Chefchaouen Travel Guide: The Best Things to Do & Places to See in Chefchaouen, Morocco

Chefchaouen, the famous ‘Blue City’ is a must visit destination on any Morocco itinerary and this Chefchaouen Travel Guide details everything you need to know to plan a trip.

Nestled high up in the Rif Mountains in Northern Morocco, Chefchaouen is known for the pale blue colour that locals have painted the walls of every building and pathway for the last few centuries. Compared to Marrakech and Fes, the quiet town of Chefchaouen offers a pleasant and calm visit, with the striking backdrop of a mountain range behind.

There are photo opportunities aplenty in Chefchaouen, from tiny kittens lazing in the sun, to the quaint and colourful doorways and staircases. One thing to always remember however, is that the doors and pathways are part of peoples’ homes so it’s important to be mindful of this when exploring. Don’t be too nosy. In fact, one of the best things to do in Chefchaouen is to simply walk and explore the medina.

We found three days to be the ideal time to see the town. So read on for my Chefchaouen Travel Guide. It will cover all of the best things to do and see in Chefchaouen, as well as all the essential things to know before going.

Chefchaouen Travel Guide: Essential Things to Know

I was really surprised by Chefchaouen and by how calm it was. I’d heard so much before arriving and saw the town all over Instagram, I felt like it would be so crowded but it wasn’t at all. Some people say Chefchaouen is Morocco’s ‘best-kept secret’ and maybe they are right. 

Although our accommodation had other guests, we did find the town to be quite quiet. Almost eerie at times! The town also has quite a hippie vibe and seems to rebel against the rest of Morocco a little. Weed is smoked widely here and you may be offered it whilst walking around the town. The smell actually lingers around some of the laneways a little. Like Tangier, Spanish is spoken widely here so the town has a very interesting mix of Spanish, French, English and Arabic.  

Why is Chefchaouen blue?

There are a few different theories floating around as to why Chefchaouen is painted this particular shade of blue. Some say it’s to keep the mosquitoes away, others say the blue helps keep the houses cool in the summer heat. But the most widely told story is that it dates back to the 1930s, when Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Europe settled in the town and painted the walls blue as a symbol of the sky and heaven. Whatever the real reason, locals still touch up the paint by hand a couple of times a year, which is why the blue always looks so fresh.

When is the best time to go to Chefchaouen

As Chefchaouen is located at altitude, it is definitely cooler than the rest of Morocco. The summer months will naturally be warmer, but the evenings are noticeably cooler. Visiting Chefchaouen in the winter months will make for cold days and even colder evenings, and with a significantly increased chance of rain. I went in April which made for warm days, but we did experience some rain.

How to get to Chefchaouen

There’s no major international airport right in Chefchaouen, which helps the town from being overcrowded or affected by mass tourism – the closest is Tetouan’s small Sania Ramel Airport, around a 1.5 hour drive away, but it only has limited flights (a handful of routes to France, Spain and Brussels), so most visitors still arrive overland via road. The two nearest larger towns are Tangier, along on the Mediterranean Coast and then Fes which is further south. Tangier is where the ferries come in from Spain and the drive from Tangier to Chefchaouen is a hilly 2-3 hours.

We came via bus from Fes, which was a bumpy but fine 4 hour drive to Chefchaouen. There are only a handful of buses a day in either direction, so it’s important to buy your tickets a day or two in advance if you’re working on a tight time frame in your Morocco itinerary.

A one-way CTM bus ticket from Fes costs around 75 MAD (roughly £6), and you may need to pay a small extra fee (around 5 MAD) to store luggage in the hold. A private taxi will cost considerably more. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £50 one-way, though it’s always worth negotiating. Either way, I’d recommend booking your bus ticket as early as you can, ideally in person at the CTM counter, especially in peak season.

One practical tip: sort your phone data before you travel. As Chefchaouen is a few hours by bus or grand taxi from Tangier or Fes, and you will want maps and translation working the whole way. The easiest option is a travel eSIM for Morocco set up before you fly, so you are online the moment you land.

Getting around Chefchaouen

The most important thing to know is that the town is very hilly and the main way to explore the blue streets of Chefchaouen is by foot. This means it is not accessible for many people, as a certain level of fitness would be needed for all of the stairs and steep pathways. It’s a real cat and mouse maze of small staircases and tunnels.

If you want to visit any of the attractions near Chefchaouen, such as the Rif Mountains, it would be best to take a taxi for ease.

Where to stay in Chefchaouen

If you’re looking to stay in Chefchaouen on a budget, you’ll be pleased to know that most of the hotels or riads are highly affordable. There aren’t really any luxury hotels in Chefchaouen.

We stayed at Dar ElRio, and loved it. I would highly recommend staying here – our host was so kind and helpful. The breakfast was great, with the roof terrace offered spectacular views across the whole town. Rates are around £50/USD68 per night for a double room.

You can check for rates for all the hotels and riads in Chefchaouen on Booking.com here, or a few other suggestions are:

• Dar Zambra (rooms start from around £45/USD61 per night)
• Riad Alhambra (rooms start from around £60/USD82 per night)
• Dar Kisania (rooms start from around £75/USD102 per night)
• Riad Nila (rooms start from around £100/USD136 per night)
• Lina Ryad & Spa (rooms start from around £173/USD235 per night)

Best Things to Do in Chefchaouen

The very best thing to do in Chefchaouen is to walk around and to explore slowly. It’s a joy to wander the laneways and you never know what you might see. Around every corner is another shade of blue, another paint shop, another local going about their daily life.

You can’t really get lost here and it’s a lot smaller than Fes and Marrakech. Ambling slowly around Chefchaouen means stumbling across tiny shops with the friendliest owners, finding yourself in the middle of children playing games in the streets or finding yourself outside of a small primary school and overhearing a choir rehearsal taking place. Chefchaouen offers a unique opportunity for tourists to find themselves at the heart of daily life in Morocco.

You could explore the centre of Chefchaouen, with its souk and medina in one or two days. However, its mountainous location means there are many excellent outdoor activities to do nearby, such as hiking in the Rif Mountains.

Here’s my guide to the top things to do and see in Chefchaouen:

Witness a beautiful sunrise and sunset

Chefchaouen is one place that it is definitely worth timing your day around the sun. A hazy morning sunrise from your hotel’s roof terrace with a hot coffee is the best way to start the day in Chefchaouen.

In the evenings, most tourists climb the 10 minute hike from the centre of town to the Spanish Mosque on the hill. Here crowds gather to witness the sun set dramatically over the town. This spot is definitely the best vantage point in the whole of Chefchaouen.

On your way up towards the Spanish Mosque, you’ll pass a small spring and waterfall called Ras El Maa, right by the medina’s eastern gate. It’s where a lot of local women still come to do their washing, and it’s also a popular little pit stop for fresh juice. Look out for the juice stands nearby, where a glass of orange, pomegranate or watermelon juice will only set you back around 10 MAD (about 80p). It’s a nice, cheap, refreshing stop on the walk up to sunset.

Visit the Kasbah

Right in the heart of the medina, next to the main square, sits the Kasbah. This is an old fortress that dates back to the 15th century. Inside, you’ll find a small ethnographic museum covering the history, customs and art of the Chefchaouen region, as well as a lovely, peaceful garden that’s a nice break from the busier streets outside.

The museum itself is fairly modest, but it’s worth the entry fee (around 60 MAD, roughly £5) just to climb the watchtower for the views back over the blue rooftops.

Interact and meet the locals

The locals in Chefchaouen are really friendly and keen to converse. I actually think they’re quite bemused by the tourists wandering by. I would definitely recommend striking up a conversation up with your waiter or hotel staff. Also, Chefchaouen is literally full of cats. There might even be more cats than locals in Chefchaouen.

Although one word of caution, since I’ve just told you to go make friends with every cat you meet. As sweet as they are, these are street cats, not pets, so do exercise a bit of caution. If you’re bitten or scratched, don’t brush it off – head to a hospital or clinic straight away to get it checked, just to be safe.

Relax in Plaza Uta El-Hammam

The main square in Chefchaouen’s medina is called Plaza Uta El-Hammam, and it’s really the social heart of the town. It’s lined with restaurants and cafes, and in the evenings it fills up with locals and tourists alike, chatting over mint tea or a tagine while musicians often play live music nearby. It’s a lovely spot to just sit for an hour and watch the world go by.

It’s worth knowing that Chefchaouen isn’t really a nightlife destination. You won’t find much in the way of bars or clubs, and alcohol is genuinely hard to come by. Maybe a couple of the bigger hotels serve it, but it’s not really the done thing here. The evenings are more about the square, the rooftop terraces and the sunset than any kind of nightlife scene.

Shopping in Chefchaouen

The shopping in Chefchaouen is excellent and is one of the town’s biggest tourist attractions. People come from all over to pick up traditional souvenirs in Chefchaouen. Compared to the vast souks of Fes and Marrakech for example, Chefchaouen offers a relaxed and pleasant shopping experience. Some of the local handicrafts that Chefchaouen is best known for are things such as excellent handpainted art, quirky woollen jumpers and of course, powdered paint! The locals expect you to haggle on the prices. There’s also very little hassle and the whole souk is welcoming and friendly towards tourists.

Sample the local Moroccan cuisine

Chefchaouen has some really lovely cafes and restaurants dotted throughout the medina. Many offer beautfiul atmospheric dining experiences, or rooftop terraces with stunning views. During three weeks in Morocco, we found we ate some of our favourite meals here in Chefchaouen.

Once we discovered the chicken pastilla, that was it – we were hooked! This is chicken flavoured with cinammon and almonds, wrapped in flakey pastry and topped with icing sugar. I highly recommend trying it! After trying the chicken pastilla at most restaurants in town, Chez Hicham proved to be our absolute favourite. Together with its lovely atmosphere and friendly staff, we kept on returning each evening. It is definitely one of the best restaurants in Chefchaouen and worth a visit.

A close second for best cafe in Chefchaouen would be Chez Aladdin. Also known for its excellent rooftop views and great food. Both of these excellent places to eat are located off the main square in Chefchaouen.

Enjoy a guided tour in Chefchaouen

One of the best things to do in Chefchaouen is to join a day tour led by a local guide so you can really understand the town better and uncover the history. The guide will also help you find the best photos spots in Chefchaouen, as many are tucked away and hard to find in the labyrinth of the medina.

As part of this Chefchaouen Travel Guide, I thought I’d pop some day trip suggestions below:

• Chefchaouen Guided Food Tour (from £57/USD78 per person)
• Chefchaouen Walking Tour (from £22/USD30 per person)

Try a traditional hammam

If you fancy a bit of pampering (or you’re sheltering from one of Chefchaouen’s rainy days), a visit to a local hammam is a great way to spend an afternoon.

These traditional steam baths and scrub-downs are a proper Moroccan institution. For a real local experience, seek out one of the more no-frills hammams used by locals. If you’d prefer more privacy and a bit of luxury, several of the nicer riads and hotels in town offer spa treatments too. Either way, it’s a nice way to relax those legs after a day of climbing Chefchaouen’s endless staircases!

Day trip to the Akchour Waterfalls

As mentioned earlier, if you can spare more than one or two in days in Chefchaouen, then I would highly recommend exploring and hiking in the nearby Rif Mountains to see the Akchour Waterfalls.

It’s easily one of the best day trips from Chefchaouen. The journey out is about 30-40 minutes away by car. The hike takes you along a river gorge through the Talassemtane National Park, past little cafes perched on the rocks, until you reach the “Grande Cascade” waterfall – or, if you’re up for a longer walk, continue on to the impressive natural rock arch known as “God’s Bridge.”

It’s a full-day activity if you do the whole route, so pack good shoes, plenty of water and sun protection. You can go self-guided like we did by grabbing a grand taxi from town, or book onto a guided day tour if you’d rather not sort out transport yourself.

If hiking is really your thing, the wider Talassemtane National Park also has multi-day trekking routes if you want to spend longer exploring the Rif Mountains – worth looking into if you have more time up your sleeve.

Chefchaouen Travel Guide

Have you been to Chefchaouen before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!

Chefchaouen is one of the most charming Moroccan towns, which we enjoyed even more than we expected. It offered great food, friendly locals and of course, sweet playful kittens. We were so glad we included it Chefchaouen in our Moroccan itinerary.

If you are planning a longer trip around Morocco of a week or two, you might find some of my other blog posts useful. I’ve written detailed guides to:

• Rabat
• Fes
• Spending 3 days in Marrakech
• Essaouira
• Exploring the Sahara desert
• A beach break in Taghazout and Paradise Valley

I’ve also written some more specific blog posts on:

• Hiking the Rif Mountains in Morocco
• Visiting La Mamounia in Marrakech as a day visitor
• Visiting Le Jardin Majorelle
• and a guide to some of the best places to eat in Marrakech.

I do hope my Chefchaouen Travel Guide has been useful. Feel free to ask any further questions and I’d love if you shared on any of the below links!

Disclaimer: This visit to Chefchaouen in Morocco was entirely paid for by myself and there was no involvement from the tourism board or a hotel. This is an independent guide

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