Private shore excursion · Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen Shore Excursion: The Blue City
A full day from your ship to the blue town of the Rif Mountains: the painted medina, Plaza Uta el-Hammam and the view over the whole town, with a licensed local guide who plans the day backwards from your all-aboard time.
From $120 per person
- Private group
- 8 to 9 hours
- Back before all-aboard, guaranteed
Ship times from the published Tangier port schedule. We confirm yours when you book.
- Licensed local guidesMinistry-certified
- Planned from all-aboardWith a safety buffer
- About 110 kmThrough the Rif Mountains
- Tangier Med or City PortPickup at your terminal
- No prepaymentDeposit only for larger groups
Worth the drive
Why cruise passengers cross the mountains for this
Most shore excursions stay near the port. This one is worth the drive: there are easier shore excursions, and none of them are Chefchaouen.
Tucked into the Rif Mountains two hours south of Tangier, Chefchaouen is a town painted, almost entirely, in shades of blue: walls, steps, doorways, plant pots. Founded in 1471, it spent centuries nearly closed to outsiders, and it still feels that way: quiet, slow, impossibly photogenic.
The drive itself is part of the excursion. You climb out of Tangier through olive groves and mountain villages, the road winding up into the Rif, while your guide tells the story of the region as the landscape changes around you. By the time the blue medina appears, you understand why it is hidden up here.
This is the shore excursion people book for the photographs, and the one they talk about long after the cruise ends.
- 8 to 9 hoursA full day, private
- About 110 kmRoughly 2 hours each way
- From $120Per person
- Never latePlanned from your all-aboard time
Your day, hour by hour
A full day, planned around your ship
Example times for an 08:00 docking. Your guide plans the real day backwards from your ship's all-aboard time.
- Port pickup
- Into the Rif
- Bab el-Ain
- Blue medina and lunch
- Free time and the view
- The drive back
- Back at your ship
- Safety buffer
- All-aboard
Pick your ship at the top of the page and every time here moves to its arrival.
Morning
Port pickup
We meet you right at the cruise terminal, Tangier Med or Tangier City Port, with a name sign. No taxi, no searching: straight into an air-conditioned vehicle.
About 2 hours
Into the Rif Mountains
The scenic drive south: olive groves, mountain passes, and a photo stop at a viewpoint your guide knows. The drive is part of the day.
Late morning
Arrive in Chefchaouen
We enter through Bab el-Ain, the old medina gate. From here it is on foot: the blue streets are too narrow and too beautiful for anything else.
Midday
The blue medina and lunch
A guided walk through the medina to Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the main square, and the Kasbah. Lunch at a local restaurant with a rooftop view, your choice of spot.
Afternoon
Free time and the viewpoint
Time to wander and photograph at your own pace. Optional walk up to the Spanish Mosque viewpoint for the classic shot of the whole blue town below.
About 2 hours
The drive back
We leave with a comfortable buffer built in, on the same mountain road back to the coast.
Every time
Back at the terminal
You are back at the ship well before all-aboard, every time.
The honest answer
Chefchaouen is far. Here's why that's not a problem
Chefchaouen is roughly two hours from the port. That is a real distance, and it is exactly why you should do this with people who make the drive every week.
We plan the entire day backwards from your all-aboard time. Before anything else, we note when your ship leaves, subtract the return drive, add a safety buffer, and build the day inside what is left. We track your ship's actual movements.
In years of running this excursion, we have never returned a guest late.
If the timing is genuinely too tight for a comfortable Chefchaouen day, we will tell you honestly and suggest a closer excursion instead, such as Tetouan. We would rather lose a booking than rush you or risk your ship.
What you'll see
Six places that make the blue city
Bab el-Ain
The keyhole gate into the old medina. Step through it and the modern world stops.
The Blue Medina
Narrow lanes washed in every shade of blue, from powder to deep indigo. The reason the town is famous, and it photographs even better than you expect.
Plaza Uta el-Hammam
The beating heart of Chefchaouen. A wide square ringed with cafes, shaded by trees, watched over by the Kasbah and the Grand Mosque.
The Kasbah
A red-walled 15th-century fortress with a quiet Andalusian garden and a tower view over the medina rooftops.
Ras el-Maa Waterfall
At the edge of the medina, a rushing mountain stream where locals have gathered for centuries. Cool, green, a complete change of scene.
The Spanish Mosque Viewpoint
A short uphill walk to the photograph everyone comes for: the whole blue town spread out below against the Rif Mountains.
Good to know
Before you book, for cruise passengers
Time in port
10 hours or more
The day takes 8 to 9 hours with about 2 hours' drive each way, plus a buffer before all-aboard. Shorter stop? Tetouan is an hour away.
Ports
Tangier Med or City Port
We meet you right at the terminal with a name sign. No taxi needed.
Walking
About 2 to 3 km, hilly
Cobbled, hilly streets at a relaxed pace. Not ideal for guests with very limited mobility: tell us in advance and we will advise honestly.
What to bring
Shoes, hat, a light layer
Comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen, a light layer (the mountains are cooler than the coast), your camera, and some cash for lunch and souvenirs.
Lunch
Your choice, not included
We take you to a good local spot with a rooftop view; you choose what to spend.
Kasbah museum
Small optional fee
Paid on the spot, only if you choose to go in.
Late ship
Planned backwards
We track your ship's actual movements and build the day around its departure.
Languages
English, French, Spanish, Arabic
Your licensed guide speaks the language you choose at booking.
Payment
Pay on the day
Cash (USD, EUR, GBP or MAD), PayPal or bank transfer. No prepayment; larger groups leave a small deposit. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
Clear terms
What's included and what's not
Included
- Pickup and drop-off right at the cruise terminal (Tangier Med or Tangier City Port)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for the full day
- Licensed Ministry-certified local guide (English, French, Spanish, Arabic)
- Guided walking tour of the Chefchaouen medina
- All driving, fuel, parking and road tolls
- Bottled water for the journey
- A relaxed, never-rushed itinerary built around your ship
Not included
- Lunch and drinks (we take you to a great local spot; you choose what to spend)
- Entrance to the Kasbah museum (a small optional fee)
- Personal shopping in the medina
- Tips for guide and driver (appreciated, never expected)
Who books the blue city
Is this the right excursion for you?
Photographers
Every corner of Chefchaouen is a frame.
Couples
Slow, quiet, beautiful. Chefchaouen is unhurried in a way few places are.
First-time visitors to Morocco
It is the trip that makes the cruise stop unforgettable.
Anyone who wants more than a city walk
The mountain drive makes it a real journey.
Compare
Chefchaouen, Tetouan or a full day in Tangier?
Three ways to spend a long stop, side by side.
| Chefchaouen | Tetouan | Full-Day Tangier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 8 to 9 hours | 5 to 6 hours | 6 to 8 hours |
| Distance | About 110 km, about 2 hours | About 60 km, about an hour | In and around Tangier |
| The day | The blue medina, Plaza Uta el-Hammam, the Spanish Mosque view | UNESCO medina, Royal Palace square, Spanish quarter | Cap Spartel, Hercules Caves, camel ride, Kasbah, Medina |
| Lunch | Your choice, not included | Optional, not included | Included, sit-down |
| Time in port | 10 hours or more | 7 hours or more | 8 hours or more |
| Price | From $120 | From $75 | From $75 |
| You are here | See Tetouan | See the Full-Day |
Guest reviews
What guests said
Rated 4.9 from 85 reviews on Google.
★★★★★
Thank you, Fadi, for a wonderful day in Tangier. Your tour guide was friendly, very interesting, and entertaining. Highly recommended, Fadi's tour.
Claudio LupiLocal Guide · Level 5
★★★★★
We spent 3 amazing days in the north of Morocco visiting Tangier, Asilah, and Chefchaouen. The weather was really hot, but everything else was fantastic! Big thanks to Fadi who took great care of us. We got to try delicious Moroccan food like tajine and couscous. Also, the driver drove calmly so we could enjoy the beautiful views between Tangier and Chefchaouen. Unforgettable experience! Thanks Fadi !
El MALHOUF KacemLocal Guide · Level 5
★★★★★
Communication w the company was excellent prior to our tour. Our guide Nedi was excellent, met us promptly at the designated place and the tour was fantastic. Pace was perfect and it was customized to meet our interests…
Barbara RSLocal Guide · Level 5
Ready for the blue city
Cross the mountains. See Chefchaouen
Send your ship name, date and group size. We confirm availability and a precise plan, built around your all-aboard time, within 12 hours. No prepayment, free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
Good to know
Chefchaouen shore excursion FAQ
What cruise passengers ask us before they book.
How far is Chefchaouen from the Tangier cruise port?
About 110 km, roughly a 2-hour drive each way through the Rif Mountains. We build the full day around your ship's all-aboard time and always return with a safety buffer.
Will I definitely get back to my ship on time?
Yes. We plan the day backwards from your departure time, track your ship's real schedule, and keep a buffer. We have never returned a guest late. If your port time is too short for a comfortable visit, we will tell you honestly.
Is this a private excursion?
Yes: your group only. Your own guide, your own vehicle, your own pace. No strangers, no big bus, no waiting for other passengers.
How much walking is involved in Chefchaouen?
The medina is explored on foot over cobbled, hilly streets. Expect 2 to 3 km at a relaxed pace. Comfortable shoes are essential. Guests with limited mobility should tell us in advance so we can advise.
What should I bring?
Comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen, a light layer (the mountains are cooler than the coast), your camera, and some cash for lunch and souvenirs.
How do we pay?
You pay your guide on the day, in cash (USD, EUR, GBP or MAD), by PayPal or by bank transfer. Most bookings need no prepayment; for larger groups we ask for a small deposit to hold the date. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
More shore excursions
Other ways to spend your day in port
TetouanThe UNESCO-listed medina, Andalusian architecture, and the Royal Palace square. The Spanish-Moorish side of Northern Morocco.See the excursion
Tangier Full-DayAll Tangier highlights, a traditional Moroccan lunch, and an optional camel ride on Achakkar Beach. The complete day.See the excursion
Asilah and Cap SpartelCap Spartel's lighthouse, then the coastal drive south to Asilah's Portuguese ramparts, whitewashed medina and Atlantic beach. Quiet, photogenic, unhurried.See the excursion