CLA Studios Ouarzazate: Visiting the Kingdom of Heaven Film Studio
Ouarzazate's second film studio sits on the Marrakech road, a short drive past Atlas Studios. Who built it, what you can see, which productions used it and whether it is worth a stop.
CLA Studios Ouarzazate is the town's second big film studio, a working production base on the road to Marrakech, about 2 km further west than the better known Atlas Studios. It was created in 2004 and is best known for the huge Crusader fortress set built for Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. Visitors can usually see part of the site for a small fee, but it is a quieter, rougher and less organised experience than Atlas. This guide explains what CLA is, how to get there, what you can realistically expect to see and how it compares with its neighbour.
What CLA Studios is, and who built it
CLA Studios was set up in 2004 as a partnership between the Italian studio Cinecittà, the producer Dino De Laurentiis and the Moroccan investor Saïd Alj. The company's head office is in Casablanca, while the studio itself, with its offices, workshops, storage and outdoor sets, is in Ouarzazate. Local tourism listings give January 2005 as the official inauguration, which fits with a project started in 2004.
The timing matters. Kingdom of Heaven was shot around Ouarzazate in 2004 and released in 2005, and its fortress set is the one most closely associated with CLA today. A 2017 feature in AramcoWorld on Ouarzazate's film industry reported that CLA and Atlas had come under common ownership with a single general manager, so the two sites now often work as parts of the same studio offer rather than as rivals.
Like Atlas, CLA is first and foremost a place of work. Feature films, television series, commercials and regional productions rent its sets, crews and storage. Tourism is a side activity, which explains both the low entry price and the fact that you may arrive to find part of the site closed.
Where CLA Studios is, and how to get there
CLA sits on the north side of the main road west of Ouarzazate, the stretch that carries both the N9 towards Marrakech and the N10 towards Agadir. Drive out of town past Atlas Studios with its Egyptian statues, and CLA's own gate appears roughly 2 km further on. It is easy to recognise: a long ochre arch with "CLA STUDIOS" in large letters and a painted pharaoh's head in front of it.
| From | Approximate distance | Approximate time by car |
|---|---|---|
| Ouarzazate town centre | about 10 km | about 15 minutes |
| Atlas Studios | about 2 km | a few minutes |
| Aït Ben Haddou | about 20 km | about 25 minutes |
Distances are measured along the main road and are rounded. The options to get there are the same as for Atlas:
- By car: the simplest way, with space to park in front of the gate. If you are hiring a car for the region, our guide to car rental and driving from Ouarzazate covers the roads and fuel stops.
- By petit taxi: possible from town, but CLA is at the edge of the urban area. Agree the fare before you leave and arrange for the driver to wait or come back, because empty taxis do not pass often. See our guide to taxis and buses in Ouarzazate for how fares work.
- On foot: not realistic from the centre. The road is busy, the shoulders are dusty and there is little shade.
- With a driver: the easiest way to combine CLA, Atlas and Aït Ben Haddou in one outing, since all three are on the same side of town.
Can you visit CLA Studios?
Yes, in most cases. CLA admits visitors to part of its site, and many travellers stop on their way to or from Aït Ben Haddou. What you should not expect is the polished, timetabled tour that Atlas Studios runs. Visits at CLA are informal: you pay at the gate, and a member of staff or a guard usually walks you round the sets that are open that day.
A few things are worth knowing before you go:
- Entry fee: visitor reports from recent years mention different amounts, all clearly cheaper than Atlas. We do not quote a figure because it changes and is not published officially. Bring small notes in dirhams and confirm the price at the entrance.
- Opening times: there is no reliable published schedule. Daytime visits are the norm, often with a break in the middle of the day. Go in the morning or mid afternoon, and ask at your accommodation the day before whether a shoot is under way.
- Filming: when a production is on site, some or all sets can be closed to visitors. This is the main reason travellers sometimes find the gate shut.
- Guiding: explanations are often short and given in French, Arabic and some English. A small tip is customary if someone shows you round.
- Booking: there is no online booking for individual visits. Just turn up.
If seeing the sets is the main goal of your trip, the safest plan is to visit Atlas first and treat CLA as a bonus if it is open. Our guide to visiting Atlas Studios explains how its guided tours run.
What you can see at CLA Studios
CLA is smaller and plainer than Atlas, and the sets are working decor, not museum pieces. Paint peels, plaster cracks and wood shows through where scenery has been moved or repaired. Some visitors find that disappointing; film enthusiasts tend to enjoy seeing how sets are really built and reused.
The entrance and studio buildings
The gate with its pharaoh head and the ochre buildings behind it, with stylised lion statues and offices, are what most people photograph. The buildings themselves house production offices, workshops, dressing rooms and storage, and are not usually open to visitors.
The Kingdom of Heaven fortress
The real reason to come is the large Crusader castle set built for Kingdom of Heaven. It stands out in the stony desert behind the studio buildings and is the biggest single set in the Ouarzazate area: a long curtain wall with towers and a gatehouse, designed to look like solid stone from a distance. Walking along its base gives a sense of the scale that a big historical production needs, and the views back to the High Atlas on a clear day are excellent.
The fortress has been reused since 2005. In 2023, Gladiator II shot its North African coastal city scenes on the old Kingdom of Heaven set, with the front wall extended and a harbour added for the ships. Whether you can get out to the fortress on a given day depends on the staff and on filming, so ask when you pay.
Other exterior sets
Local listings describe other outdoor sets on the site, including Middle Eastern streets and a replica of part of Jerusalem, used for biblical films and television series. What is standing at any one time changes: sets are repainted, rebuilt or removed as productions come and go.
Films and series linked to CLA Studios
Studio credits in Ouarzazate are easy to get wrong. Many films are shot partly at a studio and partly on location, sets are borrowed between companies, and tour guides tend to mention every famous title shot anywhere near town. The table below separates what is well documented from what is only commonly claimed.
| Production | Link with CLA | How solid is it |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Heaven (Ridley Scott, 2005) | The large Crusader fortress set behind the studio was built for it | Well documented by several sources |
| Gladiator II (Ridley Scott, 2024) | The old Kingdom of Heaven fortress was enlarged for its North African coastal city | Widely reported in coverage of the shoot |
| Game of Thrones (HBO) | Listed among CLA's productions; the fortress is often called a Game of Thrones set | Listed, but most of the series' Ouarzazate scenes are credited to Atlas Studios and Aït Ben Haddou |
| Biblical films and series | Use of the Jerusalem and Middle Eastern street sets | Commonly reported, titles vary |
| Gladiator (2000), The Mummy (1999) | Often named by guides | Both were shot around Ouarzazate before CLA was founded in 2004, so treat them as part of the area's history rather than CLA credits |
If you want the bigger picture, our guide to film and series locations around Ouarzazate covers the kasbahs, valleys and desert sites that appear on screen, and the Ouarzazate cinema museum displays props, cameras and costumes in a short indoor visit.
CLA Studios vs Atlas Studios
This is the question most visitors ask, and the honest answer is that they serve different people. Atlas is the complete, easy visit; CLA is the quieter extra for those who want more.
| Atlas Studios | CLA Studios | |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | 1983 | 2004 |
| Location | Marrakech road, western edge of town | Same road, about 2 km further west |
| Visit format | Scheduled guided tours, several languages | Informal visit, usually with a staff member |
| Entry fee | Higher ticket, published at the entrance | Lower fee, confirm at the gate |
| Signature sets | Egyptian temples, Tibetan monastery, Jerusalem streets | Kingdom of Heaven Crusader fortress |
| Crowds | Busy with tour groups at peak times | Usually very quiet |
| Time on site | about 1.5 to 2 hours | about 30 minutes to 1 hour |
| Best for | First time visitors, families, a single studio stop | Film enthusiasts, repeat visitors, photographers |
If you only have time for one, choose Atlas. If you have a car and an extra hour, add CLA on the same trip: the gates are so close that the detour costs almost nothing.
Planning your visit
When to go
Everything at CLA is outdoors and there is almost no shade, especially out at the fortress. From late spring to early autumn, go early in the morning or later in the afternoon and carry water. In winter, midday is comfortable but the wind can be cold. Our guide to the best time to visit Ouarzazate explains the seasons in detail.
How to combine it
The most efficient half day is a simple line along the road west: Atlas Studios first, CLA a few minutes later, then on to the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou for the late afternoon light. Our guide to visiting Aït Ben Haddou from Ouarzazate covers the river crossing and the climb to the granary. On the way back, you will pass both studios again, so if CLA was closed in the morning you can try a second time.
Practical tips
- Carry cash: small dirham notes for the fee and a tip.
- Wear closed shoes: the ground around the sets is stony and uneven.
- Do not climb on the sets: they are plaster, foam and timber built to be filmed, not to carry weight.
- Ask before photographing crews: if a production is working, follow staff instructions.
- Watch Kingdom of Heaven beforehand: recognising the walls makes the visit far more interesting.
Using Ouarzazate as your base
Both studios, the cinema museum, Kasbah Taourirt and Aït Ben Haddou are all within about 30 minutes of each other, which is why most film fans spend at least two nights in town rather than passing through. Residence Chay is in a calm residential district about 2 minutes from the airport and 3 minutes from the centre, roughly 15 minutes from CLA by car, with free guarded parking and a reception that can help arrange a driver for the studios and the ksar. See our location page for directions and distances.
Questions travellers ask
Is CLA Studios the same as Atlas Studios?
No. They are two separate studio sites on the same road west of Ouarzazate. Atlas Studios opened in 1983; CLA Studios was created in 2004 and lies a little further west, about 2 km beyond the Atlas gate.
Can tourists visit CLA Studios?
Yes, visitors are generally admitted to see some of the outdoor sets for a modest entry fee, usually with a member of staff. Access depends on filming, so areas can be closed at short notice.
How much does it cost to visit CLA Studios?
Recent visitor reports quote different amounts, all well below the Atlas Studios ticket. Because the fee changes and is not published officially, bring cash in dirhams and confirm the price at the gate.
Was Game of Thrones filmed at CLA Studios?
Game of Thrones is listed among the productions that used CLA, and its fortress set is often described as a Game of Thrones location. Most of the series' Ouarzazate work is credited to Atlas Studios and to Aït Ben Haddou.
How long should I plan for CLA Studios?
Allow 30 minutes to an hour on site, more if you are allowed out to the large fortress set. Add about 15 minutes each way by car from the town centre.
