Travelers journeying from the big city of Marrakech to the desert town of Aït Benhaddou in Morocco have several options when considering the type of transport they will use. There are no trains or airports that will take you from Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou, so your options will come down to simply whether you want to drive or be driven.
You can ask your driver to take you the scenic route, which will mean taking the route below the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. That route will take you past the town of Telouet and its well-known kasbah, the Kasbah Glaoui, where you may want to ask the driver to stop so you can get out to take pictures and explore for a short while.
If you are already in Marrakech, you may hire a "grand taxi" to take you to Aït Benhaddou. A grand taxi will take you throughout Morocco, outside of city limits, and can hold up to six people. You may need to take a "petit taxi" (which can typically only hold three people) to a grand taxi station. Or, simply ask you hotel in Marrakech to call you a grand taxi.
There are many points of interest along the way, depending again on which route you take. Along with the Kasbah Glaoui, there are incredible mountain views in the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass and numerous places where you may pull over to take photographs. As you approach Telouet, you will begin to see villages with houses made of earth, where you may like to stop and try and find a small cafe, or at least take some photographs.
The terrain is relatively easy to navigate, but due to the larger number of Moroccan villagers near to these small towns who travel by foot or bicycle, you will want to make sure to obey speed limits carefully, and drive slowly.
By Private Driver
The least logistically complicated option will likely be hiring a private driver to take you from Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou. Depending on the route you ask your driver to take, you can expect the journey to take anywhere between three and a half and six hours. The most direct route will get you there relatively quickly, but the opportunity for desert scenery along a slightly more circuitous route should not be discounted.You can ask your driver to take you the scenic route, which will mean taking the route below the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. That route will take you past the town of Telouet and its well-known kasbah, the Kasbah Glaoui, where you may want to ask the driver to stop so you can get out to take pictures and explore for a short while.
If you are already in Marrakech, you may hire a "grand taxi" to take you to Aït Benhaddou. A grand taxi will take you throughout Morocco, outside of city limits, and can hold up to six people. You may need to take a "petit taxi" (which can typically only hold three people) to a grand taxi station. Or, simply ask you hotel in Marrakech to call you a grand taxi.
By Rental Car
Travelers who value the absolute freedom to stop at any point along the way as long as they like should consider renting a car in Marrakech and driving to Aït Benhaddou. This could be a particularly attractive option for travelers heading straight from the Marrakech airport to Aït Benhaddou, as renting a car at the airport negates the need entirely to drive within Marrakech's often-gridlocked traffic.There are many points of interest along the way, depending again on which route you take. Along with the Kasbah Glaoui, there are incredible mountain views in the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass and numerous places where you may pull over to take photographs. As you approach Telouet, you will begin to see villages with houses made of earth, where you may like to stop and try and find a small cafe, or at least take some photographs.
The terrain is relatively easy to navigate, but due to the larger number of Moroccan villagers near to these small towns who travel by foot or bicycle, you will want to make sure to obey speed limits carefully, and drive slowly.
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