A Perfect Day Trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier: The Ultimate Guide
Are you planning a trip to Morocco and looking for a breathtaking day trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier? Well, look no further because I just did this exact trip so I’m here to help you. Nestled in the Rif Mountains, this picturesque town is famous for its striking blue-washed buildings, vibrant markets, and stunning natural landscapes. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know for a seamless day trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier, including how to get there, what to do, and tips to make the most of your visit.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click the links at no additional cost to you.
Instagram Reels |
Why Take a Day Trip to Chefchaouen?
Chefchaouen, often referred to as the “Blue Pearl,” is a photographer’s paradise. I first saw pictures of this place and thought it was Santorini in Greece, but it wasn’t! Also, Santorini is not even as blue as Chefchaouen. Once I saw how pretty the city was, I knew that I had to get myself over there to take pictures!
Some people might say that you should spend at least a night there, but to be honest, I didn’t want to lug my suitcase all the way over there just to spend one night and then just leave the next day. Maybe if I was backpacking, it would be a different story, but I had one of those rolling suitcases. So, I thought the best possible option was just to do a day trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier and it worked out totally fine.
How to Get to Chefchaouen from Tangier
By Bus
The most convenient way to travel to Chefchaouen from Tangier is by bus. The company I took was CTM and they operate daily services. The journey takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, with buses departing from Tangier’s CTM bus station (fyi, it’s a different place from the train station). Tickets can be purchased online (unfortunately it’s only in French) or at the station itself. I purchased mine online and bought a round trip ticket since it was cheaper. At the time of booking, it would have been 65 MAD ($6.50) one-way or 59 MAD ($6) each way if you bought round trip.
Getting to Chefchaouen to Tangier: I took the 7:45 am bus because I wanted to get to Chefchaouen as soon as possible before it got too hot. The bus drops you off at the Chefchaouen CTM bus station, which to my surprise, is NOT walking distance to the Medina (the blue city part). So, at that point, you will have to hire another taxi (there are plenty around) or just share a taxi with some other people since pretty much everyone on the bus will be going to the Medina. I believe I paid 15 MAD to the Medina which now I know I overpaid because when I came back to the bus station, I only paid 10 MAD.
Getting Back to Tangier from Chefchaouen: For the bus ride back, I booked the 3:30 pm. The bus was of course late and didn’t get to the station until 3:45 pm. I probably got back to the Tangier CTM bus station around 6:30 pm and then took a taxi back to the Kasbah for another 50 MAD. The taxi driver first told me it was going to cost 100 MAD and I’m like, “no, I paid only 50 MAD getting here.” He laughed. I laughed. So, we settled on 50 MAD.
Condition of the Bus: This bus is NOT for the faint of heart. I’m telling you right now, this bus was freezing cold because they were just blasting the A/C. To the point where people had to stuff tissues in the vents to keep it from blowing on them. Second, there was a used Q-tip in my back seat pocket. Third, there was trash on the floor. Fourth, the seats smells like B.O. I had to move from my original seat to something less smelly. Lastly, some guy behind me thought this was his living room and decided to put his bare feet on the seats. I made a funny Instagram reel about it if you want to check it out here.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Would I Recommend The Bus: If the above things don’t bother you, then the bus is fine. Just make sure to bring a jacket with you otherwise you’ll be suffering for 3 hours in the frigid cold. This is probably the most easy and direct way for people that like to plan like I do. If you are a bit flexible, I would suggest the route below.
By Shared Grand Taxi
During my research, I’m not really sure why this option didn’t really show up. I honestly think A.I. is ruining blogs because it’s putting out so much crap out there that’s you end up not finding genuine blog posts with actual real information anymore. But don’t worry, at least you know that I’ve personally done this trip so I can vouch for this. With that being said, I did not personally take this route myself and this was information that I gathered from other travelers that I met in Chefchaouen.
The idea with this is that you will take a shared Grand Taxi from out front of the Tangier train station. You will have to wait for them to fill up the taxi (6 ppl) and they will take to the town of Tetouan where you will have to transfer to another taxi to Chefchaouen. I also heard there are some that takes you straight to Chefchaouen but not sure how frequent those are. The cost will be around 75-90 MAD one way. If you want to read up more on it, I found a Reddit article that talks more about it here. Unfortunately, this Reddit article wasn’t available before my trip otherwise I probably would have done this route.
The only downside I really see in this is the potential stopover and the fact that you have to wait until the taxi fills up until it’ll leave in both direction. I assume though that it’s more comfortable but who knows at this point. Either way, the bus or shared taxi is the most affordable way to get you to Chefchaouen.
By Private Taxi
For a more comfortable and quicker option, you can hire a private taxi. This will allow you to enjoy the scenic route at your own pace. The cost for a private taxi is higher, usually around 600 MAD ($60 USD) one way, but it’s a great choice if you’re traveling in a group or with family. This is what my friends pretty much did for our trip to Piedra del Penol from Medellín in Colombia, but since I was by myself, my only options were the bus or shared Grand Taxi.
Where Are The Instagram Spots of Chefchaouen?
This is probably something I should have researched before my trip, but I just assumed that these spots would be easy to find. Well, they kind of are if you actually know where you are going. So, to help all my other photographers and Instagrammers out, I’ve made a map below of where these famous blue alleyways/stairs are! Granted, if you’re not in a hurry, the area is super picturesque to walk around and eventually you’ll hits these spots regardless. That’s how I ended up finding these locations. After the taxi dropped me off, I pretty much headed towards the Clock Tower Cafe and that’s where I started exploring. P.S. Make sure to save this map on your phone somehow!
Famous Photo Spots of Chefchaouen
I’ve referenced each photo based on the map that I made above. There are a lot more cute places than these, but I thought I would give you the most popular ones to get you started at least.
| Photo | Description |
 |
Photo Spot #1: Cafe Clock
I started off my adventure here just because it was a place that I wanted to eventually eat lunch at so at least I know where it was. Fortunately, the alley where the restaurant entrance is at is SUPER photogenic.
Eating at Cafe Clock for Lunch This seems like a super popular place in the morning since I saw a lot of people coming out of the restaurant. By the time I had lunch, the place was pretty manageable. If you go, make sure you sit up at the covered rooftop for views of the city! |
 |
Photo Spot #2: Callejón El Asri
This is probably the most famous staircase and surprisingly, it was NOT full of people taking pictures. It was actually quite empty. Not sure if it’s because of the time or day that I went but it was nice to get your pictures in without having to rush. Although, it is off the main shopping street so people do walk pass it a lot. |
 |
Photo Spot #3: Callejón de Sidi Bouchouka
This photo spot is definitely more colorful. There’s different color paint on the ground and there’s this beautiful bougainvillea bush on the side. This spot is super close to Photo Spot #2 so make sure you hit up both. |
 |
Photo Spot #4: Orange Juice Shop
There are a bunch of juice shops around Chefchaouen, but I found this one to be the cutest and most photo-worthy. Also, there’s a nice place for you to sit and relax. The man running the juice stand was super nice and friendly and offered to take my pictures without me even asking him. |
What to Wear to Chefchaouen
You’re probably wondering what to wear to Chetchaouen especially if you’re a girl and want to take pictures. I personally wore a white cotton maxi dress with a jean jacket. I took the jacket off when I wanted to take pictures and once I was done with my photos, I put my jacket back on. Just a reminder that Morocco is a conservative country and people do dress modestly.
With that being said, I definitely saw a bunch of other girls in skimpy skin tight dresses and locals were definitely giving them looks. Maybe they felt more comfortable wearing that because they were in a group, but I was by myself and I didn’t want to draw anymore attention to myself than necessary.
If you’re wondering what to wear to Chefchaouen if you only plan to visit and not take pictures, then I would wear light-colored clothes made of breathable fabrics like cotton or linen, good walking shoes, sunglasses, and a hat. I would like to emphasized the “good walking shoes” again. You’ll be doing a lot of walking over cobblestones, sloped streets, and staircases. I wore some platform sandals and they were kind of hard to walk in because my foot kept sliding. Ideally, if you want to take pictures, you would just fit your “photo shoes” in your backpack or something.
 |
 |
What Camera Did I Use?
I just used my iPhone 14 Pro and my favorite selfie stick of ALL TIME to capture all my pictures and videos. I’ve bought millions of selfie sticks over the years and this one has consistently helped me in all of my travels. I literally don’t leave any place without it (and no, I’m not affiliated with the brand). I did have my Sony A6700 on me and my heavy-duty tripod, but I seriously didn’t have the energy or patience to set that thing up in the 95+ degree heat. Sweat was dropping from face every couple of seconds. Also, as mentioned above, I was traveling by myself so I didn’t feel comfortable enough setting up my DSLR and then trying to remote shoot.
Tips for Your Day Trip to Chefchaouen
- Start Early: To maximize your time your day trip to Chefchaouen, I would leave Tangier as early as possible. The bus I took leaves at 7:45 am from Tangier and gets in around 10:15 am-10:30 am.
- What to Bring:
- Sunglasses
- Breathable Hat
- Sunblock
- Backpack
- Tissues (to wipe sweat or if you need to use the public bathroom).
- Fan (Either one of those foldable ones or an electric one. I’m not joking about how hot it’ll get.)
- Extra Battery Pack or Charger: I brought my iPhone charger and WHAT A SAVER. Luckily, Cafe Clock had outlets I could plug into during lunch. Otherwise, I would have been S.O.L. Because of this incident, I just bought myself this mini external battery pack.
- Stay Hydrated: Bring a water bottle, especially if you plan to hike to the Spanish Mosque. I didn’t hike up there and I already knew I wouldn’t because it was 95+ degrees outside and hiking was the last thing on my mind.
- Taking the Bus: If you do plan on taking the bus to Chefchaouen from Tangier, definitely bring a jacket or sweatshirt or something to cover your legs and body. I am not joking about how cold it is on that bus.
Photography Tips
Even though I took the earliest bus, I still got there when the light was probably the harshest! But what can you really do if you’re planning on just doing a day trip, right? If I known about the shared Grand Taxi, I probably would have left even earlier but then what if the taxi didn’t fill up until way later? The only other possible way was to actually stay the night and too be honest, I was moving around so much that I couldn’t even fathom packing up my suitcase again.
If you’re in the same boat as me, the best thing for you to do is find alleys that are completely covered in shadows so at least you get even lighting on your face/body at least. Or if you have some time, I would pick a later bus and go later in the afternoon and take the last bus back to Tangier.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Conclusion
A day trip to Chefchaouen from Tangier is totally doable and you don’t need to stay the night in Chefchaouen if you don’t want to. Yes, it’s a long travel day but if you take the bus (or taxi), you’ll be mostly sleeping or resting during the ride anyways. Just keep in mind, because you’ll be arriving in the middle of the day, the lighting conditions aren’t the best. If you are a die hard photographer, your best bet is to either hire a taxi to take you early in the morning or you’ll just have to stay overnight. But for the majority of the people out there, taking a day trip to Chefchaouen is totally fine. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
