Starting from Marrakech, enjoy the beautiful scenery and impressive panoramic views from the High Atlas Mountains. The 1st stop will be the summit of Tizi n’Tichka located at 2260m altitude.
The 2nd stop will be the Kasbah of Télouet. Kasbah recognized by its strategic position in the High Atlas. Then, you reach the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou. A fortified village that offers a fascinating panorama of ancient mud houses. This site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been used, in particular, for the shooting of several famous films such as Asterix and Obelix: Cleopatra Mission, Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator… Lunch at the kasbah.
The 3rd stop will be the city of Ouarzazate. You will explore its innumerable adobe kasbahs, its arid mountains and plains, its green valleys and oases and its innumerable palm groves. You will also enjoy a visit to the cinema museum and one of the most beautiful Kasbahs in the region: The Kasbah of Taourirt… Return to Marrakech scheduled at 7pm.
description of places to visit :
Ouarzazate – Discover Moroccan culture up close and personal
The small town of Ouarzazate with its 50-100,000 inhabitants is also the capital of the province of the same name and is located relatively in the centre of Morocco at an altitude of 1160 m between the two mountain ranges of the Atlas Mountains. Close to the city is the El Mansour Eddahbi reservoir, which is fed by the Dades River and in turn lets its water flow into the Wadi Draa. The Draa in turn flows through a very impressive gorge in the Sahara.
The picturesque location and the presence of cultural treasures such as the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or the Kasbah Taourirt, one of the most beautiful kasbahs in the country, as well as the well-known film studios near the city, make Ouarzazate a magnet for visitors. In addition, the picturesque desert invites for excursions and the city’s local markets are also worth a visit.
The famous film studios of Ouarzazate
There are several film studios around Ouarzazate, such as Studios Atlas Corporation, which was founded in 1983 by the hotelier Mohamed Belghmi. In the past, many biblical and monumental films were shot here, including “The Bible – Joseph”, “The Pope”, “The Video of Jesus” or “Gladiator”.
A good 30 kilometres west of Ouarzazate you will also find the Kasbah Aït Benhaddou, which is also known as the location of the film “Lawrence of Arabia”. The numerous film studios make Ouarzazate the centre of Moroccan film production, familiarly the city is often called “Mollywood”. Even the desert scenes from the first Star Wars film were shot around Ouarzazate. Part of the very popular television series “Game of Thrones” is also produced here in the studios of Ouarzazate. A visit to the studios is well worthwhile for visitors, and can be booked cheaply on the spot.
Other destinations around Ouarzazate
South of Ouarzazate is the town of M’Hamid El Ghizlane, from where you can make great excursions to the Sahara.
There are many other interesting excursion destinations around Ouarzazate. The dry Dades Valley stretches northeast to Boumalne, along the route you will find many beautiful kasbahs and villages, such as Tidrheste or Tiflit. There you will find many traditional Berber Pisee buildings. Before venturing into the villages, a refreshing stop at the palm grove of Skoura is worth the detour. Here you can cool off on hot days.
Behind the village of Tinghir, you finally reach the beautiful Todra Gorge, which is getting narrower and narrower as its rocky walls become steeper and steeper, reaching a height of up to 300 metres. Depending on the position of the sun, the rocks in the Todra Gorge change colour from pink to red, orange and even purple. Finally, at the end of the gorges, one reaches the village of Boumalne by a road that can be described as a slope.
South of Boumalne, it is worth visiting Jebel Sahro, the valley of birds. Here you will find more than 150 different species of birds. From the Tizi-n-Tazazert pass above the valley, you can get a breathtaking panoramic view of the valley of birds at more than 2260 meters. If you continue to follow the Dades Valley, you will finally reach El Kelaât M’Gouna in the Valley of the Roses. The famous rose water is produced here. Every year, the Rose Festival is celebrated three days a month throughout the region.
The Drâa Valley lies south of Ouarazate, which has enough water over a length of 200 kilometres to irrigate a narrow oasis in the middle of the desert. Dates and henna bushes grow here. You will also find the Ksar von Tissergate, a museum of Berber tradition and folk art. As a visitor, you will be able to admire many objects and products of everyday Berber craftsmanship.
Even further south of Ouarazazate, you will find the village of M’Hamid El Ghizlane, which serves as a starting point for excursions into the Sahara. To the west of M’Hamid El Ghizlane you reach the Chigaga dunes, which are about 40 kilometres long, the highest dunes are up to 150 metres high.
