Marrakech Day Trip to Ait Benhaddou Kasbah
What to Expect
A day trip from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou Kasbah is a wonderful plan to spend the day out of the big city. The trip starts at 08:00 when your driver knocks on the door of the riad you're staying in. Usually the alleys are too small for the car to reach the depths of the Medina. Once you're in the car, you can put on music of your choice with a USB thumb or an AUX cord, or just enjoy the random playlists specific to each driver.
After a dozen of kilometers, as you start to go up at the beginning of the mountain chain, you start to notice a couple of Berber villages perched in the mountains in an astonishing camouflage making them one with nature. villagers are usually self-sufficient, they rely on agriculture and livestock, and maybe sell a sheep or a goat at the weekly market to buy tea, sugar, clothes, and pay the electricity bills.
The land provides wheat, a variety of vegetables, fruits, and oils. The livestock provides meat. People consume only sick or weak animals that will not survive unless it is a really special occasion, a dear guest, or a religious ceremony. A little stop at one of the many terraces to stretch your legs and maybe grab a cup of coffee to fully wake up, then continue the road crossing the Tizi N'Tichka Pass (2260m) of the High Atlas to reach the ancient village of Ait Benhaddou.
You will probably hear the name "Ksar" often, it has two meanings in Morocco; 1: A great and luxurious palace or an assembly of Kasbahs usually surrounded by a protective wall which is the case here in Ksar Ait Benhaddou. The fortified village was declared amongst Morocco's eight world heritage sites by the Unesco and it is well preserved. The ksar is situated in the Ounila Valley.
Aït Benhaddou Was a station for the caravans in old times, transporting gold, silver, salt, spices, and slaves from the depths of the African Sahara across Morocco and to Europe. The merchants either exchange their goods here and return, or pause and rest before continuing their trip to Marrakech. The salty mines are still active in the area and you could notice salt on the sides of the Ounila river before reaching the village.
Ait Benhaddou is even more famous for being a backdrop for many Hollywood movies, scenes of the mighty Russel Crowe playing the Gladiator were shot in the village, and Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy also used the Ksar as a background for many scenes. Welles used it as a location for Sodome And Gomorrah and for Jesus of Nazareth. The scene where Denerys Targarian was entering the Sand village (with two pyramids at the top) was also shot at the doors of Ait Benhaddou, once there, you will get the chance to see a couple of pictures of the live shootings that took place there. And at the top of the hill, you will appreciate a wonderful view of the whole valley.
You will spend two hours in Ait Benhaddou, one for exploring the village and sites, and an hour to enjoy a good meal on a terrace with clear views of the Kasbahs. After leaving Ait Benhaddou, We will head to Ouarzazate, a city at 30 km from the site of Ait Benhaddou and equally famous in the filmmaking industry as there are two major studios in the city and a huge museum of cinematographic art. The name "Ouarzazate" is a Berber combination of two words, meaning noiseless and peaceful.
The first attraction worth visiting is the Kasbah of Taourirt, a beautiful and well-preserved construction that holds many heroic stories and ancient history, the entrance fee is 20dh per person and you have the option to pay a local guide to get some added value and the stories the largest Kasbah of Morocco and home to former Pacha Glaoui, ruler of the region has to tell.
The second attraction in Ouarzazate is the cinematographic arts museum, situated just in front of the previous Kasbah, which is a massive collection of tools, costumes, cameras, VFX technics, and chambers used in the filming of movies. The entrance fee to the museum is 30dh per person, and it is also possible to take a local guide to explain the site.
After the museum, we will head back to the entrance of the city, where the Atlas Studio site lays, this is where actual filmmaking happens, but the museum is more interesting, because the studio is usually empty outside shooting times, and forbidden during the shooting.
The trip comes to an end here and you take the road back to Marrakech to arrive around sunset. The driver will drop you off at your hotel or any place of your choice in the city.
Price Includes
- Pick up and drop off at your accommodation.
- An air conditioned 4x4 Landcruiser or spacious minivan in case of a group.
- English/Spanish speaking driver.
- Car fuel & Insurance.
- No forced shopping stops during the tour.
Price Excludes
- Lunch and drinks.
- Entrance fees.
- Flight tickets.
- Travel Insurance.
Begaa Tours offers private tours from Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca, and Tangier, and the best desert activities. We are able to customize tours to suit you. Contact us to help you plan your ideal Morocco holiday. If the itineraries that we offer do not match what you're looking for, let me know and we will change the trip to your needs and requirements.
Our Testimonials
The best way to experience Morocco
Morocco is a beautiful country to visit with incredible natural beauty, amazing old cities (Medina), the nicest people and vibrant culture. A truly land of contrasts. My mom and I stayed for ten days. Seven of those ten days were planned through Begaa Tours. We made a round trip in the country that started and ended in Marrakech. We visit Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, Meknes, Midelt, Tinghir, Merzouga, Ouarzazate and several other small villages and towns in between.
I can not stress enough how amazing Begaa Tours was in showing us this wonderful country. Ahmed, our driver/guide, was terrific. He really knew his history and the fun facts of all the regions we've been through. He was a safe driver and super flexible about what my mom and I were interested in and what we didn't want to see. Begaa Tours is open to tailoring the best experience for you; I enjoyed all the Riads, Hotels, and Experiences they provided. Morocco wouldn't be that amazing without Begaa Tours. Thanks, guys!
The Best Morocco Tour!!
Begaa Tours tailored our amazing 14 day tour of Morocco to suit our personal travel style. They included hotel, riad and camping options to cater to our preferred accommodation type and organised transport to suit our small group of 8 (2 X 4WD Toyota Prados) Our two tour guides, Ahmed and Muhammad, were so professional, knowledgeable, willing and able. Nothing was too much trouble for them to handle or fix at any time. They both had friendly personalities with big smiles on their faces and great senses of humour to boot. They were both excellent drivers and took us to see the best of Morocco including Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Fes, Marrakech, the Ziz Valley, the Atlas Mountains, the Essourian coast, the Sahara, and so much more in between. This interesting, diverse and very colourful country is a must for all to see. You could not find a better tour company to take you on a more magical journey than we have just had. Thank you BEGAA TOURS. You are "The Best"!! 'Mushi Mushka'!!
Begaa Tours Moroccan experience
This was an excellent experience with great tour guides looking at all the excellent places in Morocco. The accomodation was great, from Riads in the old cities to desert tents and more modern accomodation.
Both Ahmed & Mohammed were full of knowledge, and accomodating of our needs. The Camel ride in the Desert was an experience as well, from sand storms, to rain and clear skies the next morning. I would recommend Begaa Tours, and definitely do it again
NO BETTER WAY TO SEE MOROCCO
Our unbelievable 14 days with Begaa Tours in Morocco started in Casablanca and finished in Marrakech travelling through Rabbat, Meknes, Chefchaouen the blue city and onto Fes with 2 days to explore this amazing ancient city. Moving on to the Ziz Valley near Aoufous, we stayed in a beautiful hotel overlooking the date palm hub of Morocco. Our 2 hr guided walk with Said through the local farming plots under the date palms was a fantastic way to witness the day to day life of the village families working their farming plots. On our arrival at Et Taous the camels were waiting to begin our 1 1/2 hour afternoon trek into the Sahara Desert at sunset for our amazing overnight 'glamping experience'...wow this tour is amazing! The breathtaking drive over the High Atlas Mountains heading through Marrakech en route to the coastal city of Essaouira for a relaxing day and last minute shopping.
Another family member had previously travelled with Begaa Tours on 2 other occasions and had assured us of the high standard they deliver. WELL DONE Ahmed and Mohammed, your are true professionals and your guiding skills and knowledge of your amazing country are first class...the Riads were excellent...we will always remember our Moroccan Adventure with Begaa Tours.