9 Best Things To Do In Ouarzazate, Morocco

things to do in ouarzazate morocco
Raphael
Raphael 
Updated
| 4 min read

Known as the Film Capital of Morocco, largely because of its great filmable architecture and culture, this town has quite the wow factor for filming wonderful scenes for movies. Photographers have a field day when visiting Ouarzazate as they have photogenic backgrounds of oases and mountains that are just ready to be photographed. It has also been a friendly and welcoming town for many who have visited. History buffs can visit the historical landmarks and museums. The food and different flavors will have the foodies hopping from one restaurant to another. Below are a few of the best things to do when in Ouarzazate.

Enjoy Local Foods

1. Jardins Des Aromes

Posted by Jardin des aromes ouarzazate on Monday, 5 September 2016

This restaurant embodies its name perfectly. Directly translated from French, it means ‘Gardens of Aromas’ and truly, the mouthwatering aromas from the kitchen will have you coming back for more. Characterized by its classiness, the restaurant has food that will have you licking your fingers when done eating. To top it all, their service is friendly and the staff goes out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and enjoying your dish. One of the best dishes on the menu is the caramelized chicken tagine, so delectable and full of flavors. Make sure to make a stop at Jardins Des Aromes for great restaurant service in a friendly and classy environment.

Jardins Des Aromes

Address: 69 AV mohamed V ouarzazate, Ouarzazate

Website: Jardins Des Aromes

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2. Restaurant Douyria


Enjoy marvelous views and have dinner on the terrace at this restaurant that is just a walking distance away from Berebere Palace. The Douyria menu includes a lot of different meats such as camel meat and pigeon meat, which was an ingredient in making the pigeon pastilla. If you are vegetarian, do not fret. They do also serve vegetarian dishes such as the vegetable pastilla.

Restaurant Douyria

Address: Avenue Mohammed V، Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco

Website: Restaurant Douyria

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3. Habous Restaurant

Posted by Habous Ouarzazate on Saturday, 15 April 2017

Being a town known for its filming potential, it is no wonder that there is a lot of hustle and bustle around it. So if you would like to get away from all that, head off to Habous in the evening, a restaurant located in a town square in Ouarzazate. Enjoy their chicken nuggets and believe me when I say, you will go back for more. The nuggets have quite a different and distinct flavor to them, unlike your usual McDonald’s nuggets.

Habous Restaurant

Address: Place EL Mouahdine, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco

Website: Habous Restaurant

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Have a Cultural Experience

4. Taourirt Kasbah Museum

things to do in ouarzazate morocco | taourirt kasbah museum
Source: instagram

A historical monument near Ouarzazate, Kasbah Taourirt amazes with its beauty and historical significance. It was built by the Glaoui and it is a monument that pays homage to them. Centrally placed between the Sahara Desert and the towering mountains in Ouarzazate, the monument is one with its surroundings largely because of the materials used to build it, which is largely sand mixture and other materials sourced from their surrounding environment. Visitors are allowed to walk into the Kasbah to take in the old building and many are amazed by the sheer volume in the architectural structure. With roughly three hundred rooms, each decorated in a truly Moroccan way, the historic semblance of this monument will have you awe-inspired. After taking in this wonderment, walk over to the café found near the monument to cool down and share notes on the monument while sitting on the café’s terrace.

Taourirt Kasbah Museum

Address: Avenue Mohammed V, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco

Website: Taourirt Kasbah Museum

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5. Ouarzazate Cinema Museum

Pathe Projector Ouarzazate
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bjørn Christian T... used under CC BY-SA 3.0

It is not called the Film Capital of Morocco just for kicks. Ouarzazate has a reputable filming history and it is largely displayed in the Ouarzazate Cinema Museum. Positioned just in front of Kasbah De Taourirt, you will have a lot of fun taking wonderful pictures in famous film sets featured in many renowned films. Although the museum is small, it holds a lot of information and equipment used in filming which will interest any filming buffs out there. Some of the materials on display at this museum include the accessories used in the films, the costumes, the diverse filming machines used in the films and so much more.

Ouarzazate Cinema Museum

Address: Avenue Mohammed V, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco

Website: Ouarzazate Cinema Museum

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Shopping For Arts and Crafts

6. Complexe Artisanal


Positioned just opposite the Kasbah, Complexe Artisanal is the Mecca of all colorful Moroccan artifacts. The showrooms are state run and they showcase materials like inlaid daggers, metal lanterns, embroidered linen, woven draperies, stone carvings made locally and many more interesting crafts. Head off to this craft haven to purchase great Moroccan souvenirs.

Complexe Artisanal

Address: Ave Mohammed V

Website: Complexe Artisanal

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7. Horizon Artisanat

Posted by Horizon des handicapés on Friday, 19 December 2014

The Horizon Artisanat goes out of its way to help the locals, especially those living with disabilities, both adults and children. The establishment trains them and gives them a platform to sell their merchandise. Horizon Artisanat is a space where you will get truly Moroccan artifacts like tea glasses that are hand painted, pots that are painted with henna and so many other trinkets and crafts.

Horizon Artisanat

Address: 181 Ave Annasr, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Website: Horizon Artisanat

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Visit the Cinema Studios in and Around Ouarzazate

8. Atlas Cinema Studios

Atlas Studio columns set
Source: Photo by user Benh LIEU SONG used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Classified as one of the largest film studios in the world, Atlas Cinema Studios is a place where legendary films like Babel, The Living Daylights, Lawrence of Arabia, Kingdom of Heaven and many others were shot. In recent years, it has been the filming location for a television series with a great and loyal following, Game of Thrones. The producers and directors of Prison Break have also used this location to capture some of the scenes in their series. It is a wonder that they have made this studio accessible to visitors, allowing them to experience firsthand what really happens on set. With a truly Moroccan interior and accented by modern décor, you are bound to learn and enjoy the place.

Atlas Cinema Studios

Address: Km 5, road of Marrakech | BP 28, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco

Website: Atlas Cinema Studios

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9. CLA Cinema Studios

The Kingdom Of Heaven Set (Jerusalem)

Posted by CLA Studios Off Page on Monday, 29 July 2013

The studio where Kingdom of Heaven was filmed, CLA Cinema Studios is located on a plateau in Ouarzazate and is a site where you can see sets like the Mecca or the City of Jerusalem built right there for scenes that require such background.

CLA Cinema Studios

Address: Road of Marrakesh | Isfoutalile, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco

Website: CLA Cinema Studios

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Camera Perfect Ouarzazate

This should be the one stop shop for filming enthusiasts as they will get to visit studios that they would have otherwise not had a chance to. While doing so, you will enjoy great food, friendly locals and learn a lot about this town and Morocco.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Raphael is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for exploring the world. With over a decade of experience in travel writing, he has honed his storytelling skills, making readers feel like...Read more

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