1. Marrakech - Tizi n'Tichka Pass - Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Marrakech
The driver is at your Marrakech hotel around 7:00 AM and turns east straight away. The road climbs into the High Atlas by way of gorges, past Berber villages set on the hillsides and terraces planted with walnut and almond. At the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest paved road in the country, everyone gets out for photographs of the switchbacks unwinding below. What you see there depends on the month: snow dusting the peaks in winter, green slopes full of wildflowers in spring.
A local guide takes over on arrival at Ait Ben Haddou. The UNESCO-listed ksar is a fortified village: towers of red clay, crenelated walls, alleys that double back on themselves. Caravans crossing the Sahara once made a serious halt here. The walk climbs to the granary at the top, and from there the view opens over the river below and the plain running out beyond it. Along the way the guide covers the films, from Gladiator and Game of Thrones to The Mummy and Lawrence of Arabia, plus the Berber earthen building methods that have been in use here for over 1,000 years.
Ouarzazate is a short drive on. It goes by the name of "Africa's Hollywood", and if you want it there is optional entry to Atlas Film Studios, the largest in the world, where original sets and backlots survive from Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Asterix; entry costs about 50 MAD, roughly EUR 5. Next comes the Taourirt Kasbah, a grand 19th-century mud-brick palace worth slowing down for, finished in cedar wood, zellige tiles and intricate carved stucco. Lunch is at a local restaurant looking over the Ouarzazate valley, where grilled meats, couscous or a tagine are yours to choose and to settle.
The way back takes roughly 3.5 hours and crosses the High Atlas again, this time with late afternoon light on the peaks and valleys. A women's argan oil cooperative can be added to the route, where the traditional production is worth watching and any purchase puts money into local livelihoods. You are back at your Marrakech hotel by approximately 7:00 PM.