North Africa · Morocco

Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate

Cultural Half day difficulty: Easy with kids: yes

On the outskirts of Ouarzazate, the «gateway to the desert», stand some of the largest film studios in the world, with Egyptian temples, airplanes and whole streets built for the movies. You tour them with a guide among sets that look real until you turn the corner and see they're made of wood and plaster.

The pop wink

«The Mummy», «Kundun» and even James Bond passed through these studios and the surrounding desert: in «The Living Daylights» (007, 1987) the Ouarzazate airfield played a secret airstrip. Your daughter can see up close how the magic of cinema is put together with hollow sets.

With kids

Discover that an enormous temple is really painted wood from behind
Look for the airplanes and cars that appeared in the movies
Pose like an actor in front of the giant sets
Guess what's real and what's fake on each street

Accessibility: All ages; there's a fair bit of walking under the sun, better early in the day

With family

Take the guided tour and hear stories from the shoots
Compare, as a family, how a set looked in the movie and how it looks in real life
Climb to a Ouarzazate viewpoint to see the oasis and the Atlas mountains
Try a tagine in town after the visit

Full listing, routes and recommendations at Mi País — Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate. ← All destinations