Explorer Ouarzazate, Aït Benhaddou et la vallée du Draa avec style — visites guidées des kasbahs UNESCO, lodges désertiques de luxe, visites des studios de cinéma et excursions vers le Sahara.
Ouarzazate: Where the Desert Begins
Ouarzazate — locals and film crews call it "Warzazat" — sits at 1,160 m on the southern slope of the High Atlas, at the precise point where the mountains give way to the desert. It is the gateway to the Sahara, the heart of the Draa Valley date-palm oasis, and Morocco's most important film production hub.
Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Game of Thrones, The Mummy, Babel, Prince of Persia — all filmed in and around Ouarzazate. The CLA Studios are the largest film studios in Africa.
Why Visit Ouarzazate
Aït Benhaddou (UNESCO): 9 km from Ouarzazate, this ksar (fortified village) is one of the finest examples of pre-Saharan earthen architecture in the world. Fifteen families still live inside. Used in more than 20 major productions. Private guide, no queues, best visited at dawn when the light turns the pisé walls gold.
Taourirt Kasbah: An 18th-century kasbah in Ouarzazate town, restored by UNESCO. Former residence of the Glaoui pashas. Private access to rooms not open to the public.
CLA Film Studios: Private tour of the working studios — recognising sets from productions you know. Costume and prop warehouses, backlot desert villages, the Atlas Corporation's remarkable collection of film relics.
Draa Valley: From Ouarzazate south to Zagora — 200 km of the world's longest date palm oasis. 2 million palm trees flanking the Draa River. Mud-brick fortified granaries (agadirs) rising from the palms. Nomadic Berber camps. Some of Morocco's finest private lodges are located here.
Getting to Ouarzazate
Helicopter from Marrakech: 45 minutes. The view crossing the Atlas at altitude is extraordinary.
Private chauffeur from Marrakech: 3h30 via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m) — one of the great mountain road drives in the world.
Charter flight: Ouarzazate Airport (OZZ) can receive light aircraft. Arrange via our aviation team.
Where to Stay
Several luxury desert lodges with pool, hammam and a south-facing terrace from which the Saharan sky at night is the finest free show in Morocco.