Last updated: June 2026
The honest answer: you don’t have to choose. Almost every northern Morocco itinerary includes both. But how you split your time - and which order you do them in - matters more than most guides admit.
Fes and Chefchaouen are about 200 km apart. They take around 3.5 hours to drive between them. Most travellers who visit northern Morocco do both in a single trip, spending more nights in Fes and fewer in Chefchaouen. The question is how many days each city actually warrants, what the difference in feel really is, and what to do if your time is genuinely tight.
Having been to both cities multiple times since 2017, including one trip where I only had time for one of them, here is what I’d tell you.
What Fes Is Actually Like
Fes is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The medina - Fes el-Bali - is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and genuinely among the most extraordinary urban environments you’ll encounter anywhere. More than 9,000 streets within about 365 hectares. Buildings that date back to the 9th century. Over 350 mosques still in use.
It’s also intense. Not in a chaotic or aggressive way like some travellers fear, but in the sense that it asks something of you. You will get lost. That’s not a romantic cliche - it’s logistically certain your first day, and still likely your second. The scale is hard to comprehend until you’re inside it.
The tanneries at Chouara are the postcard image of Fes, and they’re worth seeing - but go with a riad owner’s recommendation for viewing points rather than following a guide who “happens to be passing.” The Bou Inania Madrasa, the Al-Attarine Madrasa, and the Nejjarine Museum of Wood Arts are all genuinely good. The food in the medina is excellent if you go slightly off the main tourist drag.
The hassle in Fes is real but manageable. Fake guides and commission-driven shopkeepers exist. Being firm and not making eye contact with unsolicited offers gets you most of the way there. After a day you’ll have the rhythm of it.
See the full Fes travel guide for practical logistics on where to stay and what to skip.
What Chefchaouen Is Actually Like
Chefchaouen is a small mountain town of around 30,000 people in the Rif Mountains. The blue-painted medina is genuinely beautiful - less built for tourism than it looks, because locals live and work there. The main square, Uta el-Hammam, has a 15th-century kasbah and decent cafes. The streets around Place el-Hauta are the most photographed.
It’s calm. Noticeably, meaningfully calm compared to any of Morocco’s major cities. The pace is slower. The approaches from sellers are softer, though not entirely absent. You can walk the entire medina in a couple of hours and still feel like you’ve been there properly.
What Chefchaouen doesn’t have: the historic depth of Fes, the range of restaurants, the museum culture, or the sense that you’re inside something genuinely ancient and layered. It’s a beautiful place to be rather than a place to go and do things. That distinction matters when you’re deciding how many days to give it.
The Chefchaouen travel guide covers day trips into the Rif Mountains, which are worth it if you have a third night.
How Many Days Each City Needs
Fes: 2 full days minimum, 3 if you want to breathe
Two full days in Fes gets you through the medina properly, the tanneries, one or two madrasas, and a wander through the Mellah (Jewish quarter). Three days lets you go slower, revisit a souq you liked, and do a half-day trip to Volubilis (Roman ruins, about 80 km away). If you only have one day, you’ll see the highlights but you won’t understand the city.
Chefchaouen: 2 nights is right for most people
Two nights gives you one full day in the medina, an early morning walk before the tour groups arrive (crucial - do this), and an evening at leisure. A third night is worth it only if you plan to hike in Talassemtane National Park, which is about 30 km away and genuinely good.
For a planned 2-day visit, the Chefchaouen 2 day itinerary maps it out hour by hour.
The Drive Between Them
The road distance between Fes and Chefchaouen is about 195 km. By car it takes approximately 3.5 hours. By bus (CTM operates direct services) it’s closer to 4.5 to 5 hours, costing roughly €12-18. The route goes through Rif mountain terrain - scenic, winding in parts, and completely fine in a normal car.
There is no train between Fes and Chefchaouen. If you want to minimise hassle, a private transfer is the cleanest option. Shared taxis exist but require changing at Ouazzane, which adds time and logistical faff. The full breakdown of routes, prices, and timings is in the guide on how to get to Chefchaouen.
The drive itself is pleasant. Rolling hills, occasional villages, the Rif mountains building in the background as you approach Chefchaouen from Fes. Not something to rush through if you have your own car.
Which Order to Do Them In
Standard order: Fes first, then Chefchaouen. Most people enter Morocco from the south or via Marrakech and work north. Logistically this makes sense.
There’s also a rhythm argument for this order. Fes is the more demanding city - navigating the medina, managing the sensory load, calibrating to the pace of Morocco if it’s your first or second visit. Chefchaouen is easier. Doing Fes first means you arrive in Chefchaouen with your Morocco legs already, able to just enjoy it without still figuring out how things work.
If you’re flying into Tangier or arriving by ferry, you’ll likely do it in reverse: Tangier, then Chefchaouen, then Fes. That also works. Chefchaouen is a gentler introduction to Morocco, and Fes becomes the climax rather than the warm-up.
For a full northern loop, the Morocco itineraries guide has several northern-only options.
If You Only Have Time for One
Choose Fes.
This is not the popular answer - Chefchaouen photographs better and is in every Instagram Morocco reel you’ve ever seen. But if you can only do one city in northern Morocco and you want to understand what Morocco actually is, Fes is the answer. It’s one of the great medieval cities on the planet. The medina alone justifies a trip from Europe.
Chefchaouen is beautiful but essentially one thing: a scenic, blue-painted mountain town. You can feel its essence in a single day. Fes rewards multiple days and genuinely changes how you see the country.
If you’re already experienced in Morocco - you’ve been before, you’ve done the major cities, you want something calmer and more restorative - then Chefchaouen as a standalone destination makes perfect sense.
What a Sensible Northern Itinerary Looks Like
For most first-timers with 10-14 days in Morocco, a workable north-focused structure is:
- Casablanca or Rabat: 1 night (transit)
- Fes: 3 nights
- Chefchaouen: 2-3 nights
- Tangier or return: 1 night if exiting via Tangier
That’s 7-8 nights for the north, which works as a standalone trip or as the northern half of a full Morocco itinerary that also includes Marrakech and the desert.
If you’re combining north and south, the Morocco itineraries guide has 10-day and 14-day options that handle the routing.
Travelling with a group or want the logistics handled? Our northern Morocco tours cover Fes, Chefchaouen, and the route between them with guides who know both cities properly.
The Real Difference (And Why It Matters)
Fes and Chefchaouen are not competing with each other. They do completely different things. Fes is a grand, complex, slightly overwhelming medieval city that asks you to engage with it. Chefchaouen is a small mountain town that lets you decompress.
The best version of a northern Morocco trip uses each city for what it does best. You go to Fes to be in something genuinely historic and layered. You go to Chefchaouen to slow down, walk the blue streets in the early morning, sit on a rooftop, and let Morocco be quiet for a moment.
The main planning mistake travellers make is giving Chefchaouen too many days and Fes not enough. Two or three nights in Fes, two nights in Chefchaouen - that’s the ratio that most people leave satisfied with.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Fes from Chefchaouen?
By road it’s approximately 195 km. Driving takes around 3.5 hours in normal traffic. The bus (CTM direct) takes 4.5 to 5 hours. There’s no train connection between the two cities.
Should I go to Chefchaouen or Fes first?
If you’re entering Morocco from the south (Marrakech, Casablanca) and heading north, do Fes first and Chefchaouen second - it’s the more natural route and Chefchaouen makes a good final stop before heading toward Tangier or returning. If you’re arriving via Tangier or a northern ferry port, reverse the order.
How many days do I need in Fes?
Two full days is the minimum for seeing the medina properly. Three days is comfortable and allows time for a day trip to Volubilis. One day is possible but leaves you having only scratched the surface.
How many days do I need in Chefchaouen?
Two nights (one full day plus an early morning walk) is right for most travellers. A third night is worthwhile if you want to hike in Talassemtane National Park or simply want to slow down without feeling rushed. More than three nights is genuinely unnecessary for most people.
Which is better for solo female travellers, Fes or Chefchaouen?
Both are manageable. Chefchaouen is calmer and the approaches from strangers are fewer and less persistent. Fes has more going on and more opportunities for commission-based hassle, but it’s not unsafe. Many solo female travellers find Fes more manageable than they expected. The Morocco itineraries guide has routing notes specifically for solo travellers.
Can I do a day trip from Fes to Chefchaouen?
Technically yes, but it’s not a good idea. The drive is 3.5 hours each way, which leaves you less than three hours in Chefchaouen. You’d spend most of the day in a car to see a city that warrants at least an overnight stay. Stay the night - it’s worth it.
