On the outskirts of Ouarzazate, behind a gate guarded by giant pharaohs, stands a strange city: an Egyptian temple next to a Roman palace, a Tibetan monastery a few steps from a medieval fortress, and an airliner parked in the sand. Welcome to the Ouarzazate film studios, the reason the town is nicknamed the "Hollywood of the desert" or, by locals, "Ouallywood".
Here is our guide to visiting the studios and discovering the region's long love affair with cinema.
Why Ouarzazate became a film capital
Ouarzazate has everything filmmakers need: reliable sunshine almost all year, clear light, desert and mountain landscapes within an hour's drive, ancient kasbahs that need no set dressing and a local workforce experienced in building sets, working as extras and handling horses and camels. Since the 1960s, international productions have chosen the region to stand in for ancient Egypt, Rome, Jerusalem, Tibet or imaginary kingdoms.
Among the productions associated with Ouarzazate and nearby Aït Ben Haddou are Lawrence of Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile, Kundun, The Mummy, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and the series Game of Thrones. Our Aït Ben Haddou guide explains why the ksar is such a popular backdrop.
Atlas Studios
Atlas Studios, opened in the 1980s on the road to Marrakech, is the best-known studio and one of the largest in the world by surface area. A guided visit takes around 45 minutes to an hour and leads you through permanent sets left by past productions:
- An Egyptian temple with painted columns and colossal statues.
- Sphinxes lined up along an avenue.
- A Tibetan monastery built for a film about the Dalai Lama.
- Fortress walls, Roman-style courtyards and medieval streets.
- A jet aircraft in the desert, a souvenir of an adventure film of the 1980s.
Guides share anecdotes about the stars and the secrets of the sets: what looks like marble is plaster and painted polystyrene, and many "stone" walls sound hollow when you knock on them.
CLA Studios
CLA Studios, a little further from the centre, is a second large complex used by international productions. Its entrance, framed by a giant pharaoh head, is a favourite photo stop, and visits are possible when no shooting is taking place. It is generally quieter than Atlas Studios.
Life behind the camera
Cinema is not just a tourist attraction here: it is a real local industry. When a large production arrives, hundreds of people from Ouarzazate and the surrounding villages are hired as extras, carpenters, painters, drivers, cooks, horse and camel handlers. Many families have a grandfather who played a Roman soldier or an aunt who sewed costumes, and a local film school trains young technicians. Talking with your guide about these memories is often the most interesting part of the visit — far more personal than the sets themselves.
The Cinema Museum
Opposite the kasbah of Taourirt in the town centre, the small Cinema Museum is housed in a former studio and displays sets, props, cameras and costumes. It is an easy addition if you are already visiting the kasbah. Our things to do in Ouarzazate guide covers the rest of the town.
Are the Ouarzazate film studios worth it?
Honestly, it depends on you. Film fans, families with children and anyone curious about how movies are made usually love the visit. Travellers who prefer authentic heritage may prefer to spend the time at Aït Ben Haddou, Taourirt or the Skoura kasbahs. The good news: on a private tour, you decide on the day.
Ouarzazate beyond the studios
After the Ouarzazate film studios, the town itself deserves a little time. Its wide avenues and ochre buildings are calm and easy to walk, the kasbah of Taourirt sits right in the centre, and carpet and craft cooperatives sell work from the surrounding valleys. Just outside town, the reservoir of the El Mansour Eddahbi dam brings an unexpected touch of blue to the desert. Ouarzazate is also a practical overnight base before continuing to the Draa valley, Skoura or the Dades, with a good choice of hotels and restaurants.
Practical tips
- Timing: allow about an hour for Atlas Studios, plus 30 minutes for the Cinema Museum.
- Shooting days: some sets may be closed when a production is filming; your driver will check.
- Light: sets are outdoors and very bright at midday — bring sunglasses and a hat.
- Tickets: entrance is paid on site; guided visits are usually included.
- Combine: Atlas Studios is on the main road from Marrakech, so it fits naturally on the way to the desert.
How to include the studios in your tour
The Ouarzazate film studios are an optional stop on every circuit that crosses the High Atlas: our 3-day Zagora tour visits them on the first afternoon, our 5-day Grand South loop and our 7-day grand tour on day one or two. If you are only travelling to Ouarzazate, our Marrakech to Ouarzazate transfer includes scenic stops on request, and our Tizi n'Tichka road trip guide describes the drive.
Want to add a little cinema to your Sahara trip? Send us your dates on WhatsApp, or compare all our itineraries in our guide to multi-day tours from Marrakech.
