Ait Ben Haddou
A mud-and-straw village with more film credits than most actors
- When to go
- October 19° · 2 rainy days
- Per day
- €price 1 of 5
- How many days
- ½days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 24 km Ouarzazate
- Right now
Ait Ben Haddou is a fortified village of rammed earth that looks like it grew out of the ground rather than being built on it — which is exactly why Hollywood has used it so often, from 'Gladiator' to 'Game of Thrones'. A handful of families still live inside it, though most residents moved to the new settlement across the river long ago.
The village takes an hour or two to walk through — narrow lanes between kasbah towers, earthen rooftops, and a view from the top over the Ounila river valley. Entry to the village itself is free, though someone at the gate may ask for an 'entrance fee' — that's not official, and you don't have to pay it.
Most people visit Ait Ben Haddou as a stop on the road from Marrakech to the Sahara, over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. That makes sense, but it's worth staying at least an hour longer than the bus tours allow for — the village is at its best once the groups leave, in the late afternoon.
What to see in Ait Ben Haddou
The ksar (fortified village)
A complex of six fortified towers linked by walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The material is packed earth and straw, which is why the village needs periodic restoration.
The hilltop view
A path above the village leads to an old communal granary at the top, with a view over the whole valley — the light is best about an hour before sunset.
Crossing the Ounila river
When the river is low you cross on foot over stones or temporary embankments; when it's high, locals offer a donkey or boat crossing for small change.
Film locations
Signs around the village mark where scenes were shot — 'Gladiator', 'The Mummy', 'Game of Thrones' and part of 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
The new village across the river
Riverside cafés look straight across at the ksar — most postcard shots of the village are taken from here, not from inside it.
Two things you probably did not know
Ait Benhaddou has stood in for locations in Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, The Mummy and Game of Thrones. Several structures that now look like part of the village are in fact leftover film sets.
The whole ksar is rammed earth mixed with straw, without a single fired brick. The walls crumble after heavy rain. The village is repaired exactly as it was built, again every year.
Ready for Ait Ben Haddou?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Ait Ben Haddou — day trips or weekends.
Morocco
→The north by train, the south by road, and in July you leave Marrakech for the coast
Portugal
→A country that spent centuries looking at the ocean instead of the Europe behind it
Turkey
→Istanbul, then one direction: Cappadocia by plane, Ephesus and Pamukkale by train, or the Lycian coast by bus
All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
Within reach from here: Marrakech, Essaouira and Casablanca
See how much of that actually suits you — or pin Ait Ben Haddou if you have been.
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