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The earthen towers of Ouarzazate under a wide southern sky

Draa-Tafilalet

Ouarzazate

The junction town where the Atlas, the Draa and the desert road meet.

Best time to visit
March to May and September to November.
Ideal for
Film lovers, road trips, kasbah architecture, desert gateways
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Introduction

Ouarzazate grew as a garrison town and then as the centre of Morocco's film industry, and it is honest about being both. It is modern, low-rise and functional, with wide streets and a great deal of sky.

Its value to a traveller is threefold: the Taourirt Kasbah, once a stronghold of the powerful Glaoui family; the film studios and standing sets on the edge of town; and its position as the junction between the High Atlas, the Draa Valley heading south, and the road east towards the Sahara.

Why visit

  • 01

    The Taourirt Kasbah is one of the largest and best-preserved kasbahs in Morocco.

  • 02

    Atlas Studios and CLA Studios have hosted dozens of major international productions, and the sets are visitable.

  • 03

    It is the natural base for the Draa Valley, the Fint Oasis and the road towards the dunes.

Things to see

  • The Taourirt Kasbah and its painted upper rooms
  • Atlas Studios and the standing sets
  • The Fint Oasis, south of town
  • The Draa Valley and its palm groves
  • The El Mansour Eddahbi reservoir

Things to do

  • Tour the film studios and the sets left standing
  • Explore the Taourirt Kasbah room by room
  • Drive out to the Fint Oasis for lunch
  • Follow the Draa Valley south past its chain of ksour
  • Use the town as a base for Ait Ben Haddou at sunrise

Local experiences

  • Standing inside a set you recognise from a film
  • The painted ceilings of the Glaoui rooms in the kasbah
  • Lunch under palms at Fint, with bare mountains all around
  • The wide southern light that made this a film town in the first place

Food

Food

Ouarzazate eats well and simply: grilled meats, tagines with local vegetables, and the pastries and dates of the south. Because it is a working film town, there is a wider range of restaurants here than anywhere else between Marrakech and Merzouga.

Culture

Culture

This is Amazigh country. The Glaoui family controlled the passes and the trade through here until Moroccan independence, and the kasbah reflects that power. Since the 1980s film production has become the other pillar of the local economy, and a great many residents have worked on a set at some point.

Best highlights

  • 01

    Taourirt Kasbah

  • 02

    Atlas Studios

  • 03

    Fint Oasis

  • 04

    The gateway to the Draa Valley

Popular Destinations

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Our Experiences

Experiences that include this destination

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Desert vehicles overlooking the Merzouga dunes6 Days

6-Day Morocco Desert Tour from Marrakech

A measured desert circuit with separate nights in Ouarzazate and Dades, a full day around Erg Chebbi and a return through the Draa Valley.

Textile stalls in Ait Ben Haddou5 Days

5-Day Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert

Travel from Marrakech to the dunes with time for Khamlia and the Merzouga oasis, then return through the southern valleys and High Atlas.

Covered market lane in the Fes medina5 Days

5-Day Tour from Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga

Break the Atlas and kasbah journey into two days, spend a full day around Erg Chebbi and finish in Fes via the Ziz Valley and Middle Atlas.

Amazigh village beneath the Atlas peaks4 Days

4-Day Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga Desert

A four-day private loop pairing Ait Ben Haddou and Todra Gorge with a Sahara camp night, returning through the Draa Valley and Ouarzazate.

Town square and earthen buildings in Ouarzazate2 Days

2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech

Cross the Atlas for a short Draa Valley and Zagora desert-edge experience, returning through Ait Ben Haddou. Both days involve substantial driving.

Sunlit passage between the earthen walls of Ait Ben Haddou2 Days

2-Day Excursion Marrakech to Ouarzazate

A two-day escape over the High Atlas with time for Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate’s kasbah and cinema heritage, before returning to Marrakech.

Desert camp beside the Erg Chebbi dunes6 Days

6-Day Sahara Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech

Travel through Fes to Erg Chebbi, then follow Todra Gorge and Dades to Marrakech, with city days at both ends of the desert crossing.

Road through the Ziz Valley near Errachidia5 Days

5-Day Desert Crossing from Casablanca to Marrakech

A direct desert crossing through Fes, Merzouga and Ait Ben Haddou, ending with a full day in Marrakech. Early starts keep the road stages workable.

Palm-lined boulevard in Casablanca8 Days

8-Day Imperial Cities and Sahara Circuit from Casablanca

A complete loop from the Atlantic capitals through Fes and the Sahara to Marrakech, combining imperial heritage, valley walks and a dune camp stay.

Rabat10 Days

10-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca

Link Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech with an Atlantic finish via Essaouira, Safi and El Jadida on a broad ten-day circuit.

Fortified earthen architecture at Ait Ben Haddou8 Days

8-Day Atlas and Desert Valleys Tour from Casablanca

Reach the southern valleys through Marrakech, stay two nights in Dades and return from Erg Chebbi through the Draa Valley and Ouarzazate.

Marrakech rooftops and Koutoubia at sunset3 Days

3-Day Fes to Marrakech Sahara Crossing

An active three-day journey through the Ziz Valley, Merzouga, Todra Gorge and Ait Ben Haddou, finishing across the High Atlas in Marrakech.

Textile stalls in Ait Ben Haddou4 Days

4-Day Fes to Marrakech via Erg Chebbi

Add a full day around Erg Chebbi to the Fes-to-Marrakech crossing, with time for oasis villages and local music.

Ziz palm oasis through a stone arch5 Days

5-Day Fes to Marrakech via the Middle Atlas and Sahara

Stay in the Middle Atlas before reaching the Sahara, then continue through southern gorges and kasbah landscapes to Marrakech.

Snow-covered Atlas mountain peaks10 Days

10-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Fes

Circle through the Sahara, Marrakech and Essaouira, returning through Rabat and Chefchaouen for a varied cultural and landscape journey.

Sunset above the dunes near Merzouga6 Days

6-Day Sahara Crossing from Tangier to Marrakech

Journey from the Rif to Erg Chebbi and spend a full day in the desert region before the southern-valley crossing to Marrakech.

Film studio architecture in Ouarzazate8 Days

8-Day Morocco Discovery from Tangier to Marrakech

Balance dedicated days in Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakech with the Sahara crossing and southern Morocco’s kasbah landscapes.

Essaouira10 Days

10-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Tangier to Casablanca

Cross Morocco from Tangier to the Sahara, continue to Marrakech and finish along the Atlantic through Essaouira and El Jadida.

Ait Ben Haddou framed by an earthen doorway4 Days

4-Day Errachidia to Marrakech via the Sahara

Start with the Ziz Valley and Erg Chebbi, then head west through Todra Gorge, Dades and Ait Ben Haddou to Marrakech.

Historic earthen kasbah in Ouarzazate2 Days

2-Day Draa Valley and Zagora Tour from Ouarzazate

A short southern loop through Agdz and the Draa palm groves, with an overnight near Zagora and a visit to Tamgroute.

Sunlit passage between the earthen walls of Ait Ben Haddou2 Days

2-Day Kasbah Route from Ouarzazate to Marrakech

Explore Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate’s architecture and cinema heritage before crossing the High Atlas to Marrakech.

Painted interior details in Ouarzazate3 Days

3-Day Dades and Skoura Tour from Ouarzazate

Stay two nights in Dades for local walks and viewpoints, visiting Skoura and the Valley of Roses on the outward and return routes.

Camel caravan beneath a Sahara sunset3 Days

3-Day Merzouga Desert Tour from Ouarzazate

Travel through Todra Gorge to Erg Chebbi, explore the desert for a full day and return along the southern Draa route.

Koutoubia gardens in Marrakech4 Days

4-Day Sahara Journey from Ouarzazate to Marrakech

Link Ouarzazate with Erg Chebbi and Dades, finishing across the High Atlas in Marrakech after four contrasting travel days.

Fes medina and traditional tanneries4 Days

4-Day Ouarzazate to Fes via Merzouga

Break the journey to Erg Chebbi in Dades, enjoy a full day near the dunes and travel north through the Ziz Valley to Fes.

Camels crossing the Erg Chebbi dunes5 Days

5-Day Southern Valleys Circuit from Ouarzazate

Give both Dades and Erg Chebbi a full exploration day before returning through Rissani and the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate.

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The earthen towers of Ouarzazate under a wide southern sky

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