Private day trip
Day Trip From Marrakech to Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou
A private day over the High Atlas to the edge of the Sahara. The Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 metres, the fortified earthen city of Aït Ben Haddou — UNESCO listed, and the backdrop to Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones — and the studios and kasbahs of Ouarzazate.
- Duration
- Full day
- From
- €150 per vehicle
- Starts
- Marrakech
- Ends
- Marrakech
A starting price for one comfortable 4x4 carrying up to 4 people — not per person. What you finally pay depends on your dates, the accommodation you choose and any changes you make to the route.
This is the desert road, done in a day. You cross the same Atlas pass as our three-day Merzouga tour and reach the same kasbah country; you simply turn round at Ouarzazate instead of carrying on east to the dunes.
It is a lot of driving for one day — around eight hours in total — and we say that plainly. If the Sahara is what you actually want, put two more days into it and go all the way.
Trip highlights
- The Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest road in North Africa
- Aït Ben Haddou: climbing the ksar to the granary at the top
- The film locations, from Lawrence of Arabia to Game of Thrones
- The Taourirt kasbah, once the Glaoui family's stronghold
- Atlas Film Studios at Ouarzazate, if you want to go in
- Argan cooperative and mountain viewpoints on the return
How the day runs
-
7:30
Marrakech → Tizi n'Tichka pass
An early pick-up, because the day is long and the light at the pass is best in the morning. The road climbs steadily through walnut and almond terraces and Berber villages built into the hillsides, reaching 2,260 metres at the summit — a proper viewpoint stop, and usually a good deal colder than Marrakech was an hour earlier.
-
10:00
Aït Ben Haddou
Across the riverbed on foot and up through the ksar: a whole fortified village of packed earth, stacked on a hillside above the Ounila river, inhabited since the eleventh century and still home to a handful of families. The climb to the granary at the top takes about twenty minutes and gives you the entire valley. A local guide can be arranged at the entrance and is worth it here.
-
12:30
Ouarzazate: kasbah, studios and lunch
Lunch in Ouarzazate, then the Taourirt kasbah — the Glaoui seat, a warren of rooms and painted ceilings — and, if you want it, the Atlas Film Studios, where the standing sets from a hundred productions sit out in the desert. Entrance is not included and the visit takes about an hour, so decide in the morning and we will pace the day for it.
-
15:00
Ouarzazate → Marrakech
Back over the Atlas with a stop at an argan cooperative and at the viewpoints on the northern descent, arriving in Marrakech around 7pm.
What is and is not included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle, fuel, tolls and driver
- English- or French-speaking driver-guide
- Pick-up and drop-off at your Marrakech accommodation
Not included
- Lunch and drinks
- Local guide at Aït Ben Haddou (around 150 MAD per group)
- Entrance to the Taourirt kasbah and Atlas Film Studios
- Tips and personal expenses
Good to know
Is this too much driving for one day?
It is around eight hours of driving for about five hours on the ground. Plenty of guests are happy with that because the road itself is the scenery, but if you are sensitive to long car days, consider the two-day Zagora trip or the three-day Merzouga tour instead — they cover this same ground with a night in between.
Can we visit the film studios?
Yes, at Ouarzazate. It is a real working backlot rather than a theme park, entrance is about 80 MAD and the guided walk takes an hour. Tell your driver at the start of the day so the timings allow for it.
Do people still live in Aït Ben Haddou?
A few families, yes — most of the village moved to the modern settlement across the river decades ago, but the ksar is not an empty museum. Please treat the inhabited houses as homes rather than sets.
What is the pass like in winter?
Tizi n'Tichka can get snow between December and February and very occasionally closes for a few hours. It is cleared quickly. We watch the forecast and will call you the night before if there is any doubt.
Worth reading before you go
Ready to see the Sahara?
Send us your dates and we will tailor this Full day tour to you — no obligation, and a real reply from a local team.
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