Ait Benhaddou is even more famous for being a backdrop for many hollywood movies, scenes of the mighty Russel Crowe playing the Gladiator were shot in the village, Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy also used the Ksar as a background for many scenes. Welles used it as a location for Sodome And Gomorrah, and for Jesus of Nazareth. The scene where Denerys Targarian was entering the Sand village (with two pyramids at the top) was also shot at the doors of Ait Benhaddou, once there, you will get the chance to see a couple of pictures of the live shootings that took place there. And at the top of the hill, you will appreciate a wonderful view of the whole valley. You will spend two hours in Ait Benhaddou, one for exploring the village and sites, and an hour to enjoy a good meal on a terrace with clear views of the Kasbahs. After leaving Ait Benhaddou, We will head to Ouarzazate, a city at 30 km from the site of Ait Benhaddou and equally famous in the film making industry as there are two major studios in the city and a huge museum of the cinematographic art. The name “Ouarzazate” is a berber combination of two words, meaning noiseless and peaceful.
The first attraction worth visiting the Kasbah of Taourirte, a beautiful and well preserved construction that holds many heroic stories and ancient history, the entrance fee is 20 dh per person and you have the option pay a local guide to get some added value and the stories the largest Kasbah of Morocco and home to former Pacha Glaoui, ruler of the region has to tell. The second attraction in Ouarzazate is the cinematographic arts museum, situated just in front the previous Kasbah, is a massive collection of tools, costumes, cameras, VFX technics and chambers used in the filming of movies. The entrance fee to the museum is 30dh per person, and it is also possible to take a local guide to explain the site. After the museum, we will head back to the entrance of the city, where the Atlas Studio site lays, this is where actual film making happens, but the museum is more interesting, because the studio is usually empty outside shooting times, and forbidden during the shooting. The trip comes to end here and you take the road back to Marrakech to arrive around sunset. The driver will drop you off at your hotel or any place of your choice in the city.