How to Get to Chefchaouen (Blue City)

It’s hard enough to pronounce Chefchaouen, otherwise known as the Blue City, let alone try and get to it! I had heard stories about how difficult it was because of its location – however, it was incredibly easy. In this post I’ll talk about the best possible routes to get there and while you are there.

First of all, you pronounce it as ‘Chef-SHAH-when’. Get it? Got it? Good. When planning your trip, it’s best to go to your old friend Google Maps so you can get an overview of the entire country and determine distances. Most people will be going to Chefchaouen from Tangier or Fes since they are the closest.

Where is Chefchaouen?

You need to take a bus or taxi to get there, and if that’s your first night’s stay when landing in Morocco, it is pretty far from any airport you’d be flying into since it’s located in the Rif Mountains.

CTM Bus

The best option is going to be with the company CTM. I know when I say bus, you automatically are thinking of some run down bus, no AC with no doors and potential barnyard animals hitching a ride with you. It was the opposite! It was a really nice bus with plushy seats that reversed, AC, and plenty of leg room. The company is also organized with your luggage under the bus, as they give you a receipt ticket that the baggage handler is very adamant on seeing it before he gives your luggage back (so don’t lose your receipt!) It was a great, cheap experience!

Buying CTM tickets online

Yes, they have a website where you can book your seats in advance and accept international cards. If you are super savvy, you can buy your tickets a minimum of 72 hours in advance (they are really strict on this) if you have a non-Moroccan credit/debit card (carte internationale).  You can just use Google Translate to help with the French, but it’s really straightforward.

Buying CTM tickets at bus station

I wasn’t able to buy online because I got lazy and remembered only 48 hours in advance…and then it was too late to purchase with an international card. So when I landed in Tangier, I had a grand taxi take me to the CTM station that was close to my awesome hotel in Tangier (grand taxi from the airport to CTM station cost 200 MAD). I bought tickets for my trip the next day, but a guy I met in the customs line bought his tickets for the same day and it wasn’t full. My advice would be to try to buy online, or a day or two in advance from the CTM station.

Get there via Taxi

This is for sure the more expensive way to go ($215 one way from Fes > Blue city). I have experience with using Tangier Taxi, which is a very reliable and organized service. If you have the cash to spend and you want to determine the times you arrive, this is a private way to get there but is not necessarily faster (our car did not have seat belts in the back. Oops!)

From Tangier

Ticket cost is roughly 50 dirhams ($5). The CTM station is located here, which is outside the city in the middle of nowhere. If you are there just to buy the tickets and then go back to the city, have your taxi wait for you because there aren’t any around. Also, tell them to turn the meter on to make sure they don’t stiff you – should be around 12-20 dirhams from CTM to the city.

How to get to the blue section of Chefchaouen

The whole city isn’t entirely blue, surprise! It’s only a small part, and hopefully, that’s the part you’re staying in. If you chose to travel via bus, it will drop you off about 10-minute taxi ride outside the area. You need to take a taxi, and they don’t have meters. BUT you don’t have to get tricked into paying a higher price – the typical price is around 20-30 dirhams, no more.

Something really funny that happened to us was the taxi driver would pick up and drop off locals on his way to dropping us off. This might really freak some people out, but don’t be alarmed, the taxi drivers are just making extra fare while driving through.

Pro Tips

Why is the city blue?

During WW2, some Jewish communities fled Hitler to the mountains of Morocco. They painted their houses blue to unite their community, as blue is a religious color that means the sky. Since this time, Chefchaouen has become a predominantly Muslim community, but they kept the color of the city blue.

Where to Stay

I loved the riad we stayed in! I always chose riads because the inner gardens are really my thang. I thought this riad was especially different and the added perk of our own private mountain view balcony had me super excited. It definitely did not disappoint. We stayed at Riad Gharnata in the Farida Suite. Also, there was a succulent garden on the balcony which I drooled over.