The short answer
Yes, but it is a long day. Aït Ben Haddou is about 190 km from Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, about 3 hours 45 minutes each way. Our day trip leaves at 07:00 and gets back around 19:30, with the ksar, Ouarzazate and the pass in between. Many prefer it as an overnight.
In more detail
The road climbs the High Atlas to the pass at 2,260 metres, with photo stops and a tea house at the summit, then drops into the pre-Saharan south. Around 10:30 there is an optional detour to the Glaoui kasbah at Telouet.
You reach Aït Ben Haddou around 11:30, cross the river and climb the earthen village with a local guide. In the afternoon there is Ouarzazate and its Taourirt kasbah, with an optional visit to the Atlas Film Studios, before the long drive back over the pass.
That is seven and a half to eight hours in the car. If you can spare a night, staying near Ouarzazate or the ksar lets you see Aït Ben Haddou in the evening light, or carry on south towards the gorges and the desert.
Good to know
- Wear layers: the pass is cold, the south is hot.
- Bring cash for lunch, the ksar guide and studio entry.
- In January and February, heavy snow can close the pass for a day or two.