Asni and Ouirgane: High Atlas villages an hour from Marrakech

Updated on October 8, 2026

Asni and Ouirgane are two villages in the N'Fis valley, on the southern road that climbs from Marrakech into the High Atlas. Asni, a farming town about fifty kilometres away, is the gateway to Imlil and Toubkal; Ouirgane, a little further along the river, is known for its guesthouses, its dam and its orchards. They are quiet stops with no monument to visit, for anyone who wants to see the mountains and a rural souk without going all the way up into the high mountains. The area was badly hit by the earthquake of 8 September 2023.

Highlights

The Asni souk

Every Saturday, people from the surrounding villages come down to Asni to sell vegetables, fruit, poultry, clothes and tools. The market is above all for locals: you go for the atmosphere, not for souvenirs.

Practical info

Tips

The Asni souk takes place on Saturday; the rest of the week the village is quiet. For another view of the valley, continue to Ouirgane, where the road follows the N'Fis, with its guesthouses and gardens. Most of the roadside restaurants are well known to drivers: compare prices before sitting down, and agree the price of a guide or a mule before setting off. Before you go, ask your accommodation about the state of the roads and villages, as reconstruction work is still going on after the 2023 earthquake. Carry cash: cash machines are rare.

How to get there

Asni is about 50 km from Marrakech, roughly an hour by road, and Ouirgane a little further, on the southern road that starts at Bab er-Robb. Shared grands taxis to Asni leave from the station near Bab er-Robb; you can also hire a taxi for the day or join an excursion to Imlil. Most visitors stop at Asni or Ouirgane on the way to Imlil and Toubkal, or on the way to Tin Mal.