Aït Ben Haddou ksar
The UNESCO-listed earthen fortified village 30km west — climb past the stacked kasbahs to the hilltop granary for the panorama across the Ounila river. Go at sunrise or sunset, before the day buses.
Ouarzazate, MoroccoConcierge · 7 Days · 9–21H GMT+1
Pre-Sahara · Southern Morocco
Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou, Morocco
The door of the desert and the Hollywood of Morocco — kasbahs, film studios and the start of every southern road.
Best time
March–May and September–November
Recommended
1–2 nights (en route to the Sahara)
Airport
Ouarzazate (OZZ)
Region
Pre-Sahara · Southern Morocco
Why Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou
Ouarzazate is where the road south becomes the south. Sitting at around 1,160m on the far side of the Tizi n'Tichka pass, it has been the meeting point of the Drâa, Dadès and kasbah valleys for centuries — a former garrison and caravan town that earned its nickname, the 'door of the desert', as the last real town before the Sahara. In the heart of town the Taourirt Kasbah, a sprawling Glaoui stronghold of rammed earth and carved cedar, still rises above the palmery. On the western edge sit the Atlas Film Studios and the CLA studios, which since the 1960s have made Ouarzazate the 'Hollywood of Morocco': Lawrence of Arabia, The Last Temptation of Christ, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Game of Thrones were all shot here or at neighbouring Aït Ben Haddou. That ksar, 30km west, is the most famous fortified village in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a stacked city of earthen towers that turns gold at sunrise. Out toward the south lies the green hush of the Fint Oasis; east on the kasbah road begin Skoura's palmery, the Valley of Roses and the Dadès and Todra gorges. Every Sahara expedition, every kasbah-road itinerary, passes through here — most travellers rush it in an hour, which is the one mistake to avoid.
What to see
Highlights of Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou.
Taourirt Kasbah & town palmery
The Glaoui stronghold in the centre of Ouarzazate itself — rammed-earth towers, carved-cedar reception rooms and a warren of restored quarters, with the palm gardens spreading below.
Atlas & CLA film studios
Working sound stages and standing exterior sets — Egyptian temples, Roman streets, Tibetan monasteries — from Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Cleopatra and more. The reason Ouarzazate is called the Hollywood of Morocco.
Fint Oasis & Telouet kasbah
The hidden green palmery of Fint, 10km south for a half-day of riverbank villages, and the crumbling Glaoui palace of Telouet up on the old Tichka caravan road — both far quieter than Aït Ben Haddou.
Skoura, Dadès & the kasbah road east
The N10 east of town threads Skoura's palmery and the famous kasbahs into the Dadès and Todra gorges — cliff-side roads, walnut groves and the gateway to the Merzouga dunes.
Itineraries
10 tours that visit Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou.
Every itinerary below is privately operated, fully customisable, and includes a deep stop in Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou. Click any tour for the day-by-day plan, the map, dates and pricing.
1 daysBestsellerKasbahs & Ksour
Aït Ben Haddou — UNESCO Ksar at Dawn
A private full day at Aït Ben Haddou — the earthen ksar of stacked towers that has stood on the old caravan road for centuries. We arrive early, climb to the agadir at the top, and read the mud-brick architecture with a local guide before the crowds.
from $320view →
12hOnly hereCinema
Atlas Film Studios & CLA — Ouallywood Half Day
Ouarzazate is nicknamed 'Ouallywood' for good reason. A private half day inside the standing sets of Atlas Studios — Egyptian temples, Tibetan monasteries, Roman streets — with a guide who knows which scene was filmed where.
from $220view →
1 daysGuest favouriteKasbahs & Ksour
Taourirt Kasbah & Fint Oasis 4x4
Morning in the Taourirt Kasbah — once the seat of the Glaoui in Ouarzazate — then a 4x4 run out to the palm-shaded oasis of Fint, hidden in a volcanic-rock valley where few coaches reach.
from $290view →
1 daysSignatureMountains
Tizi n'Tichka — The Kasbah Road
A one-way crossing of the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka — Morocco's highest major road pass at 2,260m — with the Telouet kasbah, argan stops and Aït Ben Haddou en route to Ouarzazate.
from $540view →
1 daysOases & Valleys
Skoura Palmeraie & Kasbah Amridil
A full day in the Skoura palmeraie east of Ouarzazate — a dense oasis of date palms threaded with old kasbahs — centred on Kasbah Amridil, one of Morocco's best-preserved earthen kasbahs and a former banknote subject.
from $380view →
1 daysOases & Valleys
Dadès Valley & Gorges
East along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the Dadès Valley — rust-red rock, the 'monkey-fingers' formations and the dramatic hairpin switchbacks that climb into the Dadès Gorges.
from $360view →
1 daysOases & Valleys
Todra Gorge from Ouarzazate
A full day east to Tinghir and the Todra Gorge, where sheer rock walls rise some 300 metres above a narrow floor and a clear river — the most dramatic canyon in the Atlas, with a palmeraie at its mouth.
from $390view →
1 daysSeasonalOases & Valleys
Valley of Roses — Kelaat M'Gouna
A day in the Valley of Roses around Kelaat M'Gouna, where hedges of pink Damask roses line the fields and small distilleries turn the petals into rose water — best from late April to early June, around the rose harvest and festival.
from $350view →
3 daysRareSahara
Ouarzazate to Zagora — Sahara Gateway
South from Ouarzazate down the Draa Valley — Morocco's longest river and its greatest palm oasis — to Zagora and the desert beyond, with a camel sunset and a night under canvas in the dunes before looping back through the kasbahs.
from $950view →
1 daysKasbahs & Ksour
Ounila Valley & Telouet — The Old Kasbah Road
The scenic back road that the caravans used before the Tizi n'Tichka was paved: up the Ounila Valley from Aït Ben Haddou through earthen villages to the Glaoui palace-kasbah of Telouet, and back — a loop few day-trippers take.
from $410view →
Before you go
Practical notes.
- Getting there: 4h drive from Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka (2,260m); Ouarzazate (OZZ) also has direct flights
- Best combined with: The whole southern route runs from here — Skoura, the gorges and Merzouga to the east, the Drâa valley and Chigaga to the south
- Why stay over: The kasbahs and the studio sets need a full day, and Aït Ben Haddou is at its best in the low light at either end of it
Concierge
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Request a proposalFAQ
Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou — common questions.
Why is Ouarzazate called the door of the desert?+
It is the last sizeable town on the southern side of the High Atlas before the Sahara — historically a caravan and garrison crossroads, and today the staging point where the Drâa, Dadès and kasbah valleys meet. Every overland desert route from Marrakech funnels through it.
Is Aït Ben Haddou worth the detour from Ouarzazate?+
Yes — it is 30km west and the most striking single site in southern Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage ksar. Most travellers see it for an hour; come at sunrise or sunset, when the earthen towers turn gold and the buses have gone.
Can I visit Ouarzazate as a day trip from Marrakech?+
Technically yes (4h each way) but punishing, and you miss the magic-hour light at the kasbahs and the film studios entirely. Far better to stay at least one night and continue east toward the gorges and the Sahara the next day.
What is there to do in Ouarzazate itself, beyond Aït Ben Haddou?+
The Taourirt Kasbah in the town centre, the Atlas and CLA film studios, the hidden Fint Oasis 10km south and the Glaoui palace at Telouet up the old road — easily a full day before you head on to Skoura and the kasbah road.
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From the journal
Stories and practical guides to plan your time in Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou and the wider Pre-Sahara · Southern Morocco.
Closest destinations
Pair Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou with.
These destinations are closest to Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou — easily combined on a private itinerary.
36 kmPre-Sahara · Drâa-Tafilalet
Skoura
First palmery on the N10 kasbah road east of Ouarzazate — Amerdil, the banknote kasbah, on the way to the gorges.
Explore93 kmHigh Atlas · M'Goun massif
Aït Bougmez Valley
The 'Happy Valley' above the kasbah road — a remote High Atlas sanctuary whose M'Goun traverse descends to the Dadès north of Ouarzazate.
Explore98 kmHigh Atlas · Near Marrakech
Ourika Valley
Berber villages, river-bank lunches and seven waterfalls — the greenest, easiest Atlas escape from Marrakech.
Explore