What to see in Tangier in one day

WHAT TO SEE IN TANGIER IN ONE DAY

Between the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean lies Tangier, a perfect city for lovers of decadence. Its streets with peeling walls, in which you can sense a colorful past, spread over a hill and the ocean breeze sneaks through its labyrinthine alleys to impregnate it with the smell of the sea. We tell you the best things to see in Tangier to make the most of your visit to the city. Let’s get started!

Tangier has been a land of diplomatic and trade missions, a refuge for poets and artists. And a party place for millionaires in the 40s and 50s of the twentieth century. Although the city no longer retains that glamour, it still has a special charm that you have to experience before mass tourism invades it.

What to see in Tangier

We landed at Tangier airport at 7.30 in the morning. But before entering the city we decided to make a trip to the charming coastal town of Asilah, where we spent the whole morning.

After lunch, we set course for Tangier and arrived in the city center around 3 pm. So we had the whole afternoon to visit before setting course for Tetouan where we would spend our first night of this trip through northern Morocco.

If you want to know in detail the history of the city and not miss any of its corners you can book this free tour of Tangier in Spanish.

➡️ If you do not want to complicate organizing this trip you can book this 4 days tour from tangier only for 430 euros.

If you have more days of vacation I recommend you to make this 7-day trip through Morocco. Where in addition to the cities I mentioned above you can also visit Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca, Rabat, and Meknes.

9 April Square (Zoco Grande)

We parked our car in a parking lot next to 9 April Square, also called Great Souk.

This square is the nerve center of Tangier. Where all tourists and locals gather to have a drink in one of its many terraces or just to sit on a bench and watch life go by.

One of the most emblematic places of the square is the Cinema Rif. Now converted into a nice bar with a terrace.

In the 9 de Abril square you will also find the Sidi Bouabid Mosque, which you will not be able to enter unless you are Muslim. But you can see its spectacular minaret from outside.

This square was formerly a market. In fact, today houses a very lively and bustling souk where you can buy anything.

But if you feel overwhelmed by the chaotic traffic, the continuous comings and goings of people. The sellers who besiege you to enter their stores, and so on. You can always relax in the gardens of the Mendoubia located on one side of the square, which is an oasis of peace in the midst of this hustle and bustle.

Tangier Medina

We entered the medina of Tangier through the Bab el Fas gate, located in front of the 9 April square.

The Medina is one of the things to see in Tangier that you can not miss. It is the typical Arab half but has been greatly influenced by tourism. So it is much more modern than the rest of the cities we saw in Morocco.

In fact, we found the people to be much more open-minded. They loved to engage us in conversation and give us tips about the city, which was very much appreciated 🙂 🙂

Central market

Attracted by the smell of spices we wandered into Tangier’s Central Market. Walking through this market is an experience for the senses, which will not leave you indifferent.

The market is divided into sections. But the smell of fruit, vegetables, spices and flowers intermingles with the smell of meat and fish and does not end up being too pleasant, to say the least 😉.

The truth is that the fruit stalls looked very good, but the meat stalls left a lot to be desired. Seeing the chickens hanging unrefrigerated, made me not dare to eat any meat the whole trip. So I became a vegetarian for a few days.

Small souk

We walked along rue Siaghine, which is the main street of Tangier’s Medina. Crowded with people and stores selling clothes, imitations, handbags, shoes, souvenirs, money exchange houses….

Undoubtedly this is the most touristy street and where they take the tourists who are taking a cruise and have landed in Tangier. Although this street has some charming little corners is the one I liked the least of all.

At the end of the rue, Siaghine is the small souk, where there are two charming old cafes like Café Tangis and Café Central.

I had already been to Morocco, when I visited Marrakech, but I was surprised to see how the customs do not change in the country. The cafes were full of local men, but there were no women (except for some tourists).

Streets of the Medina

firstly, we decided to flee from the masses and get lost in the narrow streets of Medina, which are a real labyrinth.

secondly, we found stores much more authentic than those of the main street, alleys, and colorful squares. With those Arab doors that drive me crazy.

We took a few pictures around there and the truth is that, despite not being the cleanest or most cared for Medina, Tangier far exceeded our expectations.

Hotel Continental, a spectacular place to see in Tangier

We had been walking non-stop all day. So we decided to take a break and enjoy a nice tea on the terrace of the Continental Hotel.

Even if you don’t stay there, the Continental Hotel is one of the most beautiful things to see in Tangier.

Its rooms are decorated in the purest Arabian style, with all luxury of details. And its different rooms will make you feel like you are on the set of a movie.

More than a hotel, it looks like a palace! And if this is not enough, the views from its terrace are the best.

Port of Tangier

From the terrace of the Hotel Continental, we could see the port of Tangier and the Spanish coast. It seems incredible that such an exotic country is so few kilometers away from ours.

If you go in summer and you feel like you can take a walk to the beach of the city. But we still had things to see and we preferred to continue with our route.

Kasbah, the most beautiful thing to see in Tangier

We left the Continental Hotel and we went back into the narrow streets of the Medina to reach the Kasbah. Undoubtedly the most beautiful part to see in Tangier.

The Kasbah is a walled enclosure located on top of the hill of Tangier, with a network of narrow streets full of riads, in which it is impossible to find your way around.

The truth is that I can not tell you when we entered and left it. Because we left the map aside and began to wander aimlessly.

If you like museums you can enter the Kasbah Museum, which is actually the former palace of a sultan. There you can see some objects of the history of Tangier. But I can not tell you much more because we did not enter.

At the top of the Kasbah, you will find the wall, with a viewpoint to the old port of Tangier.

We retraced our steps and went back down to the 9 de Abril square, where we had parked the car. Our first night of the trip through northern Morocco would be spent in Tetouan and we would return to Tangier the last night.

Map of the tourist places to see in Tangier

Here I leave you a map with the main places to visit in Tangier so that you can organize your route through the city.

How to get to Tangier

Tangier is a city located north of Morocco, in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The fastest way to get there is by plane. The company Ryanair has direct flights from many Spanish cities, at very low prices.

How to get from Tangier airport to the Medina

In Tangier there is no public transport, so you have these 3 options to get to your accommodation.

Rental car: this is the one we use and in our opinion the best if you are doing a road trip in Morocco. We always book with Autoeurope, they have the best deals and fully comprehensive insurance.

Cab: to go from Tangier airport to the Medina you will have to take a cab (with fixed fares around 100-120 dirhams depending on the hour).

Many people arrive in Tangier by ferry from Algeciras or Tarifa, a journey that takes less than 3 hours. This is a good option if you live in the south of Spain or if you plan to take your car to Morocco.

There are 3 companies that cover these routes, Balearia, Trasmediterranera, and FRS. The prices are around 35 euros each way and you can buy an open ticket.

How to move in Tangier

The city is huge and chaotic, but the main sights to see in Tangier are all very close to each other.

If you do not feel like walking or you are afraid to get lost in the city you can buy a ticket for the Tangier tourist bus, which will drop you off at the main tourist spots of the city.

Where to stay in Tangier

The main places to see in Tangier are in the Medina and its surroundings, so this is the best area to stay in Tangier.

If you book a hotel in the center of the Medina or the Kasbah you will have to walk there because it is impossible to move around.

I will not deny that a Riad in the Kasbah has much more charm, but what I did was to book a hotel in the rue Italie, right on the edge of the Kasbah. So the cab dropped me off at the door and within a 30-second walk, I had the first entrance to the old part.

We stayed at the ➡️ Dar Kasbah Eastern Telegraph Company, a completely renovated hotel, very cute and clean. Also, the rooms were very spacious and it had a lovely little terrace. I totally recommend it.

Where to eat in Tangier

In Tangier, you will find a lot of restaurants and places to eat, but keep in mind that in many of them the hygiene leaves much to be desired and you can end up with a major gastroenteritis.

Café Hafa: if you are looking for a nice place with a nice view where to have tea, this cafe is the perfect place. The bad thing is that it is a bit far from Medina.

Bab al Madina: it is an international and Moroccan fast food restaurant, good and cheap. We had some pizzas for dinner and some triangles of a kind of ratatouille that were delicious. It is very close to the 9th of April square.

Hamadi Restaurant: it is a traditional Moroccan restaurant with very nice decorations and live music. It is a bit more expensive than average but worth it.

➡️ Just a couple of hours from Tangier is one of the most beautiful villages in Morocco, the “blue jewel”. So if you have time I recommend you to make this excursion to Chefchaouen from Tangier.

And, whether you go in summer or winter. Just over half an hour from Tangier there is a charming seaside town that you can not miss. If you have time make the excursion to Asilah from Tangier because you will fall in love with it.

What to see in Tangier

We hope you find our post useful to discover the best side of the city of Tangier, which undoubtedly exceeded our expectations.

If you have any questions or suggestions you can write us in the comments.

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