How to Get from Marrakech to Chefchaouen: 2026 Transport Guide

The 4 ways to get from Marrakech to Chefchaouen

The route is 580 km via Casablanca / Rabat / Fes, or 700 km via the inland Beni Mellal road. Below is the 2026 comparison.

Option 1: The CTM overnight bus (£20, 11 hours)

CTM runs one direct overnight Marrakech → Chefchaouen service, departing around 7pm and arriving 6–7am the next morning. Book online at ctm.ma 2–3 days ahead. The buses are comfortable Mercedes coaches with reclining seats, AC, one 20-minute meal break around midnight, and luggage stored below in a locked compartment (you get a baggage ticket).

Best for budget travellers, solo travellers (it’s safe), and anyone whose schedule lets them sleep through the journey. Worst for light sleepers, families with young kids, and anyone prone to motion sickness on winding roads.

Option 2: Train to Tangier + bus to Chefchaouen

The Al Boraq high-speed train (TGV) doesn’t go to Marrakech yet — there is only the standard ONCF day train Marrakech → Casablanca → Rabat → Tangier (8 hours, MAD 200–350 / £18–32 first class). From Tangier-Ville station, a CTM bus to Chefchaouen takes 2.5 hours (MAD 50 / £4).

Slow, but the scenery is excellent and you arrive in Chefchaouen by 6pm in time for the blue alley sunset. Best for travellers who want to use the train day to relax and write postcards.

Option 3: Private car with a stop in Fes (recommended)

The most popular option among our travellers. Day 1: Marrakech → Fes (5h on the motorway via Casablanca, £80–100 split, including the toll), 2 nights in Fes. Day 2 onwards: explore the [Fes medina](/destinations/fes/) with a guide. Day 3 or later: Fes → Chefchaouen (4h, £80–100 split). Total driving 9 hours spread over 3 days; you also get the second imperial city for free.

You can do this with a private driver from [MoroccoForYou Cars](/rent-a-car/casablanca-airport/) or self-driven in a rental. Motorway driving Marrakech-Fes is easy; the Fes-Chefchaouen leg climbs into the Rif mountains and is more demanding.

Option 4: Fly to Fes, then drive

Royal Air Maroc and Air Arabia operate Marrakech → Fes daily (1h, £80–140). From Fes airport (FEZ), a private transfer to Chefchaouen takes 4h (£80–100). Total under £250 if you book ahead.

Best for time-poor travellers who don’t want the Marrakech-Fes drive but still want Chefchaouen in their itinerary. Worst if you wanted to see the imperial cities corridor (Casablanca / Rabat) en route — the flight cuts that out.

Best time of day, week, year to travel

For the night bus: book a Sunday-Tuesday departure if you can. Friday-Saturday is busier and louder. For the train, the 8am Marrakech departure puts you in Tangier by 4pm and Chefchaouen by 7pm, perfect timing.

Year-wise, avoid driving Fes-Chefchaouen in heavy winter rain (Dec-Feb) — the Rif roads can flood. Summer (Jul-Aug) is fine but the night bus is hot until midnight.

What to do with luggage and timing

On the night bus, keep your passport and valuables in your daypack inside the cabin. Hand luggage goes overhead, big bags below. Bring a thin fleece — the AC is aggressive. On the train, big bags go on the rack at the carriage end (visible from most seats).

For private cars and rentals, fuel up before leaving Marrakech (the motorway service stations are pricier) and break the drive at Casablanca services (Aire de Berrechid) or in Rabat for lunch.

Once you arrive in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen’s medina is car-free. The bus drops you at the main station 10 minutes’ walk from Bab el-Aïn (the main medina gate). Petit-taxi from station to gate costs MAD 15. Your riad will have a porter ready at the gate to walk you and your bags through the blue alleys.

Plan at least one full night in Chefchaouen — most day-trippers arrive 11am and leave 5pm, so the magic starts at dusk when the alleys empty.