Our Tangier tours start from a simple idea: the city does not reveal itself at a glance. It climbs a hill above the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, facing a Spanish coastline you can see on a clear day. Each layer tells a different era: the medina and the Kasbah at the top, the twentieth-century European city below, and the corniche and the new marina at the water's edge.
It is also the natural gateway to northern Morocco. Chefchaouen, Tetouan and Asilah can each be reached in a single day, which is why we suggest splitting a stay in two: one day for the city itself, then one or two day trips from Tangier to the neighbouring towns. Every one of our Tangier tours leaves from your hotel, riad, the cruise terminal or Ibn Battouta Airport.
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Few cities have changed hands so often. Tangier was Phoenician, then Roman under the name Tingis, Portuguese, English from 1661 to 1684 when it formed part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, and finally an International Zone run by several powers from 1923 to 1956. That history is still readable in the architecture, in the languages you hear in the cafés and in the way the city looks out to sea.
It has attracted artists too: Delacroix passed through in 1832, Matisse painted here two winters running, and the writer Paul Bowles lived in the city for more than fifty years. Today our Tangier tours show a renovated city with a rebuilt corniche, a marina and a cruise terminal, and one that has lost none of the charming disorder of its medina.
The ten places below fit into two days of Tangier tours without rushing, or into one well-organised day with a vehicle for the coastal part.
At the very top of the medina, the sultan's old palace, the Dar el-Makhzen, houses the Kasbah Museum, devoted to Mediterranean cultures. Its terrace and the neighbouring square offer one of the finest views over the strait.
The Petit Socco, a small square lined with historic cafés, was the heart of the International Zone. Around it the lanes of the medina lead to the souks, the fountains and the whitewashed houses.
The Grand Socco, renamed Place du 9 Avril 1947, links the medina with the new town. Right beside it, the Mendoubia gardens shelter a dragon tree several centuries old.
Given to the United States by the sultan in 1821, this medina building is the first American diplomatic property abroad. The American Legation is now a museum of the city's history and of the artists who lived here.
Opened in 1921 on the cliffs of the Marshan district, Café Hafa lines its terraces in steps facing the strait. People come for mint tea and for the view, especially at the end of the day.
Also in the Marshan, tombs cut into the rock at the cliff edge remind you that the city already existed in antiquity. The site is open to all and takes a few minutes to visit.
This late nineteenth-century Anglican church blends English architecture with Moroccan decoration, and its bell tower recalls a minaret. Its small shaded cemetery tells the story of Tangier's British community.
On the road to the cape, this forest of pine and cork oak surrounds the villa of Ion Perdicaris, whose kidnapping in 1904 caused a scandal as far away as the United States. It is the place for a quiet walk.
At the north-western corner of Africa, the Cape Spartel lighthouse, built in 1864, marks the meeting of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. On a clear day the Spanish coast appears on the horizon.
A few kilometres further south, the caves open onto the ocean through a gap shaped like the map of Africa. Below them, Achakkar beach is the place for a camel ride.
You have one day: what are the best things to do in Tangier, and in what order? The Kasbah and the medina in the morning, when the souks are setting up and the light is soft, a fish lunch near the port, then the coast in the afternoon, with Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules at sunset.
That is exactly the programme of our Tangier city tour, the most booked of all our Tangier tours: five hours with a licensed guide and a private vehicle. For half a day on the coast only, the Caves of Hercules and Cape Spartel tour is plenty. If you prefer to eat your way through the old town, try the Tangier food tour.
With two days, what other things to do in Tangier are worth the time? A museum, a mint tea at Café Hafa, a walk in the Rmilat forest and dinner in the new town. In the evening the corniche and the marina stay lively late, especially in summer.
Tangier is the best base in northern Morocco, and every one of our day trips from Tangier returns to your hotel the same evening:
All our Tangier tours and day trips from Tangier are private or in a small group of eight at most, with pickup at your hotel, your riad or the cruise terminal. To go further we also run private transfers to Chefchaouen and the rest of the north, and a Rabat day trip from Tangier for those who like capitals.
Whatever your arrival point, our Tangier tours begin at the door. Ibn Battouta Airport is fifteen kilometres from the centre, twenty to twenty-five minutes by road: our Tangier airport transfer waits for you in the arrivals hall. Ferries from Tarifa dock at Tangier Ville port, right in the centre, while those from Algeciras arrive at Tanger Med, 45 kilometres to the east, served by our Tanger Med port transfer.
The Al Boraq high-speed train links Tangier with Rabat and Casablanca, so a Morocco trip can start or finish in the north. In town, small taxis are plentiful and cheap, but the medina is best explored on foot.
Spring, from April to June, and autumn, from September to November, are the best seasons for Tangier tours: mild temperatures, clear light and few crowds. Summer is hot but tempered by the sea, and very lively in July and August when Moroccan families living abroad come home for the holidays.
Winter stays mild, with some rainy days and a wind that can blow hard over the strait, but it is also the quietest season in the medina. During Ramadan the hours change: many cafés only open after the fast is broken, and the evenings become very lively.
Two days are enough for the city and the coast. Add one or two days if you want day trips from Tangier to Chefchaouen, Tetouan or Asilah.
The Kasbah Museum, the American Legation and the cafés of the Petit Socco can be visited in any weather. The rain rarely lasts a whole day.
It is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended for a first visit: almost nothing is signposted, and a licensed guide spares you the unofficial ones.
Yes, with the usual care in busy souks. The main nuisance is the approaches in the medina, which drop sharply when you walk with a guide.
Yes. The fast ferry from Tarifa takes about an hour, and a guided visit fits easily between the morning arrival and the evening return.
Whether you stay one day or a week, our Tangier tours are the best way to start a trip to northern Morocco. Continue with our guides to Chefchaouen, Tetouan and Asilah. The city's history is summarised on Wikipedia, and the Moroccan National Tourist Office publishes more ideas for planning your stay.
| Destination | Tangier |
|---|---|
| Locations | Northern Morocco |
| Tour Duration | 1 Day |
| Attractions | Kasbah, Medina, Cap Spartel & Hercules Caves |
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