Marrakech, High Atlas & Sahara
Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou
Gateway to the desert, kasbahs and the "Hollywood of Africa".
Across the Tizi n’Tichka pass from Marrakech, Ouarzazate is the gateway to the valleys of the south. Its studios have hosted many international film and TV productions.
Nearby, the fortified village of Aït Ben Haddou (UNESCO 1987) is the most famous ksar in Morocco, and the Noor Ouarzazate complex is one of the world’s largest concentrated solar power plants.
Highlights
Earthen ksar on a hillside, about 30 km from Ouarzazate.
Former Glaoui kasbah in the town centre.
Film studios open to visitors.
Spectacular canyons on the road to the Sahara.
Kelaat M’Gouna, with a rose festival in May.
Things to do
- Monuments & medinasKasbah route — Skoura palm grove, Amridil kasbah and the Dades valley.
- Mountains & trekkingTodra gorge walks — Walk between 300 m cliffs.
- Monuments & medinasCinema museum and studios — Sets from famous productions.
- Nature & wildlifeDraa valley — Palm groves stretching towards Zagora.
Where to stay
Kasbah hotels in Ouarzazate, guesthouses in Aït Ben Haddou or Skoura.
Le Berbère Palace
UpscaleKasbah-style five-star hotel near the Atlas film studios.
- Address
- Quartier Mansour Eddahbi, BP 165, 45000 Ouarzazate
- Phone
- +212 524 883 105
- Website
- hotel-berberepalace.com
Contact details come from the hotels’ official websites or consistent public listings. We are not paid for listings. Always confirm prices and conditions directly with the property.
Getting there
Ouarzazate airport (OZZ) has domestic flights. From Marrakech it is about 4 hours by road over the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m).
Local tip
Stay overnight in Aït Ben Haddou to see it at sunrise before the day-trip crowds arrive.