The kasbah & medina
Wind up from the Petit Socco to the Dar el-Makhzen kasbah museum, where the terraces look out over the harbour to Spain on the far shore.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Cap Spartel, Tangier · Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tangier, Morocco
Tangier stands where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, with Spain visible across the strait on a clear morning. It is the city most often paired with Fes, roughly four hours north by road, with Chefchaouen on the route between them. Its international years drew Matisse, Paul Bowles and Burroughs; two nights covers the kasbah, Cap Spartel and the bay.
- Private or small-group
- A written quote for your dates
- WhatsApp support during your trip
Why go to Tangier
Of all the destinations on this site, Tangier is the one most naturally paired with Fes: roughly four hours north by road, or about two hours on the Al Boraq high-speed train, with the blue town of Chefchaouen sitting neatly on the route between them. The city stands where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, Spain visible across the strait on a clear morning. Governed jointly by foreign powers from 1923 to 1956, its international years drew Matisse, Paul Bowles, William Burroughs and the Rolling Stones, and that cosmopolitan edge still sets it apart from the inland imperial cities.
- Best time
- April–June and September–October
- How long
- 2 nights
- Nearest airport
- Tangier Ibn Battouta (TNG)
- Region
- Strait of Gibraltar · Northern Morocco
From Fes to Tangier
Out by Bab Guissa, north into the Rif: the way the drive leaves the medina walls, drawn schematically from OpenStreetMap.
- Fes, Bab Guissaباب عجيسة
- The Rifالريف
- Chefchaouenشفشاون
- Tangierطنجة
What you'll see in Tangier
Cap Spartel & the Caves of Hercules
The northwestern tip of Africa: a working lighthouse and the sea-worn cave whose opening is famously shaped like the continent's own map.
Literary Tangier on foot
Hotel El Muniria where Burroughs drafted Naked Lunch, Café Hafa where Bowles took his mint tea above the strait, and the long shelves of the Librairie des Colonnes.
A day on the bay
A skippered sail out across Tangier bay with a swim stop near Cap Spartel and lunch served on board.
Fes's northern gateway.
Tangier stationWays to see Tangier
Trips we build around Tangier. Tell us which one fits and we'll write the days and quote them for your group.
3 days
Tangier literary weekend
A slow kasbah weekend in the company of a literary historian, based in a private apartment just off the Petit Socco — easily tacked onto the northern road or rail run from Fes.
Half day
A day on Tangier bay
A skippered 12-metre sailing yacht for up to six guests, with a swim stop off Cap Spartel.
Before you go
Getting there. Ferry from Tarifa (35 min) or Algeciras (1h), or fly direct to TNG
Combine with. Chefchaouen (2h south) on the way down to Fes (4h by car, 2h by Al Boraq train)
Read next. Is Volubilis Worth Visiting, and How Do You Do a Meknes & Volubilis Day Trip from Fes?; Can You See Wild Monkeys Near Fes, and Is the Ifrane & Azrou Cedar Forest Day Trip Worth It?; Is the Fes Medina Overwhelming, and How Do You Avoid Getting Lost?.
Pair Tangier with
The places closest to Tangier, easy to join on one private route.
Questions about Tangier
Read these before you add Tangier to a trip.
How does Tangier fit with Fes?
It is the most logical northern bookend to Fes: drop down the coast as Tangier → Chefchaouen → Fes (or run it in reverse), about four hours by road or two on the Al Boraq train. It is also the most cosmopolitan of Morocco's old cities, a useful contrast to the inland medinas.
How long do you need in Tangier?
Two nights work well — one for the kasbah and medina, one for Cap Spartel and a long lunch — before you head south toward Chefchaouen and Fes.
Tell us your dates. We'll plan Tangier with you.
- Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
- A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
- You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.