This Northern Morocco private tour is a short, rich trip through the north of the country, and it is entirely private. You travel as a couple, a family or with friends, either driving a rental car yourself or with a private driver. There is no group and no tour leader. In 9 days you start on the Strait of Gibraltar in Tangier and in blue-and-white Asilah, head into the green Rif mountains to blue Chefchaouen and walk to the Akchour waterfalls. Via Roman Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes you end with three nights in a riad in the Fes medina, with a day trip to the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas.
This is my recommended route. You can change whatever you like. It suits travellers who want to see a lot in a short time without spending hours in the car: the longest drive is about 3 hours, and you fly into Tangier and home from Fes, so you never drive the same road twice.
At a glance
- Recommended length: 9 days (8 nights); can be cut to 7 or extended to 14
- Style: fully arranged private trip, from 1 traveller
- Start date: any day you choose
- Transport: your choice of self-drive (rental car) or a private driver; the airport transfers in Tangier and Fes are always by private driver
- Indicative price, per person for 2 travellers, excluding the international flight:
| Level | Self-drive | Private driver |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €620 | €980 |
| Comfort | €870 | €1,430 |
| Premium | €1,310 | €1,570 |
- International flight: not included; into Tangier, home from Fes. Allow about €150–400 pp depending on the month (often cheaper from Charleroi)
- 4 travellers together: €770 pp instead of €870 (Comfort, self-drive) · solo traveller: €1,530 pp (Comfort, self-drive) (indicative)
- Best months: March to June, September and October
Prices are estimates and may change once quotes from local partners are in.
Best time to visit Northern Morocco
The best time to visit Northern Morocco is spring, from March to June, and early autumn, in September and October. You pick your own start date. Ramadan 2027 falls roughly from 8 February to 9 March, and Eid al-Adha around mid-May 2027; services are reduced and roads busy then, so I take it into account if you travel early March or mid-May. After heavy rain in winter or spring the Akchour trail can be closed; you then get an alternative walk in Talassemtane National Park or around Chefchaouen. March and September are among the cheapest months to fly; July, December and May among the priciest.
My recommended route and why it runs this way
A private driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Tangier with a name sign and takes you to your riad or hotel in the medina or the Kasbah. The next morning you explore the Kasbah, with the Kasbah Museum in the old sultan's palace, before collecting your rental car or meeting your driver. Along the coast you stop at Cape Spartel, where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, and the Caves of Hercules, then continue to Asilah (about 45 minutes), a blue-and-white fishing town within Portuguese walls, with murals by artists from all over the world. You watch the sunset from the bastions.
Through the Rif you reach Chefchaouen (about 2.5 hours). Your car stays in a guarded car park at the edge of the medina and a porter carries your luggage. You wander the blue lanes to Outa el-Hammam square and the kasbah, and walk up to the Spanish mosque at sunset. The next day you drive about 45 minutes to Akchour in Talassemtane National Park and walk along the river to the waterfalls and, if you like, on to the rock arch of God's Bridge.
Then through the rolling interior to Volubilis (about 3 hours), the best-preserved Roman city in Morocco (UNESCO), with mosaics still in place, the holy town of Moulay Idriss and Meknes, where you spend the evening on El Hedim square. After a morning at Bab Mansour, the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the granaries and stables of Heri es-Souani, it's about 1 hour to Fes. From there you take a day trip to the Middle Atlas: the lake of Dayet Aoua, Ifrane, the cedar forest near Azrou with wild Barbary macaques, and the cave houses of Bhalil (about 3.5 hours of driving in total). If you drive yourself, you return the car in Fes that evening. Your last full day is in Fes el-Bali (UNESCO), the largest car-free medieval city in the world, with the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas, the Chouara tannery and the workshops of coppersmiths, weavers and zellij makers. On day 9 a private driver takes you to Fes airport.
See the full day-by-day itinerary
Self-drive or private driver?
Self-drive works very well in the north: short distances, good roads and plenty of fine stops. You collect your rental car (full insurance with zero excess) in Tangier on day 2 and return it in Fes on day 7, after the Middle Atlas day trip; the one-way fee is included. In Tangier and Fes you don't need a car: a private driver takes you to and from the airport. Fuel, tolls and parking are paid locally, and the rental company holds a credit-card deposit. The medinas are car-free, so your roadbook gives a guarded car park at the edge of the medina for every hotel. The Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs advises against driving after dark, so the roadbook plans every leg to arrive before dusk. Expect frequent police speed checks, with fines paid on the spot.
With a private driver, a French- or English-speaking driver takes you in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle on all travel and excursion days, from Tangier airport to the day trip to Ifrane and Azrou and on to Fes airport. He waits during your visits and drops you at the edge of the medinas. He is a driver, not a guide. Morocco with a private driver costs €1,430 pp in Comfort instead of €870 for self-drive (2 travellers, indicative).
In doubt? Self-drive is easy here and clearly cheaper. If you'd rather not think about driving or parking at all, choose the driver.
What I arrange for you
Eight nights in riads and small hotels in the medinas and old towns, in a double room with private bathroom and breakfast. Private airport transfers in Tangier and Fes. Your rental car (day 2 to 7, zero excess, one-way fee included) or a private driver on all travel and excursion days. Entrance fees for the Kasbah Museum and Caves of Hercules, the Chefchaouen kasbah, Volubilis, Heri es-Souani and the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas, plus the tourist tax. No guide by default: your roadbook tells you what to see where. Prefer a guide? I can arrange a local guide for that activity and get you the price, for example at Akchour (day 4), a licensed guide at Volubilis (day 5) or a licensed city guide in the Fes medina (day 8), and also in Tangier and Meknes. A hammam or cooking class in Fes I am happy to book for you. A detailed roadbook with routes, parking tips by the medinas and my favourite addresses. And one point of contact: a personal intake meeting (at your home or by video call), a WhatsApp line with me before and during the trip, a personal 24/7 number and a follow-up call after you return.
Budget, Comfort or Premium
Budget means simple, excellently reviewed riads and guesthouses in or right by the medinas, with a warm welcome and breakfast. Comfort means characterful riads with a roof terrace and patio, right in the old towns of Tangier, Chefchaouen, Meknes and Fes. Premium means the finest riads and boutique hotels on the route, with more space, refined zellij and woodwork, often with a spa, hammam or pool.
Make the route your own
The recommended length is 9 days, but anything from 7 to 14 days works. Spend more time by the sea with an extra night in Asilah or two nights in Tangier; add a third night in Chefchaouen for a second walking day in the Rif; add a night in Rabat between Asilah and Meknes; or take an extra day in Fes for the Marinid tombs, the Mellah and Fes el-Jdid, or a day in Tetouan. You can also continue after Fes through the Middle Atlas to the Sahara at Merzouga and on to Marrakech: see my Southern Morocco trip.
Practical tips
- Visa (Belgian passport): no visa needed for tourist stays up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for the entire stay; 6 months' validity is recommended. The Belgian ID card is not sufficient.
- Health: no mandatory vaccinations. Routine vaccinations and hepatitis A are recommended. No malaria. Drink bottled water. See wanda.be.
- Money: Moroccan dirham (MAD); exchange or withdraw cash locally. ATMs in the towns; in small villages and souks you pay cash.
- Flights and time: about 3 hours direct to Tangier and about 3 hours home from Fes, with flights from Brussels and Charleroi. Morocco uses UTC+1 (UTC+0 during Ramadan): no difference in Belgian winter, 1 hour behind in Belgian summer.
- Language: Arabic (Darija) and Tamazight are official; French is widely spoken, Spanish in Tangier and the Rif.
- Meals: breakfast is included every day. For other meals you get my restaurant tips and choose freely; allow about €20–30 pp per day for meals and drinks.
Travel advice
The Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs (update 13 April 2026) says Morocco can generally be visited safely with the usual precautions; the border areas with Algeria and Mauritania are advised against, and neither is on this route. There is a persistent terrorism threat, so follow the FPS advice and avoid demonstrations. In the medinas, watch out for touts and petty theft, and women may face harassment; we cover this in the intake meeting and the roadbook. Around Chefchaouen cannabis is grown and travellers are offered hashish: stick to the main roads. Read the latest advice on diplomatie.belgium.be.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Northern Morocco tour cost?
From €620 pp for 9 days, Budget level with self-drive, based on 2 travellers and excluding the international flight. Comfort costs €870 pp self-drive or €1,430 pp with a private driver. Including the flight (about €150–400 pp) it starts from about €870 pp. With 4 travellers it's €770 pp (Comfort, self-drive), solo €1,530 pp. These are indicative prices.
When is the best time to visit Northern Morocco?
March to June, and September and October. Bear in mind Ramadan (roughly 8 February to 9 March in 2027) and Eid al-Adha around mid-May 2027, when services are reduced and roads busy.
Self-drive or private driver?
Both work. Self-drive is easy here: the longest drive is about 3 hours and the roads are good. You have the car from day 2 in Tangier to day 7 in Fes, and you don't drive after dark. With a private driver you never have to park or find your way; in Comfort that's €1,430 pp instead of €870.
How many days do you need for Northern Morocco?
I recommend 9 days (8 nights). You can shorten it to 7 days or extend it to 14, for example with extra nights in Asilah or Chefchaouen, or by combining it with the south.
Do Belgians need a visa for Morocco?
No, not for tourist stays up to 90 days. You do need a passport; the ID card is not enough.
Plan your trip
I am not selling trips yet: first I take out the legally required insurance against financial insolvency. Want to be the first to know when you can book, or to talk your route through already? Email [email protected] or plan an intake meeting via the interest list, at your home or by video call. Prices remain estimates until then.
Sources
- https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/landen/marokko/reizen-naar-marokko-reisadvies
- https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/landen/marokko/reizen-naar-marokko-reisadvies/algemene-veiligheid-marokko
- https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/landen/marokko/reizen-naar-marokko-reisadvies/gezondheid-en-hygiene-marokko
- https://morocco.diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/op-reis-marokko/reisadvies-voor-marokko
- https://www.wanda.be/nl/
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/836/
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/170/
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/793/
- https://www.kayak.de/flight-routes/Brussels-Bruxelles-National-BRU/Tangier-Ibn-Battouta-TNG
- https://www.kayak.de/flight-routes/Brussels-Bruxelles-National-BRU/Fes-Saiss-FEZ
Last updated: 15 October 2026. Prices are estimates and may change.
