FROM OUARZAZATE: Day trip to Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou and Kasbah Telouet

Departure at 9 am from your hotel or riad.

We leave for Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, which is located about 30 kilometres from Ouarzazate. The kasbah is listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage site and is a well-preserved fortified city, made up of kasbahs and ksars with a great earthen clay architecture. It is subject to many Moroccan postcards and numerous famous films have been shot here, such as «Jesus of Nazareth», «Gladiator» and «Alexander».

We continue into the High Atlas mountains, along the former route of the caravans until we arrive at Kasbah Telouet. This kasbah lies at an elevation of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and was the seat of the El Glaoui family’s power. It was built in 1800’s, but after Morocco’s independence in 1953, the Glaoui family was evicted and the kasbah was left to ruin.

The palace is becoming more damaged, but in 2010 work was started to restore the property. Inside it has some stunning mosaics and intricate wood carvings similar to the Bahia Palace in Marrakech, with an incredible attention to details.  From the roof terrace there is an amazing view of the mountains and the valley below.

You enjoy a lunch in the kasbah before you head back to Ouarzazate in the afternoon, driving over the Tizi n Tichka mountains.