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Driving the High Atlas Mountains & A Spectacular Day Trip to Ksar Ait Benhaddou

Have you ever wanted to go to the most exotic filming site of Games of Thrones? A drive through the gorgeous High Atlas Mountains brings you to our favorite Moroccan town Ait Benhaddou.


Our Moroccan road trip had been more exciting and full of surprises than we could have anticipated. We’d been awed by the sheer beauty of Morocco in places like Volubulis, El Jadida, Chefchaouen, and Essaouira.

We’d been happily overwhelmed at the chaotic energy of the Marrakesh food stalls, the Berber market in Azrou, and the Fez souk, but our next stop had us all sitting on the edge of our seats as we drove, or should I say careened, through the steep, winding roads for an amazing High Atlas mountains day trip to Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

In this article:

The High Atlas Mountains covered in snow during a December road trip.

Driving the Roads of the High Atlas Mountains

Driving on route N9 through the gorgeous High Atlas Mountains of Morocco brings you past peaks rising about 13,000 feet, through colorful Berber communities, and has you gasping at the beauty and serenity of the Moroccan countryside.

You can easily rent a car and drive on the roads through the High Atlas Mountains. We were surprised at how well maintained the roads were, and on our trip we enjoyed seeing people in the fields working, donkeys, goats, and cows in the pastures, as well as the variety of vehicles on the winding roads. And winding might just be a bit of an understatement. By the time we got over the pass, I had lost count of the hairpin turns; there were several hundred at least!

The highlight on this route is the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, the highest part of the road, where we were finally at the top and making our way down to the Sahara side. The vistas from up here were absolutely stunning. We did notice the snow on the peaks around us, however, and couldn’t help but think the road could have snow on it during winter. That’s definitely one thing to check on before heading out during those colder months.

One of the many colorful villages you drive past on your way through the High Atlas on a day trip to Ait Benhaddou.

For those travelers with a little more time, good driving skills, and a trustworthy vehicle, the alternate route, P1506, between Ait Benhaddou and Aguelmouss is a good choice. Expect to add about an hour to the trip as this is a smaller road, sometimes dirt and gravel, that winds through small villages while passing through the mountains. We did this on our way back down towards Marrakech and just loved every minute of it.

The amazing views of the snow-covered mountains, as well as the eclectic small villages we drove through, were all by themselves a fantastic reason to visit the High Atlas Mountains, but we were also heading someplace special.

Ounila River and Ksar of Ait Benhaddou is part of the perfect day trip through the High Atlas Mountains.
The Ounila River with the Ksar Ait Benhaddou as the sun is setting in the High Atlas.

A Day Trip to Ait Benhaddou, The Game of Thrones City

Our main goal was, Ait Benhaddou, or nowadays thanks to Game of Thrones, it might be better known as Yunkai. Actually, the city has been featured in many other full-feature films as well. How could anyone, let alone a movie producer, not want to go here? 

A closer look at some of the buildings in the Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

It’s one of those places that doesn’t seem real, a place of make-believe and dreams. Can real people still live here? As it turns out there’s not many who still live in the old part of the city, but they certainly do go there to sell souvenirs and run small cafes.

Getting here was definitely part of the fun. Many people do this in conjunction with camel trekking (no camel racing in Morocco) in the Sahara, but we didn’t want to risk the cold. We had about a six hour drive from Essaouira, so we got on the road early, stopping to see some amazing sights along the way, arriving in late afternoon. Perfect.

A view from the top of Ksar Ait Benhaddou in Morocco.

Visiting the Ksar of Ait Benhaddou

We drove down the road, easily following the signs, and parked the car to the famous Ksar. Looking at the clay and straw fortress, it was a surprise that people can visit Ait Benhaddou.

It was mid-afternoon giving us a few hours, which is plenty to explore the Ksar at Ait Benhaddou. When we arrived, there were no vehicles in the ksar, because there is no bridge that crosses the Ounila River. This is probably one of the main reasons that Ait Benhaddou has been able to keep its old-world charm intact.

Lisa crosses the Ounila River with help from a young friend. Ait Benhaddou is one of the best places to go in the Atlas Mountains.
Lisa crosses the Ounila River with help from a young friend.

First, we had to cross the river which had rocks with sand bags covering them, making a path that you had to step from the one to the next to get across the water. The river, although not deep, was rushing by with a bit of a current, so to make some money the local children walk in the water holding your hand to help you across for a small tip.

No matter how you feel about children begging or working in these capacities, they had smiles on their faces, and this small act also lent more credence to that colonial feeling where the tourist, all dressed up in safari gear, is waited on hand and foot.

Looking through an arch down at the Ounila River. Ait Benhaddou is the perfect Atlas Mountains day trip.
Looking through a rocky arch, you can see the entrance of the Ait Benhaddou Ksar and the Ounila River.

I’m not condoning it, but I have to say I don’t think it’s going to change any time soon, and as the tourist who was being helped, you look like a complete heartless git if you let them help you and not tip. It was definitely one of those many times when no matter what your feelings or your ethics, you kind of just have to go with the flow and accept it.

After we walked through the gate with lots of hawkers, we immediately started to climb, and climb, and climb. The uneven walkways and staircases are all narrow, and the buildings being made of clay, straw, and wood have a rough-textured exterior. There were some handrails, but of course they weren’t everywhere.

Visting Ait Benhaddou, don't miss walking into some traditional sub-Saharan homes.
The interior of a traditional pre-Saharan home that you can pay a small fee to tour as you climb to the top of Ait Benhaddou.

The High Atlas are physically intimidating, hard to cross mountains that brood over the desert like a slumbering giant. Add to that the imposing fortress, the Ksar Ait Benhaddou, it’s many towers bristling like sharp teeth, and you can’t help but feel awed in this magical setting.

Since we were there in winter, it wasn’t hot at all, in fact it was a bit windy and chilly so the climb was exhilarating, but I could imagine how difficult it would be if the temperature was much warmer.

The top of the Ksar is a must-do in Ait Benhaddou. It definitely feels like you are in the movie Game of Thrones.
From the top of the Ksar, you can watch as other tourists are “helped” across the Ounila River.

Climb To The Top of the Ksar For the Best Views

As we climbed, we marveled at the ancient pre-Saharan architecture, where for over 500 years people have been living and trading in the ksar. Ait Benhaddou was one of the mid-points of the trading caravans that trekked from the Sudan to Marrakesh.

A donkey is tethered outside a house in the Ksar Ait Benhaddou.
One of the many unique scenes you come across climbing to the top of Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

The ksar, or group of dwellings, is surrounded by high walls with towers on the corners which were built to defend the residents. The houses within are everything from small and modest to luxurious and grand; some of them are open to visitors for a very small fee and well worth the visit.

As we wound our way up the hill to the top of the crenelated walls and towers, we were rewarded with amazing views of the fortified city and the Ounila Valley. There were plenty of opportunities to stop and buy souvenirs as well, everything from local handicrafts, postcards, to rugs. The ksar still lives up to its trading heritage.

Moroccan tea cafe, man pouring tea at the Ksar of Ait Benhaddou.
At the top of the Ksar, we enjoyed this cup of traditional Moroccan tea.
Carved wooded door - Ait Benhaddou.
An elaborately carved wooden door adorns this old building in the Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

We made it to the top a little before the sun started to set, where we were beckoned through this mysterious door to an open-air cafe where we warmed up and enjoy the views with a great glass of Moroccan tea. Being so high up, the winds were starting to scream through the valley and warm tea was just the remedy we were looking for before we had had enough and headed down to the rental car.

Walking through the uniquely structured fortress of Ait Benhaddou’s ksar, as well as doing a little souvenir shopping, drinking sweet Moroccan tea as we watched the sun begin to dip, were some of the reasons to visit this amazing UNESCO world heritage site.

Kasbah Isfoula Hotel - Ait Benhaddou.
One of the sitting rooms of our boutique hotel outside of Ait Benhaddou.

The Best Ksar Ait Benhaddou Hotel

We like to get our hotel set up as soon as we arrive in a new destination, so we headed straight to Kasbah Isfoula and verified that we would love to have dinner there as well. The hotel was a comfortable, boutique-style place complete with towels curled up into swans on the foot of our bed, so we knew that we would be well taken care of while we were there.

Decorated in rich Moroccan furnishings, the dining room was full of warm oranges and reds, with kilims and hand woven textiles. Our dinner of chickpea soup, traditional chicken pastilla, paired with a vibrant Moroccan Merlot was amazing, but we had all that to look forward to after heading out to the Ksar Ait Benhaddou, the old city.

Arriving in a destination in late afternoon always works for us, because we don’t have to wait to check into our hotel and we are arriving during some of the best light for taking photographs – the golden hour.

A view of the road in the High Atlas Mountains.

How to Do Atlas Mountains and Ait Ben Haddou on a Day Trip from Marrakesh

We know not many people will feel comfortable driving on unknown roads for hours to do a day trip. We’ve included that info below, but there are some easier ways to get to this far-flung Moroccan must-do.

The simplest and most convenient way to do a day trip from Marrakesh to the beautiful spots in the Atlas Mountains is to take a tour.

One of the many idyllic views along the High Atlas Mountain road.
Driving yourself through the High Atlas allows for you to enjoy scenes such as this one from your car.
A farmer plows in late afternoon along the road of the High Atlas.
A farmer plows in late afternoon along the road of the High Atlas.

More Info about a Day Trip of the High Atlas Mountains

Ait Benhaddou is located in the Ouarzazate province in southern Morocco, and you have to make it through the High Atlas mountains to get there from pretty much anywhere else in the country. We came from Essaouira, however most people make it in a day trip from Marrakech.

A windshield view of the road to Marrakech through the High Atlas Mountains.
A windshield view of the road to Marrakech through the High Atlas Mountains.

How to Get To Ksar Ait Benhaddou

Getting to Ait Benhaddou from Marrakesh: Travel in Morocco can be slow and difficult, and one of the most popular ways to get here, and probably the easiest and least time-consuming is by taking one of the many Marrakesh desert tours that are offered. A trip to Ouarzazate is usually combined with a camel trek or desert overnight or some Atlas Mountain hiking and the tour companies take care of getting you there. We passed only two vans full of tourists, so it’s not a bad way to go as far as crowds go.

You can also take a bus from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate, which is a little past Ait Benhaddou, but you can take another bus from there or hire a taxi or driver. It depends on how much flexibility you want. Check schedules and prices at the CTM website.

One of the many colorful villages you drive past on your way through the High Atlas on a day trip to Ait Benhaddou.

Of course, we drove. It was part of our two weeks in Morocco on a road trip, and if you love to be in charge of where you go and when you stop, it was really not all that bad. The biggest issue was making sure to be off the road at night. It’s dark; people wear dark clothes, and anything could be in front of you. It was just safer that way.

We drove from Essaouira as part of our Moroccan road trip, and even though we took our time and the ride lasted all day. We stopped quite a bit to take photos and enjoy the landscapes. It was a wonderful ride.

If you are driving, here is a list of how long it will take you from some of the bigger tourist sites to Ait Benhaddou:

  • Marrakech – 181 Kms/ around 4 hours
  • Casablanca – 420 Kms/ around 6 hours
  • Essaouira – 372 Kms/ around 6 hours
Corinne and Jim with the view of Ksar Ait Benhaddou in the background.

Where to Stay and Where to Eat Near Ait Benhaddou

As I mentioned above, we stayed at the Kasbah Isfoula which I can highly recommend, but there are plenty of hotel choices in the area. There are not many places to eat other than very small cafes, so it certainly is convenient to find a place that has meals offered as well, as we did.

Sunset over Ait Benhaddou - well worth a visit to this magical city.
The setting sun casts a beautiful pinkish light over Ksar Ait Benhaddou.

Conclusion

All those filmmakers couldn’t be wrong, Ksar Ait Benhaddou is an amazing place to visit in the High Atlas Mountains and you can certainly do and see everything in one day. Climb to the top of the mud, clay, and straw city to take in the amazing views and pretend that you are Daenerys Targaryen.

Ait Benhaddou is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have been. Not only is it completely different with its amazing history and architecture, but it feels so magical and mysterious, from a time long past. If you haven’t gone, I would highly suggest you make a plan to get here before it is forever changed.

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.

Deidre

Sunday 12th of November 2017

I love your blog

Corinne Vail

Monday 13th of November 2017

Well, thank you Deidre!

Wherever I May Roam (@melodytravels)

Saturday 11th of November 2017

Wow, these are some impressive mountains. I did not know that parts of Game of Thrones were filmed in Morocco. Learn something new every day. ;) Loved seeing the snow topped mountains.

Corinne Vail

Sunday 12th of November 2017

Melody, The Atlas are impressive; such great sights and sounds. We loved the whole trip. Have you been to Morocco?

Lisa

Friday 10th of November 2017

Love this post! What a fabulous country to explore!

Corinne Vail

Sunday 12th of November 2017

Lisa, It was a great trip!

Sandy N Vyjay

Friday 10th of November 2017

Morocco has always been a source of great fascination for me. But I was not much aware about Ait Bennhadou. We see many posts and articles about Marrakech but not about this place. I can see that it was a totally unique experience starting with the crossing of the river which itself sounds like an adventure.

Corinne Vail

Friday 10th of November 2017

Sandy, Just getting to Ait Benhaddou is an adventure...the Atlas Mountains are pretty interesting, but yes, Morocco can offer you some things that most people are not aware of. I hope you go.

Damien McGuigan

Thursday 9th of November 2017

Fantastic photos, and it looks like you had a great time! I have not been to Morocco yet but I know I will be going here if I do. I just love exploring ancient ruins / cities like this.

Corinne Vail

Friday 10th of November 2017

Damien, It's well worth the tromp! I hope you do!