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Ait ben haddou and Ouarzazate day trip

Name: Ait ben haddou and Ouarzazate day trip
Brand: Morocco Destination Experts
SKU: 100676P5
Price: 38.43 USD
Rating: 4.0 (171 reviews)

Marrakech, Morocco

From $38.43

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

12 to 14 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

UNESCO–listed Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate make ideal day trip from Marrakech, but organizing transportation to explore solo cuts into valuable sightseeing time. On this tour, enjoy round-trip transport from central Marrakech and reach both sites in comfort by air-conditioned vehicle in a day. Admire panoramic views along the high Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass, and learn the secrets of Aït Benhaddou from your informative guide.

Visit UNESCO–listed Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate on this day tour from Marrakech
Beautiful views from the high-altitude Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass
Your guide insight into the history of Aït Benhaddou, a fortified village
Hassle-free round-trip transport from central Marrakech

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Stops to relax on request (Ask the driver whenerver you need to)
2h in Ait benhaddou village : almost 1h for the visit and 1h for lunch
PLEASE BE UNDERSTANDING ! This a group and we can't have 100% control on timing and other facts
If you are very DEMANDING, please choose the private option for more flexibility and customized trip
Local Guide Included for Private Option
Lunch included for private option

Local guide in the Kasbah (3€/person) for shared option
Lunch is optional for shared option and can cost around 8-12€/person
Snacks
Bottled water
Entrance Fees to the Studios (Optional for shared option) - 8€ pax

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

- Hotels in old town: Pick up from front office, drop off at closest parking (due to prohibition of entering the old town at the evening) - Hotels in the new town: Pick up and drop off are from/to the front office - Hotels outside the city +8km to 12Km: pick up and drop off for 30€ as an extra to pay for all groups 1-6 and 50€ if you are 7-14 persons - Pick up generally starts 45min before the departure time around 7:00. So the departure time is 8:00 more or less

What To Expect

Tizi n Tichka

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Taourirt Kasbah

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers

Operated by Morocco Destination Experts

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

171 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 171 reviews

A day out in Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate

Olivia_D, May 2024

We had a lovely time visiting Ait Benhaddou with the local guide (40 dh per person, but well worth it!). The kasbah is gorgeous, and this day trip is a good way to see the desert without a multi-day commitment. Ouarzazate was also nice, but we preferred the kasha since we had limited interest in film history.

Expensive and disappointing

TERRI_B, Apr 2024

Lovely driver however not the greatest English speaker, lunch was very disappointing, large salad just lashed on the table followed by chicken skewers with rice and Lentils. Chicken tough and cold as was the rice and Lentils

Definitely recommend

Rasmus_M, Mar 2024

This is a long day tour, but it's worth it. The highlight of the day for us was the driving part. While others in our group took a nap out of boredom or watched shows on their tablets, we really enjoyed the wonderful scenery surrounding us the whole day. Took a lot of amazing photos through the car window. Beautiful mountains and very interesting landscapes and villages everywhere made us almost forget, how uncomfortable the old and rusty minivan was :D

Great site to visit!

Paul_Z, Jun 2023

Such a great place to visit! Amazing history and some film lore too. The driver was very safe. Just be prepared for a long drive to get there from Marrakech. But worth it!

Only one stop for Mountain views and rushed Ait Ben Haddou experience.

Sydney_D, May 2023

Would not recommend this trip. It is very long and is marketed as seeing incredible Mountain views. For a total of an 8 hour drive through the mountains and back, there were incredible sights, but the driver will only take you to one stop the whole time- the rest are bathroom breaks with no views. On our trip, It was too foggy to see anything at the one place he stopped on the way there and the way back. I asked him privately if we could stop any other places to take a picture and he was adamant on just the same spot, even though all signs pointed to it being in the same foggy weather. There were so many places where he could have pulled to the side quickly for everybody to take photos and enjoy the epic views of the mountains. Also, the people made it sound like the guided tour at Ait Ben Haddou was optional, but it is not. We tried to break off from the group but were forced to come back. A lot of time is wasted on this trip. You also only get to see a little but of Ait Ben Haddou, not the whole thing, which was so disappointing. We saw other people going into areas we weren’t. The tour was very rushed and inefficient, creating lost time to actually take the place in because the guide is making us move quickly. They try to make you eat at the restaurant they are contracted with too. We told the guide we were going to go eat somewhere else, and were told to meet back in 45 minutes. We didn’t even finish our food, got back, and it ended up being an 1 hour 20 minute break so we rushed for nothing. You stop in Ouarzazate city center, but they told us we only had 15 minutes so you couldn’t even do anything. It ended up being 35 minutes cause our driver was on a phone call. Lastly, the driver blasted random pop music so it made it impossible to try and sleep. Talking One Direction, Maroon 5, Meghan Trainor. Super loud. Overall, would not recommend this specific trip. Not sure why this has so many good reviews.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for your review and we are deeply sorry if the weather was not good that specific day. Our reviews are all authentic and 100% verified but we can not satisfy everyone unfortunately. You are being dishonest regarding the guide not being optional and you were informed exactly that (I'ma copy and paste the exact WhatsApp message I've sent): - you can take the guide with the group and please don't pay more that 20 dirhams don't pay more even if they push, you can then call me - you are even free to not take the guide at the Kasbah ait ben Haddou - the food costs around 100-120 dirhams but you're free to go any Restaurant you want. In case you separate from the group please take the driver's number and respect the time he'll tell you to be back at" Regarding the music as far as the driver didn't have any complaints from your or other people, he won't turn off the music. Also you're being very contradictory here by saying you didn't enjoy the views and on the same time you wanted to take a nap. We are always doing our best to make our people satisfied, but as said above we can't meet everyone satisfaction and we are always sorry for that, even though, the 1 star is more that unfair.

Worth seeing but a lot of driving!

Stuart_S, May 2023

A lot of driving but the Ksar is unique and worth seeing. Very nice place with a lot of history. The guide was good and the driver was also very nice. If you have a bit of time in Marrakech then I would recommend this but if time is limited then I'd perhaps recommend doing Atlas Mountains and 3 Valleys & Waterfalls & Desert Agafay.

Best Trip to see Ouarzazete and Ait ben haddou

Danae_F, May 2023

This day trip was so hassle free and enjoyable. Our driver Yassine was very accommodating and friendly. I recommend doing this with the lunch and private tour so you can go at your own pace.

Be prepared for a long...

Dariusz_K, Feb 2023

Be prepared for a long drive but the destination is worth it. Great views along the way. Unfortunately, the driver spoke English only through google translator. The guide in Ait Ben Haddou was very unprofessional, minimal knowledge of English, no interest in his duties, Atlas studio as a curiosity worth spending a few euros

A day away from Marrakesh

William_F, Jan 2023

The trip is rather long but adequate stops along the way and it gave us a chance to see the country outside of the city. The destination Ait ben haddou was very interesting and enough time was provided to explore. The restaurant meal was very good. The van was comfortable and safe. I do think the driver and tour guide could be more active in providing more information along the journey. Overall we enjoyed the tour.

Worth it, must do.

Showkat_K, Jan 2023

Our trip with to Alt Ben Haddou was absolutely fantastic. It was a private tour for us, a family of four adults. From the time of booking of the trip to the end of the trip, it was very well managed tour. Mehdi, who manages the tour booking and overall management was helpful at every communications before the tour as he was throughout the tour itself. Mehdi and the driver Aziz picked us from our Riad in the morning and clearly explained what we were going to see and where would be the stops on the way. It was very logically planned and made the journey even more pleasant. Mehdi left us with the driver Aziz and we started the journey early morning at 8am. We had few stops before the main attraction at Alt Ben Haddou. Altogether it is a drive of four hours each way, most of it through mountain road and delicate pass, I highly recommend this tour. Lastly but not the least, I would like to mention about driver Aziz, who drove very carefully and professionally. With him on the wheel, we were able to relax on the journey itself because we felt he would not do anything risky or harsh driving. Also to mention, lunch at Alt Ben Haddou was delicious and all the local guides were very helpful.

Don't bother

Sona_A, Dec 2022

Good bits- Value for money simply because of the distance covered. Ait ben Haddou was beautiful although we had a very limited time there. Bad points- our driver barely spoke not even ro tell us where we were or how lond we were going to be. The Studio visit wasnt optional, in fact our driver said we had 45 mins there- the shortest tour was 1 hour. Ouarzazate was beautiful but we only spent 30 mins looking around. We were ten led by our guide to Taurant Lakasbah restaurant where we spent nearly 2 hours with the worst service and poorest food we had on our entire trip. We complained to our guide who did nothing and even had the cheek to ask for a tip. The journey back was the scariest we've been on. A couple of times we narrowly missed another vehicle because we were going so fast. One of our fellow passengers hit their head badly after we went over a bump at speed. Finally we were dropped in the middle of nowhere with no instructions to find our hotel.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

We're deeply sorry if something didn't go as you've expected, but we'll go through your comment and explain everything as it should be so everyone can be aware of the situation. ******- Limited time at Ait ben haddou:***** The distance from Marrakech to Ait ben haddou is 181 km each way, in a very curvy and difficult road, where drivers can not exceed 40km/h to 60km/h max, which means that the time is very restricted as you'll be travelling for 362 km during 1 day. ******- Driver barely speaking englihs:****** Most important thing to remember is that the driver is not a guide and only a driver that needs the skills to drive through the Tizi N'Tichka road (one of the hardest roads in Africa and the world) and in the safest way possible. There is a guide in the Kasbah of Ait ben haddou which is the highlight for the group tour and he speaks fluent english french and spanish. Otherwise you'd have taken the private trip where the driver can explain and have chat with you as the minivan is smaller. ******- Ouarzazat visit:***** We wish we could have skipped Ouarzazate as this is not anymore the charming city of the 70's and 60's but became a normal moden city, but please check the reviews? whenever we skip Ouarzazat people start complaining and giving one star. Again, this is a budget shared tour and you could have taken the private one to get the best possible options to chose where to go and stop. ******- Restaurants:****** You're free to go to any restaurant and it's even written in the description that you're not forced to follow the driver or the guide to anywhere and you can report it in case you were forced and necessary actions could be taken on spot, also we're available 24/7 with the best customer service possible. ******- Scary way back:****** Surely it would be scary as this is a small and mountainious road with curves and plenty of hills and ups and downs, so this would be felt scary if you're not used to it, andd this is why the driver needs to be skilled and focusing on the driving instead of talking. We're sorry for the traveller who hit his head but it was not reported, so, so far we can not be sure of what has been said. ******- Drop off:****** You're dropped off at the closest spot to your hotel accessible by a vehicule because you're located in the old town.

Yes, i've given this...

Martin_F, Dec 2022

Yes, i've given this three stars, but I'd still recommended this. If you a booking from Marrakech it is a long drive, through mountains, where the roads, are lets be nice, are not the best. But when you get to Ait Ben Haddou, it is worth the trip

I loved the trip even...

Joana_M, Nov 2022

I loved the trip even though I was disappointed with the fact that there was no possibility of exploring the ait benhaddou Kasbah with no guides. The lunch is optional but if you decide not to have it you have to wait 1 hour outside of the restaurant for the other group members with no possibility of having that free time to explore the kasbah

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Thank you for your review. We're deeply sorry if you were not able to tour the Kasbah by yourself because the guide is the one responsible about you and your safety From scammers. If you go by yourself and cross any narrow streets the scammers come and request to be paid for this as if you've transpassed their private property. Same if you separate from the group you might get lost. We're deeply sorry that this little but important detail made you feel that it's note worth a five star

Fabulous day trip

Jane_B, Nov 2022

Absolutely fabulous day trip! We left Marakesh around 8am (about 20 people in a comfortable bus), had a few stops along the way; visited Ait Benhaddou (incredible), lunch, visit to another site and then back to Marakesh. The whole trip took about 12 hours. The drive was interesting too; lovely scenery and Moroccan villages. I definitely recommend.

Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazatea

Gladys_M, Nov 2022

My friends and I had a great time! The guides have been particularly awesome. Special thanks to our driverMazhoub( sorry didn't know how to spell his name) for being so patient with us and for driving safely😁

Ait ben haddou was...

Steven_W, Oct 2022

Ait ben haddou was amazing and worth the trip. However, it is a long trip for just 1 day. Viator description is accurate as it is 4 - 5 hours of driving each way (8am depart, 9:15pm return) and as such the stops seemed a bit rushed. Glad I did it but would probably spend a night in Ouarzazate if I did it again.

I would recommend taking...

Rebecca_W, Oct 2022

I would recommend taking the private tour. Our tour guide was respectful and funny. He made the entire experience enjoyable. The sites were a Beauty to behold

A truly unforgettable experience!

Zarrin_H, Jul 2022

This was a lovely day trip with our guide Mokhtar who took us up the Atlas mountains on our way to Ait ben Haddou and stopped at various picturesque points to take lovely photos. The drive up the mountains can be quite tricky for those who experience any issues with high altitudes and a lot of bendy turns/twists so best to prepare wisely and take any medication or plastic bags just in case! However the views/landscape were incredible, although a long drive your final destination to Ait ben haddou is worth the trip! It's a completely breathtaking location, full of history and rich culture, where many popular movies have been filmed and our guide here was very welcoming and knowledgeable. After the tour and lovely lunch (included in the package) we made our way to Ouarzazate and Kasbah Telouet which is also stunning, the architecture of these places are truly mesmorising and really recommend going to visit. Mouktar was lovely, welcoming and friendly, and assisted us with any difficulty we had, as well as explain the beauty of Morocco along the way. He was very accommodating and we felt very comfortable and safe throughout the day!

Not much time

Deanna_J, Jul 2022

The tour was ok, but not great. Our driver was very funny and stopped frequently for bathroom/snack breaks. One thing I felt was lacking was our guide at Ait Ben Haddou. He didn’t engage with us very much, and didn’t spend too much time telling us about the location. We also didn’t get enough time in Ouarzazate (only 20 min) which was very disappointing. It was basically a picture stop in Ouarzazate.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thank you for your feedback. Regarding the guide, we'll investigate further, this is why we always ask you on spot, to check what happened and if everything went well after the your directly, we wish you have had reported this that day to do the necessary and solve it to your satisfaction. For Ouarzazate it's a quick stop as mentioned in the tour, we don't spend much time in it as it's a very modern city not same as ait ben Haddou which is a very historical site. The tour is long as you could see with long distance driving through the mountains, if we spend more time in Ouarzazate you'd be late coming back to Marrakech after 4 hours drive and the same if we shorten the stay at Ben Haddou visit this will also make it very inconvenient for you because it's the highlight of the trip. Sorry again for the little inconvenience and we'll do our best to explain to everyone that the tour is based on ait ben Haddou not at Ouarzazate, except if you book the private tour that will not only be longer in Ouarzazate but also add a visit to the hidden Kasbah called KASBAH TELOUET, into the deep of the atlas mountains.

Great Experience from start to end

Clarissa_C, Jun 2022

The experience was great! The team super helpful, amicable and kind. The food was great and our guide was a great photographer that took amazing photos and videos. Thank you!