Ouarzazate Sehenswürdigkeiten: Marokko Wüste, Kasbah & Filmstudio
Ouarzazate Sehenswürdigkeiten Marokko Wüste, Kasbah & Filmstudio
Film-makers

Dream

Dream

Ouarzazate Sights

Film studios, Kasbah, and desert

Superb scenery between the High Atlas and the desert. A film-maker’s dream at 1,150m above sea level. Ouarzazate, the ‘ochre pearl’, is Morocco’s answer to Hollywood and a picturesque base for excursions across the Draa Valley and into the desert. Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and Gladiator are just some of the blockbusters and series that were filmed here – not just because of the breathtaking kasbahs, such as Aït Benhaddou, but also on account of the scorching sun and a landscape rich in contrasts.

Morocco’s Hollywood: Ouarzazate between the Atlas Mountains and Sahara. Aït Benhaddou, the cinematic kasbah. Film studios. Natural spectacles. Immerse yourself in Berber culture.

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Highlights

Onwards to the Top Sights in Ouarzazate!

Kasbah Taourirt

One of the first Berber buildings

A UNESCO World Heritage Site. The setting of The Sheltering Sky, the Golden Globe-nominated film starring John Malkovich, as well as many other blockbusters including Seven Years in Tibet and Babel. Ochre and red rammed mud walls, interweaving and overlapping. Towers fortified with battlements. Like a huge sandcastle: Kasbah Taourirt on the outskirts of Ouarzazate.

One of the first major Berber buildings from the 19th century – and one of the most impressive. The mud castle in the middle of Ouarzazate’s kasbah quarter enchants visitors with almost 300 rooms and fascinating insights into Moroccan and Berber culture. Ouarzazate may have only a few tourist attractions, but this is a must-see!

Make sure to explore the interior of the kasbah too. Carvings, paintings, mosaics and the incredible scale – an educational journey into Berber and Moroccan history!

Ouarzazate Sehenswürdigkeiten Marokko Kasbah Traourit
Ouarzazate Sehenswürdigkeiten Marokko Atlas Film Studio

Atlas Film Studios

Enter the world of Game of Thrones

Ouarzazate: the centre of Morocco’s film industry. Take a fascinating tour of the Atlas Corporation Film Studios and the other studios in ‘Mollywood’, provided they are not closed for filming. Follow in the footsteps of blockbusters, Hollywood films and major series. Wander between the sets of Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Ben Hur, The Mummy, Asterix & Obelix, and many more.

Want a few more examples? Marvel at the Tibetan monastery from Kundun, the F-16 fighter jet from The Jewel of the Nile and the Egyptian temple from Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra. Located around 30km from the Atlas Film Studios, Aït Benhaddou, a ksar (fortified village) and the best-preserved kasbah in the Atlas Mountains, has featured in many films, including Star Wars and Lawrence of Arabia.

The perfect day

With the Private Concierge Service

Practical information from arrival to departure

For exploring nature, culture and the film industry

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Location

Ouarzazate is in southern Morocco at around 1,150m above sea level. With the High Atlas to the north, the desert to the south and the huge El Mansour Eddahbi reservoir in the east, Ouarzazate boasts fantastic scenery.

  • Ouarzazate – Marrakesh: about 3 hours 50 minutes (200km)

Climate

The weather is desert-like. In summer it is hot and extremely dry with little rain. In winter, daytime temperatures range between 10°C and 20°C and it gets very cold at night.

Ouarzazate – the breathtaking desert city
Average daytime temperatures in Celsius

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
17 19 22 25 30 34 38 37 32 27 20 17

Activities and experiences

The best sights in Ouarzazate

Perhaps Morocco’s most imposing ksar and kasbah, said to have been built by the Almoravids in the 11th century. It’s no wonder that Aït Benhaddou is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the setting of Hollywood blockbusters such as Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, Sodom and Gomorrah and Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.
The fascinating mud-brick village, around 30km from the centre of Ouarzazate, lies at the foot of a picturesque mountainside around 1,300m above sea level.

Once a vibrant city, Aït Benhaddou was left to decay as Morocco gained independence – until its potential for tourism was recognised. Today, just a handful of families live – without electricity or running water – in what is perhaps the most impressive example of a mud-brick village.

A valley of magical colours around 1.5 hours from Ouarzazate (95km north-east). Its namesake, the rose, blooms in every shade from April to June. Dry mountains. Lush gardens. Palm groves. Pink earth. A labyrinth of little valleys and gorges. The natural ingredients that make the Valley of the Roses so magical.

Your Private Concierge and Private Chauffeur will whisk you away for a day – or more – to explore the beautiful landscape and pretty villages with kasbahs (small mud houses) away from the tourist trail. Short walks or longer treks? Your Private Guide will show you the most beautiful routes. If you go at the right time of year, you’ll even get to see the snow-covered peak of Jebel M’goun (4,071m)!

Includes immersion in Berber culture in traditional villages. Boutaghrar is the capital of the Vallée des Roses.

Insider tip for Morocco: in May, the traditional Fête de la rose takes place over three days with dancing and music in the souks. A true highlight of a Morocco holiday away from the classic sights of Ouarzazate!

Hotels

The best accommodation in and around Ouarzazate

Restaurants

The best restaurants in and around Ouarzazate

© Unsplash, Freepik, Pixabay, iStock, Said Boumahdi, Conseil Provincial du Tourisme, Barbara Rieser