Most travellers going from Marrakech to Ait Ben Haddou take the main Tizi n’Tichka road, without knowing that a few kilometres from the pass another road sets off, smaller and far more spectacular. It leads first to Telouet and the Glaoui kasbah, the former stronghold of the lords of the Atlas, then runs down the whole Ounila valley, between earthen villages and terraced gardens, to the foot of Ait Ben Haddou. Here is how to make this detour, what you see and how to fit it into your trip.
Where Telouet is
From Marrakech you follow the Tizi n’Tichka road across the High Atlas up to the pass, at 2,260 metres. Shortly after the pass, a minor road heads east and reaches Telouet in about twenty kilometres, across a high plateau in shades of red and green. Allow about three hours from Marrakech, including photo stops.
Today Telouet is a large, quiet village. For centuries, though, it controlled the passage of caravans crossing the Atlas between Marrakech and the Sahara, and that position made the fortune of the Glaoui family.
The Glaoui kasbah
In the early twentieth century the Glaouis were among the most powerful men in Morocco, and Thami El Glaoui, pasha of Marrakech, received guests from all over the world at his kasbah in Telouet. After independence the family lost its power and the kasbah was abandoned.
From the outside it is a huge rammed-earth ruin, much of which has collapsed. But when you push open the door of the reception rooms, the surprise is complete: painted cedar ceilings, carved stucco, zellige tiles from floor to ceiling and wrought-iron windows looking out over the valley. These rooms have been preserved and partly restored. A visit of about 45 minutes with a village guide explains the history of the place and takes you up onto the terraces.
The Ounila valley
From Telouet, a road of about forty kilometres heads south along the Ounila river. Long a simple dirt track, it is now paved and fine for cars, with a few narrow stretches. It is one of the most beautiful drives in southern Morocco:
- Anmiter, an earthen village and old kasbah among barley fields and walnut trees.
- The Ounila gorges, where the river cuts through ochre, red and purple cliffs.
- Terraced gardens lining the river, very green in spring, between almost bare mountains.
- Tamdaght, with its old Glaoui kasbah, just before Ait Ben Haddou.
You thus reach Ait Ben Haddou from behind, discovering the UNESCO World Heritage ksar from the valley, a view that visitors arriving by the main road never see.
How to fit Telouet into your trip
In one long day from Marrakech
Leave around 7.30 am, climb to the Tichka, visit Telouet mid-morning, drive down the Ounila, have lunch and visit Ait Ben Haddou, then return to Marrakech by the main road at the end of the day. It is doable, but the day lasts about twelve hours, seven to eight of them in the car.
With a night in Ait Ben Haddou or Ouarzazate
This is the option we recommend: Telouet and the Ounila on the first day, a night in a guesthouse facing the ksar, then back to Marrakech or on to the south the next day. The pace is far more pleasant, and you see Ait Ben Haddou at sunset and sunrise.
On the way to the desert
If you are heading to Merzouga or Zagora, Telouet is a detour of about two hours that replaces the main road between the pass and Ait Ben Haddou. Our articles on the 3-day Merzouga tour and the Zagora desert in 2 days describe these routes.
| By the main road | Via Telouet and the Ounila | |
|---|---|---|
| Marrakech – Ait Ben Haddou | About 3 h 30 | About 5 h with the visit |
| Scenery | Tichka pass, Asif Imini valley | Telouet plateau, Ounila gorges and terraces |
| Visits on the way | Viewpoints | Glaoui kasbah, Anmiter, Tamdaght |
| Crowds | Heavy | Light |
When to go
Spring is the most beautiful season, with green terraces and trees in blossom. Autumn brings golden light and pleasant temperatures. In winter snow can cover the Telouet plateau and the Tichka pass: your driver checks the roads in the morning. In summer the Ounila valley is hot in the middle of the day, but stays cooler than Ouarzazate.
What to bring
- A jacket: it is cool in Telouet, at more than 1,800 metres.
- Cash for the kasbah entrance, the local guide and lunch.
- Good shoes for the kasbah’s stairs and terraces.
- A travel sickness tablet if you are prone to it: the mountain roads are winding.
Booking
Our Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate day trip goes over the Tichka. In a private vehicle we can add the detour via Telouet and the Ounila valley, or arrange the two-day version with a night facing the ksar. The 3-day Merzouga desert tour can include it on request too. To compare the ways of crossing the Atlas, read our guide Marrakech to Ouarzazate, and ask for a quote from the contact page.
