Ouarzazate

About Ouarzazate

Set in the south of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate is known as the gateway to the Sahara Desert. But its breathtaking natural landscape comes with a surprisingly modern heritage – since the movie business took off here in the 1950s, Ouarzazate has provided the set for over 200 films, serving as everything from biblical backdrops to ancient Egypt (Gladiator, The Mummy, and Game of Thrones, to name a few). Take a trip to Atlas Studio, which lets you step behind the scenes and see how the surrounding dunes have been shown on the silver screen.

From Ouarzazate’s main square you’ll find lots of places to eat and drink. La Gironde is modest in appearance, but it’s always full of tourists who rave about the authentic cuisine, including chicken tajine, berber omelette, and the harira soup. Ouarzazate can be tricky to get around without a car, but there are plenty of places to hire one – and it’s worth it for the freedom and spectacular views from the desert.