This April, we crossed a big one off the bucket list and made our first trip to Africa!
Morocco has been on my list for quite some time. I’d seen countless beautiful photos online over the past several years — colorful images of the souks of Marrakech, golden dunes of the Sahara desert, the blue-painted streets of Chefchaouen.
I knew a trip to Morocco would require at least a week, so I saved this trip for a time when we could really do it justice. And even with nearly two weeks there, I felt like we only just scratched the surface.
After spending most of the previous year traveling around Europe, it was a refreshing and rejuvenating experience to visit a place that’s truly different. It’s worth noting that different was, at times, synonymous with exhausting — the medina is crowded and buzzing with activity, a sensation-overload of sights, smells, and sounds — and after 12 days traveling from place to place, I was very happy to return to something more comfortable and familiar.
I would say, if you’re looking for a relaxing vacation, Morocco is probably not for you. But if you’re looking for a cultural experience, then you’re really in for a treat.
Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country with a complicated history and diverse population speaking many different languages — Arabic, French, Spanish, and Berber, to name a few. It has a range of landscapes, from deserts to cedar forests to snow-capped mountains to the beach. Arts and crafts have a rich tradition in Morocco, as is evident in the souks’ diverse range of handmade goods and the heavy ornamentation characteristic of Islamic architecture.
Morocco was unlike anywhere I’ve traveled before and a place I won’t soon forget.
Itinerary Overview
Our trip began in Marrakech and ended in Chefchaouen with our return flight leaving from Tangier’s airport. We opted for a guided Sahara Desert tour (more on that later), which meant someone else did the driving to get us from point A, Marrakech, to point B, Merzouga, and finally to point C, Fes. From there, we traveled to Chefchaouen by bus and then onward to Tangier’s airport by private taxi.
Here’s an overview of our 12-day itinerary with the major points-of-interest:
Day 1 — Marrakech
Exploring the Souks, Bahia Palace, La Mamounia, Koutoubia Mosque, Jemaa el-Fnaa
Day 2 — Marrakech
Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent Museum, El Badii Palace
Day 3 — Marrakech to Dades Gorges
Tizi n’Tichka pass, High Atlas Mountains, Ait-Ben-Haddou, Atlas Studios
Day 4 — Dades Gorges to Merzouga
Monkey Fingers, Zigzag Road, Todra Gorge, Qanat Wells
Day 5 — Merzouga
Nomadic Tribe, Mfis Stone Mine, Gnawa Performance, Camel Trek to Erg Chebbi Desert Camp
Day 6 — Merzouga to Fes
Sunrise on Erg Chebbi, Ziz River Valley, Babary Apes of Azrou
Day 7 — Fes
Madrasa Bou Inania, Bab Bou Jeloud, Al-Attarine Madrasa, Marinid Tombs, Hammam
Day 8 — Fes
Chouara Tannery, Jnan Sbil Garden, Exploring the Medina
Day 9 — Fes to Chefchaouen
Bus Ride to Chefchaouen, Hike to the Spanish Mosque
Day 10 — Chefchaouen
Farmer’s Market, Exploring the Medina
Day 11 — Chefchaouen
Day Trip to Akchour, Talassemtane National Park & God’s Bridge
Day 12 — Chefchaouen to Tangier
Cape Spartel, Caves of Hercules
Recommended Reading
I found the beginning stages of planning our trip to Morocco overwhelming. And in all honesty, this trip snuck up on me a bit. Morocco is not a small place and there are many different parts to the country, all of which are equally beautiful and worth visiting. After doing my best with the resources available online, I decided to buy a guide to help me narrow down the options and string together a solid itinerary.
After some research, I landed on the Moon Morocco travel guide. This guide is fantastic for anyone in the earlier planning stages, but it’s also a great on-the-go resource for each region or city with a complete list of all the sights in a particular place. There are also some useful insights into the country’s complex history and culture, including what to expect when negotiating at the souks and what to wear in a Muslim country.
Click here to purchase the Moon Morocco travel guide on Amazon.
Day 1 – Marrakech
Exploring the Souks, Bahia Palace, La Mamounia, Koutoubia Mosque, Jemaa el-Fnaa
Our flight from Amsterdam to Marrakech arrived fairly late the previous day, so our first full day of the trip started the following morning.
We were staying at one of Marrakech’s many beautiful riads, which are essentially homes with a central courtyard (traditionally with a pool) that have been converted into a B&B. Our riad was in the heart of Marrakech’s medina, or old town, and was a serene counterpoint to the sensation-overload happening outside.
As with all of the places we stayed in Morocco, breakfast was prepared for us every morning in the courtyard: a delicious spread of baghrir (aka “thousand-hole pancakes”), fresh fruit and juice, an assortment of jams, and of course, mint tea.
Where we stayed: Sirocco d’Amour Riad
We had arranged a guided tour of the medina (with a focus on the souks) for our first morning in Marrakech, so after breakfast we were handed off to our guide to begin our walking tour.
The first stop of the tour was at the nearby Marrakech Museum. As is the case with many of the museums we visited in Morocco, there isn’t much on display here. Instead, the real attraction is the building itself.
In the case of the Marrakech Museum, the “collection” (mostly photographs with little explanatory text) is housed in a former palace from the 19th-century called the Dar Menebhi Palace. The large outdoor courtyard was covered during its renovations in the 1990s, but it’s still an impressive space and nice introduction to Moroccan architecture.
Traveler tip: Every place we stayed in Morocco was really helpful in arranging things for us, whether it was catered dinner at the riad, a walking tour, or a private taxi transfer. Morocco is a fairly tourist-centric country, so it should be fairly easy to arrange any number of custom tours or excursions, even last minute.
After the museum, we dived right in to one of the main attractions of Marrakech, the souks. The souk is basically a market that is more or less divided into sections based on trade, such as metalworking, woodworking, textiles, and so on. The most popular things to buy in Marrakech are slippers, scarves/hammam towels, hand-carved wooden bowls/boxes, brass lanterns, argan oil, and rugs.
With our guide leading the way, we wove our way through the narrow maze of streets and alleys, stopping at shops along the way. All of the shop owners were happy to explain how their products are made, sometimes giving a demonstration as well. This was of course followed by a sales pitch but having the guide with us made it easy enough to say “thanks but no thanks” and continue on our way.
We saw how silk is dyed using natural pigments like indigo, saffron, and henna, and watched a man turning wooden rooks (using his feet, no less) to accompany the beautiful chess sets for sale in his shop.
After the tour, we stopped for a lunch break at the popular Nomad restaurant before venturing back out into the souks to do some solo exploration.
We ultimately found ourselves at Bahia Palace, one of the main sights in Marrakesh and perhaps the most impressive building we saw on our trip. The Palace was built in the 19th century with the intention of becoming the greatest palace of its time, a perfect example of Islamic and Moroccan design. And so no expense was spared, as is evident in the carved painted wooden ceilings and expansive courtyard.
After spending some time wandering the palace, we were more than ready for a break from the medina and a much-deserved breath of fresh air. We headed outside the medina walls to La Mamounia, the fanciest hotel in all of Morocco with rooms that cost upwards of $700 a night.
We read in our guide book that the garden and bar are technically open to the public, so we approached the entrance and explained we were hoping to grab a drink and they (somewhat reluctantly) let us through. Once inside, we found ourselves in a tranquil and perfectly-manicured garden, quite the contrast from the world outside. We found a seat outside near the center of the garden and ordered some tea, just in time for the afternoon call to prayer.
After sipping tea and strolling the gardens, the time had finally come to leave La Mamounia and head back out into the real Marrakech.
Since we were on the west side of the medina, we decided to walk by a couple of Marrakech’s landmarks: Koutoubia Mosque and Jemaa el-Fnaa. The interior of the mosque is off limits for non-Muslims, but the surrounding gardens and fountains still made for a nice visit.
After a stroll around the mosque, we headed to the main city square, Jemaa el-Fnaa, a popular gathering place for locals once the heat of the day has passed. Row after row of food stalls are set up in the square just before sunset, transforming the square into a crowded market of vendors, henna artists, snake charmers, and monkey handlers.
We then navigated our way through the maze of streets in the medina to reach Naranj, where we had a dinner reservation for two on their roof terrace. It was one of our favorite meals of the trip and a great way to finish off our first full day in Morocco!
Day 2 – Marrakech
Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent Museum, El Badii Palace
After another lovely breakfast at our riad, we headed north of the medina to Jardin Majorelle, a landscaped garden and villa that were built by French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle, over a span of forty years.
The property was abandoned some time in the 1950s and fell into disrepair until fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent purchased it 30 years later and began a restoration effort to bring the garden and villas back to life. Following the designer’s death, the property was opened to the public and is now home to three museums: the Islamic Art Museum, Berber Museum, and Yves Saint Laurent Museum.
Traveler Tip: Jardin Majorelle is one of the most visited attractions in all of Morocco, so unless you arrive right when they open, be prepared to wait in a long line for tickets. The YSL Museum is right next door and combo tickets can be purchased at either place, so if you’re planning to do both, you can definitely skip the long wait at Jardin Majorelle by buying your tickets at YSL.
After Jardin Majorelle, we headed next door to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. A collection of memorabilia and 50 couture dresses is housed in a modern building that was built in 2017.
The museum’s collection is somewhat small (at least the portion that’s on display), but it still gives a vibrant overview of the life and legacy of YSL. It’s especially interesting in the context of Jardin Majorelle and Morocco, a place the designer considered his second home and an endless source of artistic inspiration for him throughout his career.
From there, we took a taxi south to the other side of the medina to visit another one of Marrakech’s famous landmarks: El Badii Palace.
Unlike the palace we visited the day before, El Badii is in a state of ruin. The original building dates back to the 16th century and consisted of a huge central courtyard, sunken gardens, pools, and as many as 360 rooms.
Following the decline of the the Saadian dynasty, the palace was abandoned and stripped of its lavish contents. What remains today is, quite literally, a shell of its former self, but the sheer size of the palace is impressive and certainly something worth seeing.
Before heading back to the riad, we routed ourselves west a bit to see one of the city’s monumental gates, named Bab Agnaou.
Marrakech’s medina was originally surrounded by a red clay wall that stretched 12 miles and helped to fortify the city (also giving it the nickname the “Red City”). There are 19 entry points to Marrakech’s medina, but Bab Agnaou is the most famous of its gates.
After another equally-busy day in Marrakech, we took some time to rest back at the riad before heading to Le Jardin for dinner. We had a big day ahead of us, so we headed back to the riad after dinner to pack up our bags and get to bed early.
Day 3 – Marrakech to Dades Gorges
Tizi n’Tichka pass, High Atlas Mountains, Ait-Ben-Haddou, Atlas Studios
After an early breakfast, our driver and tour guide for the next few days met us at our riad and guided us to his car. The next four days of the trip were arranged by tour company Camel Trekking Tours — it was a nice change of pace to have someone else do all the planning for once!
Once in the car, we started our long journey south, over the High Atlas Mountains and past a number of scenic overlooks and windy roads lined with kasbahs. Our ultimate destination was Merzouga, a town just on the edge of the Sahara Desert. To get there required many hours of driving, so we opted to break up the long drive over two days with a stopover in Dades Gorges.
Our first day covered over 200 miles of road along the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass. This road was constructed by the French military in the 1930s along a former caravan trail that connected Marrakesh to Merzouga.
Since we had a little extra time, we were able to break up the journey with a number of short pitstops stops, which made the long drive much more manageable. The road covered on our first day of driving was windy and seemed to have beautiful overlooks at every turn.
We made our way across the High Atlas Mountains, a mountain range that spans the country, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Algerian border. We stopped for a photo op at the highest point along the pass, which at 2,260 meters is also the highest mountain pass in North Africa.
Following a number of quick stops, we arrived to the ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been used as a filming location for a number of movies and TV shows, including The Gladiator, The Mummy, and Game of Thrones.
The clay-colored fortified village was a major stop along the caravan route that once connected Marrakech to the Sahara Desert. Now, only a few families live inside the walls. The rest of the population now lives across the river in a more modern town, with most of the residents making a living from tourism.
To reach the ancient village, we first had to cross a bridge that spans the river, connecting the new town to the old. We then made our way upwards through the winding, narrow streets until we reached the hill at the rear of the village. At the top of the hill sits a crumbling structure that once served as a vault for the town’s most precious commodities. We paused to enjoy the view before making our way back down, this time exiting the village through a different gate and crossing the river on a makeshift footbridge.
We next headed to the nearby town Ouarzazate, which is home to two film studios, Atlas Studios and CLA Studios, thus giving it the nickname, the Hollywood of Africa.
We spent about an hour walking around Atlas Studios, checking out a number of large-scale props and structures that have been used and reused in a number of films, such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Living Daylights, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones.
After another 2 hours of driving, passing through the Valley of Roses, we finally arrived to our home for the night, a hotel in Dades Gorges with a beautiful view of the river valley.
Where we stayed: Kasbah Auberge Tifawen (arranged by tour company)
Day 4 – Dades Gorges to Merzouga
Monkey Fingers, Zigzag Road, Todra Gorge, Qanat Wells
After a hearty breakfast at our hotel, we hit the road once more to continue our journey south-east to Merzouga. Our second day covered another 200 miles, and much like the day before, the journey was broken up by a number of stops along the way.
We made a couple of quick roadside stops a short distance from our hotel to admire the green Dades River valley.
The first real stop was at a rock formation known as Monkey Fingers — the name, a reference to the rounded rock columns jutting out of the ground on the other side of the river.
We next made a bit of a detour off the main road, one that sent us winding back and forth, one hairpin turn after the next, until we finally reached the top. The view looking back at the zigzagging road is one of the most famous in all of Morocco.
We pulled off at the hotel at the top of the road to take some photos and watch the steady stream of cars make their way slowly up the mountainside.
After taking a few photos, we headed back down the windy road and continued onward to our next stop, the Todra Gorge.
The steep limestone canyon was formed by years of erosion from the Dades River. The sheer cliffs are popular with rock climbers — we saw a small group of rock climbers across the river on the day we visited.
This was perhaps the busiest place we stopped on our way to the desert. A road cuts straight through the gorge with a parking lot at one end. Several tour buses even managed to find parking here, which definitely added to the influx of people. Our tour guide said the area is also very popular with locals, who come here during off-peak times to picnic by the river.
We climbed back into the car and settled in for a longer stretch of driving. The landscape eventually made a notable shift; the vegetation and green oases were few and far between and the landscape was starting to look more otherworldly — flat, rocky, and mostly grey.
Our guide pulled off to a shop along the main road. Several women pulled us inside and before we knew it we found ourselves dressed head to toe in traditional Moroccan garb, kaftans and headscarves. We were escorted across the street for a photo-op in their palm grove, holding the Berber flag. Definitely a tourist trap, but a fun one nonetheless!
Further down the road we came upon another roadside attraction of sorts. We pulled to the side of the road and climbed up a mound of dirt and sand to survey the area. From this vantage point, we could see an endless field of mounds like the one we were standing on, each with a hole at its center that were once used as wells, called qanats.
Below the mounds exists a network of tunnels that once channeled the water. The wells are today completely dry, so we were able to climb down and explore the underground channels where the water once connected each of the qanats.
From the qanat wells, we headed straight for our ultimate destination: Merzouga, a town on the edge of the desert that’s known as the Gate to the Sahara.
After two full days spent in the car, we were excited to have some time to ourselves to relax at the hotel. We hung out by the pool, had dinner at the hotel restaurant, and spent some time play cards on our small private terrace before heading to bed.
Where we stayed: Hotel Nomad Palace(arranged by tour company)
Day 5 – Merzouga
Nomadic Tribe, Mfis Stone Mine, Gnawa Performance, Camel Trek to Erg Chebbi Desert Camp
After two full days spent on the road, we were very excited for our full day in Merzouga.
The first main event of the day was a visit with a tribal nomadic family living on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dune. Our tour guide gave us an overview of the way-of-life for desert nomads while showing us the various temporary structures that the family uses for daily activities. We spent some time sipping tea under a low-lying tent that serves as both their living room and bedroom.
We next stopped by the Mfis stone mine.
Mfis was once a mining town, and while there’s still some mining going on in the area, the structures that remain are mostly ruins from a more industrious time. Huge circular concrete silos partially buried by sand and other remnants flank either side of a mound.
From the top of this mound, we had a great view of Erg Chebbi and the endless flat, rocky desert surrounding the dune. The view was otherworldly, like something you’d expect to see on Mars.
The next stop of our day around Merzouga was at Dar Gnaoua, where members of the Gnawa tribe perform their traditional music for visitors. Qraqab (iron castanets) and hajhuj (three-stringed lute) are the primary instruments in Gnawa music, and the performers at Dar Gnaoua all took turns playing the various instruments, singing, and dancing.
We stayed for quite some time, making it through one full set and then halfway through another. By the end, everyone in the room was dancing and having a great time together with the performers. This was definitely one of the highlights of our time in the Sahara!
Traveler Tip: The Gnawa are descendants of slaves that were brought to Morocco from the sub-Sahara and Central and Western Africa. After being emancipated, the Gnawa were nomads until finally putting down roots around 70 years ago, making a living in agriculture, livestock, and, more recently, tourism.
The music is an important part of the Gnawa religion and is intrinsically tied to their spirituality, and you can really feel this while watching these guys perform. A stop at Dar Gnaoua is a must-do for anyone visiting Merzouga.
It had already been quite an eventful day, and it wasn’t even halfway over. We still had several stops left on the day’s itinerary before making our way back to the hotel. The first was at Nora, a restaurant known for its signature Berber pizza, which is essentially a pizza-shaped calzone with a Moroccan twist.
After lunch we made one of the most unexpected stops of our desert tour, a visit to Merzouga Lake. The lake only appears a couple of months out of the year but was fairly large when we visited (end of April).
Our final stop was in the town of Merzouga, where we had a quick photo-op at the “Gateway to the Sahara,” an arch at the proverbial end of the road that frames the impressive Erg Chebbi dune beyond.
We had some down time at the hotel before heading out back to mount our camels and head into the sunset, where we’d be spending the night at our desert camp in the dunes.
We were ushered outside, where we joined a large group of people all waiting to be paired with their camels. We watched on as one-by-one each person was helped onto their camel, at which point they were instructed to “hold on tight and lean back.”
After most of the camels had departed for their various destinations in the dunes, it was our turn to mount. We managed to successfully stay on the camels while they awkwardly stood up, and away we went!
We were a part of a small caravan, each camel following the one in front. Our camp was one of the furthest, so eventually all of the others in our group peeled off until it was just the two of us, riding peacefully into the sunset.
After about 30 minutes (quite a long time to ride a camel, as it turns out), we arrived to our desert camp!
The sun was setting fast, so after quickly checking out our tent, we headed straight for the biggest dune near the camp, looking for a good vantage point to catch the final moments of the sunset.
The sunset was eventually replaced by a starry night sky, which signified it was time for dinner.
A traditional Moroccan dinner was served in a large tent that served as our dining room. There were a surprising number of people at the camp with us — probably 50 or more and very diverse, each group speaking a different language.
After dinner, the guys running the camp set up a campfire and invited us all to join for some traditional Berber music and dancing. After some time we all joined in, dancing around the campfire and singing along as best we could. It was such a fun time!
By midnight, the fire had died down and we all headed to our tents to get a few hours of sleep before sunrise.
Day 6 – Merzouga to Fes
Sunrise on Erg Chebbi, Ziz River Valley, Babary Apes of Azrou
We woke up early and headed outside to find a spot on a dune and watch the sun rise over the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Our trek out the evening before was somewhat overcast, but the clouds had mostly cleared off over night, giving us perfect blue skies and a golden sunrise.
After sunrise and a hearty breakfast, we bid farewell to our desert camp and mounted our trusty camels once again to head back to the home base in Merzouga.
After a brief bathroom break, we met up with our guide from the previous days’ drive and once again hit the open road, this time headed northeast toward Fes.
We had a lot of ground to cover, but the route was much easier to navigate, so even though we had 300 miles of ground to cover in one day, the time spent in the car amounted to around six hours throughout the day. And like the days before, we had plenty of stops along the way that made the long drive more manageable.
We stopped at a number of scenic overlooks of the Ziz River Valley and the area around Midelt.
After lunch, we had even more ground to cover. Exhausted from our desert excursion the day before, we were more than happy to get some rest in on our way to the next stop.
As we approached the Middle Atlas Mountains, the terrain started to shift. The orange and grey rocky landscape was starting to look more green. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a real forest, which was somewhat jarring as our experience of Morocco up to this point was of the more arid regions of the country.
We entered the Cèdre Gouraud Forest, a wooded area near the town of Aczrou that’s most known for its resident Barbary Apes. Soon, our driver pulled the car off to the side of the road to join a small group of tourists that were observing a family of monkeys.
We made just a couple of short stops en route to Fes. After a quick detour to the bus station in Fes to pick up some tickets (more on that later), we finally arrived to our Riad and home-away-from-home for the next three nights.
We were greeted at the riad with some delicious mint tea and an assortment of Moroccan pastries. After checkin, we enjoyed some much-deserved rest before dinner. Luckily, we had the foresight to request a catered dinner of tajine that evening, so we didn’t even have to leave the comfort of our riad.
Where we stayed: Riad Layalina
Day 7 – Fes
Madrasa Bou Inania, Bab Bou Jeloud, Al-Attarine Madrasa, Marinid Tombs, Hammam
We got a bit of a late start this morning, enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the inner courtyard of our riad, while reading up on all the must-see sights in Fes in preparation for the day ahead.
The first stop of the morning was Madrasa Bou Inania, a religious educational institute and mosque dating back to the 14th century. Stepping through the massive wooden door at the entrance, we found ourselves in an open courtyard, surrounded by walls covered in intricate carvings and tile work.
We ducked into a side room to stay dry during a brief shower, which kept the otherwise crowded courtyard people-free for some time. The building was small but beautiful and certainly worth our time (and the small admission fee).
Traveler Tip: Mosques in Morocco are typically off-limits to non-Islamic visitors, so the Madrasa Bou Inania is a rare opportunity to see the interior of a relgious building.
Our second stop was at another madrasa just a short distance away called Al-Attarine Madrasa, which dates back to the 14th century.
The color palette and level of detail was similar to Bou Inania, but Al-Attarine’s internal courtyard was substantially bigger with a fountain at its center and many slender, intricately-carved columns lining the perimeter.
A staircase inside led to a maze of dorm rooms above with small windows overlooking the courtyard. A contrast to the ornate public spaces, these rooms were simple and tiny, barely big enough to fit a twin bed and small desk.
We had some sporadic showers in the morning, but in the afternoon the weather shifted and the sun finally made an appearance. Unsure if we’d have the same chance tomorrow, we decided to make a stop by the Marinid Tombs to the north of the old city.
Not much is known about the tombs, but they are believed to be from the 14th century, during the Marinid dynasty (thus their name). The location is most popular for its positioning and panoramic view of Fes’ old town. From here you can see all of the medina, which is the largest and oldest in all of Morocco. The opposite side of the tombs has a lovely view of the hills and farmland on the outskirts of town as well as an old cemetery.
After our few days on the road and one night in the desert, we decided to treat ourselves our first night in Fes with a trip to the hammam.
A trip to the hammam is a right of passage for anyone visiting Morocco for the first time, so I was really excited to find one in Fes that offered a private version of the same experience, which seemed much less intimidating than the public hammams frequented by the locals. We made a reservation at Hammam Mernissi the night before and arrived at 6:00pm for our head-to-toe exfoliation, mask, and massage.
Feeling refreshed and relaxed after our hammam, we headed to Thai restaurant Maison Moi Anan for dinner. After a full week of all Moroccan cuisine, we were really excited to have something different!
Day 8 – Fes
Chouara Tannery, Jnan Sbil Garden, Exploring the Medina
Day 8 started with another leisurely breakfast as we plotted out our second day in Fes.
We had debated quite a bit about whether or not to visit the Chaouara Tannery, as we had heard many negative things about the experience from other travelers. After some time, we finally decided to go for it. Even though we knew it would be a tourist trap, we wanted to see for ourselves.
Turns out, yes it was a tourist trap — it was easily the most unenjoyable part of the trip, too. Regardless, we experienced the whole thing firsthand and are (somewhat) happy to have seen the famed tanneries.
Traveler Tip: Everyone in Morocco is trying to sell something to tourists, but no one is as aggressive as the guys that run the leather shops next to the tannery. To get an aerial view of the tannery, you’re forced to enter one of these shops and endure a hard sell and lots of pressure. We have no problem saying no, but many of these guys don’t take no for an answer, which can be exhausting.
Just remember: you’re under no obligation to buy anything. Feel free to give a small tip as a “thanks” — this seemed to work with the guy that showed us to his terrace.
After the stress and stench of the tannery, we were looking for a breath of fresh air and break from the chaos of the medina to reset.
We followed a recommendation from our tour guide and driver from the days before and headed to Jnan Sbil Garden, which is just a short distance from the western edge of the medina. We strolled around for a bit through the garden until we snagged a bench in the shade to take a much deserved break.
After a couple of hours hanging out in the gardens, we ventured back into the old city to do some wandering around the medina.
The evening was approaching and the markets were buzzing with activity. The medina in Fes is surprisingly different from Marrakech’s. For one, motor bikes, mopeds, and the like aren’t allowed inside the walls of the old city, which makes walking through the narrow streets a little less chaotic. And even though Fes’ medina is technically larger (the largest in Morocco, in fact), it feels much more manageable in size.
Traveler Tip: The goods sold in Fes are different than those sold in Marrakech. There’s a much bigger emphasis on leather goods, probably due to the tanneries in town. Pottery is more prevalent here as well, whereas Marrakech had more brass lanterns. If shopping is an important part of your trip, be sure to do some research beforehand to see which of Morocco’s major cities is best for what you’re looking for.
We ended our self-guided walking tour of the medina at Cafe Clock, where we had our last dinner in Fes before departing in the morning for Chefchaouen.
Day 9 – Fes to Chefchaouen
Bus Ride to Chefchaouen, Hike to the Spanish Mosque
After one last breakfast at our riad in Fes, we took a taxi to the CTM bus station for our 11:00am bus to Chefchaouen.
As soon as we were out of Fes, the landscape transformed into rolling hills and farmland, which made for a scenic drive. The bus ride took about four hours with a half-hour pit stop near the halfway point.
Traveler Tip: The CTM bus network is extensive and an easy and very affordable way to get around the country. The CTM bus website can be a little hard to navigate, but you can usually just buy your tickets in person on the day of your trip or maybe a couple of days before during peak tourist season. The seats are assigned and luggage is stored below the bus, making for a surprisingly stress-free travel experience.
By 3:30pm, we finally arrived to the so-called Blue Pearl of Morocco, the charming mountainside town of Chefchaouen.
We found our Airbnb host at our agreed-upon meetup point and made our way through the town, up several staircases with many twists and turns, until we arrived at our host’s home. We spent a few minutes getting settled into our first floor apartment before rejoining our host upstairs for a more thorough overview of the town and all the best walking routes, hikes, and other sights.
Where we stayed: Chefchaouen Sweet Home
The climate in Chefchaouen was a drastic change from the first part of the trip. The weather here was much cooler with sporadic showers throughout the day.
The forecast was showing lots of rain over the next couple of days, so we took advantage of the brief break between showers and headed directly to the Spanish Mosque for a nice view of the city.
The white-washed mosque was built by the Spanish in the 1920s and is an easy half-hour hike form the medina. While it’s no longer functioning as a mosque, the views from the plaza in front make it one of the most popular attractions in town.
We took the same path back toward town, but turned left before crossing the bridge to follow the river downhill a bit. The river is lined with restaurants with outdoor seating and nice views of the crystal-clear water. We were heading to an Italian restaurant that was recommended to us by our Airbnb hosts called El Jaleo.
Traveler Tip: The water in Chefchaouen comes straight from the mountain and so clean that even tourists can drink the water from the tap. It’s one of the only places in all of Morocco where this is the case.
Day 10 – Chefchaouen
Farmer’s Market, Exploring the Medina
Our first full day in Chefchaouen began with a delicious home-cooked breakfast in our Airbnb hosts’ kitchen. Of all the places we stayed on the trip, this was my favorite breakfast.
There was more rain on the day’s forecast, so we took our time eating breakfast, chatting with our hosts about their travels around the world and getting some more tips on what to do with our day.
Day 10 of our trip was a Monday, which also happens to be one of the days for the Farmer’s Market in Chefchaouen.
Every week on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday, the farmers living in the Rif mountains come to town to sell their produce. The women wear traditional outfits — long striped skirts, patterned blouses, and straw hats with colorful pompoms.
Traveler Tip: Many Muslim women in Morocco do not want the picture taken. This is especially true of the women at the market in Chefchaouen, but it’s a good idea to be careful and pay attention to where you’re pointing your camera (or even how you’re holding it when it’s not in use).
We walked down the primary street for the Farmer’s Market, which put us at the southeast corner of the medina, near the Jewish Quarter. Here we picked back up with another route recommended by our hosts and did some exploring of the town’s famous blue alleys and elaborate doorways.
On our way back to our Airbnb, we swung by an art gallery that our hosts told us about.
The gallery is run by two brothers and their sister — all three siblings are artists, each with their own distinctive style. After some debate (and of course, a little negotiation), we bought one large painting and two small ones by the sister. We made some small talk with Moha, the brother running the shop that day, and ended up making plans to meet up later for coffee and live music.
Back at our Airbnb, we took showers and rested for a while before heading out for dinner at Bab Ssour, a popular Moroccan restaurant in Chefchaouen.
After dinner, we made our way to the cafe where we planned to meet up with Moha. We ended up getting lost but miraculously running into Moha and his friend Mohammad on the street. They led us to the cafe where we hung out for some time, listening to (and at times joining in with) the musicians.
Day 11 – Chefchaouen
Day Trip to Akchour, Talassemtane National Park & God’s Bridge
After another delicious breakfast at our Airbnb, we did one of the suggested routes through town that led us to the main square. Our plan was to get lunch at a restaurant recommended to us called Sofia, but it was unfortunately closed for the second day in a row.
We did, however, find Moha and Mohammad hanging around there (apparently Chefchaouen is a small town!). We joined forces and headed to Cafe Clock for lunch. We snagged a table on the roof and had a nice leisurely lunch with a lovely view.
After lunch, the clouds finally started to clear and the sun made its first appearance since we arrived to Chefchaouen. Even though we hadn’t planned on doing much hiking due to the rainy weather, we felt we should take advantage of the blue skies and decided to head to Akchour for a late afternoon hike in Talassemtane National Park.
The four of us found a taxi able to take us, and away we went!
Traveler Tip: The easiest and most affordable way to get to Akchour from Chefchaouen is by Grand Taxi. These are essentially shared taxis that hold a maximum of six people. The drivers will wait until the taxi is full before departing. If you don’t want to wait, you can also just pay for the empty seats. The cost per person is just 25 dirhams one way, which is only about $2.50.
After a 45-minute scenic drive, we arrived to Akchour. This area is most well known for its waterfalls, but due to some heavy rains over the past few days, the path that follows the river and leads to the waterfalls was impassable. So instead we headed up the mountainside, along another path that led us to God’s Bridge.
The “bridge” is a natural rock formation that spans the river and gorge. At one end of the bridge was a man selling tea from a little hut. We bought some mint tea and found a nice spot to sit and enjoy the view before hiking back down.
Once back at the trailhead, we stopped for dinner at the restaurant adjacent to the parking lot for one last tajine. Once we were done, the taxi driver that drove us to Akchour was waiting to drive us back to Chefchaouen.
Day 12 – Chefchaouen to Tangier
Cape Spartel, Caves of Hercules
We enjoyed our last breakfast with our Chefchaouen hosts before bidding them farewell and making our way to the airport in Tangier. We had a two hour drive to reach the airport, but our flight wasn’t until 5:00pm. So following the suggestion of our hosts, we made the most of our time by turning our airport transfer into a mini-tour of Tangier, which they arranged for us with their go-to taxi driver.
After a scenic drive through the Rif Mountains, we finally approached the city of Tangier, spotting its medina perched atop a hill overlooking the ocean.
Cars aren’t allowed to enter the old city, so we circled counterclockwise around the medina and along the coast. The road eventually led us through a large park west of the city until we reached the Cape Spartel, a promontory and lighthouse overlooking the sea.
The lighthouse was built in the 1880s as a joint effort between Spain and Morocco. It’s strategically located on the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. From here, we could make out the faint outline of Spain on the other side of the Strait.
We continued onward, following the coast westward until we reached the Caves of Hercules. Much of the interior of the cave was manmade — the scalloping of the rock was formed as a result of Berber people long ago cutting away stone to make wheels.
One end of the cave opens up onto the sea. The light pours in through an opening known as the “Map of Africa,” which from the sea resembles the shape of Africa.
Once finished there, our driver took us to a restaurant for a quick lunch before ultimately dropping us off at Tangier’s airport where we awaited our flight back to Amsterdam. And here our epic whirlwind tour of Morocco (and our first visit to Africa!) finally came to an end.
