Telouet and Aït ben Haddou day tour from Marrakech – 1 day

By travelling out of Marrakech – even for a day – you can gain a deeper insight into this diverse and magnificent country. From everywhere in the city the imposing High Atlas Mountains are visible. And this tour to Kasbahs Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou near Ouarzazate will offer a glimpse into the rich history and the local culture of the Berbers.

To reach the Kasbahs, you cross the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, which treats you to repeated magnificent views. Here in the majestic Atlas Mountains you will pass sometimes scarcely discernible Berber villages on the slopes and in the valleys. The fields and gardens are examples of how life is spent in this terrain.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou and Kasbah Telouet are examples of multi-generational housing. You will see many humbler and smaller Berber houses on the drive between the two Kasbahs as you descend the Ounila Valley.

Kasbah Aït ben Haddou day trip from Marrakech – itinerary

The driver will fetch you from your Riad at 8:00 and take you across the High Atlas mountains and over the famous Tizi-n-Tichka pass. It is the highest in the whole of Africa at 2260 m.

All along the route, you can see the Berber villages perched on the side of the mountains. Sometimes it is hard to see them as they are the same colour as the surrounding soil. At times, you come down into the valleys and drive alongside the river bordered by oleander and fruit trees. The gardens are full of olive, walnut, pomegranate, apple, pear, and quince trees. Berber women and children look after their goats and sheep here and they climb very steep slopes in search of animal food and firewood.

But on the other side of the mountains, the landscape changes dramatically and becomes semi-arid and desert-like. Here you can witness Kasbah architecture with towers at the corners. These buildings have grilled windows and soft peach coloured walls. These traditional houses are made of adobe, highly suitable for the climatic conditions of the south.

After the Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a side road to the Telouet Kasbah. It served as a palatial residence and the headquarters of the powerful Glaoui tribe. Their wealth came in part from the salt mines just outside the village. Each addition to the Kasbah buildings now stands in ruins exposed to the wind and the rain. They were abandoned and plundered after the last Pasha’s property was confiscated as he had plotted Mohammed V’s exile. Wait to be pleasantly surprised by the traditional interior decoration as you reach the farthest end of the Kasbah.

Then the route leads south down the Ounila Valley with the green fields and gardens running parallel down below full of bends in the roads. You will be surprised at the hues of the rock and soil, the Berber villages and gardens, as well as the smaller Kasbahs. Here olive, almond and fruit trees are the main crops and the mainstay for many families.

This stunning road leads to the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, which is the oldest and most famous Kasbah in Morocco. It is also one of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World Heritage sites. The architectural style is well preserved and the earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and in harmony with the natural and social environment. It probably originated in the 17th century and was one of the most important fortress strongholds on the old Salt Road caravan routes. Traders brought slaves, gold, ivory and salt from sub-Saharan Africa to Marrakech and beyond. The Kasbah is now especially famous as the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbuster films.

You have just spent a wonderful day fascinated by the landscapes and Berber life, and your visits to these famous Kasbahs. We return along the main road back to the Tichka pass and so to Marrakech. We reach the city in the early evening

Day Trip from Marrakech to Ouarzazate – Highlights :

• Visiting Kasbah Telouet and discovering the Ounila Valley
• Exploring the very famous Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou with a local guide
• Enjoying the scenery in the valleys and the mountains, passing Berber villages, gardens and fields
• Eating lunch overlooking Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou or in the High Atlas Mountains