Ouarzazate Film Locations You Can Reach by Quad, Buggy or Horse
The Kingdom of Heaven fortress, the cinema studio, Atlas Film Studios and Ait Ben Haddou: the film locations around Ouarzazate and the rides that lead to them.
Ouarzazate has welcomed film crews for decades, and the hills around the city still hold sets, kasbahs and landscapes you may recognise from the cinema. Several of these places are best reached on a quad, a buggy or a horse, across the same open ground the productions used. Here is a guide to the main film locations near the city and the routes that lead to them.
Why filmmakers come to Ouarzazate
The city is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its contribution to film. Its light, its earthen architecture and the mix of desert, mountain and oasis scenery within a short distance have drawn productions such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, Babel, The Passion of the Christ, Kingdom of Heaven and Prince of Persia. More recently, the producers of Game of Thrones chose the studios and landscapes of Ouarzazate for scenes of House Targaryen. Several studios work here, including Atlas, CLA and Fint studios, and filming often takes place out in the open, which is why some sets stand in the desert itself.
The Kingdom of Heaven fortress
The film location closest to the spirit of an off road ride is the fortress where the medieval battle scenes of Kingdom of Heaven were filmed. It stands among rugged trails, rocky hills and open ground, and seeing its walls appear ahead of you is a highlight for movie fans. You can reach it in one hour on the Kingdom of Heaven quad tour, at the wheel of an off road buggy, or on a one hour horse ride along desert trails and viewpoints. Your guide shares stories about the film and the region on the way, and the fortress is a natural photo stop. The site is also part of the full day quad, buggy and horse routes.
Kasbah Tifoultoute and the cinema studio
The two hour Tifoultoute and cinema studio quad tour pairs local history with film history. Kasbah Tifoultoute, an eighteenth century fortress, overlooks the valley, and its rooftop looks out over the Ouarzazate river, the city and the Atlas mountains. The ride then continues to the cinema studio, where you walk among sets from productions such as Gladiator, The Mummy and Game of Thrones while your guide explains how Ouarzazate became a magnet for filmmakers. The same route is available by buggy, and a two hour horse ride also leads to the kasbah.
Atlas Film Studios
Atlas Film Studios is the best known studio in Ouarzazate, about 3 km west of the city on the N9 road toward Marrakech. A guided tour takes you through indoor and outdoor sets, which change as new projects arrive. Because the studio is still operational, you may cross a crew on location. A detail film lovers enjoy: some sequences of The Way Back were shot on the same set as Kundun at Atlas. The studio is easy to visit independently by petit taxi from the centre, so it fits well into the same day as a morning ride.
Ait Ben Haddou
About 30 km from Ouarzazate, the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou rises from the slopes of the Ounila Valley. Dating back to the 17th century, it was a stop on the Saharan trade route linking Sudan to Marrakech through the Draa Valley and Tizi n Telouet, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987. Its clay towers and lanes appear in Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Kingdom of Heaven and The Mummy. Our half day quad, buggy and horse tours cross plateaus, dry riverbeds and Berber villages before you explore the ksar and climb to the hilltop granary for the view. For more on the routes, read our guide to riding a quad near Ait Ben Haddou.
The Cinema Museum in town
Back in the centre, the Cinema Museum on Boulevard Mohamed V faces Taourirt Kasbah, the former residence of Thami El Glaoui and a symbol of the city. The museum displays film decors and is itself occasionally used for shooting. You visit it on foot rather than by quad, which makes it an easy addition to a rest day or the end of an afternoon. Check current opening days and times before you go.
Planning a film themed day
A simple plan for movie fans: ride to the Kingdom of Heaven fortress in the cooler morning hours, visit Atlas Film Studios late in the morning, then spend the afternoon at the Cinema Museum and Taourirt Kasbah. For a bigger day, the full day quad and buggy routes link Ait Ben Haddou, the Kingdom of Heaven set and the Fint oasis in one outing. Whichever you choose, bring sunglasses and a scarf against the dust, and ask before photographing people in the villages along the way.
Tell us which films brought you to Ouarzazate and we will suggest the right route. Send a reservation request, or ask the team your questions on WhatsApp.
