Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima is the northernmost region of Morocco, where the country meets the Strait of Gibraltar, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. It combines the port city of Tangier and its Cap Spartel headland, the white-walled UNESCO medina of Tetouan, the blue-washed mountain town of Chefchaouen, the mural-covered Atlantic town of Asilah, the Mediterranean beaches of M'diq, Martil and Al Hoceima, and the wooded Rif mountains of Talassemtane National Park.
Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima is Morocco's northern gateway, with three airports (Tangier TNG, Tetouan TTU and Al Hoceima AHU), the Tanger Med and Tangier Ville ferry ports for Spain, and the Al Boraq high-speed train from Tangier Ville to Kenitra, Rabat Agdal and Casablanca Voyageurs in roughly 2 hours 10 minutes to Casablanca. Inside the region there is no rail line beyond Tangier, Asilah, Larache and Ksar el-Kebir, so Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Ouazzane and Al Hoceima are reached by CTM or Supratours bus and shared grand taxi. Metered petit taxis serve each town; Rif mountain roads are winding, so allow extra time.
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
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- Petit taxi from Tangier Ibn Battouta (TNG) to central Tangier (20-30 min) · Airport shuttle or local bus from TNG (30-45 min) · Grand taxi from Tetouan Sania R'mel (TTU) to Tetouan or Martil (15-25 min) · Taxi from Al Hoceima Cherif Al Idrissi (AHU) to Al Hoceima town (20-30 min) · Pre-booked hotel or riad transfer (20-60 min)
Local transport
Getting around the city.
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Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
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Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
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- Destination
- Rabat (from Tangier Ville)
- Mode
- High-speed train
- Operator
- ONCF Al Boraq
- Duration
- About 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cost
- About 150-250 MAD ($16-27) depending on class and booking date
- Frequency
- Several departures daily
- Destination
- Casablanca Voyageurs (from Tangier Ville)
- Mode
- High-speed train
- Operator
- ONCF Al Boraq
- Duration
- About 2 hours 10 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes
- Cost
- About 225-330 MAD ($24-35) in 2nd and 1st class; third-party guides report cheaper and dearer fares, so check oncf-voyages.ma
- Frequency
- Several departures daily
- Destination
- Asilah (from Tangier Ville)
- Mode
- Train
- Operator
- ONCF
- Duration
- About 30-45 minutes
- Cost
- About 20-30 MAD ($2.15-3.25)
- Frequency
- A few departures daily; shared grand taxi is the alternative
- Destination
- Asilah (from Tangier)
- Mode
- Shared grand taxi
- Operator
- Independent drivers
- Duration
- About 35-45 minutes
- Cost
- About 20-30 MAD ($2.15-3.25) per seat
- Frequency
- Departs when full from the grand taxi rank near the Tangier bus station
- Destination
- Tetouan (from Tangier)
- Mode
- Bus
- Operator
- CTM and local lines
- Duration
- About 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cost
- About 35-50 MAD ($3.75-5.40)
- Frequency
- Frequent departures through the day
- Destination
- Tetouan (from Tangier)
- Mode
- Shared grand taxi
- Operator
- Independent drivers
- Duration
- About 1 hour
- Cost
- About 40-60 MAD ($4.30-6.50) per seat
- Frequency
- Departs when full from the Tangier grand taxi rank
- Destination
- Chefchaouen (from Tangier)
- Mode
- Bus
- Operator
- CTM and Supratours
- Duration
- About 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes, via Tetouan
- Cost
- About 80 MAD ($8.60); some sources report lower fares
- Frequency
- Several CTM departures daily; Supratours has fewer
- Destination
- Chefchaouen (from Tetouan)
- Mode
- Bus or shared grand taxi
- Operator
- CTM, local lines and independent drivers
- Duration
- About 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cost
- About 40-70 MAD ($4.30-7.50)
- Frequency
- Several daily; taxis depart when full
- Destination
- Akchour (from Chefchaouen)
- Mode
- Shared grand taxi
- Operator
- Independent drivers
- Duration
- About 45 minutes
- Cost
- About 25 MAD ($2.70) per seat one way
- Frequency
- Departs when full from the taxi stand in Chefchaouen; arrange a return time before hiking
- Destination
- Fnideq, M'diq and Martil (from Tetouan)
- Mode
- Shared grand taxi
- Operator
- Independent drivers
- Duration
- About 15-35 minutes
- Cost
- About 6-15 MAD ($0.65-1.60) per seat
- Frequency
- Frequent, departs when full
- Destination
- Al Hoceima (from Chefchaouen or Tetouan)
- Mode
- Bus
- Operator
- CTM and Supratours
- Duration
- About 5-8 hours depending on origin and stops
- Cost
- About 100-170 MAD ($11-18); check CTM for current fares
- Frequency
- Limited daily departures; book ahead in summer
- Destination
- Algeciras, Spain (from Tanger Med port)
- Mode
- Ferry
- Operator
- FRS, Balearia, AML and Trasmediterranea (varies by season)
- Duration
- About 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cost
- About EUR 28-78 for a foot passenger (about $30-85); prices vary by season
- Frequency
- Many sailings daily; check the operator website before travel
- Destination
- Tarifa, Spain (from Tangier Ville port)
- Mode
- Fast ferry
- Operator
- FRS
- Duration
- About 1 hour
- Cost
- About EUR 35-45 for a foot passenger; confirm on frs.es
- Frequency
- Daily crossings, weather permitting
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Most visitors arrive at Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport (TNG), on the Al Boraq line at Tangier Ville station, or by ferry from Spain at Tanger Med or Tangier Ville port. From Tangier, CTM and Supratours buses reach Tetouan in about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes and Chefchaouen in about 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (the Tangier bus runs via Tetouan). Shared grand taxis fill the gaps to Asilah, Larache, Fnideq, M'diq, Martil, Akchour and Ouazzane. Al Hoceima is far to the east (roughly 8 hours by road from Tangier) and is best reached by plane, by bus from Chefchaouen, or as a separate leg. A rental car suits the Rif coast and Cala Iris, but mountain roads and police checkpoints need patience.
Airports
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
ONCF Voyages
Official train booking site and app for Al Boraq and conventional ONCF trains from Tangier Ville. Website: oncf-voyages.ma. ONCF information line: 2255 from a Moroccan SIM.
CTM
Bus booking via ctm.ma and the CTM app for Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Al Hoceima and national routes.
Supratours
ONCF-affiliated bus operator linking train stations to Chefchaouen and Al Hoceima. Book at supratours.ma or at its station counters.
FRS and Balearia ferry sites
Book Tanger Med to Algeciras and Tangier Ville to Tarifa crossings online (frs.es, balearia.com) and check the departure port printed on the ticket.
InDrive
Bid-based ride-hailing that sometimes works in Tangier and Tetouan; drivers accept or counter an offer.
Google Maps
Reliable for roads and ONCF stations; inside medinas walking directions are approximate, so rely on landmarks and gates.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Check the ferry departure port on the ticket: Tanger Med is about 40 km east of Tangier and needs a taxi (roughly 200-300 MAD, about $22-32, agreed in advance), while Tangier Ville port is a short ride from the Medina.
Al Boraq runs only on the Tangier Ville to Kenitra, Rabat Agdal and Casablanca Voyageurs line; there is no train to Tetouan, Chefchaouen or Al Hoceima, so plan buses or shared taxis for those towns.
Buy ONCF tickets at the station or on oncf-voyages.ma; keep the ticket until you exit the platform. Book Al Boraq a few days ahead on weekends and holidays.
Tangier bus to Chefchaouen goes via Tetouan, so a direct-sounding ticket still involves a stop; confirm the final destination with the CTM ticket seller.
Shared grand taxis depart only when full; pay for an extra seat if you want to leave sooner.
Agree the price with a petit taxi driver or ask for the meter ('compteur'). Carry small notes for change.
Medina alleys are not reachable by car; ask your lodging which gate the taxi should stop at.
The Rif mountains have patchy mobile coverage; download offline maps for Chefchaouen, Akchour and the Al Hoceima coast.
Tetouan and Al Hoceima flights are limited, so reconfirm schedules on the airline site (royalairmaroc.com, airarabia.com) before travel.
Emergency numbers in Morocco are 19 (police), 177 (rural gendarmerie) and 15 (ambulance and civil protection).