Is Ouarzazate Worth Visiting – All You Need To Know
Is Ouarzazate worth visiting?
As part of our 4 week road trip adventure in Morocco with our kids we visited Ouarzazate. When we take a road trip we like to stop along the way to explore not only the popular tourist stops, but some alternatives ones. On our way from the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in the Sahara Desert to Marrakech we wanted to stop somewhere near the High Atlas Mountains. And Ouarzazate seemed like a great place to spend the night so we added it to our Morocco itinerary. However, once we got there it got us thinking, is Ouarzazate worth visiting?
In our opinion, the city of Ouarzazate itself was pretty lacklustre. Because from a tourist/visitor perspective it’s more of an administrative centre than a tourist destination. Whilst there are some great places to see nearby that are worth visiting, such as the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou, you perhaps won’t want to spend too much time in Ouarzazate city itself. To help you make your decision on whether Ouarzazate is worth visiting we’ve prepared a quick guide to the city and then put together a list of pros and cons.
What is Ouarzazate famous for?
The city of Ouarzazate is famous for being the centre of the film industry in Morocco. It has some of the largest film studios in North Africa, and has been the location for famous movies such as Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Kingdon of Heaven. It also the regular location for the filming of the TV show Game of Thrones.
One of Carl’s favourite movies is Gladiator was filmed at the studios there which is one of the biggest claims to fame of Ouarzazate. It is also the location of some of the filming of the sequel Gladiator Two which is due for release at the end of 2024. As well as movies, it also has some historical sites within 30 minutes drive such as the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou, an oasis as well as a kasbah.
Where is Ouarzazate?
Ouarzazate is nicknamed “the door of the desert” and is the starting point for trips out into the Moroccan desert. It is at the bottom of the High Atlas Mountains and is connected to Marrakech with the Tizi n’Tichka pass. It’s 193km from Marrakech and about a 3.5-hour drive and could be done as a day trip from Marrakech.
Its strategic location on the trade route between the Sahara Desert and Marrakech makes it a perfect place if you’re looking for somewhere to stop en route. We stopped there after we’d visited the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in the Sahara Desert.
Is Ouarzazate Worth Visiting?
It’s helpful to share for us to share our pros and cons of visiting Ouarzazate. Hopefully, this will help you decide if you should visit, or not.
Pros – Is Ouarzazate Worth Visiting
1. It’s near to the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou
30km | 35 minutes | Location: Google Maps
What is the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou
The ksar of Aït Benhaddou is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is famous for being used as a filming location for the movie Gladiator. Gladiator is one of Carl’s favourite movies so were were really keen to head there.
A ksar, is a pre-Saharan town. It’s typically made up of maze-like dwellings crowded together within defensive walls. They use an earthen construction technique for the building work. Inside Ait Benhaddou you’ll find a mosque, a public square, a caravanserai and two cemeteries. All of which date back to the 17th century. What makes this particular ksar so exciting is that it has been so beautifully restored.
Visiting the Ksar of Aït Benhaddou
Once inside you’ll imagine the energy it had during its heyday when it was a key stop on the trade route between Marrakech and Sudan. You can walk around on your own like we did. Along the way you’ll find souvenir shops and art galleries inside the houses, plus quite a few references to Gladiator. If you head to the top of the ksar as it’s worth seeing the agadir (grain store). Because, from there you’ll have incredible views of the surrounding High Atlas Mountains. There are still ongoing restoration works in the ksar, particularly at the agadir. This is to be expected from earth buildings.
The best time of day to visit is either at sunrise or sunset. Sunrise is the best time to go to Aït Benhaddou. That is because there are a lot less people there and you’ll probably have the kasr to yourself. There are plenty of accommodation choices nearby, as well as some great restaurants to try. We drove there from Ouarzazate in the early morning, and then had breakfast at a hotel with a panoramic terrace which was amazing and was one of the best things that we did.
Top tip: The Ksar is free to visit. However, if you want to enter a private house (kasbah) then you should expect to pay a small fee of around 20 dirhams. If you’re not on a guided tour then it’s also possible to hire a local guide.
2. A chance to visit the Atlas Film Studios
4km | 9 minutes | Location: Google Maps
Ouarzazate is famous for its film sets and Atlas Studios is one of the largest film studios in North Africa. It’s been filming location of Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia, Jewel of the Nile, Prince of Persia and Gladiator. We were super keen to see a film set because we’d not been to one before.
The only way to go into the studios is on a guided tour, which lasts about 45 minutes. It was interesting to see the film sets, and to learn more about what films had been filmed on which parts. At one point Cameron, our three-year-old, got a little confused. He thought that he was outdoors when he was actually in one of the film sets. And so when he needed the toilet he had a cheeky pee on one of the fake trees.
You can also visit the specially created Kingdom of Heaven film set. It is a 30-minute walk from the Atlas Film Studios and costs a little extra.
Note: There was another studio called CLA Studios, however, it is now closed.
3. You can explore the Fint Oasis
12km | 45 minutes | Location: Google Maps
This popular spot, as an oasis that covers a wide area dotted with four small villages. Amidst the villages is an oasis lined by palm trees. This is a great place to glimpse how life has unwound in the region for centuries.
Although Fint Oasis is only 12 km away from Ouarzazate, it is a 45-minute drive because of the rough road that takes you there. You can go by car, however, a 4×4 is probably a better option.
Another fun option is to take a quad bike on a guided tour to Fint and back. You’ll ride by the river of Ouarzazate to the desert landscape, going to Fint by quad is a great way to have fun and discover a hidden oasis of Ouarzazate. If you’re not going further into the desert then this is a great place to go to experience an oasis.
Top tip: If you do decide to drive then you should note that the roads are not good. If you go by car then you’ll want to park in the outer village and ask a local to a local to watch your car.
4. You can discover the Kasbah Taourirt
5km | 10 minutes | Location: Google Maps
The imposing Taourirt Kasbah is perhaps one of the most impressive monuments in Morocco. It was built in the 19th century by the el Glaoui clan. It was strategically placed to control the southern caravan route to West Africa. The ancient kasbah created great wealth and influence for the Glaoui clan and has a stunning backdrop of the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains which adds to the atmosphere.
In the 1990’s UNESCO funded a project to restore part of the ancient kasbah. Interestingly, some unrestored areas of the kasbah are still inhabited by local families today. And, the kasbah has appeared in movies including Gladiator and Prince of Persia.
Sadly, we could not go during our time in Ouarzazate because it was damaged by the September 2023 earthquake that struck southern Morocco. The earthquake resulted in cracks and partial collapses in the building and the surrounding historic quarter. Unfortunately, there is a risk of further collapse so they closed it. It would be worth checking before you go to ensure it’s open.
Top tip: Because Taourirt Kasbah is closed, you could visit the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs instead. One of the best to visit there is Telouet Kasbah.
Cons – Is Ouarzazate Worth Visiting
1. Not much to see in the centre of Ouarzazate
When we arrived in Ouarzazate city, we weren’t prepared for how much of an administrative centre it was. For instance, there are lots of concrete block-style buildings in the centre of Ouarzazate, which means there isn’t really anything there to see. It’s not really somewhere, in our opinion, that you’d want to spend much time. There wasn’t much in the way of entertainment in the evening, and the restaurant options were a little underwhelming.
2. Distance to travel to Aït Benhaddou to make sunrise
A lot of people stay in Ouarzazate because there are lots of affordable hotels to choose from and it’s pretty central to quite a variety of attractions. However, if you’re keen to see Aït Benhaddou at sunrise then we’d highly recommend that you spend the night there.
In hindsight, we wished that we had as it was hard work getting ourselves and the kids up that early to then drive them from Ouarzazate to Aït Benhaddou. There are several different hotels and riads that you can stay at, and while they’re a little more expensive, it’s definitely worth the extra cost. There are some great places to eat at Aït Benhaddou, so you can make an evening of it.
3. It’s a long drive from Marrakech for a day trip
193km | 3.5 hours | Location: Google Maps
If you’re thinking of a day trip from Marrakech then it’s perhaps a bit of a trek to go, considering it’s around a 7-hour round trip. Whilst we both agreed that the ksar of Aït Benhaddou was one of the best places we visited on our way from Merzouga to Marrakech, we weren’t sure that we’d recommend it for a day trip because the Atlas Studios and other attractions were only average.
FAQ’s – Is Ouarzazate Worth Visiting?
Between Marrakech and Ouarzazate city there is a very scenic drive called the Tizi n’Tichka which we loved! This winding road goes up through the High Atlas Mountains and takes in some amazing panoramic views whilst birds soar high above you. To do the journey you’ll ideally want to take a grand taxi or guided tour, because there isn’t any public transportation to get you to the main attractions such as Fint Oasis.
Ouazazate city has a good selection of luxury hotels, such as Hotel Le Temple Des Arts, where the actors who are filming at the Atlas Studios go to stay. On the other end of the scale it has some great budget options, which is why we chose to stay there. In hindsight, as we previously mentioned, we wished that we’d stay at Ait Benhaddou instead.
Although we can never promise that a country is “safe”, in our opinion and based on our experience, Morocco is a very safe country. The people of Morocco are very peace-minded and friendly which makes it a great place to visit as a family.
Final Thoughts – Is Ouarzazate Worth Visiting?
A bit of a difficult one – is Ouarzazate worthing visiting? Yes, if you’re driving past on your way from Merzouga/Tinghir back to Marrakech because for us, the ksar of Aït Benhaddou specifically made it worth it for us. If you are staying the night, then we’d highly recommend that you spend the night at Aït Benhaddou as its got some great hotels and fantastic restaurants to enjoy.
If you’re thinking about. day trip from Marrakech then we’d probably not suggest visiting Ouarzazate, simply because of the 7 hour round trip travel time. There are lots of other cool things that you can do as a day trip instead such as Agafay Desert, or Essaouira.
