Marrakech to Fes by train in 2026

Are trains running between Marrakech and Fes in autumn 2026?

Yes. The direct Al Atlas service runs, but since 14 September 2026 ONCF has been on a new works timetable with changed times and some closed stations.

At the end of August ONCF announced two stages of disruption for the Kenitra to Marrakech high-speed works (Le360). First a 24-hour cut from 11 p.m. on 5 September to 11 p.m. on 6 September, when Al Atlas trains ran with delays and changed times. Then, from 14 September, a new transport plan with timetable changes, shortened routes and the gradual closure of two Casablanca stations, Facultés and Ennassim.

ONCF puts live times on ONCF Voyages and in its app, and answers on 2255 (H24info). Search your exact date there before you build a day around a train.

How long is the train from Marrakech to Fes, and when does it leave?

About 7 hours on a direct Al Atlas train. On the last published grid the first train left at 4:30 (not Sundays) and the last at 18:35.

The ONCF grid valid from 15 September 2025 (ONCF PDF) shows departures from Marrakech at 4:30 and 5:30, then every hour from 6:35 to 18:35, calling at Casablanca, Rabat, Kenitra and Meknes. The 6:35 reaches Fes at 13:37. That is closer to 7 hours than the 6.5 you see quoted in older guides.

Treat the table below as the shape of the service, not a promise for your date. The September 2026 works plan may have moved individual times.

Does the Al Boraq high-speed train go to Fes or Marrakech?

Not yet. Al Boraq runs Tangier to Casablanca today; the extension to Marrakech is due at the end of 2029, and Bladi reports Fes will not be connected before 2030.

The Kenitra to Marrakech line is 430 km and is being built for the 2030 World Cup (Morocco World News). In May 2026 it was about 30% complete and on schedule, according to Hespress. Hespress expects Tangier to Marrakech to fall from about 6 hours 30 to about 3 hours 30 once it opens.

Fes gets an upgraded conventional line instead, with faster trains planned rather than a new high-speed track (Bladi). For a trip in 2026 or 2027, none of this helps you: Al Boraq still runs only between Tangier and Casablanca (Wikipedia), and it is the Al Atlas all the way.

Can you take the train from Marrakech to Chefchaouen?

No. Chefchaouen has no railway. Take the train to Fes, sleep there, and catch a CTM bus north the next day (about 4 hours).

Even the first train of the day puts you in Fes around lunchtime, after 7 hours on board. The CTM bus to Chefchaouen adds about 4 hours. Doing both in one day is possible on paper and miserable in practice. Spend the night in Fes and see the medina in the morning.

Already in Fes and not keen on the bus? The day trip from Fes to Chefchaouen leaves Hotel Bab Boujloud at 8:00 AM and gives you about four hours in town for $21. It is a return trip, so it suits a base in Fes rather than a night in the Blue City. More routes in how to get from Marrakech to Chefchaouen.

Based in Fes? About four hours in Chefchaouen and back the same day, in a group of up to 12.

★ 4.9 · 9 hours · from $21

Explore the day trip from Fes → Tour details

Train and bus, tour or private car: which is better this winter?

Train and bus is the do-it-yourself option at about 11 hours of travel. A tour adds riads, a Fes guide and Casablanca. A private car takes about 7 hours one way.

Our take: the train makes sense if you want to linger in Fes for several days anyway. For a short trip, the works add one more thing that can go wrong, and the tour or the car removes it. The 3-day small-group tour does the whole loop by road for $309, with two riad nights. The private transfer goes straight to Chefchaouen in about 7 hours; it is listed at $376 per person, so check the total for your group.

Skip the station altogether: a private car to your Chefchaouen accommodation, about 7 hours.

★ 5.0 · 7 hours · from $376

Explore the private transfer to Chefchaouen → Tour details

Tips for the Marrakech to Fes train in 2026-27

Book on ONCF Voyages or in the app, pick first class for a 7-hour ride, check the timetable the day before, and watch for Ramadan and holiday changes.

ONCF Voyages sells tickets online and in its app; Seat61 notes that booking opens three months ahead and calls first class "very comfortable", with 6-seat air-conditioned compartments. On a 7-hour trip we would pay for it.

Timetables change again for Ramadan: in 2026 ONCF ran Al Atlas trains on this line from 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. only. See Ramadan 2027 and the trip north. And if you go in winter, rain in the Rif can close the road into Chefchaouen for a day; our winter weather post has the details.

Frequently asked questions