If you are planning a day trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier then this is the blog for you.
One of our main reasons for staying in Tangier in Morocco, was to take a day trip to Chefchaouen. Naturally, we had seen the beautiful pictures and the unique looking blue town of Morocco and wanted to check it out for ourselves.
There are many ways you can take a day trip to Chefchaouen. And of course there’s the option to stay for more than a day there too.
However, with the time we had in Morocco, we opted to take a day trip from Tangier to Chefchaouen.
So here is exactly how we did it.
Plan The Best Day Trip To Chefchaouen
How to get to Chefchaouen?
Chefchaouen is a city in the Rif Mountains of northwest Morocco.
It has a total of 42,000 inhabitants. Although the population grows dramatically during the day as tourists arrive on day trips to Chefchaouen and leave again in the evening.
For this reason, if you can factor in an overnight stay, I think you could truly see it in its natural state.
Why Is Chefchaouen Blue?
Full disclosure, I’ve taken this answer straight from Google, because I also had no idea!
There are a number of theories and no clear reason why Chefchaouen is blue. This includes keeping mosquitoes away, representing the sea and sky and that it was painted by the Jews who fled Hitler during world war two.
It’s unclear if we’ll ever truly know why Chefchaouen is blue. But I do know that its beautiful!
NB: Even the toilets were blue!
Travelling To Your Day Trip To Chefchaouen
There are options to take public transport to Chefchaouen from Tangier.
However, given the length of time it would take to get there and back, we decided to treat ourselves to a private driver for the day to make the most of our time there.
The beauty of Morocco is that everything is super cheap. So hiring a private driver for the day is not nearly as expensive as it would’ve been in Europe or America (approx £70 for the day for 2 people).
We hired our private driver via our hotel so that we can be sure it was a reliable and safe journey. We also felt safe knowing that our hotel knew where we were and who we were with, should anything happen. Additionally, we never felt unsafe on the trip or in Chefchaouen. However it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you’re not staying in a hotel that can organise a private transfer, you can find many options online. Or even pop into one of the larger hotels nearby where you’re staying and see if that reception will do it for you there.
The Journey To Chefchaouen From Tangier
The journey from Tangier to Chefchaouen was 2.5 hours. About 1.5 hours in we took a break at a popular look out spot where it appears minibuses and other groups stop too. This was a perfect spot for a bathroom break, buying some snacks from the rest stop cafe and some photo opportunities of the skyline.
The journey itself is fairly smooth, with very little hold-ups. The roads are fairly winding. So if you get travel sick this may be an issue and you might want to take some preventative measures ahead of time. It was really fun to drive away from the city of Tangier and watch as the roads got windier and the landscape got more dramatic.
Day Trip To Chefchaouen Itinerary
- 9 am – Our driver picked us up around 9 am in the morning from our hotel in Tangier. I don’t know if we are lucked out, or if it’s normal in Morocco, but we were driven from Tangier to Chefchaouen in a very luxurious car.
- 10:20 am – We had our rest stop and an opportunity to use the bathroom, and stretch our legs.
- 11:30 am – By 11:30 we were dropped off in Chefchaouen. We walked around for a short while, but almost immediately headed to a rooftop cafe for some coffee and a much-needed refuelling after the drive.
- 11:30 – 16:30 – Exploring the city (see below on more details of what to do on a day trip to Chefchaouen).
- 16:30 – Our driver picked us up at 4:30 pm. This was the time recommended by him and our hotel, and it worked pretty well. We probably could’ve spent an extra hour wandering around the town. However, this meant that we made it back to Tangier in time for dinner.
- 18:30 – We arrived back at our hotel in Tangier and completed our day trip to Chefchaouen.
What To Do In Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is the perfect size for a day trip. There is enough to see and do. But equally, after a day, you feel like you’ve seen enough to do it justice in a day.
1. Wander Through Streets
It may seem obvious, but the biggest thing to do in Chefchaouen is to just wander the streets, and enjoy the novelty of being in what feels like a Smurf village.
2. Take Photos
If taking photos is your jam, Chefchaouen is the perfect destination. Every street is incredibly photogenic, from the colours alone.
There are a couple of streets that particularly attract the tourist. However, I didn’t feel like it was necessary to stand in a queue and take a photo on the iconic steps with colourful plant pots, when almost every single street is gorgeous.
3. Try The Local Treats
We saw a lot of locals selling interesting looking treats from carts and we had to try it. I’m still not 100% sure what it was, but this ball of sponge and coconut cost 20p and was delicious!
4. Dip Your Feet In A Waterfall
Chefchaouen has its very own waterfall too.
If you take a day trip to Chefchaouen on a hot day (which is most of the year!) take a paddle in the river below the waterfall.
Or even better, grab a table at one of the waterside cafe’s, where your chair and table sit fully in the river.
5. Eat At A Rooftop Restaurant
We stumbled upon Restaurant Aladin completely by accident, and I couldn’t be happier that we did.
After climbing three or four flights of stairs through the countless floors of tables, we reach the roof top terrace.
Unlike us Scottish girls, most people were sheltering from the sun. So there are plenty of tables to choose from.
Whilst you certainly need to stay protected from the hot Moroccan sunshine, the rooftop terrace has some spectacular views of the entire town. Service was pretty slow, but it helped to have a beautiful view while we waited.
And that’s how to take a day trip to Chefchaouen !
Sure there isn’t a ton to do on a day trip to Chefchaouen. But the novelty of an entirely blue city in Morocco is worth the visit alone.
If you do go, be sure to let me know and let me know what you thought of it too!
