Ait Benhaddou & Ouarzazate Day Trip from Marrakech

After having breakfast in your Riad/hotel in Marrakech, your private driver/guide will pick you up from your accommodation at 07h30 am max. You will drive through the fertile plain with its olive orchards, fancy villas before reaching the High-Atlas Mountains standing like a wall and dividing into two entities. The first part of the mountains is lush with forests and national park. The views are breathtaking with snow-capped mountains in the winter offering a great opportunity for taking nice shots.

We may want to include a shot break in a local Argan Cooperative, which is run by women and offering the possibility to learn about this Golden Oil. The Argan Trees are, in fact, grown in the south western part of Marrakech and it is unique to Morocco. The girls will share with you how the process of extracting Argan Kernels and turning them into products for cosmetics, lotions and creams.

You will then cross the impressive Tizi n’Tichka Pass (2260 m) before arriving in the dramatic Ait Benhaddou Village. You can explore this UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site on your own or you can hire a local tour guide for more in-depth knowledge. Ait Benhaddou Village consists of many Kasbahs (fortresses), which are a striking example of the southern architecture with its high-walls, small windows and doors. It goes back to the 11th century and played a major role as an important commercial center in the former caravan route connecting Marrakech to the Sahara.

You will learn how Ait Benhaddou has been famous worldwide thanks to the Hollywood Movies that have been shot in the site such as Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Prince of Persia, Sahara, Kingdom of Heaven and many others. Continue on the track to Ouarzazate where you may want to include a visit to the Atlas Film Studios along with taking pictures by the Taourirt Kasbah, which is located in the heart of the city. Drive back to Marrakech in the late afternoon through the High-Atlas Mountains.