Rabat
Most travellers land in Casablanca and start from Rabat. Rabat to Chefchaouen to Fes is the direction Youssef prefers, because Fes is the loud, intense finale.
5–7 days from €520
North Morocco
Shorter driving days. Rabat, Chefchaouen, and Fes without the desert run.
Travellers who want cities and culture more than dunes, and shorter days in the car.
Message us about this route- 7 STOPS
- 230.7 KM OUTBOUND
Roadbook
The road, hour by hour.
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Souk El Arbaa / Sidi Kacem
Exactly halfway, clean bathrooms, mint tea. Coffee and leg-stretch only.
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Chefchaouen
14:00–14:30 Chefchaouen No stopping on the mountain switchbacks for photos. There is no shoulder and the curves are blind.
Sun is high and harsh on arrival; the blue walls are best at 17:30.
→ 577 m - Non-driving day · Chefchaouen
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Chefchaouen
Day three is Chefchaouen with no driving, so it does not need a roadbook row. On the driving day to Fes, leave Chefchaouen at 09:30.
▼ 379 m -
Volubilis
Real visit. People think it is a ten-minute photo stop; it is a large archaeological site and needs comfortable shoes.
In July, leave an hour earlier for everything. Do not visit Volubilis at 13:00: zero shade.
▲ 516 m -
Moulay Idriss
Quick lunch, then depart at 14:30.
▼ 404 m -
Fes
Arrival in Fes is 17:00 if lunch is quick. If they sit down for a long tagine lunch in Meknes, it is 18:30.
Golden light on the medina walls. In January the sun sets by 17:30, and finding a riad in the Fes medina in the dark for the first time is miserable.
What is covered
Included and not included.
Included
- Private driver for the full route, with you the whole way
- Vehicle, fuel, tolls, and all the driver's costs
- Accommodation for every night of the route
- Airport or riad pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water in the car
- A local guide for the medina days, arranged where you want one
- One WhatsApp contact from booking until you fly home
Not included
- Lunches
- Monument entrance fees
- Tips for local walking guides
People
Your driver for this route.
Driver
Youssef Berrada
12 years driving this route
- Based
- Fes
- Languages
- Arabic — native, French — fluent, English — good, Spanish — basic
I have a wife and three kids in Fes. I want to go home to them. I will drive safe.
Sleeping
Where you sleep.
Medina stay
Chefchaouen old medina
Stay in the old medina, not the modern town downhill.
Riad near a gate
Fes el Bali
Near Bab Boujloud or Bab Ziat — not deep in the centre of the medina, where the car cannot reach and bags must be carried 20 minutes through a crowded souk.
Comfort standard
Standard to good sleeping
Working heating and air conditioning, no mould, a private terrace for breakfast, water pressure, and location near a gate.
Price logic
What changes the price.
Travellers and vehicle
1–3 travellers: 4x4 Toyota Prado. 4 travellers: Mercedes Vito minivan. 7 travellers: a second van or a minibus, because of luggage.
Season
January and February are cheaper: cold, heavy rain. Ramadan is cheaper but logistically harder. April, May, September and October are more expensive: best weather, full flights.
4x4
A 4x4 is not needed on this route. Rabat to Chefchaouen to Fes is fully paved. A 4x4 is only for going off-grid past Akchour into the deep Rif.
Local guides
Worth it in Fes and at Volubilis. Not worth it in Chefchaouen — a small, safe town made for wandering.
FAQ
Questions before you book.
Will I get car sick?
The Rif road up to Chefchaouen is winding and twisting. Bring motion sickness tablets and take them before you set off, not after.
Do I need warm clothes?
Yes. People look at a map of Africa and assume heat. Chefchaouen in November is cold.
Is the mountain road safe?
In the driver's words: "Look at me. I have a wife and three kids in Fes. I want to go home to them. I will drive safe."
When should I not come?
July and August: Fes reaches 45°C. In January expect heavy fog in the mountains.
Can we see the goats climbing the argan trees?
No. They are in the south near Essaouira, not in the north.
Start
Ask us about this route.
Send the route name on WhatsApp and we will reply with the roadbook questions we need to price it properly.