How do I get from Fes to Chefchaouen?

There is no rail line to Chefchaouen, so forget the train for this leg — the blue town sits up in the Rif mountains, off the network. From Fes it is about 200 km and a 4-hour drive, climbing steadily into greener, hillier country than the rest of central Morocco.

Your cheapest option is the CTM bus, which runs a few times a day and is reliable, air-conditioned, and bookable in advance. It is comfortable enough, but it drops you at Chefchaouen’s bus station below town, and you then need a petit taxi up to the medina. Shared grand taxis also run the route and are faster to fill in the morning, but they pack six passengers into an old Mercedes and only leave when full.

My usual recommendation is a private driver. For 4 hours it removes all the friction — no waiting for a bus to fill, no luggage juggling, and crucially you can break the journey. I like to stop at the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss, which sit roughly on the way and turn a transfer into a genuine sightseeing day.

Whichever you choose, leave Fes in the morning. The mountain road has a few twists in its final stretch into the Rif, and arriving in daylight means you get that first jaw-drop view of the blue-washed medina before the afternoon light fades. Chefchaouen is small and walkable once you are there, so you will not need transport again until you leave.