Before the modern highway, caravans crossed the High Atlas on a quieter road through Telouet and the Ounila Valley. Most tours race past the turn-off. We take it, through red cliffs, green terraces and earthen villages, to arrive at Aït Benhaddou the way travellers once did.
Perfect if you don't have time for the Sahara but want to feel the south.
Day by day
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Day1
The forgotten road
Marrakesh → Tizi n'Tichka → Telouet → Ounila Valley → Aït Benhaddou~5 h drivingCross the Tizi n'Tichka, then turn off to Telouet and the remains of the Glaoui kasbah, once the seat of the most powerful family in the south. Follow the Ounila Valley's quiet road down past earthen villages and green terraces to Aït Benhaddou. Sleep in a kasbah guesthouse with the ksar outside your window.
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Day2
Sunrise and studios
Aït Benhaddou → Ouarzazate → Marrakesh~4.5 h drivingExplore the ksar in the soft morning light before the day visitors arrive, visit Ouarzazate's Taourirt Kasbah or its film studios, and return over the mountains to Marrakesh.
Make it yours
This route is a starting point, not a package. Every day can change. Here are a few ideas:
- Add SkouraA third day among the palm groves and kasbahs of Skoura.
- Keep goingContinue east and join The Slow Sahara to Merzouga and Fes.
- One wayFinish in Ouarzazate, or continue south to the Draa Valley.
- A night in TelouetStay at a simple mountain guesthouse instead of Aït Benhaddou.
What we can arrange for you
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed driver for the whole route
- Riads, kasbahs and hotels to match your style and budget
- Desert camps, from simple to luxury
- Licensed local guides for medinas and monuments
- Activities: camel rides, cooking classes, hammams, hikes
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
Prefer to book your own accommodation? No problem. We'll simply drive the route around your bookings.
