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Atlas Mountains - Ancient Ait Ben Haddou Day Tour from Marrakech

Name: Atlas Mountains - Ancient Ait Ben Haddou Day Tour from Marrakech
Brand: Morocco Inspiring Tours
SKU: 25014P2
Price: 163.57 USD
Rating: 5.0 (359 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceMarrakech, Morocco

Full Day Trip from Marrakech to Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou

Likely to Sell Out

From $163.57

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

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

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

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Overview

Enjoy an adventure across the high Atlas Mountains to the Moroccan cities of Ait Ben Haddou on this guided, full-day trip from Marrakech. Travel across the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass 2,260 meters (7,410 feet) above sea level. See Berber villages and ever-changing landscapes en route to Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO world heritage site. This small-group tour includes all the necessary entrance fees plus a Marrakech hotel pickup and drop-off.

Travel to Ait Ben Haddou from Marrakech
Enjoy the spectacular view from the Tizi n'Tichka mountain pass
All entry fees to historical Kasbahs, old town and Berber family house and more included
Small group ensures personalized attention
Round-trip transportation provided

What's Included

Hotel / Riad pickup and drop-off
Transport by comfortable air-conditioned minivan or SUV with an English speaking driver/guide
Typical Breakfast (Coffee+milk+mint tea+eggs omelet+olives+olive oil+local bread)
Guided walking tour (Morocco history & Heritage sites)
Visit a local Berber family house (Snacks with fresh mint tea)
Typical Lunch (Salad+Berber Tajine+Fruits)
Drinks (Bottled mineral water+Orange juice)
All entrance fees, local taxes and fuel are included

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Marrakesh, Morocco

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Departure Point: Hotels, Riads and Airbnbs located in Marrakech. Directions: Pickup is available from Hotels, Riads and Airbnbs located in Marrakech, please make sure to advise your accommodation information. If you are staying inside the Medina (Old city), your pickup will be from the closest point accessible to vehicles, near your accommodation. Return Point: Returns to original departure point.

What To Expect

High Atlas Mountains

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Tizi n Tichka

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Ounila Valley

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infant seats available
Operated by a multi-lingual guide
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten options are available
Not wheelchair accessible

Stroller accessible
Most travelers can participate
Small-group tour limited to 8 people ensures more personalized attention from your guide
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Leanne_T

This was an incredible experience to visit a number of historic locations in the Atlas Mountains and some beautiful lookout points. Abdoul, our tour guide, was simply awesome, great conversation on the trip and interesting and informative talks at the locations we visited. He went out of his way to take lots of family photos for us too. Thank you for the memorable experience.

Reviews

5.0

359 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 359 reviews

knowledgeable and engaging guide and very well planned itinerary

Kevin_O, May 2024

It might be slightly more expensive than some of the other trips on Viator, but you cannot go wrong with ElAlaoui if you are looking for an engaging, thoughtful and personalised experience to the mountains around Marrakesh and the famous Ait Ben Haddou. Absolutely a class act 5/5! 1. Our guide ElAlaoui, who’s open-minded and very knowledgeable and extremely passionate about the Berber, Morroccaine and Marrakesh local cultural heritage. He answered our question with context and detail, from economy of Morocco to the geology of the mountains, the local produce and history of Moorish people. 2. Very well paced itinerary for a one day trip. Apart from the breakfast and lunch with good food and nice view (lunch on shaded terrance facing Ait Ben Haddou), which are included in the package, there’s also tea/coffee breaks along the way to chat to chill and just to relax. We sat down with a Berber local to share mint tea and snacks at Ait Ben Haddou, and ElAlaou facilitated the conversation by translating whenever needed. 3. ElAlaoui drives very safely (it seems he might have received defensive driving training) in a good condition van. And for a big photograph buff like me, ElAlaoui stops at great view points for the group to take photo and he took photo for us as well. It is usually possible only when I drive a hired car to stop at nice view points along the way.

Amazing!

Cassondra_N, Apr 2024

We had the pleasure of being guided by Abdulrahman who was knowledgeable, kind, considerate, and made the experience incredible for us. I was debating between a group tour vs this one and 100% feel this tour was worth it. It was well organized, well communicated, and we didn’t feel stressed or rushed at any of the stops. We had many photo opportunities in the mountains, and Abdulrahman took amazing photos of us at the stops as well! We felt comfortable to ask questions and learned so much. We definitely recommend this tour, especially for families! Ps having meals included was a huge convenience and everything was delicious!

Amazing experience

marjorie_g, Sep 2023

Our guide, Ismael, was very knowledgeable. He knows his history. He was very friendly. It was sad seeing the various villages that were impacted by the earthquake.

Love this trip and tour!!!

skorpiosboi, Sep 2023

Love this tour! Surprised as i did not know i booked a private tour so that was great as i had hard time booking other tours as i was traveling alone. Abdul the tour guide and driver was amazing! Was very comfortable with his driving considering the many curves and loops u will go through enroute to Atlas mountains, gave good insights to places we saw and or passing through and took amazing pics! I would recommend this trip very highly, its going to be a 12 hr day tour maybe more if in a group. There was breakfast, an amazingly delicious lunch, and stop on the way back to the same place we had breakfast. Thank you Abdul and company!!!

An incredible guide. Scenery and historic sites beyond words. Memories that will last a lifetime.

jimatk, May 2023

This tour was what travelling is all about. We had the most amazing young man as our guide. He was so professional, so welcoming and caring and obviously had the depth of knowledge required to enlighten and bring his country, its culture and history to life. Travelling through the mountains was unexpectedly beautiful and the historical sites were beyond our expectations. The rest and comfort stops were all very clean and well maintained and the staff so friendly and helpful. We cannot thank everyone involved enough. This tour was the highlight of our trip to Marrakech and the memories made will last long after our return home.

Breathtaking views

Malcolm_R, May 2023

This is a full day but it is worth it - Mohammad our driver was excellent and gave us a real insight into how people live in the Atlas Mountains- the views are spectacular - an amazing day thank you Mohammad

A fantastic day out, with incredible views

Steve_C, Apr 2023

A fantastic day out. Abdula was our guide and knew a lot of the area and history. The sites we visited were truely amazing, and such a contrast from the city areas. It’s well worth doing a trip like this to see the countryside, and experience the rural communities, and lifestyle.

Once in a lifetime tour!

Nrdeen_A, Apr 2023

This was my second tour to the atlas mountains and I would have to say this was an absolutely amazing in-depth experience of the Atlas Mountains. Omg, what a time spent with our tour guide Abdulrahman! The nature of Morocco is something not to miss out on. The views and the memories made were once in a lifetime. Abdulrahman was phenomenal and very knowledgeable about the Berber people. The Ancient Ait Ben Haddou was truly an amazing experience. The group is small which is nice and we got to do so many things in one day, there was also the perfect amount of breaks and refreshments provided throughout the tour! I HIGHLY recommend this tour, especially if you want to experience the nature side of Morocco!

Fantastic tour with a lovely guide

Kora_K, Apr 2023

I had a fantastic day out with Abdul. He is very friendly and a fantastic tour guide. The drive is incredibly scenic and we stopped at many cultural and historic sites on route. The day flew by. We had plenty of food and snacks on route and had the pleasure of visiting one of the few occupied home in Ait Ben Haddou. As a solo traveller and the only person on the tour I felt really comfortable with Abdule on this trip. He is a very friendly guy and an excellent photographer !! This experience was nothing like visiting any of the cities on my Morrocon trip. I feel I really got an insight into rural life in the countryside and the Berber lifestyle. I would highly recommended this tour if you want a taste of Morocco other than cities.

Wonderful way to explore outside Marrakech

jareddegnan, Mar 2023

Abdul was an excellent guide, incredibly friendly, and very knowledgeable. The trip out to Ben Haddou is a long one (3.5 hours) but scenic. Abdul made the trip enjoyable with lots of stops to see interesting parts of the landscape and of course the Kashbahs themselves were stunning.

Really too good to miss!!!!

Kenneth_S, Jan 2023

This has to be one of the best tours I have ever been on - and at the age of 65 I have been on quite a few!!! The trip was extremely well organised, and our driver/guide Abdullah was superb - his English is extremely good, and he provided an excellent commentary on not just the places we visited, but the general history of Morocco and the lifestyle of the Berber peoples. The minibus was well maintained and very clean, and Abdullah's driving exemplary over the difficult roads, so that we all felt very safe with him. The tour does NOT go to the touristy film studios of Ouarzazate, but instead loops back across more mountain passes, past incredible isolated Berber villages, to Telouet, a kasbah now in partial ruins but showing the magnificence of what was once an important palace in the region. It may look expensive, but all meals and drinks are inclusive and of really good quality. Abdullah is a credit to his company and to the hospitality of the Moroccan people. Thank you Morocco Inspiring Tours.

This is the tour, book now!

Fergal_M, Jan 2023

Firstly, the convenience of this tour really makes it. We were picked up 2 minutes from our Riad being greeted by Abdullah, who was great throughout the day. Two other people constituted the rest of our group in a very comfortable mini-van. At each stop (breakfast, viewpoints and the featured sites) we were always ahead of the crowds meaning the experience felt very authentic. As well as this, Abdullah's insight into the country and culture knew no bounds, he covered not just the history of the sites but also Morocco as a whole, offering a brilliant insight into the country as a whole. I know it's hard to pick the best tour out of the considerable offering on Viator but I would strongly suggest this is it.

Fabulous tour and leader

Louise_J, Jan 2023

We are a group of 4 female friends. Abdul was the most wonderful guide and we had a fabulous day. The food, the sites, and travel were thoughtfully arranged and all excellent. I would 100% recommend.

Atlas Mountains and great tour

Leanne_T, Dec 2022

Excellent experience with the best guide in Marrakech

Leander_P, Nov 2022

We opted for the private trip option which we recommend and we were lucky to have Abdullah as a guide. If there is the possibility to ask for Abdullah as the guide, then we highly recommend it. Upon doing some research on the trip, we quickly found out that the biggest downside of the excursion is the long ride to Ait Ben Haddou. It is for that reason that we decided to go for the somewhat more expensive private option as it not only saves on driving time (not picking up other tourists + SUV instead of bus) but it also allowed us to engage in a conversation with our guide Abdullah, who is very knowledgeable about the area, Arab and Berber culture and history. Additionally it offered my girlfriend the opportunity to sit in front which helped her avoid car sickness while driving through the Atlas mountains. We had the perfect trip, where everything was organized very well. We were picked up in a modern and spacious black SUV, the breakfast was beyond our expectations, and the drive through the Atlas mountains offered spectacular views. We also had some stops along the way where Abdullah showed us some viewpoints or where he provided insights on Berber life. The advantage of the private tour is that you can choose how long you stay and which stops you make (E.g. Where a tour bus will make a mandatory stop at the store where they sell Argan products, Abdullah left the choice whether we wanted to stop there to us). The drive to Ait Ben Haddou didn’t feel like it took 4 hours. At Ait Ben Haddou, we were given the opportunity to drink a delicious thee at the home of one of the only remaining families in the old village, which other tours are not able to offer. After lunch we headed to Telouet, where the castle was atleast equally beautiful to Ait Ben Haddou. This was also one of the reasons that we opted for this tour. We noticed that most other companies visit the film museum instead of Telouet and that most people don’t think that it offers added value to the trip. We therefore were excited for the opportunity to visit the Telouet castle instead of the film museum. After Telouet, we headed back to Marrakech (with some stops for views and drinks along the way), where we were dropped off to the nearest point of our Hotel. We had such a great time with Abdullah (who also offered to take our picture at every location worth capturing), that we immediately booked another trip with his company and specifically asked for him as a guide.

Great experience with Abdullah

KinHo_T, Nov 2022

Abdullah was our driver/tour guide. He did an amazing job keeping the 8 hour round trip drive to Ait Benhaddou informative and interesting, stopping several times along the way to show us the landscape and to take many pictures. He explained in detail Moroccan culture and their history, telling us first hand how the Moroccan people live. We enjoyed tea with the a local in Ait Benhaddou, inviting us into his residence. I’d give this tour more than 5 stars if I could!!

Our best tour in Morocco.

jomar30, Nov 2022

We had a limited time in Morocco, and only saw Marrakesh, a bit of Casablanca and Rabat. I reviewed from Viator what was possible during our last day, and this trip to the Atlas Mountains was well-reviewed. A few good reviews could be planted by a tour organizer, but hundreds? And I was not mistaken. This was the best tour we had in Morocco. Our guide Abdullah arrived promptly at 7AM. He was very courteous, presentable and spoke excellent English. He ushered us into his car and we started our trip. Breakfast was included, and he picked one that we rally liked. Place was clean, had nice interiors and views, and best of all, food was tasty. We ate a lot! With the food, we had Moroccan mint tea and coffee, which were also very good. Along the way, we made stops, and Abdullah gave us information and comments. He also generously offered to take our pictures each time! Having been part of tour groups before, even private ones, taking pictures is not the job of the tour guides. And I am very conscious of that, so I do not take it against the guide if he/she does not offer. But Abdullah was very generous about it. Abdullah was a very skillful driver and we felt very safe with him as he maneuvered those zigzagging roads as we went up and down the mountains. We also loved his choice of music! He brought us to Ait Ben Haddou, gave us an excellent tour there, and even visited one of the few remaining families still staying in a house there. It was a thrill to go inside a traditional pre-Saharan habitat! Not all tours offer this part. Lunch was again excellent, consisted of salad, main meal (we chose the skewers as we already had tagines several times during this vacation), and fruits for dessert. We had water and soda as well. After lunch, we proceeded to go to the Kasbah Toluet also known as Kasbah Glaoui. it was a partly ruined and partly restored palace that had excellent architecture and rich history. The palace looked stunning! After this part, we proceeded to go home. Though not part of "what's included", we stopped at the same restaurant we had breakfast in, for a short coffee break. I attempted to pay for it but was told it was already paid for. So this tour was the highlight of our trip in Morocco. The 5-star ratings from hundreds of customers are truly well-deserved. We were impressed with Abdullah (although reading from the other reviews, it appears all of the tour guides of the company are excellent). He is excellent at what he does. We want to thank him for making our tour enjoyable and memorable, and for making us feel safe and comfortable with his excellent driving skills!

Well-organized tour

Alexandra_K, Oct 2022

Great driver and guide, very comfortable vehicule, great UNESCO city to see! The trip is a bit long but definitely worth it.

Wonderful!

Molly_R, Oct 2022

This experience was incredible. Abdul was very friendly and informative. He took several wonderful pictures of me at various sites. This is truly a private tour which is why it costs a little bit more but the extra cost is totally worth it. The car is air conditioned and very comfortable. Water bottles and meals are included. He truly customizes the tour to exactly what you want. (He stopped at a shop with geodes and honey because I has expressed interest. We stopped and ate at multiple spots along the way including one in one of the few private homes in Ait Ben Haddou. I very highly recommend this experience.

Awesome tour.. whole family enjoyed all day

Ganesh_C, Oct 2022

Exceptional tour. Totally worth it. On time, nice ride, very flexible, always gives priority to riders.

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