Aït Benhaddou

On the old caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech, Aït Benhaddou is a ksar — a fortified village — whose mud-brick houses climb in tiers up to a communal granary at the top of the hill. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

A few families still live inside, but most residents have moved across the Ounila river. You cross the river on a footbridge, then climb the lanes to the top for views over the valley and the desert plain.

The site has been the set for Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Game of Thrones. It is reached via the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260 m), a spectacular road across the High Atlas, often combined with the film studios of Ouarzazate.