An Akchour waterfalls day trip is for people who would rather walk than shop. Thirty kilometres beyond Chefchaouen, the Akchour river drops through a gorge into a chain of pools cold enough to make you gasp in August.
It is the least-visited good thing within reach of Tangier, and the reason is simple: an Akchour waterfalls day trip takes a full day and involves real walking, so almost no coach itinerary includes it. If you have already seen the blue medina, or you want a day in the Rif rather than a day photographing it from a car window, this is the trip.
Contents
The road to Akchour passes through Chefchaouen, so we build in around ninety minutes in the blue medina on the way — enough for Plaza Uta el-Hammam, a coffee and the main lanes, though not enough for a leisurely afternoon.
From the car park at Akchour village, a marked riverside path leads to the lower cascades in about forty minutes. It is mostly flat, with a few rocky sections and two footbridges, and most reasonably mobile people manage it. An Akchour waterfalls day trip includes the driver waiting at the village for as long as you are on the trail.
A Talassemtane National Park hike is what you are really doing here. The park protects one of the last Moroccan fir forests in the world, and the gorge you walk into is part of it — limestone walls, wild oleander along the water, and goats on ledges that have no business holding goats.
The upper waterfall is a further ninety minutes and considerably steeper: a genuine Talassemtane National Park hike rather than a riverside walk. We will tell you honestly on the day which of the routes is realistic for your group rather than sending you up and hoping.
The God’s Bridge rock arch sits on a separate trail above the valley — a natural stone span twenty-five metres over the river, carved by water over an implausible stretch of time.
Reaching the God’s Bridge rock arch takes about an hour each way from the car park and involves a steady climb rather than a scramble. Most groups do either the bridge or the waterfalls, not both; if you want both, start at half past seven from Tangier and treat lunch as a sandwich.
| Destination | Akchour and Chefchaouen, Rif Mountains |
|---|---|
| Departure | Tangier or Chefchaouen accommodation |
| Departure Time | 07:30 from Tangier · 09:30 from Chefchaouen |
| Duration | 11 hours from Tangier · 6 hours from Chefchaouen |
| Fitness | Moderate — 80 minutes of walking minimum |
| Group Size | Private 1–16 passengers |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French and Arabic |
| Included |
|
| Excluded |
|
| Format | 1–3 people | 4–7 people | 8–16 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private (total) | €210 | €280 | €400 |
| Small group (per person) | €65 | ||
Walking shoes with grip — not sandals, and not new trainers. Swimwear and a towel between May and September. At least a litre and a half of water per person, and cash for the riverside cafés, which serve tagine, grilled fish and omelettes on wooden platforms built over the water. The park is best from April to October; after heavy winter rain the river runs high and the rock becomes slippery. Park information is published by the Moroccan National Tourist Office and on Wikipedia.
An Akchour waterfalls day trip is the only excursion on this site with a real fitness requirement, and we would rather say so plainly than have you discover it at the trailhead. You need eighty minutes of walking minimum, on uneven riverside rock, in shoes that grip.
In exchange you get the part of the Rif that almost no visitor sees. If that sounds like your kind of day, an Akchour waterfalls day trip will be the one you talk about afterwards. If it does not, the blue city on its own is the better booking and nobody will think less of the choice.
The lower cascades are about forty minutes each way on a mostly flat riverside path — moderate, not difficult. The full Talassemtane National Park hike to the upper falls is another ninety minutes each way and much steeper.
Yes, in summer. The water stays cold all year, which in August is exactly the point.
Yes. From Chefchaouen an Akchour waterfalls day trip is six hours rather than eleven, with far less driving.
If you like walking, very much. If your group includes anyone unsteady on uneven ground, take the lower falls instead.
The lower falls, usually yes. The upper falls and the bridge, usually not. Tell us your group and we will be straight with you.
For a day of water, rock and cold mountain air, an Akchour waterfalls day trip is the one excursion here that nobody else on your ship will have taken. For the blue city at a slower pace, see the Chefchaouen day trip from Tangier, or pair two old towns on the Chefchaouen and Tetouan day trip. Staying in the mountains? Take the Tangier to Chefchaouen transfer and start from there.
Photos: Ritahouari / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · travelwayoflife / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jodal rachid / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tell us where and when. We reply with availability and a fixed price.
Send an inquiry
Write Your Review