Trip overview
Four days by private car through the north: Tangier and Cape Spartel, Tetouan, two nights in Chefchaouen and back via Asilah. Pick-up from the ferry from Tarifa or Algeciras.
- Duration4 days / 3 nights
- Starts inTangier
- GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguageEspañol
- DeparturesDaily departures all year round
Highlights
- Pick-up at Tanger Ville port, Tanger Med or the airport
- Cape Spartel and the Caves of Hercules
- The kasbah and medina of Tangier
- The Tetouan medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Tetouan's Spanish-built new town
- Two nights in the blue medina of Chefchaouen
- Optional walk along the Akchour river
- The ramparts and murals of Asilah, on the Atlantic coast
- Duration
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Longest drive
- About 3 hours
- Nights
- 1 Tangier, 2 Chefchaouen
- Language
- Many people speak Spanish
Day by day
If you're crossing by ferry
The boat from Tarifa takes about an hour and docks at Tanger Ville; from Algeciras it goes to Tanger Med, about 45 kilometres from the city. Send us the ferry company and the time: if the boat is late, the driver waits. For the return, book an afternoon ferry. More details in how to travel from Spain to Morocco.
When to go
- March – JuneGood timeGreen countryside in the Rif and mild temperatures.
- July – AugustMixedGood weather, but long waits at ports and border crossings.
- September – OctoberGood timeThe sea is still warm and there are fewer people.
- November – FebruaryMixedFrequent rain in the Rif and cool nights.
Before you book
On to the desert
This tour doesn't reach the dunes. If you want to sleep in the Sahara, carry on via Fez to Merzouga and finish in Marrakech.
See the 8-day tourChanges to the route
Change the order, start in Ceuta or add Fez with one or two extra nights.
Message usDay-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Tangier – Cape Spartel – Tangier
The driver meets you wherever you arrive: at the Tanger Ville terminal off the Tarifa boat, at Tanger Med off the Algeciras one, or at Ibn Battouta airport. From Tanger Med it's about 45 minutes on the motorway to the centre.
You drop your luggage at the hotel and we head west through the Montagne, the district of villas above the Strait, to Cape Spartel, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. Close by are the Caves of Hercules, with an opening to the sea shaped like the outline of Africa. Back in the city we walk through the kasbah, the Petit Socco and the Grand Socco, and if there's time we have a tea at Café Hafa, with its terraces stepping down towards the sea. If your boat arrives late, the cape is left for the last day.
Day 2: Tangier – Tetouan – Chefchaouen
After breakfast we leave for Tetouan, just over an hour away. We start with the Spanish-built new town, with its white buildings and Moulay el Mehdi square, and enter the medina through Hassan II square, next to the Royal Palace. Inside, the trades are still arranged by street: weavers, tanners, carpenters. If you like, a local guide from Tetouan can go with you for a couple of hours.
We have lunch in Tetouan and continue south through the Rif. In just over an hour we reach Chefchaouen. Your luggage goes up to the riad in a handcart, because cars can't enter the medina. In the afternoon, a walk through the blue streets and up to the Spanish mosque, about 20 or 30 minutes on foot from Ras el Ma, to watch the sunset.
Day 3: Chefchaouen and Akchour (optional)
Head out into the medina early, before 9:00, when the blue streets are almost empty and the light is soft. Afterwards you can visit the kasbah, with its garden and the view from the tower, have a drink on Outa el Hammam square and walk down to the Ras el Ma spring, where women still wash clothes.
If you feel like walking, the driver takes you to Akchour, about 45 minutes away. From there a path runs along the river to some waterfalls and the rock arch known as God's Bridge, one to two hours' walk each way depending on how far you go. Wear shoes that can get wet. If you'd rather rest, the day is free in Chefchaouen.
Day 4: Chefchaouen – Asilah – Tangier
We have breakfast and leave for the Atlantic coast. It's 2.5 to 3 hours to Asilah, a white town surrounded by 15th-century Portuguese ramparts. We walk through the medina, where every summer invited artists paint new murals on the walls, and along the top of the ramparts above the sea.
We have fish for lunch near the port and leave for Tangier, about 45 minutes away. We drop you at Tanger Ville port, Tanger Med, the airport or your hotel. If your boat leaves from Tanger Med, allow for the hour's drive from Asilah and for passport control and customs; that's why we recommend a ferry from 17:00 onwards.
What's included
Included (5)
- Pick-up at Tanger Ville port, Tanger Med or the airport
- Private car with a Spanish-speaking driver for the 4 days
- 3 nights' accommodation with breakfast (1 in Tangier and 2 in Chefchaouen)
- Fuel and tolls
- Bottled water in the car
Not included (6)
- Ferry or plane ticket
- Lunches and dinners
- Local guides in the medinas (optional)
- Entry to the Chefchaouen kasbah and the Caves of Hercules
- Tips (optional)
- Travel insurance
Important information (5)
- From November to March it rains often in the Rif; pack a rain jacket.
- On ferries from Tarifa passport control is usually done on board; check with the ferry company.
- Morocco usually has the same time as mainland Spain in winter and is an hour behind in summer, and it changes during Ramadan; check before booking your boat.
- The Tetouan and Chefchaouen medinas have slopes and steps; large luggage goes up to the riad in a handcart.
- In Chefchaouen you're sometimes offered hashish in the street; just say no and keep walking.
Prices per person
The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (3 nights).
| Travellers | Standard | Superior |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | €880 | €1,015 |
| 2 people | €500 | €635 |
| 3 people | €373 | €508 |
| 4 people | €310 | €445 |
| 5 people | €272 | €407 |
| 6 people | €247 | €382 |
- Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
- Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
- Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
- Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.
Payment and cancellation
You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.
Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.
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Leave a reviewFrequently asked questions
Can I do this trip if I arrive by ferry from Tarifa or Algeciras?
Yes, it's designed for that. With the Tarifa boat you arrive at Tanger Ville and with the Algeciras one at Tanger Med, about 45 kilometres away; the driver meets you at either port. Send us the ferry company and the expected time, and if the boat is delayed the driver waits. For the return, book an afternoon ferry on the fourth day.
Why sleep two nights in Chefchaouen?
Because Chefchaouen changes a lot over the course of the day. By mid-morning the day-trip groups arrive and the streets fill up; first thing and at dusk it's almost empty. With two nights you get a whole quiet morning and time for Akchour or just to rest at the riad, instead of rushing round the town.
Is Spanish spoken in northern Morocco?
Much more than in the rest of the country. In Tetouan, Tangier and Chefchaouen many older people learnt it during the Protectorate and many young people understand it from Spanish television and dealing with tourists. In hotels, restaurants and shops in the centre you'll get by without any trouble, and the driver speaks Spanish throughout the trip.
Can the trip start in Ceuta?
Yes. We pick you up on the Moroccan side of the Tarajal border, in Fnideq, and the route starts with Tetouan, about 40 kilometres away. In summer and during holiday periods there can be long waits at the border, so tell us the day and approximate time so we can plan around it. On the last day we can also drop you at the Ceuta border.
Can I add Fez to the route?
Yes, with one or two extra days. From Chefchaouen to Fez it's about 4 hours by road, and from Fez to Tangier about 4 or 5. With five or six days the trip is well balanced: Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, two nights in Fez and back via Asilah. Write to us and we'll put the route together with prices.
