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Ait Benhaddou Day Trip
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2-Day Tour · Ouarzazate · Private · Daily
Ouarzazate 2-Day Tour from Marrakech
Ouarzazate sits at the intersection of the Atlas Mountains, the Draa Valley and the pre-Saharan south. Two days gives you Ait Benhaddou, the Kasbah Télouet hidden in the mountains, the Atlas Film Studios and the Fint oasis — more than a day trip can cover, less rushed than trying to do it all in one shot.
2 Days / 1 Night
Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou
Every day from Marrakech
2 to 8 people
Overview
Ouarzazate — The City That Connects Morocco's Worlds
Most visitors to Ait Benhaddou do it as a day trip from Marrakech — 3 hours there, an hour at the kasbah, 3 hours back. It works but it is rushed. The 2-day tour gives you time to do it properly: morning at Ait Benhaddou without the tour buses, an afternoon in Ouarzazate, a night in the city, and the second day for the places most day-trippers never reach.
The Kasbah Télouet is one of those places. It sits 25 kilometres off the main road in the Ounila Valley — the former seat of the El Glaoui family, once the most powerful dynasty in southern Morocco. The kasbah is in partial ruin but the Hispano- Moorish reception rooms are intact, with original plasterwork and cedar ceilings that have no business being in this state of preservation given everything else that has fallen around them.
The Fint oasis, 15 kilometres south of Ouarzazate, is another stop the day trip misses. A narrow palm grove along a wadi, ancient ksour on the cliffs above, complete silence — what the Draa Valley looks like before the tourist infrastructure arrived.
This experience is part of our Morocco Tours from Marrakech.
View all Morocco Tours from MarrakechHighlights
Tour Highlights
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Ait Benhaddou at its best — morning light, fewer crowds
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Kasbah Télouet — hidden El Glaoui palace in the Ounila Valley
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Atlas Film Studios — largest film complex outside Hollywood
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Kasbah Taourirt — 17th-century kasbah in Ouarzazate city center
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Fint oasis — narrow palm grove with ancient ksour
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Overnight in Ouarzazate — gateway to the desert
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Optional extension to Merzouga or Zagora on Day 2
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Private tour — your vehicle, your pace
Details
Quick Info
- Duration2 Days / 1 Night
- DestinationOuarzazate, Ait Benhaddou
- DeparturesEvery day from Marrakech
- Group size2 to 8 people
- Tour typePrivate Tour
- LanguageEnglish, French, Spanish
Day by Day
Detailed Itinerary
1
Day 1
Marrakech → Télouet → Ait Benhaddou → Ouarzazate
Pickup at 7:30am. The route south via Tizi n'Tichka takes a detour to the Kasbah Télouet before reaching Ait Benhaddou — a longer route than the standard day trip but far more rewarding. Télouet sits in the Ounila Valley below the pass, 25 kilometres off the main road. The kasbah reception rooms — the last part of the building maintained before the El Glaoui's downfall in 1956 — have Andalusian plasterwork and painted cedar ceilings that rival anything in Marrakech. Continue to Ait Benhaddou for the guided visit. Lunch at the kasbah restaurants. Afternoon in Ouarzazate — Kasbah Taourirt visit. Dinner and first night in Ouarzazate.
2
Day 2
Ouarzazate → Atlas Film Studios → Fint Oasis → Marrakech
Morning at the Atlas Film Studios — the sets include Egyptian temples, Roman arenas and desert fortresses used in films most people have seen without knowing where they were filmed. Lunch in Ouarzazate. Afternoon drive to the Fint oasis, 15 kilometres south of the city — a narrow valley where a small river supports an oasis of date palms and pomegranate trees surrounded by dry desert. The contrast between the green oasis floor and the bare rock walls above it is striking. Return to Marrakech via Tizi n'Tichka, arriving around 7pm to 8pm.
Inclusions
What's Included
Included
- Hotel pickup in Marrakech
- Private vehicle and driver-guide
- 1 night hotel in Ouarzazate (breakfast included)
- Local guide at Ait Benhaddou
- Local guide at Kasbah Télouet
Not Included
- Lunches and dinner Day 1
- Entrance fees (Ait Benhaddou 50 MAD, Télouet 30 MAD, Film Studios 60 MAD)
- Tips for guides
- Personal expenses
Good to Know
Practical Information
- Pickup time
- 7:30am from your hotel in Marrakech
- Return time
- Between 7pm and 8pm on Day 2
- Physical level
- Easy — uneven terrain at kasbahs, otherwise flat walking
- Extension
- Can extend to a 3-day Zagora or Merzouga tour — contact us
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure
- Payment
- Cash on arrival (EUR, USD or MAD)
Route Map
Tour Itinerary Map
Gallery
Tour Photos
What Our Travelers Say
"Amazing trip — you get to see so many different landscapes. Todgha Gorge was definitely my highlight, with its fresh green valley and cool air even in the heat. The camel ride into the desert was unforgettable, and the camp was very comfortable with great tents and beds."
"Really nice experience, you learn a lot about Berber culture. The Sahara is just magic — the colors and the big dunes are crazy, really something special. Our guide Younes was very friendly and funny, always there when you need him."
"The guides were all wonderful and very knowledgeable. The High Atlas Mountains was a trip highlight for me because of the beautiful views and nice people. I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for an adventure and who likes to meet new people from all around the world."
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Read guide →Ouarzazate 2-Day Tour from Marrakech — FAQ
How far is Ouarzazate from Marrakech and how long does it take to get there?
Ouarzazate is 200 kilometres from Marrakech — around 3.5 to 4 hours by road over the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass at 2,260 metres. The drive is one of the most scenic in Morocco: the road climbs through Berber villages, past red earth kasbahs and snow-capped peaks in winter and spring. We stop at Ait Benhaddou on the way, which adds about an hour. You arrive in Ouarzazate in time for lunch on Day 1.
What movies and TV shows were filmed in Ouarzazate?
Ouarzazate has been used as a filming location since the 1960s. Productions include Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Prince of Persia (2010), and Game of Thrones (the city of Yunkai in seasons 3 and 4). The Atlas Film Studios, one of the largest in the world, are open to visitors and contain standing sets from several of these productions.
Is Ait Benhaddou worth visiting — what is it exactly?
Ait Benhaddou is a UNESCO World Heritage ksar — a fortified Berber village built in traditional earthen architecture on the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech. It is one of the best-preserved examples of southern Moroccan architecture and has been used in more films than any other location in the country, including Gladiator and Game of Thrones. The visit takes about an hour with a local guide. It is unambiguously worth the stop.
Can the Ouarzazate tour be extended to include the Sahara desert?
Yes — Ouarzazate is the gateway to both Zagora and Merzouga. Adding one night turns this into a 3-day tour ending at the Zagora dunes. Adding two nights covers the full Merzouga circuit with a night at Erg Chebbi. This is actually one of the most popular combinations we offer — the 2-day Ouarzazate tour works naturally as the first leg of a desert extension. Contact us with your dates and we will build the combined itinerary.
What is included in the 2-day Ouarzazate tour from Marrakech?
The tour includes return transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking driver-guide for both days, one night in a hotel or guesthouse in Ouarzazate, and visits to Ait Benhaddou kasbah and the Ouarzazate region including Fint oasis and Kasbah Télouet. The Atlas Film Studios visit is optional and can be included on request. Meals and entrance fees are not included unless specified at booking.
2-Day Ouarzazate Tour
Book the Ouarzazate 2-day tour
Private tour, daily departures. Send us your dates and group size.