Ifrane: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Ifrane was built by the French in 1929 as a summer hill station, where officials could escape the heat of Fès and Meknes. They gave it pitched roofs, chalets and gardens, and the town still looks more like the Alps than Morocco. This walk goes round the small centre from the lion to the university and the spring. About two hours on easy paths; at 1,650 metres it is cool even in summer and can be freezing in winter.
A short history of Ifrane
Ifrane is a new town: the French founded it in 1929 as a resort in the Middle Atlas, at an altitude of about 1,650 metres, with steep-roofed houses that look more Alpine than Moroccan. In 1935 a temperature of minus 23.9 degrees was recorded here, the lowest ever measured in Africa. In 1995 Al Akhawayn University, where teaching is in English, opened in the town. Barbary macaques live in the cedar forests around it.
The ten best sights in Ifrane
1The stone lionThe town's symbol and photo stop, in the garden by the main hotels
2Al Akhawayn UniversityAn English-language campus of stone and wood; the gate is as far as visitors go without an invitation
3Notre-Dame-des-CèdresSmall Catholic church with an Alpine roof
4Berber Regional Museum, AzrouSmall museum of Middle Atlas life in Azrou
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5House of the Cedar Forest
Visitor centre explaining the cedar forest
6Cèdre GouraudThe famous old cedar and the Barbary macaques around it
7MichlifenSki slopes in a volcanic crater when there is snow; a wide green bowl in summer
8Dayet AouaLake in the oak and cedar woods north of town
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9Ras El Ma
Riverside picnic park and trout farm south of town
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10Ain Vittel
A spring and park at the town's edge; locals fill bottles here
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Ifrane →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ifrane:
Free walking tours in Ifrane
A Swiss village in Africa
Ifrane was built by the French in 1929 as a summer hill station, where officials could escape the heat of Fès and Meknes. They gave it pitched roofs, chalets and gardens, and the town still looks more like the Alps than Morocco. This walk goes round the small centre from the lion to the university and the spring. About two hours on easy paths; at 1,650 metres it is cool even in summer and can be freezing in winter.
- The stone lion · The lion recalls the Atlas lion, the Barbary lion that once lived in these mountains. It was hunted out in the wild in the first half of the 20th century, and the last lions survived in the sultan's collection.
- Parc de la Paix · Ifrane holds a record for Africa: in February 1935 the thermometer here fell to −23.9 °C, one of the lowest temperatures ever measured on the continent.
- Notre-Dame-des-Cèdres · The church was built for the French residents of the hill station, with a steep roof made to shed snow. It is still used by the small Christian community, many of them students from sub-Saharan Africa.
- Al Akhawayn University · The university opened in 1995, founded by King Hassan II with funding from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Al Akhawayn means 'the two brothers', after the two kings, and teaching is in English on an American model.
- Ain Vittel · The spring was named by the French after the spa town of Vittel in the Vosges. Water from the limestone plateau around Ifrane feeds many springs, and several Moroccan mineral waters are bottled in the Middle Atlas.
- Ifrane market · The lower town around the market is where most local families live, a very different place from the villas uphill. It is also where food is cheapest.
Cedars and monkeys
South of Ifrane lies one of the largest cedar forests in the world, the Atlas cedar of the Middle Atlas, now part of Ifrane National Park. It is also home to the Barbary macaque, the only monkey of North Africa. This half-day drive goes through the forest to the macaques and down to the Berber market town of Azrou. About 60 km in total; please do not feed the monkeys, which is now discouraged by the park.
- Ras El Ma · The fish farm here raises trout, which the French introduced into the cold rivers of the Middle Atlas. Grilled trout is now a speciality of the restaurants along the road.
- House of the Cedar Forest · Atlas cedars here can live for several centuries and grow over 40 metres tall. The forest is under pressure from drought, grazing and illegal logging of the valuable wood.
- Cèdre Gouraud · The tree was named after General Henri Gouraud, a French commander of the protectorate. The giant cedar died and today stands as a bare trunk, but the clearing around it is still the meeting point of the macaques.
- Barbary macaques · The Barbary macaque is an endangered species, and Morocco holds most of the world's wild population. The monkeys of the Rock of Gibraltar belong to the same species.
- Berber Regional Museum, Azrou · Azrou means 'rock' in Tamazight, after the great outcrop in the middle of town. It is the market centre of the Beni Mguild, a Berber tribe of the Middle Atlas.
- Ensemble Artisanal, Azrou · The craft centre sells carvings in cedar and thuya and the carpets woven by the women of the surrounding villages. Prices are fixed, which makes it a good place to check what things cost.
Lakes of the plateau
North and east of Ifrane, the limestone plateau is dotted with dayas, small lakes that fill in the hollows of the karst. In wet years they are full and busy with birds; in dry years some almost disappear. This half-day loop by car links the lakes with the old road down toward Fès. About 70 km on quiet roads; bring a picnic, there are few places to eat between the villages.
- Dayet Aoua · Dayet Aoua lies in a hollow with no river flowing out; its level depends on rain and groundwater. In the drought years of the late 2010s and early 2020s it dried out almost completely.
- Lac Ifrah · Ifrah, like the other dayas, formed where water dissolved the limestone and the ground subsided. Grebes and coots nest here when the water is high.
- Lac Iffer · The Middle Atlas lakes are a stop on the bird migration route between Europe and Africa, and several are protected as wetlands.
- Imouzzer Kandar cascade · Imouzzer means 'waterfalls' in Tamazight. The town was another French summer resort, older and smaller than Ifrane, on the edge of the plateau above the Saïs plain.
- Ain Soltane · Ain Soltane, 'the sultan's spring', is one of the springs above Imouzzer; the town's gardens and orchards are watered by these springs.
- Ain Vittel · Back in Ifrane, the spring park is where families come on summer evenings. The water flows cold all year from the plateau you have just crossed.
Getting to Ifrane and getting around
- Fès–Saïss Airport · Nearest airport, about 50 minutes north
- CTM Ifrane · Intercity coaches to Fès, Meknes and the south
- Grand taxi rank · Shared taxis to Azrou and Fès; they go when full
Cheap eats in Ifrane
Ifrane is a mountain town, and food here is warmer and heavier than on the coast: harira, lentils, tagines of lamb, and trout from the cold rivers of the park. The centre is full of cafés for Moroccan holidaymakers, with crêpes and pastries. For cheap eating go down to the lower town near the market. A sandwich and tea costs a few dozen dirhams.
- Chez Said · Sandwiches in the lower town, about 15-30 dirhams
- Restaurant Chez Amal · Tagine or couscous, about 40-60 dirhams
- King of Crepes · Crêpes and coffee in the centre, about 20-40 dirhams
- Beethoven · Ice cream and pastries, about 15-30 dirhams
- Houari Grill · Grilled meat by weight, about 50-80 dirhams
Museums in Ifrane
- Berber Regional Museum, Azrou · Tools, jewellery and dress of the Middle Atlas tribes
- House of the Cedar Forest · Visitor centre on the cedar and its wildlife
- Al Akhawayn University · The campus seen from the gate
- Notre-Dame-des-Cèdres · Alpine-style church in the centre
- Ensemble Artisanal, Azrou · Cedar carving workshops
Nature and day trips near Ifrane
- Cèdre Gouraud forest · Walk among the cedars and meet the macaques
- Michlifen · Volcanic crater; skiing in snowy winters
- Dayet Aoua · Woodland lake; full only in wet years
- Jbel Hebri · 2,104 m peak south of the forest
- Aguelmame Tifounassine · Remote plateau lake south of Azrou
Things to do in Ifrane with kids
- Barbary macaques · Watch them from a distance; keep food out of sight
- Ras El Ma trout farm · See the trout pools, picnic by the river
- The stone lion · Climb-and-photo stop in the centre
- Michlifen snow · Sledging when it snows
- Ain Vittel · Park and stream to splash in
Where to eat in Ifrane
- Chamonix · Long-running restaurant in the centre; tagines and grills
- La Paix · Moroccan and French dishes in the centre
- L'Empreinte d'Ifrane · Dinner near the park
- Bonsai Sushi Bar · Sushi for the university crowd
- Platene · Moroccan home cooking in the lower town
Frequently asked questions about Ifrane
What is there to see in Ifrane?
The top sights in Ifrane are The stone lion, Al Akhawayn University and Notre-Dame-des-Cèdres. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Ifrane?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ifrane without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Ifrane?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ifrane, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: A Swiss village in Africa.
How do you get to Ifrane and get around?
The main ways are Fès–Saïss Airport, CTM Ifrane and Grand taxi rank. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Ifrane, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ifrane that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Ifrane for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.