Daily One Day Excursion From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou kasbah and Ouarzazate

The Daily Day excursion From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou Overview:

On our day trip to Ouarzazate, we will also visit the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, one of the largest and best-preserved kasbahs in Morocco. This Kasbah has been declared a World Heritage Site and several famous films were filmed, such as “Lawrence of Arabia” or “Babylon”. After visiting Ouarzazate and its surroundings, we will return to Marrakech at sunset.

The aim of our day trip to Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah is to introduce you to the vibrant diversity of Moroccan culture. Morocco is unique in that it mixes urban and natural.

* Cross the impressive Tizi N’ticka pass
* Enjoy the beautiful high atlas mountains
* Authentic Berber villages
* Amazing panoramic views
* Famous Unesco heritage site of Ait ben Haddou kasbah
* Oscar Atlas studio in Ouarzazate
* Taourirt kasbah

Best Daily Day Excursion From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah:

A Daily day Excursion from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou is a wonderful plan to spend the day out of the big city. The trip starts at 08:00 when your driver knocks on the door of the riad you’re staying in. Usually, the alleys are too small for the car to reach the depths of the Medina.

Once you’re in the car, you can put on music of your choice with a USB thumb or an AUX cord, or just enjoy the random playlists specific to each driver. After a dozen of kilometers, as you start to go up at the beginning of the mountain chain, you start to notice a couple of Berber villages perched in the mountains in an astonishing camouflage making them one with nature.

villagers are usually self-sufficient, they rely on agriculture and livestock, and maybe sell a sheep or a goat at the weekly market to buy tea, sugar, clothes, and pay the electricity bills. The land provides wheat, a variety of vegetables, fruits, and oils. The livestock provides meat. People consume only sick or weak animals that will not survive unless it is a really special occasion, a dear guest or a religious ceremony.

A little stop at one of the many terraces to stretch your legs and maybe grab a cup of coffee to fully wake up, then continue the road crossing the Tizi n Tichka Pass (2160m) of the High Atlas to reach the ancient village of Ait Benhaddou. You will probably hear the name “Ksar” often, it has two meanings in Morocco; 1: A great and luxurious palace or an assembly of Kasbahs usually surrounded by a protective wall which is the case here in Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

The fortified village was declared among Morocco’s eight world heritage sites by Unesco and it is well preserved. The ksar is situated in the Ounila Valley. Aït Benhaddou Was a station for the caravans in old times, transporting gold, silver, salt, spices and slaves from the depths of the African Sahara across Morocco and to Europe.

The merchants either exchange their goods here and return, or pause and rest before continuing their trip to Marrakech. The salty mines are still active in the area and you could notice salt on the sides of the oil river before reaching the village.

The day trip continues… Off to Ouarzazate

Ait Benhaddou is even more famous for being a backdrop for many Hollywood movies, scenes of the mighty Russel Crowe playing the Gladiator were shot in the village, and Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy also used the Ksar as a background for many scenes. Welles used it as a location for Sodome And Gomorrah, and for Jesus of Nazareth.

The scene where Daenerys Targarian was entering the Sand village (with two pyramids at the top) was also shot at the doors of Ait Benhaddou, once there, you will get the chance to see a couple of pictures of the live shootings that took place there. And at the top of the hill, you will appreciate a wonderful view of the whole valley.

You will spend two hours in Ait Benhaddou, one for exploring the village and sites, and an hour to enjoy a good meal on a terrace with clear views of the Kasbahs. After leaving Ait Benhaddou, We will head to Ouarzazate, a city at 30 km from the site of Ait Benhaddou and equally famous in the filmmaking industry as there are two major studios in the city and a huge museum of cinematographic art.

The name “Ouarzazate” is a Berber combination of two words, meaning noiseless and peaceful.

* Lunch
* Drinks
* Entry to monuments (optional)

1-Day Trip From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou on The Map:

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Everyday Excursion From Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou
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