Is Chefchaouen Worth Visiting? Our Unfiltered Reality Check After 2 Days in the Blue City

Let’s be honest. Before we drove up into the Rif Mountains, we were sceptical. Every Morocco feed we scrolled looked the same — blue walls, perfect light, nobody in the shot. We expected another tourist trap hyped by social media.

While we had high expectations for Chefchouen (actually Ale had), we were surprised it maintained it. We highly recommend including Chefchouen in every Morocco Itinerary, and if you don’t have time to travel there, make some up.

Somehow, that sunset from the Spanish Mosque still hit high in the list of best experiences we had in Morocco. Chefchouen is one of the prettiest towns we visited, and we highly recommend it. Yes, Chefchouen is worth visiting, but in this guide, we skim down something that will give you a reality check.

We’d already been to Fes, survived its labyrinthine medina, felt unwelcome in more alleys than we’d like to admit, and driven some truly terrible roads. We weren’t sure Chefchaouen would earn its hype. It mostly did. But the journey nearly broke us first.

Is Chefchaouen Worth Visiting? Our Brutal Reality Check

Yes, Chefchaouen is worth visiting, but let’s be real—it’s realistically a short detour. In fact, we have included it in our Morocco Itinerary for first timers only to stretch the original 10 days. Even if the map shows you a relatively short distance, it’s far longer on Moroccan roads, where 100 KM can easily take up to 3 hours.

While tackling that massive round trip from Fes in a single day is exhausting, we suggest booking a tour like this one to handle the brutal driving for you.

We could never pull off that chaotic one-day turnaround. Honestly, we are so glad we stayed two nights and took things slow.

Between 7 am and 9 am, this blue town is entirely yours. Then the tour buses roll in. The vibe tanks instantly as every blue alley floods with tripods and people fighting for the exact same photo.

In one heavily photographed alley, we spotted a sign begging tourists to keep quiet in six languages—including Japanese. We found that genuinely hilarious, considering they are easily the most respectful travellers on earth.

We totally get the locals’ frustration with the daily circus. But let’s be brutally honest: without that blue paint, this isolated village miles off the main road would likely be a ghost town today.

Thankfully, the crowds evaporate by 5 pm. That is when we actually enjoyed the quiet corners and the main square, completely hassle-free.

Getting to Chefchaouen: Your Realistic Options

By car (from Fes): Roughly 3.5 to 4 hours on the N13. Beautiful scenery — the Rif Mountains open up dramatically in the last hour. Do not try the P5001 shortcut. We are evidence that it’s not a shortcut.

By CTM bus: The CTM bus runs from Fes and from Tangier. It’s reliable, reasonably comfortable, and drops you near the town centre. A solid option if you’re not driving. Book ahead in peak season. You can book tickets in advance using 12Go here.

By Grand Taxi: Grand Taxis run from Chefchaouen to nearby towns. Useful for day trips or getting to Ouezzane. Agree on a price before you get in.

Day trip from Fes: Possible, but we wouldn’t do it on our own. Four hours of winding roads for three hours in town is a bad trade. Stay overnight, or stay two nights if you want to drive on your own. The sunrise alone is worth the extra cost of a bed. Otherwise, go on this tour that handles everything for you just for £15 ($20 | €17)

Our drive from Fes: The worst nightmare on wheels

We can’t fully rate our Chefchouen experience without mentioning some background stories about our Morocco adventure. We left Fes around 11 am, thinking we were clever. We’d spotted a shortcut — road P5001 — that promised to cut an hour off the drive. We were wrong. So very wrong.

That “road” didn’t exist yet. Literally. (See photo above, us passing through heavy machinery).

We were driving on compacted rocks that were the base layer for future asphalt. Lorries and construction machines blocked the single lane. At one point, we sat under the scorching sun for over 20 minutes waiting for a bulldozer to figure its life out. Dust coated everything — the windscreen, our bags in the back, and our patience.

When You Finally Arrive, the Blue City Actually Delivers

The moment we turn the sharp curve into the new village, the view of the old one with blue-washed buildings starts to hit. It was very pretty. The cobblestone labyrinth of Chefchaouen appeared through the windscreen — perched around 550 metres above sea level, all blue and white against the green Rif Mountains — we forgot the two-hour detour and the dusty car and the tyre situation.

We bargained for a parking spot with Mohammed, a friendly local near Parking Yoma beside the busy Thursday farmer’s market. We agreed on two nights of secure parking for 50 dirhams. He watched the car, and it was fine.

Is Chefchaouen really blue? Yes. It’s genuinely, absurdly, magnificently blue. Every wall, every door, every step. Even our hotel room — Dar Dadicilef, right in the centre — was painted floor to ceiling in shades of indigo and cobalt. The rooftop had a fireplace, instruments of rural life mounted on the walls, and a modest view of the medina. Charming in a quiet, unhurried way.

The Sunrise Mission: How to Beat the Crowds

We went to sleep early. Intentionally, strategically early. By 6:15 am, we were out.

For a solid 45 minutes, Chefchaouen belonged to us. No tour groups. I still smell the fresh-baked bread attracting us to the narrow alleys. No day-trippers with selfie sticks. Just the echo of our footsteps on the cobblestone lanes, cats slinking between the blue walls, and the best light we’d get all day.

This is the move. Full stop.

By 9:30 am — when the day-trippers roll in from Fes and Tangier — the narrow alleys fill fast. The walls amplify every sound. Voices bounce. We saw signs asking visitors to be respectful (what an absurd request in social media), keep quiet, and respect the space.

If locals are begging for this, there is a problem at its base, respect! The locals mean it. The place is genuinely lived-in, and the exhausting detour up here isn’t worth it if you sleep through the magic.

We were so happy that our hotel was on a tucked-away, narrow road (very pretty with blue doors), but away from the usual tourist path.

What Chefchaouen Actually Looks Like (Beyond the Instagram)

Here’s what the pretty photos don’t show: the stray cats guarding the alleys in numbers you wouldn’t believe. Ale lost count before we even checked in. They are everywhere, lounging on blue steps, watching from carved doorframes, occasionally accepting a chin scratch if you’re lucky.

The medina is small. You will get lost, but you’ll stop minding. Most corners look similar in photos, but they feel different in person — the light hits differently depending on the hour, and the locals arrange things differently each morning.

We noticed that some of the most photographed spots had a local sitting nearby, happy to take your picture in exchange for a “voluntary donation” (usually 10 dirhams per person, though they’ll push for more). Nothing dramatic, just worth knowing.

Fresh goat’s cheese from the Thursday farmer’s market is non-negotiable. Creamy, mild, and sold alongside olives and bread.

What We Actually Did in Chefchaouen

Plaza Uta el-Hammam: The Heart of the Town

This is the main square, and it works. Plaza Uta el-Hammam has cafes on all sides, the striking Grand Mosque, and a pace of life that slows your pulse down whether you want it to or not.

We ate our first dinner here at Assaada — a tiny, affordable spot right on the street. Blue chairs, blue tables, blue everything besides the food. (On Google it mentioned that is temporary closed, hopefully it will re-open soon1)

Chicken with fries, olives, and cheese for 14 dirhams. Simple, good, genuinely local.

The square gets lively at sunset. Locals come out, kids run around, vendors set up small stalls. It’s the kind of place where you order a mint tea, nurse it for an hour, and don’t feel rushed. Perhaps this is one of the reasons we appreciate the blue pearl more. Chefchouen is worth visiting if you take it slow and stay overnight.

The Spanish Mosque: The Sunset Hike Worth Doing

We hiked up to the Spanish Mosque for sunset. The view from there takes the whole town and lays it out below you — a sea of blue rooftops against the green folds of the Talassemtane National Park. It’s a short hike, maybe 20 minutes from the medina, but it’s steep.

Honestly? It wasn’t the most dramatic sunset we’d seen in Morocco. But the view of Chefchaouen from above? That was the photo we were looking for!

Not the usual alley shot. Not the staircase. The town from the Spanish Mosque hill, late afternoon light, Rif Mountains behind it.

Go for the hike. Skip it if you’re in a rush. But if you have one afternoon in Chefchaouen, this is how you should spend it.

Ras el-Maa Waterfall: Two Minutes from the Medina

We almost missed this. Ras el-Maa waterfall is a small but genuinely refreshing natural spring at the eastern edge of the medina, where women traditionally wash clothes, and kids splash around. It’s worth passing by, but we were expecting more. I saw photos of locals washing with small basins and the water running by.

The reality isn’t there; instead, there are a bunch of restaurants and cafes, serving drinks and food with your foot in the river. Pretty, and unusual though. It costs nothing. It takes five minutes to reach. It’s the version of Chefchaouen that nobody puts on their travel poster, and it’s better for it.

Akchour Waterfall Day Trip (If You Have Time)

We didn’t make it to Akchour Waterfall in Talassemtane National Park this trip. It is something we regret, because we could have squeezed in some time. Time, logistics, and the tyranny of an itinerary sometimes fault you. However, multiple locals, including our hotel host, mentioned it with genuine enthusiasm, not the vendor-pushing kind.

It’s about 30 kilometres from Chefchaouen and supposedly worth the trek for the gorges and natural pools. If you’re staying more than one night — which you should be — this is the day trip to do.

The Vendors, the hype, and the honest truth

We were used to vendors in Morocco at this point of our trip (we were already 20 days in), but still, if it’s your first time, you’ll be overwhelmed, like in every medina. 

The persistent vendors exist, but they’re nowhere near the intensity of Marrakech’s souk or the medina of Fes. It’s more like the atmosphere we found visiting Agadir Souk. We found Chefchaouen’s sellers pushy in a low-effort way — they’d try once, maybe twice, then leave you alone. A pleasant surprise after everything we’d experienced further south.

Buy an art piece

Like in Vietnam, we regret not buying any art piece. Some paintings are really beautiful and inspiring, completely devoted to the blue motives of the charming town.

We were sceptical at first, but saw many artists making it from scratch, and a single painting progressing within the days we were in town.

Enjoy a photoshoot at Said Juice shop

It’s not all about the Instagram sensation, though. We are glad to have travelled in Morocco during the shoulder season, as we had time to chat with locals like Said. The orange Cart is now a trendy photospot in Chefchouen, but behind it, Said truly opened his heart and said that about 4 families now depend on this small business.

We were intrigued to understand how such a small, simple fruit cart can get so much attention. Then Said took our phone, and made me (Toti) uncomfortable, but I was laughing at that.

Ale was natural while he shot some of our best photos from the blue town, and we understand that it isn’t just a cart, it’s an experience on its own. Actually, the juice was so fresh, and the orange was squeezed in front of us.

Where to stay in Chefchouen

If you are considering staying in Chefchouen, you definitely will not regret it. We truly appreciate the town after the tourist peak hours, when the group left. The town was more intimate, but still, we are glad we picked our accommodation right in the medina. We walked everywhere, leaving our car parked for two days with no problem.

We stayed at Dar Dadicilef, but their double room without AC was hard to handle, even with full windows open. Their breakfast is the best, and the kindest host. Our Spanish actually comes in handy, as the host hardly speaks English. Glad we switched to Dar Domingo, which is actually cheaper, with AC, and a comfy studio with garden view for £30 ($39 | €34).

Other places we feel are suggestions for proximity to main attractions and reviews are:

Casa Abdou: Minimal style, but great service. It’s one of the suggestions on Booking. The room has all AC, but the best part is the lovely terrace with a unique view of Chefchouen. Prices start from £35 ($47 | €40), with breakfast included. 9.2 Stars with 700 Reviews.

Haven Hills Social Club: While the position of this one is tucked away, the view is insane. If you are willing to drive into town, it is perfect as it’s quiet. The review speaks for itself: 9 stars with 600 superb reviews. Price per night start at £37 ($52 | €45)

The Final Verdict: Is Chefchaouen Worth the Detour?

Chefchaouen is worth visiting. Full stop.

It won’t change your life. It probably won’t even be the most interesting city of your Morocco trip — Fes has more history, Essaouira has more atmosphere, and Marrakech has more spectacle.

But the Morocco blue town delivers exactly what it promises: a quiet, impossibly photogenic mountain village where the pace drops, the authentic tagine at a streetside spot costs next to nothing, and the light at 6 am is the kind that makes you glad you set the alarm.