A practical week-long route through Morocco's north, from Tangier's storied port to the blue medina of Chefchaouen and the whitewashed Atlantic town of Asilah.
Why Northern Morocco Deserves More Than a Day Trip
Most visitors to Morocco funnel straight from Casablanca to Marrakech, treating the north as a footnote or a ferry crossing to Europe. That is a mistake. The Rif mountains backing Chefchaouen, the Phoenician and Portuguese layers buried in Asilah's walls, the multilingual chaos of Tangier's port neighbourhoods — northern Morocco is its own distinct world, shaped as much by Andalusian exile as by Berber tradition. A week here rewards those willing to slow down.
Day-by-Day Route
- Day 1 — Arrive Tangier: check in to a riad in the kasbah, walk the medina before dark, dinner at a seafood restaurant in the port district (grilled sole, 80-120 MAD per person).
- Day 2 — Tangier: morning at Cap Spartel lighthouse (14km west of centre, grand taxi 50-60 MAD), the Caves of Hercules (20 MAD entry), afternoon at the American Legation Museum — the only US National Historic Landmark on foreign soil.
- Day 3 — Travel to Chefchaouen: CTM bus departs Tangier at 8:30am, arrives Chefchaouen around 10:30am (ticket 50 MAD). Check in, eat a bowl of bissara at a medina stall (10 MAD), spend the evening walking the blue alleys.
- Day 4 — Full day Chefchaouen: wake before 7am to photograph the medina without crowds, then pack water and sturdy shoes for the Akchour waterfall trail (5hrs round trip, 25 MAD shared taxi to trailhead, no entry fee). The second waterfall 'God's Bridge' adds 1.5hrs.
- Day 5 — Tetouan: CTM bus (45min, 25 MAD) or grand taxi (30 MAD). The UNESCO-listed medina is compact enough to walk in half a day — aim for the Royal Palace square, the Jamaa el-Kebir mosque exterior, and the artisan cooperative near Bab Rouah. Afternoon at Martil beach (5km, taxi 15 MAD).
- Day 6 — Asilah: ONCF train from Tetouan is not direct — take a grand taxi back to Tangier (60 MAD) then a train south to Asilah (45min, 27 MAD). Walk the Portuguese ramparts, find the murals painted each August during the international arts festival, swim at the beach south of the walls.
- Day 7 — Return to Tangier: 45-min train back. Morning free for the Petit Socco cafes or the Kasbah Museum before your ferry or flight.
Northern Morocco at a Glance
250 km
Tangier to Chefchaouen road distance
600-900 MAD
Mid-range daily budget per person
1,624m
Elevation of Chefchaouen medina
50 MAD
CTM bus Tangier to Chefchaouen
600-800 MAD
Private driver hire per day
I got to Chefchaouen at seven in the morning and there was no one in the medina at all. Just a cat on a blue step and the smell of bread from somewhere. I sat there for an hour and did not take a single photo.
Transport: Buses, Grand Taxis, or a Private Driver
CTM buses connect the main northern towns reliably and cheaply. The Tangier-Chefchaouen run costs 50 MAD and takes about two hours on a good day. Grand taxis are faster for shorter hops like Tetouan to Martil or Chefchaouen to Akchour, but you need to fill the six seats or pay for empty ones if you want to leave immediately. A private driver hired for the full week runs 600-800 MAD per day, which split between four travellers works out cheaper than buses while adding the flexibility to stop at viewpoints along the Rif road between Chefchaouen and Tetouan.
Book Akchour Transport Early
Shared taxis to the Akchour trailhead fill up fast in summer. Arrange with your riad the night before or ask at the Chefchaouen taxi rank before 8am. The return journey back to town is harder to organise at the trailhead, so agree a pickup time and number with the driver before he leaves.
