Tangier Travelers Recommend

A heady mix of North African and European influences, the port of Tangier is one of Morocco’s liveliest and most charismatic cities. From its hilltop casbah and warren-like medina to its European-built whitewashed Ville Nouvelle quarter, beaches, and out-of-town sights, here are our ideas for seeing as much as possible in a day.

Morning: View the Highlights

Finding your way around Tangier can be confusing, so save time with a hop-on hop-off tour. Ride the city loop around the Ville Nouvelle and medina districts, passing mosques, monuments, and open plazas en route. Learn about the landmarks via the audio commentary, and alight at stops that interest you such as Moulay Hafid Palace, the marina, and Grand Socco square, home to a medina gateway. 

Alternatively, join a private or group tour by foot or minivan to explore with a guide. These typically include forays into the medina and its Kasbah Museum, along with stops to view the Grand Mosque and mysterious seafront Phoenician tombs.

Afternoon: Coastal and Culinary Exploration

Some of Tangier’s must-sees lie outside the city along Morocco’s picturesque Atlantic–Mediterranean coast, so switch to the hop-on hop-off coastal route this afternoon. Gaze at the spot where the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean merge from the lighthouse at Cape Spartel, and explore the Caves of Hercules—wind-sculpted grottoes where the sea crashes through an Africa-shaped aperture.

If Tangier’s culinary scene tempts you, book a food walking tour. Dip into the medina’s cafés to sample specialities beloved by locals—tasting sweet pastries, cheeses, mint tea, and more. Alternatively, join a cooking class to prep dishes such as tagines and fresh bread before savoring them in true Moroccan style.

Evening: Indulge in a Shopping Spree

Tangier’s medina is a shopper’s paradise, so end your day with a private tour of its tightly packed lanes. Choose a late-afternoon start—the medina springs back to life come twilight—and scout the alleyways and markets with the help of your guide. Shop for everything from leatherware to tea glasses, and pick up on your guide’s bartering know-how to leave with bags of bargains. Or, take a camel ride along Tangier’s beaches as the sun sets over the sands and city’s palm-lined promenades.

Two days in Tangier gives you time to see the sights, roam the walled medina, and cast your exploring net wider to Morocco’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts and mountains. See our tips on how to get the max from 48 hours in this atmospheric port city. 

Day 1: City Sights and Cuisine

**Morning:**Explore Tangier on a guided group walk or private tour including transport, covering highlights such as the medina, casbah, Grand Mosque, and Phoenician tombs—the latter hollowed from a seafront rock. Alternatively, see more in less time on a hop-on-hop-off-bus tour, perhaps disembarking at a medina entrance, the marina, and the Ville Nouvelle to discover its colonial-era boulevards and museums.

**Afternoon:**Indulge your foodie instincts by digging into Tangier’s cuisine. Book a cooking lesson to make staples such as couscous and tagines or bake bread in a traditional communal oven. Or, enjoy a food tour of the medina’s eateries, running goodies such as sweet pastries and mint tea past your palate.

**Evening:**Tangier is extra beautiful come sunset, with its silhouetted palms and glinting white buildings. Ride a camel along the sun-washed sands, or, if you’ve chosen a food tour, time it for late afternoon to end with dinner at a seafront restaurant—the perfect finale to your day.

Day 2: Expand Your Horizons

**Morning:**Set out on a day trip today to see more of Morocco. Venture inland to the blue-painted town of Chefchaouen to experience its cobbled lanes and arty shops. Explore seaside Asilah, whose Portuguese ramparts enclose a blue-and-white medina, or mountainside Tetouan, with its UNESCO World Heritage Site medina.

**Afternoon:**If you didn’t take a day trip earlier, use the time left on your 48-hour hop-on hop-off ticket to explore the scenery near Tangier. Take the coastal route and hop out at the Caves of Hercules sea grottoes and the windswept headland of Cape Spartel, where a lighthouse overlooks the place where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet.

**Evening:**Lock on to Tangier’s brilliant shopping opportunities this evening on a privately guided tour of the shop-filled medina. Aim for a later start and browse for last-minute souvenirs such as lanterns and pottery—just remember to haggle!

 With three days in Tangier, you’ll have the scope to fully explore this buzzing port city—from its palm-flanked boulevards and mazelike medina to its whitewashed Ville Nouvelle district and the parks, coastal viewpoints, and mountain and seaside towns that await nearby. Here are your options for spending three days in Tangier. 

Day 1: Get to Know the City

Spend today familiarizing yourself with Tangier’s sights. Take a walking tour around the spider’s-web-like medina and its casbah, where the former Sultan’s Palace has a museum charting the city’s history. Or take things easier with a private tour that transports you to landmarks such as the Great Mosque, Mendoubia Gardens, and Phoenician tombs—graves dug into a sea-facing rock plateau. Alternatively, take a hop-on-hop-off-bus tour to attractions such as Grand Socco square and the Place des Nations, from which you can take in the Ville Nouvelle’s art nouveau townhouses. Later, slow the pace with a camel ride along the beach or a private medina shopping tour with a guide to help you haggle for souvenirs. Finish with a drink at the legendary Café Hafa—a century-old meeting place perched on balconies overlooking the Mediterranean.

Day 2: Caves, Capes, and Cuisine

Today, use leftover time from your hop-on hop-off ticket—it’s valid for 48 hours—to ride the bus loop around the scenic region on the edge of Tangier. Alight at the oceanside Caves of Hercules, known for an Africa-shaped rock window; visit Cape Spartel to admire the Atlantic-and-Mediterranean panoramas from its French-built lighthouse; and hop off at woodland Perdicaris Park to ride camels. Back at base, switch your attention to Tangier’s gastronomy. Take a cooking lesson to learn how to create Moroccan tagines or couscous, or enjoy a guided food tour, pausing to sample local pastries and mint tea before dinner at a seafront restaurant.

Day 3: Exploring Beyond Tangier

On your last day, discover the blue-washed medina and 15th-century casbah of Chefchaouen, deep in the Rif Mountains; the UNESCO-protected medina of whitewashed Tetouan; or seaside Asilah, with an arty blue-and-white medina. Farther south along the Atlantic coast is Rabat, Morocco’s capital, sometimes overlooked by tourists but full of charm and historical sights. Take a full-day tour—many visit Asilah along the way—to see its pretty medina, whitewashed Kasbah Oudaya, and landmarks such as the 12th-century Hassan Tower.