The Ultimate 24-Hour Guide to Chefchaouen: How to Experience Morocco’s Blue City Without the Crowds

Chefchaouen doesn’t just photograph beautifully... it feels different the moment you arrive. Tucked into the Rif Mountains of northern Morocco, this blue-washed city invites you to slow down, wander without a plan, and breathe a little deeper.

But here’s what most travellers get wrong: they rush it. Chefchaouen is often squeezed into a tight Morocco itinerary as a quick day trip, leaving just enough time for a few photos before the tour buses roll on.

In this episode, I’m sharing exactly how to spend 24 unrushed, magical hours in Chefchaouen... from sunrise wandering through empty blue alleyways to golden hour rooftops, local food spots, and the quiet moments that make this city unforgettable.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why Chefchaouen is worth more than a rushed day trip
• The best time of day to explore the blue medina (and why it matters)
• How to experience Chefchaouen without crowds
• Where to eat, stay, and wander for a relaxed overnight visit
• Practical tips for photography, shopping, and cultural awareness

Helpful Resources & Links

If Morocco feels overwhelming to plan, I recommend downloading my free Morocco Travel Planning Guide, it’s designed to help you build a realistic itinerary, pack smart, and travel with confidence. You’ll find the link in the show notes.

And if you'd like the full 24 hour itinerary, check out my blog article 24-Hour Guide to Chefchaouen. 

Connect & Explore

Find destination guides, travel planning resources and more at touristtotraveller.com, and follow along on Instagram @_touristtotraveller for behind-the-scenes planning and future travel inspiration. 

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Welcome to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast, the show that helps you go beyond the guidebook and turn your bucket list dreams into real adventures. I'm Tahnee, a travel blogger, podcaster, and everyday explorer who's been ticking off epic destinations for over 20 years while balancing a 9 to 5. Each week I'll bring you inspiring stories, destination deep dives, and practical tips to help you plan smarter, travel deeper, and capture those unforgettable moments along the way. So, grab your passport, hack your curiosity, and let's get started. If you've ever seen photos of Morocco's blue city and thought, surely that can't be real. This episode is for you. Chefchaouen is one of those places that genuinely feels like a dream when you arrive. Blue walls in every direction, cats lounging in sun-drenched alleyways, and a pace of life that instantly tells you to slow down. But here's the thing: most travelers only see it on a rushed day trip. And honestly, that barely scratches the surface. In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly how to spend 24 hours in Chefchaouen, when to explore, where to wander, what to skip, and how to experience the city once the tour buses disappear. If you're planning Morocco and craving something quieter, more authentic, and wildly beautiful, let's dive in. Nestled up in the mountains in northern Morocco, Chefchaouen is the blue pearl. And it might just be one of the most Instagrammable places in Morocco. That being said, a lot of tours actually skip Chefchaouen, and so do a lot of people who are exploring Morocco on their own. And honestly, I think that that is a huge mistake. On one hand, you might see all of the blue buildings and cliche photos and think that Chefchaouen must be very touristy and very cliche. And if you don't do it right, it can be. But it's also incredibly beautiful, especially once the tour buses leave. When you have the streets and alleyways of Chefchaouen almost to yourself, it feels really magical. If you are stopping there on a tour, most tours will stop for a couple of hours during the day, which is the most busy time of the day where every other tour bus is doing the exact same thing. So I wanted to explore today why Chefchaouen should be on your bucket list and how to explore it properly. First of all, the question that is on everybody's minds why is it blue? And honestly, I don't have the answer for you today. And either do the locals. There is a lot of speculation as to why Chefchaouen is blue. We know roughly when it started, and it was roughly around the end of World War II. And there are so many different theories, but there is nothing concrete that explains why Chefchaouen is blue. And it's not every building in Chefchaouen, but it is most, especially throughout the Medina. So as I mentioned, Chefchaouen is up in the mountains, and the surrounding area up in the mountains is absolutely beautiful, especially at the right time of day. There are four key areas where people will typically be traveling from either Tangier in the north, Rabat in the west, Meknes, which is south, or Fez, which is also south of Chefchaouen. A fun fact is that Chefchaouen means horns or two horns, which refers to the two peaks of the Rif Mountains that overlook the beautiful town. Despite its recent spike in tourism, Chefchaouen has actually been able to keep hold of a lot of its ancient traditions and customs. So there is deep-rooted tradition within this town. It's also really well known for its local handicrafts. Something that we learned the hard way whilst in Morocco. We've been told to hold off on purchasing certain handicrafts until we arrived in Marrakech. We were told that the quality would be better and that it would be cheaper, and we found that to be incorrect. In fact, the quality of almost all of the handicrafts that we saw in Chefchaouen were far better than what we saw across the rest of Morocco, especially Marrakech, and we found the prices to be significantly cheaper. So if you're looking to do a little bit of shopping, I highly recommend doing that in Chefchaouen. I truly believe that the magic of Chefchaoen comes out when you stay overnight. If you can stay at least 24 hours within the blue pearl, I think you get the best out of this beautiful city. So how long is enough in Chefchaouen? Honestly, one day, 24 hours is perfect. If you can spend two because you're looking to travel slower, that is amazing. But honestly, I think 24 hours or one full day is enough. And I do highly recommend staying overnight. So what is there to actually see and do in Chefchaouen? Well, the Medina really is the hero of this city. This is where you're going to see all of the beautiful, iconic blue buildings. There are just endless photo opportunities. Every corner that you turn is another gorgeous blue corner. It's stunning, and trust me, you're going to want to spend a lot of time there. In the Medina as well, you're going to find great accommodation, restaurants, cafes, and of course, shopping. And we're going to cover off more things to see and do in my recommended 24-hour Chefchaouen itinerary. Okay, 24 hours in Chefchaouen. Are you ready? We're gonna start off waking up in the blue city around sunrise. Getting up early here really matters, and at this time the city will very much still be asleep. But the lighting in the Medina is perfect. The alleyways are super quiet. You'll have most of the blue corners all to yourself, and it is the perfect opportunity to wander and capture all of those iconic blue photos. I have a couple of tips here to help you to get the most out of your photos. Now, first of all, you're probably going to want to visit the iconic sites in the Medina, and you can Google those to find the exact pinpoint locations. But I will say, as with most Medinas in Morocco, it is so easy to get lost, and they say that that is part of the fun. They say, have you even been to Chefchaouen if you didn't get lost in the Medina? So use the maps, use the guides, but trust me, you're going to find it confusing and you're going to get lost. It is just all part of the experience. Now, outside of those iconic shots, keep wandering and exploring all of the corners, especially towards the outer edges of the Medina. Most people stick to the middle, especially the big tours that come during the day. So if you head towards the outer corners, you're going to find opportunities and buildings that haven't been overcaptured in Chef chaouen. Listen to the locals and be kind to them. Because we engaged a couple of locals in kind conversation, they pointed us in the direction of stunning photo opportunities, including when it was busier in other locations. We were pointed, you know, go this way and then that way and then down here. And initially we were skeptical as to where they were taking us, but they genuinely meant well. The locals that were telling us where to go weren't looking for anything. They weren't looking for money or tips or anything like that. They just genuinely wanted to tell us some cool spots to go and check out. And every single time they were spot on. There were these cute little corners that we would have never found on our own, and we had them completely to ourselves. Next up, what you wear here really does matter. First of all, the obvious, avoid wearing blue. Wearing blue in front of blue, it's not going to give you a great contrast. Instead, I would recommend sticking to bright, bold colors or neutral colors such as white, cream, brown, uh, and bright colours, things like uh yellow, orange, red, they all pop really well in front of the blue. The lighting and the shadows also really matter with your photography, and you can play around with this during different times of the day. But honestly, I found it hard to take a bad photo in Chefchaouen, especially when I was sticking to taking most of my photos early in the day or late in the day. Also be choosy when it comes to wearing patterns. Big bold patterns can look really striking in front of the blue. However, really fine patterns might look a bit washed out. Uh, but I found that wearing just block bold colours as opposed to patterns worked really well. Now, early in the morning, it can be really chilly. Keeping in mind, Chefchaouen is in the mountains. Early in the morning in Morocco can be really cold. Now we visited in April, and when we were wandering around just after sunrise in the Medina, it was 11 degrees. And we wanted to get cute photos, of course, and didn't really pack cute layers. We had layers, they weren't cute and weren't going to look great in the photos. So, you know, we got to one location and stripped off our, I think I had a scarf and a jacket on top of a mid-length white dress. And surprisingly, I wasn't cold. And then for the rest of the morning, we actually wandered around the Medina without our jackets on because we actually didn't feel cold. Strangely enough, the Medina is very protective. And what we found throughout our time in Morocco is that they're specifically designed to keep you cooler in summer and warmer during the colder months. And in our experience, we really felt that. Of course, always get permission before taking any photos of the locals. There are a couple of spots there where there are a couple of spots in the Medina where you do need to pay to get a photo there. Of course, locals are making money and they've set up these beautiful corners with every fine touch that you can think of. And for that, they do ask you to pay a small fee. And it wasn't much. I think you know they were typically around one to five Australian dollars. Um, there was one where you didn't need to pay for a photo, all you needed to do was buy an orange juice at their stand in order to get a photo within their space. So it's just up to you whether you want to pay the extra to get photos at those specific locations. But trust me, there are plenty of cute blue corners without paying any extra for photography. But just that is something, of course, to keep in mind. You're also going to come across cats everywhere in the Medina. When we were speaking to locals, they were explaining to us that uh for most of the cats, nobody owns them, but they have respect for them. So the locals feed them and care for them, and you can really feel that while you're wandering around, not only Chefchaoeun and but across Morocco. There are a lot of cats, but they're adorable. You can hear them playing and meowing, and they also make for great photo opportunities. After your morning stroll, I would recommend heading back to your accommodation for breakfast, or at the very least, grabbing yourself a quick Moroccan mint tea or a fresh orange juice. As the light starts to shift and more people start to arrive in the Medina, that is su that is the perfect time to take a little bit of a break because you've earned it after a big morning wandering around. Late morning, I recommend visiting the Kazbah. This is a 15th century fortress located in Plaza Uta el Hamam. Now I am terrible at pronouncing names, so I hope I got that right. I will get the correct spelling for the show notes. The Kazbah really surprised us in Chefchaouen. First of all, as soon as you step inside the gates, you feel like you are in a different world. Funnily enough, you can barely even hear the chaotic noise of the Medina. It just feels like a bit of a sanctuary away from everything. Now, within the Kasbah, you have a museum, you have beautiful gardens, and you also have a couple of towers. I recommend spending at least an hour here, and there was more to see in the Kasbah than we'd actually anticipated. While the gardens are beautiful, the museum is really interesting, and just exploring all of the hidden little corners was fascinating for us. There was a location with an old, I guess it was a jail where people would be locked up. And the guard actually came over and allowed to the guard came over and offered to lock us up for a great photo opportunity, which of course we said yes to. While you were here, I recommend climbing the main tower because in that tower were some of the best views across the city, and they were panoramic views. You can see all of the blue buildings, and it kind of reminded me of uh almost, I guess, Santorini, but in blue. Like it was just really beautiful to see all of the buildings alongside of the mountain. Of course, you can see the mountains and you can see over the Medina. The perfect light to explore this would be early in the morning or later in the afternoon. So if you wanted to give up one of those morning or late afternoon time slots, especially your golden hour, you could also spend that here at the Kasbah. Just make sure you check their opening hours first. This Kasbah dates back to around the 1400s. And our guide recommends dressing a little more modestly within the Kasbah, which we were doing already. And funnily enough, this is one of the buildings here that are not painted blue. With panoramic views of blue houses, date palms, and rolling hills in the background, it is well worth the small entry fee. Next up is lunch, and it's best to get that within the Medina. There are plenty of places to choose from, but two that I would recommend are Cafe Clock Chefchaouen or Lala Mesouda. Once again, I'm terrible at pronouncing names. After lunch, I recommend exploring the Ras El-Maa River. This is a little stream that runs just towards the outside of the Medina. You find a very different tone outside compared to inside the Medina. On the outside, things feel much slower, more relaxed. However, uh stall owners can become a lot more pushy outside the Medina. But it's a lovely break from the hustle and bustle. You can just wander along the little river and explore what the rest of Chefchaouen is like. You also get some great views along this trail if you hit the right spots. If you're feeling energetic, you can continue walking up towards the Spanish Mosque. Here you'll get not only great views, but also epic sunsets if that's something that you're looking for. And a word of warning in this part of the city. Chefchaouen is also known for something else. There are cannabis plantations around Chefchaouen, and towards the outside of the Medina and even around the outer edges, you're likely to be offered chocolate. Chocolate is a code word for marijuana or anything essentially that involves marijuana. So I just want to give you a heads up that it is illegal to consume in Morocco as it is in a lot of other places around the world. And just a word of warning: the chocolate doesn't necessarily mean chocolate in Chefchaouen. Then I recommend heading back into the Medina for some shopping. Explore all of the stores, the local handicrafts. There are some really beautiful textiles there and many different things that you can look to purchase, like handwoven blankets, ceramics, uh photography. There's a lot of artwork there as well. As I mentioned earlier, I think it is the best shopping in Morocco. Just be cautious though of what you're allowed to bring back home through customs. In Morocco, bartering or haggling is custom and expected. In a lot of stalls where there was an advertised price on an item, they were reluctant to budge off that advertised price. Okay, now we're heading into late afternoon and you've had a pretty jam-packed day. So you've got a couple of different options here. At this point in the day, the tool buses are going, which means that the alleyways around the Medina become quiet again, giving you another great photo opportunity here at Golden Hour. So if you're not sick of all of the blue buildings yet, you can continue wandering the Medina and capture them in different light. And there are so many corners, it is hard to see everything within the walls of the Medina. Alternatively, you could find a rooftop bar where you can just slow down, take in the views. It's not super common to drink alcohol in Morocco. So when you're looking for a rooftop bar, just check whether they serve alcohol or if it's a dry establishment because not all bars will serve alcohol. But hey, you can also sit on a rooftop bar and drink a mocktail or a refreshing mint tea. Depending on where you're staying, you might take a dip in your pool at your accommodation. As you're reaching late afternoon towards sunset, you've got two key options for sunset. The first one is to head up to the Spanish mosque and watch the sunset there. That is a very popular thing to do, and it gets really crowded around sunset, but for good reason because the views are stunning. So if you're looking for great sunset views, that is your first option. Your second sunset option is to find a really great restaurant that also has sunset views. And this is what we chose to do whilst in Chefchaouen. We had dinner at restaurant Triana, and if you sit outdoors right near the edge, you have a beautiful view of the mountains and really beautiful colours at sunset. And while we were there, the owner's dogs had just had puppies, and there were tiny puppies nibbling at our feet and our bags and our tablecloths the entire time we were sitting there, and it was oh so adorable, and it just added to our experience. This restaurant does serve alcohol, so we were just sitting there in the outdoor section at sunset. It was starting to get a bit chilly, so we asked them to pop the heater on, sipping our Moroccan wine, puppies nibbling at our feet, and just taking in the atmosphere. For dinner, you can eat dinner outside or inside. Now, most nights of the week, inside they play live local music. So I would recommend have your sunset cocktails or your sunset wine outside before heading indoors for your dinner. This restaurant can get quite busy, so book in advance to make sure that you get a great table. And that is a big 24 hours in Chefchaouen. From waking up in the Medina or wandering around just after sunrise and capturing all of those beautiful. Blue photos grabbing a mint tea or breakfast before heading to the Kasbah, taking in the sweeping views across the city, grabbing lunch, heading outside the Medina to walk along the river, possibly up towards the Spanish mosque, coming back in, ex spending more time around the Medina, shopping, capturing late afternoon photos at golden hour, or heading to a rooftop bar, or going for a bit of a swim, depending on the time of year. Then finding your sunset option either at a restaurant with a view or heading up to the Spanish Mosque, and then of course dinner before heading back to your accommodation. Following this itinerary, we avoided the crowds for most of the day, and we captured so much of the magic of Chefchaouen in, let's face it, just over 24 hours. If you're looking aware to stay in Chefchaouen, I've got a couple of key recommendations. We stayed at Hotel Parador. It was really central, it had great views, it had a restaurant and a pool, and it was easy to get everywhere. Alternatively, there is Riad Nila or Casa Sabila. One of my favorite memories in Chefchaoeun was one of the most simple ones. It was after dinner at Restaurant Triana. We were sitting inside listening to the live local music, surrounded by a combination of locals and tourists, and just soaking in the atmosphere, drinking the local wine, and sitting around a table sitting around the table late into the night with a couple of people from our group, just chatting and getting to know each other and sharing stories and getting into some really deep and meaningful conversations whilst in the heart of Morocco. And I think that's what it's really all about. Spending more time in Chefchaouen is about slowing down and taking the time to really indulge in the local culture and what makes Chefchaouen so special. It's those slower moments when you get the opportunity to dive deeper that make it what it is. Chefchaouen is one of those places that rewards you when you slow down. You don't need weeks here, you just need the right timing, an overnight stay, and the confidence to wander without a plan. That's where the magic really lives. If you're planning Morocco and want help pulling your itinerary together without the overwhelm, I've created a free Morocco travel guide. It's linked in the show notes, and it'll save you hours. And if you want this exact 24-hour Chefchaouen and plan mapped out, plus accommodation and food spots, I've written a full guide on the blog. I'll link that one too. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. I'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast. I hope today's episode has inspired you to travel more authentically and plan your next adventure with confidence. Don't forget to head to touristtotraveller.com for today's show notes, resources, and free guides to help you plan like a pro. And if you love this episode, please hit subscribe and leave a review. It helps more travelers like you discover the show. Until our next adventure. Go beyond the tourist track and level up your travel experiences.