Kasbahs & Gorges: Ouarzazate, Ait Ben Haddou, Dades and Todgha

The fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, climbs a hill above the Ounila river on the old caravan route to the Sahara. It is 40 minutes from Ouarzazate and has starred in films from Gladiator to Game of Thrones; arrive early or late to have its lanes almost to yourself.

Ouarzazate is the region’s town, with the Taourirt kasbah and the Atlas film studios. We use Kasbah Tamsna and Berbere Palace here, and the Skoura palm grove, 40 minutes east, for a slower night among the kasbahs.

East of Skoura, the valley of the roses (Kelaat M’Gouna holds its Rose Festival in early May) leads to the Dades gorge: rounded red rock formations, a river lined with poplars, and the famous hairpin road cut into the cliff. An hour further east, the Todgha gorge near Tinghir narrows between sheer walls hundreds of metres high — the walk through its narrowest section is one of the best short walks in Morocco.

A night here breaks the drive between Marrakech and the Sahara in two, and the family guesthouses in the gorges are some of the warmest welcomes on any route.

South of Ouarzazate, the Draa valley follows a ribbon of palm groves to Zagora (about 2 h 40) and M’Hamid, the end of the paved road and the gateway to Erg Chigaga. It is the route to take if you want the wilder of Morocco’s two ergs.

Spring and autumn are ideal. Ouarzazate reaches 38–39 °C in July; winter days are bright and mild but nights drop close to freezing, and the Tizi n’Tichka can close in snow between November and March — we build a spare morning into winter crossings.