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The rooftops of Tangier's medina and the lights of the seafront at dusk

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Where Africa looks to Europe: northern Morocco

Tangier, Asilah, Chefchaouen and the Rif, Volubilis, Meknes, Rabat & Casablanca

Photo: Raúl Cacho Oses / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

A first journey to Morocco usually heads for Marrakech and the Sahara. This route turns north instead, to where barely a few kilometres of water separate Africa from Europe and history is layered like the walls of a medina: Phoenicians and Romans, refugees from Andalusia, sultans' capitals, Spanish Tetouan and international Tangier. It is cooler and greener here, less hurried, and everyday life still feels more local than staged.

The journey begins in Tangier's hills above the Strait, continues into a mountain town and the valleys of the Rif, passes a Roman city among wheat fields and ends in Rabat's quiet gardens and beside the great mosque in Casablanca, built out over the Atlantic. Distances are modest and most stops have at least two nights. It suits couples more drawn to cities, food and history than to long drives, and the pace, the stays and the walking would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Tangier
  2. Asilah
  3. Chefchaouen & the Rif
  4. Volubilis
  5. Meknes
  6. Rabat
  7. Casablanca
  1. A narrow, sunlit lane in Tangier between old stone walls and white houses, leading to an archway

    01Days 1–3 · Tangier & Asilah

    A city above the Strait

    Tangier is best understood on foot: through the lanes of the kasbah to terraces where, on a clear day, the Spanish coast is in view, across the Grand Socco and the medina's small markets to cliff-top cafés where mint tea comes with a view of the ships. One afternoon could take you out to Cape Spartel, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, and to the Caves of Hercules. The next day, Asilah, about an hour away: white houses with blue shutters, Portuguese ramparts, painted walls and a fish supper by the harbour.

  2. The blue town of Chefchaouen on a slope of the Rif Mountains beneath a cloudy sky

    02Days 4–6 · Chefchaouen & the Rif

    A blue town and green valleys

    Past Tetouan and up into the mountains. Chefchaouen is known for its blue-washed lanes, but its real charm lies in the early mornings before the day visitors arrive and the evenings when lights come on above the rooftops and the slopes turn pink. Three nights leave a day for the Rif itself: in the Akchour valley, on the edge of Talassemtane National Park, a trail follows the river upstream past waterfalls and natural pools to a rock arch known as God's Bridge. We'd set the length of the walk by your wishes and the season.

  3. The triumphal arch of Caracalla at Volubilis, with green plains beyond

    03Days 7–8 · Volubilis & Meknes

    A Roman city among the wheat fields

    The road drops out of the mountains into fertile plains. At Volubilis stand a triumphal arch, the columns of the basilica and mosaics still in the places where they were laid; late afternoon, when the stone warms to gold, is the best time to be there. Nearby, the holy town of Moulay Idriss spreads over two hills. Two nights in Meknes, an imperial capital often left in the shadow of Fes: the monumental Bab Mansour gate, the lively Place el-Hedim, Sultan Moulay Ismail's granaries and stables, and dinner in a riad courtyard.

  4. The ruins of the Chellah in Rabat: a minaret topped by a stork's nest, a palm tree and old walls

    04Days 9–10 · Rabat

    A capital in no hurry

    Rabat is Morocco's calmest capital and a pleasant surprise to many travellers. The blue-and-white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas slope down to the Andalusian gardens and the river mouth, the Hassan Tower and mausoleum stand on a wide esplanade, and the Chellah holds Roman and medieval ruins among gardens, with storks nesting on the minaret. The medina here is orderly and easy-going, and evenings invite a walk along the Atlantic shore. Rabat is easily reached from Meknes by train.

  5. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca beside the ocean on a cloudy day

    05Day 11 · Casablanca

    A mosque above the Atlantic

    A short train ride to Casablanca, the easiest place to fly home from. The Hassan II Mosque is built partly out over the ocean, and its minaret is among the tallest in the world; it is one of the few mosques in Morocco that non-Muslim visitors can enter, on a guided visit. With a later flight, there is time to walk among the early twentieth-century art deco buildings of the centre and have lunch at a fish restaurant near the port.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Tangier on foot

    The kasbah, the medina and terraces above the Strait, where Europe seems almost within reach.

  2. 02

    Morning in Chefchaouen

    Empty blue lanes early in the day, with the Rif rising straight behind the last houses.

  3. 03

    The mosaics of Volubilis

    One of the best-preserved Roman towns in North Africa, seen in late-afternoon light.

  4. 04

    The Udayas Kasbah and the Chellah

    Two of Rabat's quietest corners: lanes above the river mouth, and ruins where storks nest.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With Fes

    Fes is under an hour from Meknes, so two nights in its old medina fit in easily; if you already know Fes, the time could go to the Rif instead.

  • More walking

    With a local guide, a few days on mountain paths between Rif villages, staying in simple guesthouses.

  • Arriving by ferry from Spain

    If you're combining the trip with Andalusia, you can cross to Tangier by ferry over the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the most memorable ways to arrive in Africa.

  • Slower, by the sea

    An extra night in Asilah, or a few days on the Atlantic coast south of Rabat, makes for a gentler rhythm.

Practical considerations

  • Spring and autumn are usually the most pleasant; in summer the coast is cooler than the interior, and in winter the Rif can be wet and cold.
  • Mountain roads to and from Chefchaouen wind, so transfers take longer than the distances suggest; between towns a private driver is easiest, while Meknes, Rabat and Casablanca are linked by train.
  • The Akchour trail can be slippery or harder going after heavy rain, and water levels vary with the season; we'd confirm the walking plan before you travel.
  • Modest dress is appreciated in mosques, shrines and villages; opening times at Volubilis and for Hassan II Mosque visits sometimes change, so we check them in advance.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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