Our Chefchaouen tours go uphill: the town clings to a slope at 600 metres, at the foot of two Rif peaks that gave it its name, and its blue houses tumble down towards the valley. Founded in 1471 as a fortress facing the Portuguese and almost closed to foreigners until 1920, it has become one of the best-known images of Morocco.
The medina is small, pedestrian and surprisingly calm as soon as you step away from the central square. Many travellers see Chefchaouen from Tangier in a single day, but those who sleep a night enjoy the lanes at dawn and dusk, when the groups have left. All our Chefchaouen tours start from your door in Tangier.
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The blue, of course. Nobody agrees on its origin: some credit the Jewish families who settled in the town, others the coolness or the mosquitoes, and many facades are repainted every year anyway. The result is not in doubt: lanes where every door, every staircase and every flowerpot seems composed for a photograph.
But Chefchaouen tours also take you to a mountain town shaped by families from Al-Andalus, with its tiled roofs, fountains and craftsmen. The air is cooler than in Tangier, the pace slower, and Talassemtane National Park starts at the gates of the medina.
The whole town can be covered on foot. These eight places fit into one day of Chefchaouen tours, provided you start early.
This is the heart of the medina, lined with cafés and terrace restaurants at the foot of the Kasbah walls. It is the landmark of the whole town and the best place for a mint tea while life goes by.
This fifteenth-century fortress with ochre walls holds an Andalusian garden and a small ethnographic museum. From the top of its tower the view takes in the square, the roofs and the Great Mosque.
Next to the Kasbah, it is recognisable by its octagonal minaret, a rarity in Morocco. The interior is reserved for worshippers, but the facade can be photographed from the square.
At the top of the medina, the Ras el-Maa spring supplies the town with mountain water. Traditional washing places are still in use, and small cascades run between the rocks.
Built by the Spanish in the 1920s and never used for worship, it overlooks the town from the opposite hill. Allow twenty to thirty minutes for the climb from Ras el-Maa: it is the best viewpoint at sunset.
The oldest quarter of the medina, above the square, holds the bluest and most photogenic lanes. It is best visited in the morning, before the groups arrive.
Smaller and calmer than Uta el-Hammam, this shaded square surrounds a fountain. It is close to one of the main drop-off points for riads.
Chefchaouen is known for hand-woven blankets, woollen goods and goat's cheese. In the lower lanes a few workshops still work on wooden looms.
What are the best things to do in Chefchaouen if you only have a day? Arrive before half past ten, take the guided walk through the medina and the Kasbah in the morning, have lunch on a terrace on the square, then keep the afternoon for wandering, a little shopping and the climb to the Spanish Mosque.
That is the principle of our Chefchaouen tours from Tangier, starting with the Chefchaouen day trip from Tangier: two hours with a licensed guide, then three free hours. If you sleep in town, what other things to do in Chefchaouen the next day? A hike to the Akchour waterfalls in Talassemtane National Park, or a quiet morning in the lanes before the first visitors arrive.
The road for Chefchaouen from Tangier is 120 kilometres, about two hours fifteen: the motorway to Tetouan, then the N2 climbing into the Rif. There is no train. The bus takes about three and a half hours and arrives at a station below the town.
Three of our Chefchaouen tours reach the town from Tangier:
For hikers there is also the Akchour waterfalls day trip, one of the most active Chefchaouen tours, and for onward travel the Chefchaouen to Fes transfer.
Spring is the finest season for Chefchaouen tours: the countryside is green, temperatures are mild and the days are long. Autumn is just as pleasant. In summer the town stays cooler than the coast, but it is very busy in July and August.
Winter is cold and sometimes rainy, with snow on the surrounding peaks, but it is the season when you have the lanes almost to yourself. Whatever the period, bring a warm layer for the evening and good shoes: the medina is cobbled and steep.
Yes, for the medina, the Kasbah and the Spanish Mosque. Sleep in town if you want to enjoy it quietly, early in the morning and in the evening.
There is no single explanation: Jewish tradition, coolness, mosquitoes or a simple aesthetic choice. Your guide will tell you the different versions.
About two hours fifteen by private car, photo stop included, and nearly three and a half hours by bus.
The blue lanes, the cats, the Ras el-Maa cascades and a snack on the square please all ages. Just avoid the long climbs in the hot hours.
Always ask first. Facades, doors and lanes can be photographed freely, but many residents prefer not to appear in pictures.
Small, blue and surrounded by mountains, Chefchaouen deserves a little time, and our Chefchaouen tours are built to give it. To plan the rest of your stay, read our guides to Tangier and Tetouan, or the Fes page if you are heading south. The town's history is summarised on Wikipedia, Talassemtane National Park is described there in detail, and the Moroccan National Tourist Office presents the whole Rif region.
| Destination | Chefchaouen |
|---|---|
| Locations | Northern Morocco |
| Tour Duration | 1 Day |
| Attraction | Blue Medina, Spanish Mosque & Rif Mountains |
1 Day
Flexible
3 hours 45 minutes
9 hours
2 hours 15 minutes
