Ait Ben Haddou Day Trip from Marrakech with Cultural Insights

11:30 Hours Free CancellationMin 2 participantsPickup availableInstant confirmationPrivate tourMin age 2+Guided Operated by Safari Desert Tours
La Kasbah d'Aït Ben Haddou Taourirt Kasbah Telouet kasbah

Why we love it?

This full-day tour from Marrakech to Ouarzazate offers a scenic journey across the High Atlas Mountains with stops at significant historical sites. You will visit Telouet Kasbah, a former seat of power for the El Glaoui family located at 1800 meters elevation, followed by a guided one-hour visit to La Kasbah d'Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its role in films like Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia. In Ouarzazate, often called the Hollywood of Africa, you can explore Taourirt Kasbah and learn about the city’s film heritage, including Morocco’s biggest studios. The tour includes private air-conditioned transport with pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech, making it suitable for travelers interested in history, architecture, and cinema locations.

Inclusions

  • pick-up & drop off from your accommodation in Marrakech.
  • Transport by minivan or 4WD with an English speaking driver.
  • Private transportation
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Fuel surcharge
  • Bottled water
  • 1 hour guided visit to Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah with local guide.

Exclusions

  • Lunch
  • Gratuities (Optional)

Itinerary

Stop 1

Departure from Marrakech around 07H30 to Ouarzazate we pass over the High Atlas Mountains. During the journey we will enjoy many beautiful scenes of the Berber villages, elevated views of the mountains.
a short stop in t'izt tichka pass at elevation of 2260 meters of altitude. to take pictures of the spectacular atlas mountains

Stop 2

there's a beautiful hidden kasbah in the middle of the atlas mountains at elevation of (1800 m) Telouet Kasbah is a Kasbah along the former route of the caravans from the Sahara over the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family's power, thus sometimes also called the Palace of Glaoui. Its construction started in 1860 and it was further expanded in later years.
TICKET COST 2 EUROS PER PERSON.

Stop 3

before to arrive to Ouarzazate of 30 Km there is the fortified Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, built in the 11th century. Once upon a time this Kasbah was the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. It is situated on a hill along the Ounila River and has some beautiful examples of Kasbahs, which unfortunately sustain damage during each rainstorm and windstorms. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; however, around five families are still living within this Kasbah. Ait Benhaddou Kasbah has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 and several films have been shot there, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Time Bandits (1981), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Kundun (1997), Gladiator (2000) and Alexander (2004)

Studio of Cinema

Ouarzazate (Hollywood of Africa, Noiselessly town, the door of the desert), is a city situated in the middle of a bare plateau, south of the High Atlas Mountains. It is mainly inhabited by Berbers, who constructed many of the prominent Kasbahs and building for which the area is known. One of those building is Taourirt Kasbah diverted in 17th century. Why this town is nicknamed as Hollywood of Africa? Simply because it has been noted as a film-making location, with Morocco’s biggest studios inviting many international film companies to shoot their movies like: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Living Daylights (1987), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Mummy (1999), Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Martin Scorsese’s Kundun (1997) and Babel (2005).

You can visit the Studio of Cinema, Kasbah Taourirt, and Museum of Cinema. Afterwards we return to Marrakech in the late afternoon.

Please Note

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for people with heart conditions pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation in Marrakech.

Know Before You Go

  • Infant seats available

Cancellation Policy

Fully refundable until 1 day before start

Non-refundable after 1 day before start