4-Day Guide to Tangier + Chefchaouen Morocco
INTRO:
I just came back from a trip to the cities of Tangier and Chefchaouen, located in Northern Morocco.
It felt like a dream. Morocco is possibly my favorite place I've traveled so far.
The sights are out-of-a-movie-scene breathtaking; the people are incredibly friendly and welcoming; and the food is amazing!
Plus, the entire country is super affordable for traveling on Euros. Perfect for travelers on a budget!
Unfortunately, the country gets a bad rap in the media for being "unsafe," especially for solo female travelers.
However, in my experience, I felt safe my entire trip and had no issues -- even walking alone at night.
For more tips on solo female traveler safety, check out my article here.
Regardless of what you here about a destination, remember that safety is subjective and every individual's experience is different -- so you should always do your own research rather than trusting random sources when deciding if you're comfortable visiting somewhere or not.
Pro tip: always be wary of trusting someone who tells you somewhere is "dangerous" if they've never been there themselves.
Personally, I couldn't recommend Morocco enough!
I would encourage you to spend as much time as you can on a trip here, but if you're like me and only have a short time, here is my exact itinerary for 4 days in Morocco.
A note on my travel style:
I believe that to see less is to experience more.
Therefore, my itineraries do not include every attraction or tourist site a city has to offer; rather, I only recommend places I've actually visited during my trip that I enjoyed past the superficial mentality to "check it off the list."
As I travel more, the more I trust in the journey and allow things to unfold naturally. This means wandering around a city with no specific destination; intentionally not planning an afternoon so I can join others' plans whom I meet along the way; or changing my plans to do something spontaneously.
I encourage you to use my guides as a source of inspiration rather than an hour-by-hour breakdown of your day. In this way, I hope you embark on your trip more informed, while open to serendipity.
Where to Stay:
Riads! What is a riad?
A riad is a historic Moroccan house that features a garden courtyard in its center.
Traditionally, it served as the living quarters for wealthy families to provide a peaceful, private escape from the busy streets of the medina (the old part of a city).
Riads are a beautiful and a culturally distinct part of traveling to Morocco, and I would highly recommend their cozy intimacy over hotels.
Tangier:
Chefchaouen:
Views from my hostel (Riad Baraka)!
Day 1: Tangier
Sunrise in Tangier
Morning-
The best bread in Tangier -- made by hand fresh each morning at Laiterie Lecheria
Afternoon-
A lovely place to chill and admire Tangier's coast
Evening-
It's not on Google Maps so I unfortunately can't add it to this guide officially... but the BEST spot for dinner is this place with a black sign out front that says "Cafe & Restaurant Popular."
It's women-owned and run by very sweet locals who prepared me the best couscous of my LIFE for less than $5.
Vegetarian couscous made fresh to order.
Pastries from Cafeteria Dopamine! Left is sweet and right is savory... both recommended to me by Omar
Day 2: Chefchaouen
How do I get there from Tangier?
It's cheap and simple to get to Chefchaouen from Tangier.
I used the CTM bus booking website found below to book my bus tickets in advance (note that you can translate the page from French to English).
There are several buses there and back (if you are taking a day trip) throughout the day.
I took the first bus, which left from the Tangier CTM station at 7:45 am.
The bus ride is about 2 hours, so I arrived in Chefchaouen around 10 am.
Pro tip: The bus route from Tangier-Chefchaouen makes one stop to Tetuan, so you can even spend a day in Tetuan before Chefchaouen if you want!
Morning-
I'm sure you'll be hungry after dropping off your bags at your accommodation. Here are my breakfast recommendations:
Breakfast:
You'll smell this place from down the street -- don't pass it by! Be sure to ask what the worker's favorite is and you'll get your pastry warm :)
Afternoon-
Continue snapping your photos! Tomorrow you won't have time if you choose to go to Akchour (which you should).
Grab a bite to eat here:
Evening-
Watch the sunset here:
Grab dinner here:
Day 3: Chefchaouen
Morning-
Enjoy a healthy, filling breakfast spread on the rooftop of Hostal Valencia. The staff is more than welcoming and accommodating!
Less than $5!
Go to Akchour!
How to get there from Chefchaouen:
Go to the taxi station next to the CTM bus station just a 20 minute walk from the city center.
I recommend going as soon as you finish breakfast to give yourself the most time to enjoy Akchour.
The taxi driver will wait until there is a total of 6 passengers before leaving, but if you don't have that many people in your group and want to leave immediately, you will have to pay for the empty seats.
For our group of 5, we each paid 30 MAD, but going back, we only had a group of 3 and thus paid 50 MAD individually.
The taxi ride is a little under an hour, but the drive is incredibly scenic and it doesn't seem like an hour.
Afternoon-
You've made it to Akchour!
Because the park is so popular, there are plenty of restaurant options before the trail and even along the trail so you don't have to worry about being isolated from humanity here.
Don't worry though, it doesn't feel touristy. The restaurants are all locally owned and run, serving authentic Moroccan cuisine.
Begin your adventure!
God's Bridge
Evening-
Dinner (because you've most certainly worked up an appetite!):
Day 4: Tangier
Morning-
Breakfast-
It's your last day here. You have to go here one last time because you will miss it when you leave.
Healthy option (or in addition):
Afternoon-
Rent a bike and go relax at the beach!
I rented my bike at MJ Bike rentals for two hours, which cost 70 MAD.
Merkala is the perfect place to sit back and digest your trip -- though the water may not be ideal for swimming.
Evening-
Watch your last sunset and savor your last meal before you leave :(
Dinner:
Until next time Morocco...
What I Wish I Knew Before Going:
1. Bring cash!!! Hardly any places accepted payment by card.
2. Don’t go with Google Maps ratings for restaurants. Go where you seelocal people eating (which is often places not even on Google Maps)
3. Most people don’t speak English, or speak very little. Arabic is predominant with French coming in second. Spanish did not help (though this may be different in other cities)
4. Women can wear whatever they want.There are no rules saying you can’t show any skin.My Moroccan friend went out wearing running shorts and I walked around town with my shoulders showing without being made uncomfortable.
5. Morocco is no more dangerous than other countries, even for solo female travelers (safety is subjective and not accurately portrayed by the media).I felt perfectly fine walking around alone at all times of day.
7. Akchour MUST be a part of your itinerary — which means spending at least 1 night to have time to explore both the city and the nature.
- you must have an internet connection/data to book because the driver calls you before picking you up (I didn’t which made using InDrive a massive struggle)
- They may cancel on you if you don’t speak Arabic BUT you can always ask a local to talk to the driver for you
Additional Resources:
Podcast episode about things to know before traveling to Morocco:
My Morocco Photo Travel Diary:
Check out my Insta for more Morocco:
Thanks for reading :)
If you enjoyed these recommendations, remember to SAVE this guide to your library by clicking the little bookmark in the corner :)
You can also support the time I spent making this guide with a tip below <3
The home for unique & authentic travel
