2-day itinerary

2-Day Ouarzazate Food Itinerary — Desert Gateway and Date Valleys

Ouarzazate, the gateway to the Sahara, is a mud-brick kasbah town surrounded by date-palm oases and dramatic film-set landscapes. Two days lets you eat hearty southern tagines, taste the dates of the Draa and Skoura valleys, and try the region's slow desert cooking.

City: Ouarzazate
Length: 2 days
Style: Day-by-day eating plan

The plan, day by day

Follow it in order, morning to night — each day builds on the last.

Day 1 — Kasbah Taourirt and the Town

1

Morning

Breakfast on msemen, olive oil and mint tea at a café near the central Avenue Mohammed V.
2

Late morning

Explore the mud-brick Kasbah Taourirt, once a Glaoui stronghold, then browse the nearby craft and spice shops.
3

Lunch

Sit down to a lamb-and-prune tagine or a Berber vegetable tagine at a local restaurant in town.
4

Afternoon

Visit the Atlas Film Studios on the edge of town — Ouarzazate is Morocco's film capital — then a mint tea.
5

Evening

Dinner of a slow-cooked mrouzia (honey, lamb and almond tagine) with fresh khobz and dates.

Day 2 — Skoura Oasis and Aït Benhaddou

1

Morning

Drive to the Skoura palm oasis to see the date palms and taste fresh and dried dates straight from the growers.
2

Late morning

Learn how dates are harvested and stored, and buy a box of the prized local varieties.
3

Lunch

Enjoy a Berber tagine or couscous at a kasbah guesthouse among the palms.
4

Afternoon

Continue to the famous mud-brick ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO site and film location.
5

Evening

Return to Ouarzazate for a farewell dinner of couscous with seven vegetables and a glass of mint tea.

Practical tips

Ouarzazate is desert country, so cooking is hearty and slow — tagines, couscous and dates rather than seafood.
The Draa and Skoura valleys grow some of Morocco's best dates; buy them fresh in season from roadside growers.
Mrouzia — a sweet lamb tagine with honey, almonds and raisins — is a southern speciality worth seeking out.
Distances between sights are long and hot; carry water and dates as snacks for the drives.
To arrange a guided food walk with a local host, message WhatsApp wa.me/212701664704, call +212 701 664 704, or email info@serenitymoroccotours.com.

Frequently asked questions

What food is Ouarzazate known for?

Hearty southern desert cooking — slow lamb and vegetable tagines, couscous and, above all, dates from the surrounding Draa and Skoura oases. Sweet mrouzia tagine is a regional highlight.

Can I buy dates in Ouarzazate?

Yes — the nearby Skoura and Draa valley oases are major date-growing areas, and you can buy fresh and dried dates directly from growers and in town, especially around the autumn harvest.

Is Ouarzazate worth visiting for food?

It's more about the setting — kasbahs, oases and film landscapes — than a dense food scene, but its slow desert tagines and superb dates give a real taste of southern Morocco.

Make it happen

Turn the plan into a trip — find where to eat, book a hands-on experience, or join a guided food walk.

Where to eat Food experiences Food tours Cooking classes