with Viator afterwards but their answer was there is nothing they can do about it. Lunch place in view of the waterfall was good, 140dh per person for a simple menu du jour.

We had a wonderful day at the Ouzoud Falls. We were picked up from home on time and driven there at a relaxed pace by a very calm and skilled driver. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a local guide who was absolutely fantastic. He spoke five languages fluently, along with three Arabic dialects. He led our group to the waterfalls and shared a wealth of interesting information about the area and the Berber families living there. The visit to the argan oil cooperative was also very interesting, and the waterfalls were simply stunning. Unfortunately, the area has become very touristy, and the local Barbary monkeys have been trained by the residents to behave almost like circus performers. Every tourist is immediately approached, with locals offering "free" peas or bread to feed the monkeys, only to later demand payment after you've taken a picture or video of the monkey on your shoulder. Luckily, our guide warned us about this in advance. The boat ride cost an additional €5 (€2 for the boat and €3 for the rower, who is necessary to operate the boat). However, it was a beautiful and well-organized experience, with the flow of tourists managed efficiently. The restaurants available for lunch were rather average, all offering the same menu and not putting much effort into preparation, likely because new groups of 20-30 tourists arrived constantly. We were glad we brought sandwiches and didn’t have to rely on the food there. Overall, it was a great hike with stunning waterfalls that, despite the number of tourists, still felt peaceful and idyllic. The local guide was exceptional (unfortunately, I forgot his name, but there can't be many guides who speak five foreign languages and three dialects).