Chefchaouen is 110 km from Tangier, about 2 hours by car through Tetouan and the Rif mountains. There is no train: the CTM bus takes 2 h 15 to 3 h, and shared grand taxis change in Tetouan. For a day trip, a private driver is the simplest way: two hours there, the day in the blue town, two hours back.
Here are the options side by side, and how to plan the day.
| Option | Travel time | Indicative price | Good for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus (CTM) | 2 h 15 to 3 h | About 60 to 120 MAD per person | Light travellers on a budget | A few departures a day, a taxi at each end |
| Grand taxi, changing in Tetouan | About 2 h, plus the waits | About 70 to 90 MAD per seat for the two legs | Leaving without a booking | Two taxis, each leaves when full |
| Private driver | About 2 h, door to door | 1,200 to 3,500 MAD for the whole vehicle | Day trips, families, airport arrivals | One way or a full day with the driver |
Chefchaouen sits in the Rif mountains and has no railway. The Al Boraq high-speed train serves Tangier, but for Chefchaouen the last part is always by road.
CTM runs a few buses a day from Tangier to Chefchaouen, the first in the morning. Count 2 h 15 to 3 h and about 60 to 120 MAD a seat. The bus station of Chefchaouen is below the medina: from there it is a short taxi ride or an uphill walk with your bags.
There is no direct shared taxi. You take a grand taxi from Tangier to Tetouan, then another from Tetouan to Chefchaouen, about 70 to 90 MAD a seat for the two legs. Each one leaves when it is full, so the waits decide how long the trip takes.
A private driver picks you up at your hotel, at the port or at Tangier airport and drives you to the edge of the medina of Chefchaouen, which is on foot. From the city it is 110 km and about 2 hours; from the airport, 120 km and 2 h to 2 h 15.
A private driver from Tangier to Chefchaouen costs from 1,200 to 3,500 MAD for the whole vehicle, not per person, depending on the vehicle and on whether you go one way or keep the driver for the full day. The price includes the driver, fuel, tolls, insurance and bottled water.
Request it from our transfer booking form, and if you land in Tangier, see our Tangier airport transfer page. For everything else about traveling with a private driver in Morocco, start on our home page.
Leave early, so you reach Chefchaouen before the busiest hours. A good day:
Chefchaouen is small and easy on foot, so a guide is optional there. To know where a guide is worth it, read Do you need a guide in Morocco?
Tetouan is on the road, 60 km from Tangier. Its whitewashed medina, with its Andalusian heritage, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and worth an hour or two, on the way there or on the way back. Tell us when you book and we plan the time for it.
If one day is not enough, our North Morocco Tour spends 3 days between Tangier, Chefchaouen and Asilah. Our Tangier Day Trip is a full day in Tangier itself, with a licensed local guide for 4 hours.
More about the city on our page on a private driver in Tangier, and if Chefchaouen is part of a longer trip, design your private tour. Crossing the country? Read Casablanca to Marrakech: train, bus, taxi or private driver.
110 km, about 2 hours by car through Tetouan and the Rif mountains. From Tangier airport it is 120 km, 2 h to 2 h 15. The CTM bus takes 2 h 15 to 3 h.
No. Chefchaouen has no railway. You go by bus, by grand taxi changing in Tetouan, or with a private driver.
Yes. With a private driver at your disposal for the day, you leave Tangier in the morning, spend the day in Chefchaouen and are back in the evening, with a stop in Tetouan if you like.
From 1,200 to 3,500 MAD for the whole vehicle, not per person, depending on the vehicle and on whether you go one way or keep the driver for the full day. The price includes the driver, fuel, tolls, insurance and bottled water. Send us your date and number of passengers for the exact quote.
Yes. Tetouan is on the road, 60 km from Tangier, and its old medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tell us when you book and we plan the time for it.