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The earthen ksar of Aït Benhaddou rising above palm trees and the dry riverbed of the Ounila valley

Discover Ouarzazate

Film studios, earthen kasbahs, palm groves and the start of the road to the dunes. Give it two or three days and use the town as your base for the south.

Photo: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why stay a few days

Nicknamed "Ouallywood" for the studios that have hosted major international productions, Ouarzazate is also the natural starting point for the kasbahs, oases and dunes of southern Morocco. From Residence Chay, most of the town's sights are minutes away.

2 minOuarzazate Airport (OZZ)
3 minTown centre
5 minKasbah Taourirt
10 minAtlas Film Studios
30 to 45 minFint Oasis
35 minAït Ben Haddou (UNESCO)

In and around town

The Egyptian-style Cleopatra palace film set at Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate
10 min by car

How to Visit Atlas Studios, Morocco's Film Studios in Ouarzazate

Egyptian temples, a Tibetan monastery and the streets of Jerusalem, all at the edge of Ouarzazate. How to visit Atlas Studios, what you will see and how long to allow.

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Day trips and the road south

The earthen ksar of Aït Benhaddou rising above palm trees and the dry riverbed of the Ounila valley
Day trips7 min read

Visiting Aït Ben Haddou from Ouarzazate

The UNESCO-listed ksar is 30 km from Ouarzazate. How to get there, when the light is best, what to see at the top and how to combine it with…
A sharp sand-dune ridge in the Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga in evening light
Day trips8 min read

Ouarzazate to Merzouga, the Road to the Sahara Stop by Stop

About 360 km and 6 to 7 hours of driving separate Ouarzazate from the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Here is how to split the road, where to stop and how to…

Activities we can help you arrange

Book your apartment and our team will recommend activities that fit your budget and interests.

  1. Quad, buggy or ATV rides

  2. Desert excursions with a night in a bivouac

  3. A day among the kasbahs and film studios

  4. Day hikes in small groups

  5. Horse riding between kasbahs and palm groves

  6. A walk through the downtown souk

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Table set for dinner on the Sahara dunes
Quad bike excursion near a kasbah outside Ouarzazate
Carpets and crafts in a southern Moroccan souk

Plan your trip

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