Ksar Ait Ben Haddou
ref. - ITCTOZZ01
(5 hours hike)
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: GRADE ONE - WALKING MOSTLY ON PATHS AT LOWER LEVELS, SOMETIMES ROCKY, SELDOM FLAT, FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS EACH DAY. GOOD TRAINERS WOULD DO, BUT TAKE BOOTS IF YOU ARE USED TO THEM. FOR ANYONE WHO LEADS A REASONABLY ACTIVE LIFE. HIKING ALWAYS INVOLVES SOME EFFORT.

Departure from Ouarzazate at around 08:00 in the morning northwards towards the magnificently exotic ksar complex of Aït Ben Haddou, declared, and rightly so, a Worldwide Heritage Site; we stop en-route at a bend in the winding road to look at the Berber village of Elouad El Malh, with its ochre-red kasbah set amongst a palmeraie to then continue on towards Aït Ben Haddou.
Here we alight from our vehicle to visit these various kasbahs, so closely-knit that they appear to be but one complete building, backed up against the looming mountain in a stretch of unforgiving hammada. The thick, high, sheer, elaborately decorated pisé walls, stepped-up housing, turreted, crenellated ramparts, balustrades and arched ‘babs’ are a sight not to be missed. Obviously, here Hollywood shot many of its films, including, as everyone will tell you, “Lawrence of Arabia”. One of the more spectacular sights in the Atlas ranges, set upon a rock above a reed-strewn assif, commanding the area for miles around, this kasbah controlled the route to Marrakech until the French blasted a road through the Tizi n’Tichka.
From here, we shall walk for some 3 hours through some impressive, ever-changing countryside of the Tamdaght Valley to the ancient Kasbah ofthe Glaoui at Tamdaght, the once all-powerful brothers who ruled this southern region, here to take a field picnic at the foot of the kasbahwithin the memories of the splendours of the past and a magnificent vista of a beautiful valley full of small streams and of storks perched on their nests on the kasbah turrets. As these brothers once said: “To last a long while, our homes and castles must have a good hat and good boots”.
We then wend our way back for a further 2 hours through palmeraies, past rugged outcrops and the occasional screeching eagle overhead to rejoin our vehicle at 16:30 to return to Ouarzazate.

Cost for this tour:

- please call or email for a full quote - all our holidays are tailor-made and the cost of each trek is based upon the following:

* the number of people in your group (some hikes available for single travellers, one person FREE for groups of 10 or more);

* where you are starting from and to where you wish to travel at the end the hike;

* whether you are including any additional accommodation (e.g. in Imlil or Marrakech)

* extras such as WC tent or refuge accommodation, etc.

Our price includes:

Experienced, licensed, bi-lingual mountain guide throughout, round trip transportation, picnic lunch.

Picnic lunch - fresh Moroccan salad, cheese, tinned tuna fish*, bread, fruit. * If vegetarian or vegan, please pre-advise.

Our prices do not include:

Personal medical or accident insurance. Any expenditure of a personal nature. Bottled or gaseous water, nor anything not specifically mentioned in the itinerary.

It is recommended that you bring:

Walking boots or stout shoes suitable for walking, rambler pole (optional), Hat, sunscreen, nibbles, hygienic wipes, filled water bottle(s).

NB: all our prices are for land arrangements only (starting and finishing in Ouarzazate), please contact us to arrange accommodation in the Ouarzazate area as flights from your preferred airport if required.

Tel: + 44 (0) 1989 730 552 (UK)

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