Morocco

Northern Morocco: From Beguiling Fez to Stylish Tangier

The confidential north, between medinas and wild coastline

Morocco

Northern Morocco: From Beguiling Fez to Stylish Tangier

A Morocco few travellers take the time to explore — the scholarly medina of Fez, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, Chefchaouen's indigo lanes, Tangier's bohemian soul, then a retreat on a still-unspoilt stretch of Atlantic coast.

When

March to June | Sept to Nov

Price

From 9 950€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

11 nights

Ideal length

Fez

Days 1-4

After a night in Casablanca to catch your breath from the flight, on to Fez, the most scholarly of the imperial cities — a UNESCO-listed medina, Quranic schools, and a craft tradition still very much alive.

Day 1

A stopover in Casablanca

A night in Casablanca to recover from the flight, at a hotel near the seafront. Nothing planned for this first evening — just time to readjust before heading inland the next day.

Day 2

Arrival in Fez

The road to Fez, where a riad in the heart of the medina awaits for the coming nights — an Andalusian courtyard, colourful zellige tilework, and mint tea served on the terrace on arrival, with a view over the old city's rooftops.

Day 3

Tanneries and souks

A guided day through the medina: the open-air tanneries, viewed from an overlooking terrace, the Quranic schools with their carved portals, then a food tour through the souks to taste honey pastries, marinated olives, and bread fresh from the communal wood oven.

Day 4

A workshop making traditional drums

A private meeting with an artisan luthier who still makes his drums entirely by hand, stretched hides and carved wood using techniques unchanged for generations. A hands-on workshop lets you leave with an instrument made by your own hands — and a better ear for Gnaoua music.

1 / 2

Chefchaouen

Days 5-6

On the road north, a detour via the Roman ruins of Volubilis before reaching Chefchaouen, whose lanes — painted blue since the 1930s — rank among Morocco's most recognisable images.

Day 5

Volubilis and dinner with a family

A visit to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, mosaics and columns still standing under the wide sky of the Middle Atlas, then lunch at a nearby farm. In the evening, arrival in Chefchaouen and dinner with a local family — a simple, sincere way to discover Rif cuisine.

Day 6

The blue pearl

A full day exploring the medina's blue stairways and lanes, between traditional weaving shops and perched cafés. Uta el-Hammam square, the town's heart, is made for a long terrace break, mint tea and a view of the 15th-century Kasbah.

1 / 2

Tangier

Days 7-8

A crossroads town between two continents, Tangier has long drawn artists and free spirits — a bohemian atmosphere still felt today in its cafés, galleries, and a medina sloping down toward the strait.

Day 7

The Akchour waterfalls en route

Leaving Chefchaouen, a stop in Talassemtane National Park for a hike to the Akchour waterfalls, turquoise water tucked between limestone cliffs — a refreshing morning before reaching Tangier and its views over the Strait of Gibraltar by day's end.

Day 8

Market and fish tagine

A visit to Tangier's fish market early in the morning, when the stalls are still overflowing with the night's catch, then a private cooking workshop to prepare a chermoula fish tagine. The afternoon is made for wandering the medina, between contemporary art galleries and historic cafés.

1 / 2

The Larache Coast

Days 9-11

The journey closes with a retreat by the ocean, far from the cities, where the pace finally slows — horses on the beach, hammam, and sunsets with no other audience but you.

Day 9

Asilah and arrival on the coast

On the way to Larache, a stop in Asilah, a small fortified town whose white walls are repainted with murals each year by artists from around the world. Check-in later in the day at an oceanfront retreat, a private villa with an open view over the Atlantic.

Day 10

Horses, hammam and a village breakfast

A horseback ride on the beach at sunrise, the sand still cool and the Atlantic waves for background noise, followed by a traditional hammam to unwind. The morning ends with breakfast in a nearby fishing village — warm bread, local honey, and mint tea.

Day 11

A sunset picnic

A final free day around the villa — private pool, reading on the terrace, or simply the sound of the waves. Later in the day, a picnic is laid out facing the ocean for one last sunset, followed by stargazing before the flight home the next day.