Ouarzazate Tours
The town on the south side of the High Atlas where most desert routes break their journey: the Taourirt Kasbah, the film studios and a short drive to Ait Ben Haddou.
Ouarzazate tours stop in a town of about 79,000 people on a plateau south of the High Atlas, at roughly 1,150 metres, on the road from Marrakech to the Draa Valley. Nearly every desert itinerary stops here, for lunch or for the night, and the town has a couple of sights that deserve more than a quick break.
What to see
The Taourirt Kasbah is well preserved and was once the home of Thami El Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakech. It was the fortified residence of the local caïd, the Glaoui family extended it in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and it is built mainly of rammed earth. It is one of the sights worth getting out of the vehicle for.
Morocco’s film town
Ouarzazate is also Morocco’s film centre. Atlas Studios opened in 1983 and is described as one of the largest film studios in the world by area, and a second studio, CLA Studios, followed in 2004. Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, The Mummy and Babel are among the films shot at or around them, and some studios are open to visitors. The earth-built villages nearby have been used as sets for international productions.
Around the town
A large solar power station near the town was connected to the national grid in 2016, and the El Mansour Eddahbi reservoir lies to the east. The town is also the starting point for trips into the Draa Valley and the desert, and the Dades Gorge is not far away. Ait Ben Haddou is a short drive away, so the two are often seen on the same day.
Weather
Ouarzazate has a hot desert climate. Summers are hot and dry, with a recorded high of 44 °C, and winter nights are cold, with icy winds off the High Atlas, an occasional snowfall and a recorded low of minus 7 °C. In summer pack a hat and sun cream, and in winter a fleece for the evening.
Combining it
For a longer stay or a particular kind of hotel, ask us through Customized Trips.
On our routes
Ouarzazate is on the route of the 3 day Erg Chebbi desert tour from Marrakech, the 4 day Erg Chebbi tour, the 2 day Zagora tour and the 5 day nomad desert tour. Our camel treks to Erg Chigaga also pass through it on the way south, and so does the 15 day Grand Morocco tour.