Day trip · private vehicle and driver
Day trip to Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate.
Over the Tichka pass at 2,260 m, down to the earthen ksar that half of cinema has filmed. The long day, and the one people remember.
The itinerary
- The climb to the Tichka pass, with stops for the view.
- The ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO site, and the walk up to the granary.
- Lunch facing the kasbah.
- Ouarzazate, its film studios and the Taourirt kasbah.
- Return over the pass, back in Marrakech at night.
Practical details
The day is accompanied by your private tour guide in Marrakech, with a driver and vehicle kept for your group alone.
Cancellation terms depend on the bookings already made and appear on your quote, before any payment.
What you actually see
The road crosses the Tichka pass at 2,260 metres, the highest road pass in Morocco. The climb from Marrakech takes two hours and runs through every layer of vegetation, from dry plateau to holm oak forest to bare rock. Past the pass, the landscape tips suddenly towards the pre-Saharan south.
Ait Ben Haddou is a ksar, a fortified village of raw earth, a UNESCO site since 1987. A handful of families still live inside; most have moved to the modern village across the river. You cross by ford or footbridge, then climb the lanes to the collective granary at the top, from where the whole Ounila valley opens out.
Ouarzazate, twenty minutes further on, is the film town. The Taourirt kasbah can be visited, and the Atlas and CLA studios keep the sets of films shot in the region. Depending on time and inclination, you visit the studios or linger longer at the ksar.
Questions about this tour
Can it be done in a day?
Yes, but it is a long one: four to five hours of driving in total. Early start, evening return. Many prefer to fold it into a desert tour rather than making it a round trip.
Which films were shot there?
The site has served many productions since the sixties, from historical epics to recent series. Adil shows you which sets remain and which were taken down.
Is the Tichka road hard going?
It winds, and it is long. If you get travel sick, bring something for it and tell the driver, who will adjust his pace and the stops.
