Marrakech to Ouarzazate: Road, Bus, Taxi and Flights
About 200 km and the High Atlas between them. Every way to travel from Marrakech to Ouarzazate, with indicative fares, times and the stops worth making.
Most travellers reach Ouarzazate from Marrakech, about 200 km away on the other side of the High Atlas. The trip can be a quick transfer or a full day of stops, depending on how you travel and which road you take. This guide covers each option with the indicative fares and times we know, and the places worth stopping at along the way.
The road over the Tizi n Tichka
The main road, the N9, climbs from Marrakech across the High Atlas by the Tizi n Tichka pass and comes down toward Ouarzazate. The drive takes 4 to 5 hours without long stops. It is a mountain road with many bends, so leave early and avoid driving it for the first time at night.
Stopping at Ait Ben Haddou
The UNESCO listed ksar of Ait Ben Haddou lies about 30 km before Ouarzazate. Many visitors stop on the way; others come back from Ouarzazate to see it properly, for example on a half day quad ride or a horse ride to the ksar, which arrive across plateaus and riverbeds rather than through the car park.
The Ounila Valley alternative
After the pass, a secondary road, the P1506, runs down the Ounila Valley to Ait Ben Haddou. It is longer than the N9 but follows the old caravan route past villages, gardens and colourful rock, with Telouet kasbah, the Kasbah of Anemiter and Tamdaght kasbah along the way. Buses and shared taxis do not use it, so you need your own vehicle or a driver.
By bus
CTM and Supratours both run between Marrakech and Ouarzazate, and other companies leave from the Marrakech bus station. In Ouarzazate, the national bus station on Avenue Moulay Abdellah hosts several companies, with departures roughly every hour, and tickets can also be searched on markoub.ma. Timetables change, so check them on the companies’ websites.
To reach Ait Ben Haddou by bus, get off at the village of Tabouraht on the N9, about 30 km from Ouarzazate, and continue by taxi or minibus. Allow 4 to 6 hours from Marrakech in total.
By grand taxi
Shared grand taxis leave from the taxi station near the Marrakech bus station. A taxi sets off once its six seats are filled; if you are in a hurry, you can pay for the empty seats or hire the whole car. The indicative fare between Ouarzazate and Marrakech is around 100 dirhams per seat. A grand taxi can also be hired at the Bab Doukkala bus station in Marrakech to drive you directly to Ait Ben Haddou.
By plane
Royal Air Maroc flies to Ouarzazate from Casablanca and Marrakech, and low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Transavia operate international routes. The airport code is OZZ. From the airport into town, a petit taxi costs around 70 dirhams. Routes and schedules change, so check with the airlines before you plan around a flight.
With a private driver
A private vehicle lets you stop wherever you like: viewpoints on the pass, Telouet, the Ounila Valley and Ait Ben Haddou. If Ouarzazate is the first stage of a longer journey, our private Marrakech to Fes desert tour starts in Marrakech, crosses the Atlas to the kasbahs of Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou on the first day, and continues to the Skoura palm grove, the gorges and a night in an Erg Chebbi camp.
Making a day of the drive
If you travel by car or with a driver, the crossing can become one of the best days of your trip. A sensible plan is to leave Marrakech early, stop at viewpoints on the Tizi n Tichka, then turn onto the Ounila road.
- Telouet: built in 1860 and once a residence of Thami Glaoui, the kasbah looks weathered outside but keeps painted cedar ceilings and Andalusian decoration inside. A local guide on site helps you follow its history.
- The Ounila Valley: villages, green gardens, Tamdaght kasbah and the Kasbah of Anemiter along the old caravan route that once carried salt and Saharan goods toward Marrakech.
- Ait Ben Haddou: a seventeenth century fortified village of ochre earth, listed by UNESCO since 1987, where the Ounila joins the Imini river. Arrive in the afternoon light, then continue the last 30 km to Ouarzazate.
Outside the big towns, guest houses and small kasbahs replace standard hotels, so a night in the valley is also possible if you would rather not rush.
Which option suits you
- Budget and flexible: bus or shared grand taxi.
- Short on time: a flight, if the schedule fits.
- Sightseeing on the way: a car or private driver, taking the Ounila Valley in one direction.
- Continuing to the desert: a private tour linking Marrakech, Ouarzazate and the dunes.
Once you arrive
Petit taxis carry up to three passengers inside the city, with indicative fares of 5 dirhams per passenger by day and 8 at night. Grand taxis, near the bus station, can take you anywhere outside the city. For your first days, read things to do in Ouarzazate and how many days to spend here, and keep our plan your visit page handy for useful numbers. All fares in this guide are indicative and can change.
Places in this guide
Ait Ben Haddou
A fortified village of packed earth from the seventeenth century, on the old caravan road and on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987. Thirty kilometres from Ouarzazate.
Ounila Valley
A narrow river valley between the High Atlas and Ait Ben Haddou, lined with villages, kasbahs, gardens and coloured rock, on the old caravan route to Marrakech.
Telouet Kasbah
A weathered earthen palace from 1860 in the High Atlas, home of the Glaoui family, with painted cedar ceilings and Andalusian style rooms behind its crumbling walls.
