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46 km south of Tangier — a full day, no rush
Asilah Day Trip from Tangier
Rampart walks, festival murals, grilled fish on the Atlantic and a medina that actually breathes. Here is how to do this underrated day trip well.
Sofia Marín· Coast, North & Practical Travel Editor
Spanish travel writer based in Tangier who criss-crosses northern Morocco and the Atlantic coast by bus, train and ferry. She covers Chefchaouen, Tangier, Essaouira and the practical side of getting around. Tangier · 10+ years covering Morocco
Published 8 January 2026 Last updated 4 May 2026
Asilah is one of the most satisfying day trips you can make from anywhere in northern Morocco — and it is remarkably easy from Tangier. The town sits 46 km down the Atlantic coast, the train takes 45 minutes, and within a couple of hours of leaving your Tangier hotel you can be walking the Portuguese-era sea walls with the ocean throwing spray beneath you.
What makes Asilah different from Morocco's other walled medinas is the murals. Since 1978, the Asilah Cultural Moussem has invited international artists to paint entire walls inside the old city, and those paintings layer up year after year. Walking the alleyways feels less like a heritage tour and more like stumbling through an outdoor gallery that happens to have cats sleeping in it.
There is also excellent fish. The boats still go out. Lunch at one of the simple restaurants near the harbour — a whole grilled sea bream, a pile of chips, a glass of water — will cost under 100 MAD and taste better than it has any right to.
Getting from Tangier to Asilah
The train is the simplest option; a private car gives the most flexibility.
ONCF Train
~45 min25–35 MAD (indicative)Several daily departures from Tangier-Ville. No booking needed most days. 10-min walk to medina from Asilah station.
Best for solo travellers or pairs on a budget
Grand Taxi
~40 min150–200 MAD (indicative)Shared taxis depart when full from Tangier's grand taxi stand near the bus station. Negotiate a return fare.
Good if train timing doesn't suit
Private Car / Tour
~35 minFrom ~600 MAD (indicative)Door-to-door, set your own schedule, driver waits or picks you up. Can combine with Larache or Lixus ruins.
Best for families, groups, or combining stops
Tip: If you plan to visit the Lixus Roman ruins or the nearby town of Larache on the same day, a private car is the only practical way to link everything without retracing steps. Train-only visitors should focus purely on Asilah and use the saved energy for a longer medina wander.
What to Do in Asilah in One Day
A single day is enough to cover everything — with time to sit down for a proper lunch.
Suggested Day Timeline
- 08:30Depart Tangier (train or car)
- 09:15–09:30Arrive Asilah, coffee at a café near Bab el Kasaba
- 09:45–11:00Walk the Atlantic ramparts — clockwise from the Bastion de la Citerne for the best sea views
- 11:00–12:30Wander the medina: mural alleys, the Centre Hassan II, Place Zellaqa
- 12:30–14:00Lunch at a harbour-front fish restaurant (grilled catch of the day, around 70–120 MAD)
- 14:00–15:30Afternoon beach walk south of town (Sidi Mghait), or more medina photography
- 15:30–16:00Browse the small craft shops near Bab Homar and pick up painted ceramics or woven baskets
- 17:00–18:00Return to Tangier by train or pre-arranged car
Best Mural Streets
The murals are the main reason photographers make the trip. Morning light hits the north-facing alleys from about 9 am onward; by midday the narrow streets are shaded, which actually suits the colours well.
Rue Ibn Rochd
The principal mural street — a full corridor of festival artwork from floor to first-floor height.
Place Zellaqa
Central square where locals gather; café terraces face a painted wall that changes most years.
Bab Homar gate area
The southern medina entrance is framed by some of the oldest permanent murals in town.
Rue Tarfaya
Quieter lane near the ramparts with more intimate, smaller-scale pieces alongside flower pots.
Where to Eat
Asilah lives off the sea, so skip tagines for a day and order fish. The restaurant strip facing the small harbour runs along Avenue Hassan II and the parallel back lane just inside the walls. Expect to pay 70–130 MAD for a full fish lunch with bread and drinks (indicative, 2026 prices). Restaurants tend to open from noon and fill up by 1 pm, so either go early or linger until the rush passes.
For breakfast or a mid-morning coffee before the rampart walk, cafés around Place Mohammed V and just outside Bab el Kasaba serve good msemen (pan-fried flatbread) with honey and amlou (almond-argan spread) — far better fuel for a morning on your feet than a hotel buffet in Tangier.
Practical Information
Time needed
5–7 hours on the ground
Budget (lunch + entry)
150–250 MAD pp (indicative)
Best season
Year-round; Aug for murals festival
Entry fees: There are no entry fees for the medina or the rampart walk. The Centre Hassan II des Rencontres Internationales sometimes charges a small admission (around 10–20 MAD, indicative) depending on what exhibition is showing — check locally.
Festival timing: The Asilah Cultural Moussem usually runs for two weeks in August. If you visit during this period, expect more foot traffic, the walls to be freshly repainted, and music in the evenings — entirely worth planning around.
Private tour option: If you want to combine Asilah with Larache and the Lixus Roman ruins in a single day, the distances and timing only work smoothly with a private vehicle. A guide can also point out the less-obvious mural corners and explain the history behind the ksar walls — genuinely useful in a town where the stories matter as much as the sights.
Asilah Day Trip FAQs
How far is Asilah from Tangier?
Asilah sits 46 km south of Tangier along the Atlantic coast. By road the drive takes around 35–40 minutes on the A1 motorway. The regional train (Casa-Voyageurs direction) covers the same distance in roughly 45 minutes and drops you at Asilah station, a short 10-minute walk from the medina gate. Either way, you can be inside the old town walls well before 10 am if you leave Tangier after breakfast.
Is Asilah worth visiting from Tangier?
Absolutely — and it is one of Morocco's most underrated day trips. The walled medina is genuinely calm by Moroccan standards, the Atlantic ramparts make for dramatic photography, and the international arts festival held every August has given the town a tradition of large-scale murals that cover entire alley walls. Unlike Chefchaouen, Asilah still feels like a working fishing town rather than a set piece, which makes wandering it more interesting.
What is Asilah famous for?
Three things: the Phoenician and Portuguese-era ramparts that jut into the Atlantic, the whitewashed medina decorated with vivid street murals commissioned during the Asilah Cultural Moussem (held annually since 1978), and the freshest grilled fish you will find on Morocco's north Atlantic coast. The town also has a quiet Jewish quarter, the Hassan II Mosque on the seafront, and a twice-yearly art scene that draws international painters to work on the medina walls each summer.
Can you get from Tangier to Asilah by train?
Yes. ONCF trains on the Tangier–Casablanca line stop at Asilah station, and the journey takes approximately 45 minutes. There are several departures per day from Tangier-Ville station. Tickets cost around 25–35 MAD (indicative) for second class and require no advance booking in most seasons. The station is walkable to the medina, though a petit taxi can cover the distance in five minutes for a few dirhams if you prefer.
What to do in Asilah for a day?
A well-paced day runs roughly like this: arrive by mid-morning, walk the sea-facing ramparts (allow 30 minutes), then lose an hour or two wandering the medina alleys hunting murals. Stop at the Place Zellaqa for mint tea, visit the Centre Hassan II des Rencontres Internationales to see the main festival venue, and have lunch at one of the harbour-facing fish restaurants. Afternoons are good for the beach south of town (Sidi Mghait), and the last train back to Tangier typically departs around 6–7 pm.
Is Asilah better than Chefchaouen for a day trip from Tangier?
They offer very different experiences. Chefchaouen (about 120 km from Tangier, 2+ hours each way) is strikingly photogenic but requires a longer day and more driving. Asilah is closer and easier logistically, with the bonus of a genuine Atlantic seafood lunch. If you have only one spare day and seafront atmosphere appeals more than mountain blue streets, Asilah wins. If you can stay overnight or have a reliable early start and a private car, Chefchaouen is well worth adding.
Is Asilah safe for tourists?
Yes — Asilah consistently feels relaxed and hassle-free compared to larger medinas. The town is small enough that getting lost is part of the fun rather than a problem. As with anywhere in Morocco, keep an eye on bags in busy areas, dress modestly inside the medina as a courtesy, and negotiate taxi fares before you get in. Solo travellers, couples and families all move around Asilah without issue.
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