Ouarzazate, located in the heart of Morocco between the mountains and the edge of the vast Sahara Desert.
Ouarzazate in Morocco offers a mix of modern luxury, ancient tradition, cultural riches, and natural beauty.
Enjoy comfortable hotels, excellent food, and friendly hospitality while exploring the oases, lakes, and dunes of this stunning region.
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What to Do in Ouarzazate
Camel Trek
No trip to the desert is complete without a camel trek. Sitting high on the back of an Arabian dromedary camel as you leave civilization behind and wind through shifting dunes, you’ll experience the desert more completely than any other way.
With no buildings, no motors, and no lights to disrupt the vastness and tranquility, you can immerse yourself, and if you choose to spend the night, see the clearest night sky imaginable.
Many hotels can help you arrange a camel trek, or you can book a one- to multi-night trek through a tour operator. If the loping gait of the camel isn’t quite your thing, not to worry.
Enjoy a comfortable ride in an air conditioned 4×4 through the oasis, mountains, and dunes of the Moroccan Sahara.
Cultural Activities
Several local hotels can help you organize cultural activities such as cooking classes, pottery workshops, music demonstrations, and more.
Southern Morocco is full of rich, ancient traditions, and learning about them can deepen your appreciation for the region and its people.
Even if your time is limited, you can take note of the decoration styles – pottery, tile work, woven rugs, metalwork, carved furniture – and enjoy the sumptuous, flavorful cuisine – spiced, slow-cooked meats, delicate pastry, refreshing salads, and perfectly brewed mint tea.
Studio Tours
Ouarzazate is home to several studios where many famous movies have been filmed, including Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, Hanna, The Hills Have Eyes, and parts of Game of Thrones.
CLA Studios offers tours for just $4 per person and is open from 8am to 6:30pm. Check out their website for more information.
You can also visit Atlas Studios, a sprawling expanse 3 miles outside of Ouarzazate.
You can take a taxi there from the city, but as it is huge (up to a 30-minute walk between different sets) it may be easier to go with an organized tour.
You can see everything from a replica medieval city to a Tibetan temple to an Egyptian tomb.
Where to Eat
Le Jardin des Arômes
At Le Jardin des Arômes, you’ll find classy, elegant decoration and attention to every detail, from the beautifully hand-painted plates to the carved wooden archway in the dining room and the excellent, professional service.
The menu offers a mix of Moroccan and Lebanese dishes, including melt-in-your-mouth slow-roasted meats, spiced vegetable couscous, seafood dishes, grilled meats, Middle Easter appetizers, mint tea and platters of cookies, and a range of drinks.
Conveniently located in the center of the city, it is a lovely location for a special lunch or dinner.
Hôtel Sultana Royal Golf Restaurant
Located at the luxury Hotel Sultana Royal Golf, the restaurant serves meals in a large dining rooms or on the terrace with stunning views over the garden, lake, and mountains.
The menu has a mix of Moroccan, Italian, and French cuisine. European-style appetizers, simmered tagines, pizzas, pasta, grilled fish, a range of desserts, and a selection of wines, beers, and spirits are available.
Where to Stay
Auberge de la Terrasse des Délices
Auberge de la Terrasse has just 15 rooms, making it the perfect choice for a quiet, cozy experience. Rooms are simple, clean, and colorfully decorated in the traditional style.
You can choose from a single, double suite, or triple suite. After a restful night, enjoy a Berber breakfast on the terrace looking out over the palm trees of the Fint Oasis to the red mountains beyond.
Then, the hotel staff can assist you in planning cooking, music, or pottery workshops, private tours, or all-terrain excursions.
At night, enjoy classic south Moroccan cuisine in the dining room or on the poolside terrace.
Amenities like air conditioning and WiFi, as well as the location 15km from Ouarzazate in the tiny oasis village of Fint, ensure a peaceful and relaxing stay.
Hôtel Sultana Royal Golf
Hôtel Sultana Royal Golf offers a luxurious green oasis in the desert. With extensive landscaped gardens, a large pool, comfortable, beautifully decorated rooms, and a terrace with sweeping views of the lake and mountains.
it is the perfect choice for a relaxing stay near Ouarzazate (20km from the town center).
They also offer services including 24/7 reception, WiFi, a restaurant and bar, laundry, buffet breakfast, and assistance organizing activities such as day excursions, SUV, quad bikes or mountain bike tours, camel treks, horse-riding trips, and more!
Le Berber Palace
Le Berber Palace is one of the most luxurious hotels in the region and perhaps the country.
Located conveniently in the center of Ouarzazate, it combines a lovely traditional style of decoration and hospitality with modern amenities and services.
A large lobby with a fountain, intricate tilework, and antique furnishings welcomes you to the hotel. Rooms are spotless and tastefully decorated, and supplied with WiFi, satellite TV, international phone connections, mini-bars, and more.
To relax, visit the sauna, hammam, or the pool. When you’re hungry, choose from the three different restaurants on site, each with a different menu and style of decoration.
Enjoy a game of golf or tennis on the hotel grounds, or let the staff arrange an excursion by camel or 4×4.
When to Go
As Ouarzazate is in the desert, you can expect fairly extreme temperature fluctuations from season to season and from day to night.
Ideal times to visit are March-May and September-November, when days are warm to hot and nights are cool to chilly. From December to February, days will generally be cool and nights cold.
During the summer months daytime temperatures regularly reach 100˚F/38˚C.
Make sure to bring long, loose, breathable clothing to keep you cool and protect you from the intense sun during the day, and a warm jacket for the evenings.
How to Get There
The most comfortable ways to get to Ouarzazate are to drive yourself or join an organized tour from a larger city such as Marrakech. This way, you’ll enjoy plenty of space and air conditioning.
It is also quite easy to take a bus from Marrakech, Casablanca, Agadir, or other mid-size cities in the region. Buses are generally efficient, cheap, and comfortable.
Another option is to take a grand taxi from a large city or a nearby mid-size city. These can be a bit cramped but are generally cheap and may offer more flexible departure times.