The hook
A fortified village of red-earth towers rising in tiers above a river on the old caravan road to the Sahara, so cinematically perfect it has stood in for ancient cities in countless films.
01Why it's worth it
Over the High Atlas from Marrakech, the land turns to red rock, oasis, and desert, and Aït Benhaddou is its iconic sight: a ksar, a fortified village of packed-earth kasbahs and towers, stacked up a hillside above a shallow river, glowing terracotta at dawn and dusk. Once a stop on the caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, it is now largely uninhabited but beautifully preserved, and its dramatic looks have made it a favourite film set, standing in for ancient and mythical cities in productions from Lawrence of Arabia to Game of Thrones. Nearby Ouarzazate has real film studios you can tour. The village is also the gateway to the deep south: the palm-lined Draâ Valley, the rose-gold dunes of Erg Chigaga and Erg Chebbi, and camel treks and desert camps under the stars. It is the doorway to Saharan Morocco.
02How to experience it
See Aït Benhaddou at sunrise or sunset for the light on the earthen towers, crossing the river to climb through the ksar. Use it as a gateway: continue down the Draâ Valley to the Sahara for a camel trek and an overnight dune camp, and tour the Ouarzazate film studios if you like.
From the locals
It's named as one of the stops that justifies the long drive south rather than as a destination on its own: among the places one traveller enjoyed most were "stopover locations between Marrakech and Merzouga — Aït Benhaddou, Agdz and Nkob — some beautiful stuff to see." Treat it as the highlight of the road to the desert, which is how Moroccans route it.