Home › Chefchaouen › How many days
How many days in Chefchaouen? 3 days: the blue medina and the Rif mountains
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Chefchaouen is a small mountain town in the Rif, founded in 1471, whose medina is washed in every shade of blue. After Fez or Marrakech it feels slow and relaxed: hassle is low, the air is cool and the mountains rise straight behind the houses. The medina can be walked in a few hours, but give it three days: one for the lanes, one for the waterfalls of Akchour in Talassemtane National Park, and one for a mountain walk or the villages around. Mornings are best for photographs, before the day groups arrive from Fez and Tangier.
Short answer
Two days covers the medina, the Kasbah, Ras el Ma and the Spanish Mosque sunset, plus a day at the Akchour waterfalls. The third day adds a hike up Jebel el Kelaa or a slow day in the hills.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: The blue medina, Outa el Hammam and the Kasbah
Morning. Walk the blue lanes from 7:30-8:00, when the light is soft and the streets are empty; the most photographed are in the upper medina, in the Onsar quarter and the lanes between Bab Souk and Ras el Ma. Climb slowly, as the town lies at about 600 metres and many lanes are stepped.
Afternoon. Go to Outa el Hammam, the main square, shaded by trees and lined with cafes. Visit the Kasbah, the red-walled 15th-century fortress with a garden, a small museum and a tower with a view of the octagonal minaret of the Grand Mosque next door (small entry fee; check current price). Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque.
Evening. Have dinner on a roof terrace above the square; a tagine costs about 60-90 MAD and a set menu with soup, tagine and dessert about 90-130 MAD. Mint tea is about 10-15 MAD.
Ask before photographing people, and do not photograph the inside of houses through open doors. Some residents put up signs asking visitors not to sit on their steps.
Day 2: Ras el Ma and the Spanish Mosque
Morning. Walk out of the medina at Bab Onsar to Ras el Ma, the spring where water comes down from the mountain and women still wash clothes in the stone basins. Small cafes sit along the stream. Buy local goat's cheese (jben) and woven blankets in the shops of the upper medina.
Afternoon. Cross the stream and follow the path up the hill for about 30 minutes to the Spanish Mosque, a white mosque built in the 1920s during the Spanish protectorate and never used for prayer. It has the best view over the blue town and the valley. Stay until sunset, when locals gather on the slopes.
Evening. Walk down in the last light and eat in the lanes below Outa el Hammam, where small restaurants serve bissara (fava bean soup) and grilled meat for 30-60 MAD.
The path to the Spanish Mosque is unlit; bring a phone torch for the walk down and go in a group if you can.
Day 3: Akchour waterfalls and God's Bridge
Morning. Take a shared grand taxi or hire one for the day (roughly 300-500 MAD per car return) for the 45-minute drive to Akchour, at the edge of Talassemtane National Park. From the parking area, one path follows the river upstream for about 1-1.5 hours to the Grande Cascade, the big waterfall, past pools where you can swim in summer.
Afternoon. The other path, about 45 minutes, climbs to God's Bridge (Pont de Dieu), a natural rock arch 25-30 metres above the river. Simple cafes along the river serve tagine and drinks. Wear shoes with grip: the path crosses streams and wet rock.
Evening. Return to Chefchaouen for a last evening in the square, or watch the town light up from a hotel terrace on the hillside.
Many tour operators offer Akchour as a half-day trip from Chefchaouen. In winter and spring, after heavy rain, the river can be high and some crossings unsafe.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, combine Day 1 and Day 2 in a single day and spend the second at Akchour. Most travellers coming from Fez arrive in the afternoon, so book two nights.
Got extra days?
A 4th day can climb Jebel el Kelaa, the mountain behind the town at about 1,600 metres, a full-day hike with a local guide, or continue to Tetouan (about 1 hour 15 minutes), whose white medina is a UNESCO site, and on to Tangier and the coast.
Where to stay in Chefchaouen
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Medina hostels | Simple rooms and roof terraces inside the walls, a few minutes from the square. | 200-400 MAD |
| Mid-range | Riads in the upper medina | Blue-painted courtyard houses, quiet and close to Ras el Ma. | 500-900 MAD |
| Mid-range | Near Bab el Ain / Plaza Mohammed V | Easy access by taxi with luggage, at the edge of the medina. | 450-800 MAD |
| Comfort | Hillside hotels above the medina | Pools and terraces with views over the blue town and the mountains. | 1,000-2,500 MAD |
Getting around
Chefchaouen has no train. CTM and other buses run from Fez (about 4 hours), Tangier (about 3 hours) and Tetouan (about 1 hour 15 minutes); book CTM tickets a day ahead in summer and check current timetables. The bus station is about 15-20 minutes' walk below the medina; a petit taxi costs about 10-20 MAD. Inside the medina, everything is on foot. Grand taxis go to Akchour and nearby villages; agree the price first. The nearest airports are Tangier and Tetouan.
What to eat in Chefchaouen
Mountain cooking here is simple and good. Try the local fresh goat's cheese (jben), served with olive oil and bread at breakfast, bissara soup, tagines of chicken with lemon and olives or kefta with egg, and harira in the evening. The square has many tourist restaurants with similar menus; for better food, eat where locals eat in the lanes below it, or in your riad. Fresh orange juice costs about 10-15 MAD. A full meal is 70-150 MAD per person. Alcohol is hard to find in the medina.
Best time to visit
April-June and September-October, with 18-28°C and green hills. July and August are warm but cooler than Fez, around 30°C, and Akchour's pools are good for swimming; they are also the busiest months with Moroccan families. Winter is cold and wet, with snow possible on the peaks and temperatures near freezing at night; many riads have little heating.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | 150 MAD | 350 MAD | 900 MAD |
| Food & drink | 100 MAD | 200 MAD | 400 MAD |
| Sights & tickets | 20 MAD | 60 MAD | 150 MAD |
| Local transport | 20 MAD | 100 MAD | 250 MAD |
| Total per person, per day | about 290 MAD | about 710 MAD | about 1,700 MAD |
Approximate 2026 prices in Moroccan dirhams (MAD), about 11 MAD to 1 euro; transport includes the taxi to Akchour. A small tourist tax per person per night is added to most hotel bills.
Before you go
Common questions
Why is Chefchaouen blue?
There is no single proven answer. A common explanation links the blue to Jewish families who settled in the town and used the colour as a symbol, while others say it keeps mosquitoes away or keeps houses cool. Today the town repaints the walls regularly, partly because the colour attracts visitors. Locals give different versions, so treat each story with caution.
Is a day trip from Fez enough?
Not really. The bus or car takes about 4 hours each way, which leaves only a few hours in the medina, in the middle of the day when light is harsh and lanes are busiest. Staying at least two nights lets you see the town early in the morning and at sunset, and visit the Akchour waterfalls.
Will I be offered cannabis?
Possibly. The Rif mountains have long grown cannabis, and some men in the medina offer hashish to visitors. Although Morocco has legalised cultivation for medical and industrial use, buying and using it recreationally is illegal and police checks happen on the roads. Say a firm no thank you and keep walking; it is rarely aggressive.
Is Chefchaouen good for hiking?
Yes. Talassemtane National Park starts at the edge of town, with marked and unmarked trails through cedar and fir forests. Akchour is easy and popular; Jebel el Kelaa and multi-day routes to villages in the park are better with a local guide, who can be booked through riads or the town's guide association for roughly 300-500 MAD a day.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan may earn a commission; the price you pay is the same. How we make money.