[MOROCCO] Desert Tour Day 3: Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou

After staying a night in Boumalne Dades, I visited Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou on my way to Marrakesh. This is my last day of the desert tour. In my opinion, Ourzazate is a good base for local touring or just passing through. It has two movie studios, a cinema museum and a kasbah. The highlight of my desert tour on day 3 is actually Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987 which is located 30km away from Ourzazate. It is one of the best preserved Kasbahs in Morocco. 

3-Day "Sahara Desert Tour" from Fez to Marrakesh Itinerary

Day 1: Fez - Ifrane - Ziz Valley viewpoint - Merzouga - overnight in desert camp
Day 2: Merzouga - Todra Gorges - Boumalne Dades
Day 3: Boumalne Dades - Ouarzazate - Ait Benhaddou  - Marrakesh

My tour guide made a stop at Ourzazate, in front of the Musee de Cinema. Directly opposite the cinema museum is the Taouririte Kasbah. I skipped Taouririte Kasbah since the kasbah is empty and not as impressive as Ait Benhaddou. You will need to pay 10 DH to enter Taouririte Kasbah, whereas it is free to enter Ait Benhaddou. 

Opened in 2007, Musee de Cinema in Ouarzazate is a former studio built by an Italian film production company in 1981. It occupies an area of 2 hectares. It was founded to produce movies about ancient history, including stories from Bible.

It exhibits some old film sets, props and cinematic equipment.

We had the whole place to ourselves and I had a fun time taking some photos in the museum. If you don't have time to visit the movie studios outside Ouarzazate, this is an alternative. 

Opening hours: 8am - 6pm daily
Entrance fee: 30 DH (adult), 15 DH (student/group >15p), free for child under age 7

Next we headed to Ait Benhaddou. This fortified village has been fortified since the 11th century. It is located on the slopes of a hill next to the Ounila River. Cars are parked outside in the modern village. You'll need to walk into the village and cross a pedestrian bridge to reach Ait Benhaddou. This new pedestrian bridge was completed in 2011 to link the ksar with the modern village.

Be prepare to climb lots of steps once inside the ksar. On the way to the top of the village, you will find plenty of souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. The village is small, you don't need any guide. The brown-red houses are made entirely out of rammed earth, adobe, clay bricks and wood. Some dwellings are still in good condition and can be visited from the inside.

Ait Benhaddou is the movie set for many well-known films including Game of Thrones, Kingdom of Heaven, Babel, Gladiator and The Mummy. Thanks to its use as a Hollywood filming location and to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, Ait Benhaddou has been significantly restored in modern times. Once at the top, you will be rewarded with the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.

The weather was hot. We didn't stay at the top of the hill for long before descending.

We exited the ksar from another entrance.

Crossing the river using the stepping stones is possible during dry season.

These photos were taken on the roof terrace of Complexe Touristique la Kasbah. 

I had lunch at one of the restaurants near Ait Benhaddou before continuing my journey to Marrakesh.

Our tour guide dropped us off in Marrakesh and we bid farewell to him. 

I booked the 3D2N desert tour with Esprit d'Aventure tour company. Their website no longer works. You may contact them by Facebok page or email: espritaventur@gmail.com