Ait Ben Haddou and Telouet Kasbah private Day Tour from Marrakech

The driver - guide of your private day trip in will meet you at your hotel or riad at 8 a. m (we can also leave later). After a briefing on the program of the day, you will depart in your private vehicle to High Atlas Mountains. Once you leave the hustle and bustle of the city, the views shift from crowded streets to sprawling plains and the Atlas foothills.

The adventure starts along the road to Ouarzazate, one of the most beautiful in Morocco with stunning views as you ascend towards the mountains. As you ride, your guide will provide commentary about he Berber culture of the area and the history of the caravan routes and High Atlas as a natural barrier and cultural meeting point.

Your first photographic stop will be at Ait Barka, a Berber village situated in the foothill of the mounts. Here you can have a brief walk, sip tea on a roof terrace with panoramic views and pause to appreciate the scenery before recommencing the ascent towards Tizi n’Tichka.

As the Marrakech road drops into the foothills of the Atlas, the switchbacks begin. After about an hour, there is a convenient stopping point at Ait Barka, a tiny Berber village that is good for a few minutes pause before the climb up the Tizi n‘Tichka pass.

It‘s a good chance for a breather, to enjoy the mountain tranquility. Many travelers will take a break on a rooftop, where traditional tea is served, with panoramic views over the green valleys and terraced agriculture. It is a good opportunity to soak in the first juxtaposition of rich green mountain foothills and the high peaks beyond.

The road then steadily ascends into the High Atlas mountains after Ait Barka, where it reaches the highest point of any road in Morocco at 2,260 meters the Tizi n‘Tichka Pass, famed for its majestic scenery of valleys, terraced fields and dramatic peaks. This was once a vital route for caravans connecting Marrakech with the Sahara and it still ranks as one of the best drives in Morocco. You will stop here a while to admire the mighty views and take photographs of the scenic panoramas. When the weather allows snow capped peaks stand out against ochre mountains.

Nestled high in the High Atlas at 1,800 meters, the Kasbah Telouet was the old palace of the affluent Glaoui family and is tucked away along the old trade route leading into the Sahara. The ruins are quite spectacular, and inside the grandeur can still be seen in the reception halls and rooms covered with cedar, wood ceilings painted with bold designs and plasterwork carved with Old Moroccan motifs. From its roof you can gaze across the valleys and mighty mountains to experience the mosque, like structure lived in by those rich and powerful in times gone by. Visiting the Kasbah offers the rare opportunity to see into Morocco‘s past and learn about the Lords of the Atlas, and being a few kilometers from the Berber souk of the Thursday market, there is much life to see.

A visit to a traditional carpet cooperative nestled in the Berber village ensures an authentic encounter of the Berber life and a step into the country‘s intangible heritage. In this workshop, you can learn about the ancestral Berber weaving techniques that have helped local families through hard times and enable rural women to empower themselves and sustain their communities.

During the course of the visit, you meet the local women artisans who have sustained themselves economically thanks to this synthetic, free, traditional craft. Experience the way natural dyes and Berber symbols, stories and natural elements are embedded into each design and meet the artisans who chronicled them into the carpets. This stop supports fair trade, responsible tourism and women empowerment. This will undoubtedly be much more than a shopping stop!

The journey from Telouet to Ait Ben, Haddou takes you through the magnificent Ounila Valley, once part of the historic caravan route. The small Berber villages flit between the spectacular iron, coloured mountains and their houses, fashioned from clay and stone in exactly the same colours as the surrounding cliffs. The villages seem to be almost vanished into the landscape, as if cut from the cliffs themselves. Terraced fields, orchards and the remains of ancient kasbahs line the route, which used to be patrolled by Berber guards. The views are among the most unspoilt to discover traditional Berber life in the High Atlas, away from the tourist hot spots, and are crammed with photo opportunities.

Once you get to the famous Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO world heritage site, the old ksar will be looming in the background of the Atlas Mountains. You will follow your guide through the narrow maze of alleyways and adobe structures of the historic village, listening to stories of Berber life. Many famous Hollywood movies such as Gladiator, Game of Thrones, The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia and Jewel of the Nile have been filmed there and this makes the village both a film and a cultural treasure.

Lunch in a Local Restaurant (Details): We can propose the possibility of having lunch in a local restaurant. It is a buffet of traditional Moroccan dish for tasting Moroccan flavors and hospitality in a traditional setting. It is not included in the tour price and it is 130 Dhs per person.

Having explored the beautiful Ait Benhaddou and had a delicious optional local lunch, you will begin your drive back to Marrakech. Sit back and admire the magnificent scenery as you drive back through the Atlas Mountains. The journey ends in Marrakech where you will arrive late afternoon/early evening.