Ouarzazate

With its strategic location at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains and on the brim of the vast Saharan sands, Ouarzazate has become one of Morocco’s most important holiday destinations, popular among both locals and tourists. Long known as the ‘Door of the Desert’, Ouarzazate makes a common launch pad for camel trekking and camping trips into the Draa Valley and the surrounding Sahara desert, as well as tours of the famous UNESCO-World Heritage listed city of Aït Benhaddou and hiking excursions into the mountains.
Ouarzazate is also the heart of Morocco’s film industry, with the region’s mud-built towns and striking Kasbahs providing the scope for dramatic onscreen landscapes. Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy and Gladiator were all shot in the area, along with recently shot scenes for HBO’s hit fantasy series Game of Thrones, earning the town the affectionate nickname of ‘Ouallywood’.