Ouarzazate, on the far side of the High Atlas about 200 km south-east of Marrakech, is Morocco's film capital. On the edge of town, Atlas Studios, founded in 1983 by the entrepreneur Mohamed Belghmi, can be visited with a guide: an Egyptian temple, Cleopatra's palace, streets of Jerusalem and TV series sets follow one another across acres of land. Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Prince of Persia and the series Game of Thrones were filmed at the studios or in the surrounding area. The town itself centres on the Taourirt kasbah, a former residence of the Glaoui family. Allow a very long day for the round trip from Marrakech, or better, spend a night there.
Highlights
The Atlas Studios sets
The guided tour, a little under an hour long, moves from one set to the next: an Egyptian temple front guarded by seated statues, colonnades, oriental alleys and papier-mâché fortresses, with the Atlas mountains as a backdrop. The guide explains which film used each set and how it was reused afterwards. Some sets are closed while a shoot is under way.
Cleopatra's palace and the columned temple
The monumental staircase, the sphinxes and the columns painted with hieroglyphs are the most photographed sets on the site. Up close, you can see the skill of the Moroccan set builders and plasterers, who work in plaster, wood and resin. A supplement gives access to the Kingdom of Heaven set, away from the main circuit.
The Taourirt kasbah
In the centre of town, this large rammed-earth kasbah was enlarged in the late 19th century by the Glaoui family, who dominated southern Morocco, then largely restored in the 1980s. Some of the rooms can be visited, with their painted cedar ceilings and stucco; the lived-in quarter around it is easy to explore on foot. A small entrance fee is paid on site.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Atlas Studios can only be visited with a guide, with no booking needed: tours leave every 20 to 40 minutes depending on demand, in several languages. The ticket costs 80 DH per person (about €7), free for under-5s, with a supplement for the Kingdom of Heaven set (prices checked in October 2026); tipping the guide is customary. A same-day round trip from Marrakech means at least 8 hours of driving over the Tizi n'Tichka pass: most organised tours combine Ouarzazate with Aït-Ben-Haddou and last more than 12 hours. To enjoy both without rushing, spend the night in Ouarzazate or Aït-Ben-Haddou.
How to get there
About 200 km from Marrakech on the N9 over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m), or 4 to 4.5 hours of winding road each way. Atlas Studios stands beside the N9, about 5 km west of central Ouarzazate: coming from Marrakech, you pass it before entering town. By coach, CTM and Supratours link Marrakech and Ouarzazate in 4.5 to 5 hours, several times a day, from around 100 dirhams one way; from Ouarzazate bus station, a petit taxi reaches the studios in a few minutes. The one- and two-day tours sold in Marrakech include transport and a stop at the studios.
Opening hours
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