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Lake El Mansour

Half Day Tour Lake El Mansour & Atlas Film Studios
Duration: 9:00am - 3:00pm 
Inclusion: Luxury Toyota 4x4
English, French Speaking Driver, Guide
Starting & Finishing Point: Your Hotel In Ouarzazate

ITINERARY

MORNING DEPARTURE:

After breakfast depart Ouarzazete traveling through the Middle Atlas towards Lake El Mansour. Lake El Mansour is an unusual find in the arid surroundings of Ouarzazate. This man-made lake contrasts with the stern rocks and bright blue skies. Although visible from the town, the most dramatic views of the lake are to be had from about ten kilometers further east.

Visit the lake and then continue the road to the Royal Gulf, an upscale lakeside community that offers fantastic views that match those of Lugano in Switzerland. Tour the local resort Sultana, owned by a delightful French couple, Damienne and Chrstian which is designed by a Belgium architect. Enjoy a Gastronomic lunch at Sultana on the route to Skoura.

MID-DAY:

After lunch, enjoy mountain landscapes and scenery as you head back to Ouarzazate to visit the Atlas Film Studios. The studios are flanked by Holly-wood style Egyptian figures and cover 30,000 sq m of desert. David Lean filmed Lawrence of Arabia at The Atlas Film Studios in the early 1960’s. Since then many famous directors have followed in his footsteps to exploit the magnificent scenery. International blockbusters shot here in recent years include: the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci’s Sheltering Sky, Scorsese’s Kundun, Gillies MacKannon’s Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Black Hawke Down, Oliver Stone’s Alexander The Great, Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven, and Penelope Cruz’s Sahara. Most of the filming takes place in the desert in the south however you can view the Tibetan monastery featured in Scorese’s Kundan and an Egyptian temple from Cleopatra.