Excursion to Fes and Chefchaouen

---

In this excursion to Chaouen and Fez we travel to Tetouan by the beautiful inland road where we will appreciate the rural Morocco that stretches between Tangier and our destination. You can make a stop in the village of Ait Lahcen to observe the landscape and rural life while having tea or taking a short walk. Depending on the time, we can stop there to eat one of the wonderful tajines or grilled meat cooked in the typical stalls of this road town. By default we will choose this last route or the highway because it is faster.

Tetouan is the former capital of the Spanish protectorate. Also known by the nickname "The white dove", the city covers the hillsides where it is settled with whitewashed houses. On a guided tour you can enjoy its huge medina, declared a World Heritage Site. It is a real wonder and very little known. You will perceive that it still remains authentic and you can enjoy observing all kinds of artisans working in it.

It is very nice to start the visit from the Moulay El Mehdi Square, where the bell of a Catholic church still tells time. Then, stroll through the stylish “Ensanche” enjoying the well-preserved colonial facades to the royal palace. Everything in Tetouan is painted white and green. And it is also full of signs of its old Spanish character. The palace is located in the beautiful Hassan II square, garnished with modernist columns of a disciple of Gaudí who resided in Melilla.

Tetouan has not yet been invaded by tourism and it is worth observing the daily life of its inhabitants to get an idea of ​​what Morocco is nowadays. The light of Tetouan, as in Tangier, is so bright that you will not forget.

After this, we continue our excursion to Chaouen and Fes, and we will travel to the so called blue pearl of Morocco. The magical blue village of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains is 115 km by road to the southeast of Tangier, two and a half hours away. The journey by private transport will also show rural northern Morocco and Mediterranean landscapes that become increasingly mountainous during the journey.

Although it is a very tourist destination, it is a sacred town that only since 1920, with the arrival of the Spanish, began to allow foreigners to enter. And this is perceived from the first moment. It is an essential visit for the beauty of the place and its peculiarity.

In Chaouen you will enjoy the walk through its cozy streets painted indigo blue. There are different theories about why they are blue. For many they are ranked among the 10 most beautiful streets in the world. Instagramers: it will be your delight, every street, every door and every corner is a beautiful photograph.

You can visit the Kasbah and go upstairs its tower from where to observe the magical view of the village and the mountains of the Talassemtane National Park. The medina is full of craft shops, so you can also enjoy of doing some shopping. The Andalusian-style Uta Al-Hammam square with restaurants on the roof of its buildings is ideal for lunch or take a tea in a pleasant place enjoying the breeze.

If you stay here one or two days more, we can make excursions to Talassemtane park, to Akchour waterfalls, or reach the sea in Oued Laou. You will enjoy breathtaking landscape when going there.

---

In the morning there will still be time for one last ride. We will approach to the river where the women gather to wash clothes and lay it in the sun following their customs. You can also take advantage to make some purchases.

Visit the beautiful Roman ruins of Volubilis, a Unesco heritage city, is a must. This is the most impressive and well-preserved archaeological site in Morocco. There are still vestiges of houses with beautiful mosaics in the city. There also other spectacular areas such as the thermal baths of Gallien, the forum and the capitol. On the top of the hill, the basilica and the imposing Arch of Caracalla, remain as a gateway to Mediterranean fields. If you like photography you will enjoy the light on the columns and roman ruins.

After the visit we will drive directly to Fes.

---

We spend the day visiting the enigmatic and religious Fes, cultural capital and the oldest city of the Imperial cities of Morocco, founded by Idris I (789) and his son Moulay Idris II (810).

From the hand of a local guide, Fes city tour takes you to a tale time, while we visit Fes-el-Bali, its chaotic medieval medina. It is the largest in the world, for its thousands streets and alleys that make it a real maze. In the visit, it is essential to approach their medersas (koranic schools) Attarine and Bou Inania, to appreciate their artistic and beautiful decoration of ceramics, plaster and wood worked. You can refresh yourself in the fountain of Nejjarine, framed with a beautiful mosaic and which presides over the small but beautiful square of the same name. And we will arrive at the mausoleum of Moulay Idriss and the Al-Karaouine Mosque, the oldest university in the world.

All this walking through the souks of artisans of metal, wood, carpets, ceramics and all kinds of crafts. Raffling wagons pulled by donkeys full of merchandise, as the main way of transport impasse over time, which seems to have stopped. We will also have the opportunity to visit Chouara, old tanneries or skin tanners where articles of clothing and bags are made.

Our tour continues in the 7 golden doors of the Royal Palace. Beside, we find the Jewish quarter, first Mellah ever built in Morocco , in the sixteenth century. Also after lunch, we will visit a tile and ceramic cooperative. From there, with the car we will go up to the fortress to observe the wonderful panoramic view of Fes. If it is the hour of prayer, it will accompany your visit resonating spirituality from the hundreds of mosques in the city.

---

Finally, on this excursion to Chaouen and Fes, it is worthwhile to enter Meknes, the quietest and least known of the 4 imperial cities, in the northern center of the country, just 65 km from Fez.

In Meknes you can visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ismaïl, the warrior king, Sultan who made it the capital of the kingdom. He was the one who ordered the construction of the beautiful and imposing Bab Mansour door of 1732, the largest in Morocco and North Africa, which gives entry to the medina. There we will stop to walk through the square that extends in front of it and that will remind you Marrakech.

We will also include in the tour the visit to the barns and stables and the Agadal pond, built to irrigate the gardens of the city. Iif you have more time you can choose to visit the Dar Jamai Museum, a beautiful 19th-century palace that houses decorative pieces, furniture and crafts worth seeing.

Return trip to Tangier and end of this excursion Chaouen and Fez, and our services.

---

What includes this Fes & Chaouen excursion:

- Personalized private excursion only for your group.

- Price includes private transport (with wifi and air conditioning) from Tangier to Chaouen and Fes, and return from Fes; and accommodation in BB or HB optional in riad/hotel on the chosen category (basic, comfort, luxury).

- Professional local driver who speaks customer's language (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, among others).

- Points and schedule of collection and arrival to be agreed.

What is not included in this Fes & Chaouen excursion:

- Meals, drinks, or entrance tickets to museums or other activities.

-Does not include fee for local guide (to consult).

Others:

- If you want to do this and other excursions from Tangier as a single trip, ask us for the Northern Star tour.

- This itinerary is subject to modifications depending on the start and arrival time, or weather or other force majeure imperatives