How to Mindfully Visit Aït Ben Haddou: Morocco’s Famous Mud-brick Village
7 min readAït Ben Haddou (sometimes written Ait Benhaddhou) is more than just a Game of Thrones filming location. This mudbrick fortified village (ksar in Arabic or igrhem in Amazigh) rose to fame for its Hollywood cameos, but there’s much more to discover here than you might initially expect. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to visit Ait...
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Aït Ben Haddou (sometimes written Ait Benhaddhou) is more than just a Game of Thrones filming location.
This mudbrick fortified village (ksar in Arabic or igrhem in Amazigh) rose to fame for its Hollywood cameos, but there’s much more to discover here than you might initially expect.
I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to visit Ait Ben Haddou twice now: once for sunset as part of a quick stopover on our 10-day Morocco road trip, and again as an overnight stay before heading further south to camp in the Sahara.
Both visits allowed me to experience this 1987 UNESCO-listed site more deeply.
While it is postcard-worthy, I want your visit to Morocco’s ancient mudbrick fortress to be more than about the perfect photo.
From women’s cooperatives offering traditional Moroccan cooking classes to handmade Amazigh rug weavers, this guide will show you how to experience the history and thriving local life hidden in Ait Ben Haddou’s maze-like ochre alleys.
Ait Ben Haddhou offers free entry into the ksar, but you can make the most of your visit by hiring a local guide to learn more about the ksar’s history, architecture, legends, and cinema.
Whether on a jam-packed, guided day trip from Marrakesh or a slower, at-your-own-pace overnight stay, here’s my travel guide to help you discover Ait Ben Haddhou!
Aït Ben Haddou on a Day Trip VS Staying Overnight
Most who visit Ait Ben Haddou do so on a one-day roundtrip tour from Marrakesh.
However, if you rent a car in the city and make the journey yourself, you will have more flexibility to explore more in the Ounil Valley and around Ouarzazate.
With one night in Ait Ben Haddhou, you have the chance to slow your pace and experience:
- Sunrise and sunset at Ait Ben Haddhou
- Visit Ait Ben Haddhou’s Amazigh (Berber) artisan workshops and women-led cooperatives
- Tour the Atlas Film Studios (aka “Morocco’s Hollywood”)
- Wander inside Skoura’s ancient Kasbah Amridril, which is part museum!
- …and more!
As you’ll see, Ait Ben Haddhou in the quiet hours of the desert is a different experience than during peak visit hours when the tour buses and crowds flood in.
Overnight stays (even just one night) allow you to dig a little deeper without rushing. We should push against this default behavior of speeding through places just for a photo and then leaving without really integrating the experience.
But, it all depends on what you have time for in your Morocco itinerary!
If you only have one day trip to spare and are short on time, Ait Ben Haddou is still worth visiting! Depending on the tour, you may still get to tour Atlas Film Studios or visit a women’s weaving coop.
On that note, if you don’t have much time and are thinking about skipping Ait Ben Haddhou, it begs the question: Will you miss out?
There are other beautiful fortified villages with mud-brick architecture to see across Morocco, other than Ait Ben Haddou. The Kasbah des Caids or the Kasbah Telouet in the Drâa Valley are more examples.
Fun Fact: A kasbah is a fortified fortress, whereas a ksar like Ait Ben Haddhou is a fortified village!
Ait Ben Haddhou just happens to be one of the best-preserved examples of a ksar and also the most famous, thanks to Hollywood films.
Hotels & Guesthouses in Ait Ben Haddou
You will find most accommodation lining the main road of Ait Benhaddou village.
We stayed in a basic lodging but for more comfort, I would recommend Riad Zayoute.
For the once in a lifetime opportunity to stay in the heart of the old ksar, check out the gorgeous guesthouse of Kasbah Tebi.
What to Do & See at Aït Ben Haddou
Before you wander through Ait Ben Haddou’s alleys to get to the top viewpoint, I highly recommend visiting the village’s women-led cooperatives, local artists, and museums.
In efforts to bring responsible, community-based tourism to Ait Ben Haddou, the Ighrem N’Iqendaren Tourism Cooperative, founded in 2020, was created to organize tourism activities.
Currently, the cooperative supports three main projects:
- Maison de l’Oralité (House of Orality) — Ait Ben Haddhou’s dedicated cultural center for preserving and celebrating Amazigh oral heritage.
- Tawesna Association — A women-led tea salon and restaurant in the village (I will tell you more about my visit below!)
- Tours — Guided, themed tours that highlight the cultural heritage of Ait Ben Haddhou.
Then, to top off the day, head up to the ancient vestiges and ramparts atop the city for an epic sunset!
1. Visit Local Amazigh Women’s Cooperatives
Akhnif Glaoui Carpet Cooperative
The first is an Amazigh (Berber) carpet weavers association called Akhnif L’Glaoui.
It is located on the ‘new town’ side before you cross the foot bridge into the Old City.
Here, women make beautiful hand-spun carpets and rugs with unique Amazigh prints and patterns.
One rug = one woman’s work, and it can take a few days to a few months to make one piece.
You can watch the demonstration of how the Amazigh women traditionally (and laboriously) weave by hand each rug before entering deeper into the shop to learn about the Amazigh patterns, color choice, and more. (They are proud of their pressure-free purchase standards!)
If you would like to support Akhnif Glaoui and buy a handmade rug/carpet for your home, you can email them here for their catalog. And yes, they can ship internationally!
Tawesna Association (Teahouse)
The second women-led cooperative to visit is right across the bridge to Ait Ben Haddhou’s fortified village on the left. It is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.
Tawesna is an “inclusive tea house” led by Leila Azdou, deputy and head chef Nadia Baa Bouz, and the Amazigh women of Ait Benhaddou village. Leila is also the Secretary President of Ait Ben Haddhou’s tourism cooperative, Ighrem N’Iqendaren.
Tawesna’s story is an inspiring one. They were among the first women-led associations in the village. At first, men of the community were against the movement, as they thought it didn’t suit their cultural norms.
Today, Tawesna employs and empowers over 50+ women who find community and economic opportunity through its projects.
They provide experiential cooking classes to promote their cultural heritage and invite both tourists and Moroccans through their doors, even for a break for mint tea and cookies.
It was really wonderful to be able to hear from Nadia during our visit, thanks to our tour leader Aziz from Intrepid Travel.
2. Step Inside the Tiwirga Art Gallery
As you wander through Ait Ben Haddhou, you’ll see many gorgeous artworks spilling out of mud-brick doorways.
Don’t be shy to step inside these hidden, colorful art galleries!
One such gallery is Tiwirga, created by renowned Moroccan artist Hafida Zizi, who is a resident of Ait Ben Haddou’s ksar.
Her gallery in Ait Ben Haddhou showcases a variety of original pieces, including paintings, ceramics, and sculptures, all deeply reflecting the Amazigh (Berber) culture and traditions.
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Even more poignant, in a video interview with filmmaker Abdellah Azizi, the self-taught artist says she paints the “fading life of the Amazigh women.”
Hear more of her story in the full video above!
3. Visit the House of Orality Museum
The next best thing to do in Ait Ben Haddou is to visit the House of Orality (Maison de l’Oralité), a cultural and research center dedicated to preserving the living, spoken heritage of the Amazigh people.
According to their site, the House of Orality is housed inside a typical early 20th-century home that formerly belonged to village chief Amghar Brahim Haddou.
You will find artisan works, traditional jewelry, textiles, photos, and audio recordings of ritual songs from the Ounila Valley.
Amazigh women’s weaving traditions are also showcased through textiles that tell symbolic stories through pattern and color.
Open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, and the entrance fee is 50 Dhs. A 150 Dhs ticket includes the guided “Rites and Legends” tour.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Aït Ben Haddou
Ultimately, we can decide to either pass through Ait Ben Haddou in a hurry or slow down and engage more meaningfully with its ancient, living history.
In Ait Ben Haddou, you can cook with the women of Tawesna, learn about Amazigh traditions at the Maison de l’Oralité, or step inside a local gallery to meet the artist preserving Amazigh women through color and clay.
And, of course, walk up to the ramparts of the ksar to watch the sunset!
Beyond the village, there’s more to explore more in Ounila Valley and Ouarzazate!
- Telouet Kasbah — A crumbling kasbah tucked in the Ounila Valley, once home to the powerful Glaoui clan!
- Atlas Film Studios — aka Mollywood! And Morocco’s largest film set.
- National Museum of Cinema — Located across from Kasbah Taourirt, this small museum is filled with film props from popular scenes.
- Kasbah Taourirt (Ouarzazate) — Opposite the museum, this kasbah is a vast labyrinthine in the heart of the city!
- Kasbah Amridil (Skoura) — Another beautiful kasbah, part-museum, located in Skoura Oasis. See it on this private excursion of Gorges Dades, Valley of Roses and Skoura!
- Tifoultoute Kasbah — Another lesser-known fortress just west of Ouarzazate and down the road opposite Atlas Film Studios!
If you have any questions about Ait Ben Haddou, feel free to reach out! Otherwise, hiring a local guide once in Ait Ben Haddhou will be the best way to uncover the rich stories and heritage this mudbrick village holds.
