History · Tangier · Morocco
8 historic sites to see in Tangier
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alae fahmi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Tangier medina, Kasbah Museum (Dar el Makhzen) and Petit Socco. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 8–11 hours across 3 areas; 5 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 5
- Time to see them all
- 8–11 hours
- Areas
- Medina, Kasbah and Marshan
Historic sites in Tangier
Neighbourhood · Medina
1.Tangier medina
It is smaller and easier to navigate than the medinas of Fes or Marrakech, and most of it can be explored in a morning.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Palace · Kasbah
2.Kasbah Museum (Dar el Makhzen)
Place de la Kasbah outside leads to the Bab el Bahr gate and its terrace above the Strait.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Views
Landmark · Medina
3.Petit Socco
Café Central and Café Tingis still face each other across the square, serving mint tea to an all-day crowd.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
Landmark · Medina
4.Grand Socco
The tiled minaret of the Sidi Bou Abib mosque rises on one side, and the restored Art Deco Cinéma Rif houses the Cinémathèque de Tanger, with a café popular with students and artists.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
Museum · Medina
5.Tangier American Legation Museum
Now a museum and cultural centre, it displays maps, paintings and letters, and a wing devoted to the writer and composer Paul Bowles.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Marshan
6.Café Hafa
The view across the Strait to Spain is the reason to come, best in the late afternoon.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Food
- Couples
- History
Historic site · Marshan
7.Phoenician tombs
They are open ground with sea views, a short walk from Café Hafa.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Medina
8.St Andrew's Church
Its overgrown churchyard holds the graves of notable foreign residents, including the journalist Walter Harris.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Medina | Tangier medina, Petit Socco, Grand Socco, Tangier American Legation Museum and St Andrew's Church | Half a day + 30–60 minutes + 30–60 minutes + 1–1.5 hours + 30–45 minutes |
| Kasbah | Kasbah Museum (Dar el Makhzen) | 1–1.5 hours |
| Marshan | Café Hafa and Phoenician tombs | 1 hour + 30 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 5 free, 3 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Tangier medina; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Medina): Tangier medina → Petit Socco, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Medina and Kasbah): Grand Socco → Tangier American Legation Museum → St Andrew's Church → Kasbah Museum (Dar el Makhzen), at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Marshan): Café Hafa → Phoenician tombs, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 10 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Mild but often rainy and windy; quiet for sightseeing and the lowest prices.
- March: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Spring arrives with greener hills and more sunshine, though showers are common.
- February: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and changeable, with sunny spells between showers; almond blossom in the countryside.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Medina — Whitewashed lanes, the Petit Socco and riad guesthouses between the port and the kasbah
- Kasbah — The quiet hilltop citadel with a palace museum and terraces over the Strait
- Ville Nouvelle — The 20th-century city of boulevards, cafés and hotels around Place de France
- Marshan — Residential clifftop quarter with Café Hafa and ancient tombs
More of Tangier
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Tangier?
Tangier medina. Whitewashed lanes climb from the port to the kasbah through a compact, hilly old town of small mosques, craft shops, bakeries and doorways painted blue and green.
+Which of these are free in Tangier?
Tangier medina, Petit Socco, Grand Socco, Phoenician tombs and St Andrew's Church.