Things to do in Ouarzazate on foot: self-guided walking tours

Walking Ouarzazate

Ouarzazate grew up around a crossroads its Glaoui lords once controlled, and the walk on foot from Kasbah Taourirt down Avenue Mohamed V still traces that old order of things: the fortified tighremt, a film museum that trades on the town's second life as a movie backdrop, the town hall, a public library and artwork, the central market, a neighbourhood mosque and, at the far end, a small church. It is a short, flat route, and walking it beats a bus because so much of the story is in the street frontages themselves — the kasbah walls, the market stalls, the line where one quarter of town gives way to another.

Walk & Tell's self-guided audio guide for Ouarzazate is narrated by El Madani El Glaoui, a Glaoui lord looking out at the town that grew up outside his gate, and it runs on GPS so it plays the right story as you reach each stop, no data connection needed once downloaded. The walk takes a bit over an hour and is free to try. It suits a first visit to Ouarzazate, a spare afternoon before or after the kasbah tour buses arrive, and works well solo or as a couple looking for things to do in Ouarzazate that don't require a car.

Things to see in Ouarzazate on foot

• Kasbah Taourirt — The fortified Glaoui residence, or tighremt, whose towers once gave the whole crossroads its master.
• Musée de Cinéma — A film museum on Avenue Mohamed V, facing the kasbah, marking the town's long career as a movie set.
• Municipalité de Ouarzazate — The town hall, where the crossroads is now run by paperwork rather than by tribute to a lord.
• Trésor Merzouga — An open-air public artwork by the library, named for the great dunes out toward the Draa valley.
• Médiathèque Ouarzazate — The town's public library, a few steps from the artwork, holding the region's stories now in books.
• Marché central — Ouarzazate's working central market, the living descendant of the trade the kasbah once taxed.
• Mosquée Somalie — A neighbourhood mosque west of the market, its minaret still marking the hours for the quarter.
• Église Sainte-Thérèse — A small Christian church at the edge of the old European quarter, the far end of the pasha's road.

Questions people ask about Ouarzazate

What can I do in Ouarzazate in a few hours on foot?

You can walk from Kasbah Taourirt down Avenue Mohamed V past the film museum, town hall, a public artwork and library, the central market, a neighbourhood mosque and a small church, all in about 76 minutes over 2.6 km. The route is narrated by El Madani El Glaoui, a Glaoui lord, and works as a self-guided audio walk you follow at your own pace.

Is Ouarzazate walkable?

Yes, this route is short and flat at 2.6 km, mostly along Avenue Mohamed V, though it's wide and shadeless at midday. Early morning or after 5pm is a better time to walk it, when the light is kinder and the market is either just starting or winding down.

What are the free things to do in Ouarzazate?

Several stops on this walk cost nothing: the public artwork Trésor Merzouga by the library, the central market, and the streets outside the kasbah, mosque and church can all be seen without paying. The public library itself is free to enter when it's open, though only the Kasbah Taourirt and the film museum charge for entry if you want to go inside.

Do I need a guide in Ouarzazate?

Not necessarily — this self-guided audio walk uses GPS to tell you the history of each stop as you reach it, narrated by El Madani El Glaoui, so you don't need to book a person to walk you around. It's free to try and works entirely from the street if you don't want to pay for entry to the kasbah or museum.

What is closed to entry on this walk?

The Mosquée Somalie is a working mosque that non-Muslim visitors should not enter, and it's meant to be seen from the street. The Église Sainte-Thérèse is a working church you can enter only if it's open with no service underway; otherwise it's also seen from outside.

Does the walk work without data?

Yes, once you've downloaded the walk it runs on GPS and needs no internet connection, so it works fine even if your phone has no signal along Avenue Mohamed V or near the market.

What is the best time of day to walk in Ouarzazate?

Early morning or after 5pm is best: Avenue Mohamed V has little shade at midday, the kasbah and film museum are quieter before the tour coaches arrive in the morning, and the central market is liveliest early and winds down by late afternoon.

How long does the walk take?

The Pasha's Road to Ouarzazate runs about 76 minutes over 2.6 km, covering eight stops from the Kasbah Taourirt to the small church at the old European quarter's edge.