Travel guide · Bus, grand taxi, car or day trip
From Tangier to Chefchaouen
About 115 km and two to three hours through the Rif, with no train on the way to the blue city of northern Morocco. Here are the four options for the journey, what each costs and how long it takes, from the CTM bus to a private day trip with a licensed guide.
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- Written by licensed Tangier guides
- 85 Google reviews, rated 4.9
- Updated September 2026
Departures
Tangier → Chefchaouen
Now in Tangier
| Way | Time | Cost | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTM bus | 2h30 to 3h30 | About 65 to 100 dh | CTM bus station |
| Shared grand taxi | About 2h | About 70 dh a seat | Grand-taxi station |
| Private taxi transfer | About 2h | $160 per car | Pickup in Tangier |
| Private day trip | 7 to 8h return | From $150pp | Your hotel |
| Hire car | 2h to 2h30 | Rental and fuel | Your rental desk |
Pick what matters most and the board lights up the best way to go.
- About 115 kmby road
- About 2 hoursby car or taxi
- 2h30 to 3h30by CTM bus
- No trainto Chefchaouen
- About 65 dhcheapest seat
- From $150private day trip
The short answer
The best way to travel from Tangier to Chefchaouen
The quickest way from Tangier to Chefchaouen is by car or shared grand taxi: about 115 km and a two-hour journey through the foothills of the Rif, in the north of Morocco. The cheapest is the CTM bus, two and a half to three and a half hours for well under $10 a seat. There is no train, because Chefchaouen has no railway station.
With only one day, a private day trip is the easy way: Tour Guide Tangier picks you up at your hotel, a private driver takes the mountain road, a licensed guide walks you through the blue medina, and you are back in Tangier the same evening, from $150 per person with lunch. See the Chefchaouen day trip. Only need the ride? Our one-way private transfer takes your group in a regular grand taxi, $160 for the whole car, not per person.
Side by side
Bus, grand taxi, car or a day trip?
The options side by side: what each costs, how long it takes, where it leaves from and who it suits. Fares are approximate and change.
| Time each way | Cost | Leaves from | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTM bus | 2h30 to 3h30 | About 65 to 100 dh a seat | The CTM bus station, about 2 km from the centre | A tight budget, big suitcases |
| Shared grand taxi | About 2 hours | About 70 dh a seat | The grand-taxi station (not the rank at the train station) | Speed on a budget |
| Whole grand taxi | About 2 hours | All six seats, agreed before you leave | The grand-taxi station | A group on a budget |
| Private transfer with us | About 2 hours | $160 for the car, one way, not per person | Pickup in Tangier at the time you choose | A group, with nothing to arrange at the station |
| Hire car | 2 to 2.5 hours | Rental and fuel | Your rental desk | Staying a night or more |
| Private day trip | 2 to 2.5 hours, 7 to 8 in all | From $150 per person, lunch included | Your hotel, the port or the station | One day, a guide, no planning |
Step by step
How to take the CTM bus
The simplest public route: a reserved seat and a hold for luggage.
Buy a ticket
At the CTM office in the bus station or on ctm.ma. In summer and on holidays, buy it the day before.
Get to the station
The CTM bus station is about 2 km from Tangier city centre, a few minutes by petit taxi.
Ride through the Rif
Two and a half to three and a half hours, depending on the service and its stops, with a view of the Rif on the way. Keep water and a snack with you.
Walk up to the medina
Chefchaouen's bus station sits below the old town: walk up, or take a petit taxi to the gate nearest your riad.
Step by step
Getting a shared grand taxi
Faster than the bus and still cheap, once you know where to find it.
Find the right station
Ask a petit taxi for the grand taxis to Chefchaouen. The rank outside the train station quotes for the whole car, so it is not the place to buy one seat.
Pay for your seat
About 70 dirhams a seat. The taxi leaves when all six seats are sold; buy the empty ones to leave at once.
Two hours on the road
About two hours, usually with one stop on the way. Agree any extra, such as luggage, before you set off.
Get closer to your riad
The taxi stops near the bus station. For a small extra, drivers will often take you closer to the medina.
Coming back
From Chefchaouen to Tangier
By bus
CTM tickets for Tangier are sold at the bus station and at small ticket shops in town. Buy your return seat when you arrive, so you are not left without one on the day, and check the time of the last bus.
By grand taxi or car
Shared grand taxis for Tangier run on the same pay-per-seat rule: ask at your riad where they leave from. By car, allow two to two and a half hours and drive back in daylight, since the mountain road has sharp bends.
Only have one day?
Why a private day trip is easier
Door to door
Pickup at your hotel, the port or the station in Tangier at the time you choose, and the same drop-off in the evening.
A licensed guide
Your guide walks you through the blue lanes, the Kasbah square and the view over the town, and tells the stories behind them.
Your group only
A private driver and car for your group, with photo stops in the Rif whenever you ask.
Lunch included
From $150 per person with a traditional lunch, and no deposit: you pay on the day.
Good to know
Tangier to Chefchaouen: Your Questions
What travellers ask before they go.
Is there a train from Tangier to Chefchaouen?
No. Chefchaouen has no railway station, so the only ways there are by road: the CTM bus, a grand taxi, a car or a private tour.
How long is the bus from Tangier to Chefchaouen?
Two and a half to three and a half hours with CTM, depending on the service. A seat costs about 65 to 100 dirhams (roughly $7 to $10) at the CTM office or on ctm.ma.
How much is a grand taxi from Tangier to Chefchaouen?
About 70 dirhams a seat in a shared grand taxi, which leaves when its six seats are sold. To leave at once, pay for all six, and agree the price before you set off.
How far is Chefchaouen from Tangier?
About 115 km by road: roughly two hours by car or taxi, and up to three and a half hours by bus, through the foothills of the Rif.
Can you visit Chefchaouen as a day trip from Tangier?
Yes. Leave at 9 or 10 am and you have three to four hours in the medina before the drive back. Our private day trip does it with a driver, a licensed guide and lunch, from $150 per person.
How do I get back from Chefchaouen to Tangier?
The same ways in reverse. CTM tickets are sold at the bus station and at small ticket shops in town, so buy your seat when you arrive; shared grand taxis for Tangier run on the same pay-per-seat rule.
Chefchaouen with us
Ways to see Chefchaouen
Ready when you are
Let us plan your Chefchaouen day
Send your date and your group, and you will have a plan and an exact price within 12 hours. Nothing to pay until the day.
- No deposit
- Free cancellation 48h before
- Reply within 12 hours