Travel guide · Bus, grand taxi, car or day trip
From Tangier to Chefchaouen
About 110 km and 2 to 2.5 hours by road 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.
Compare the options Ask a guide
- By Fadi Bennani, licensed guide, licence 3797
- 87 Google reviews, rated 4.9
- Updated October 2026
Departures
Tangier → Chefchaouen
Now in Tangier
| Way | Time | Cost | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTM bus | 2h30 to 3h30 | 65 to 100 dh | CTM bus station |
| Shared grand taxi | 2h to 2h30 | 70 dh a seat | Grand-taxi station |
| Private taxi transfer | 2h to 2h30 | $160 per car | Pickup in Tangier |
| Private day trip | 8 to 9h in all | From $150/person | 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 110 kmby road
- 2 to 2.5 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 110 km and 2 to 2.5 hours 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 about $7 to $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 from Tangier. Only need the ride? Our one-way private transfer from Tangier to Chefchaouen takes your group in a regular grand taxi, $160 for the whole car, one price however many of you travel.
- 2 to 2.5 hoursBy car, about 110 km
- CTM bus2.5 to 3.5 hours, no train
- From $150Private day trip, lunch included
- Driver and guideBack in Tangier the same evening
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 | 2 to 2.5 hours | About 70 dh a seat | The grand-taxi station (not the rank at the train station) | Speed on a budget |
| Whole grand taxi | 2 to 2.5 hours | All six seats, agreed before you leave | The grand-taxi station | A group on a budget |
| Private transfer with us | 2 to 2.5 hours | $160 per car, one way | 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 Chefchaouen day trip from Tangier | 2 to 2.5 hours, 8 to 9 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.
2 to 2.5 hours on the road
2 to 2.5 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 you pay on the day. No deposit for most groups; groups of 11 or more pay a deposit of 40% of the agreed price to hold the date.
Good to know
Tangier to Chefchaouen: Your Questions
What travellers ask before they go.
Is there a train from Tangier to Chefchaouen?
No, there is no train from Tangier to Chefchaouen. The town 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 110 km by road: 2 to 2.5 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, Chefchaouen works as a day trip from Tangier: 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.
Go with us
Your Chefchaouen day, planned for you
Rather not deal with buses and taxis? Tell us your date and your group: a private car takes you from Tangier and back, with time in the blue city. Nothing is booked until we confirm in writing.
From $150 per personFor a group of 4 guests. Smaller groups pay more per person: see the price for your group.
- Pick-up at your hotel or riad in Tangier
- 8 to 9 hours door to door, lunch included
- Back in Tangier around 5:30 to 6 pm
- Pay on the day: cash, PayPal or bank transfer
- No deposit for most groups
- Free cancellation 48h before
- Reply within 2 hours (8am to 10pm)
Chefchaouen with us
Ways to see Chefchaouen
- Chefchaouen day trip from TangierA private driver and a licensed guide, 8 to 9 hours, from $150 per person
- Chefchaouen shore excursionTimed to your cruise ship's hours in Tangier, from $120 per person
- Chefchaouen overnight tourTwo days, with a night in a riad and the blue lanes at their quietest
- Chefchaouen and Tetouan in one dayTetouan in the morning, Chefchaouen after lunch, from $190 per person
- Private transfer to ChefchaouenA car for your group only, priced per car, one way or both ways
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 2 hours (8am to 10pm).
- Private driver and licensed guide
- Lunch included
- Back in Tangier the same evening