Total eclipse · Monday 2 August 2027 · Northern Morocco
Over four minutes of totality in northern Morocco. Tangier is nearly sold out for eclipse week; our rooms in Chefchaouen are secured. Verified times, the towns inside the path and the honest weather odds.
Private Morocco travel
The 2027 solar eclipse in Morocco takes place on Monday, 2 August 2027, and Tangier sits almost exactly on the centre line: totality there begins at about 9:44 a.m. local time (GMT+1) and lasts roughly 4 minutes 50 seconds. All of northern Morocco above about latitude 34.6° N — Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Asilah, Larache, Al Hoceima and Nador — sees the total eclipse, while Rabat, Fes, Meknes, Casablanca and Marrakech see only a deep partial one. Below: verified times, the towns inside and outside the path, the honest weather odds, and how we plan eclipse week for our own travellers, including why we now base them in Chefchaouen, where we have secured accommodation while Tangier is nearly sold out.
On the morning of Monday, 2 August 2027, the Moon's shadow comes in off the Atlantic, makes landfall at Cap Spartel and crosses the Strait and the Rif at more than 4,000 km an hour. In Tangier the partial phase begins at about 8:40 a.m., totality runs from about 9:44:36 to 9:49:26 a.m. local time (GMT+1) — roughly 4 minutes 50 seconds — and the eclipse ends at about 11:00 a.m. The Sun stands about 38° up, almost due east over the Strait.
Most total eclipses give two or three minutes. On this path only Libya, Egypt and Saudi Arabia do meaningfully better, with a maximum of 6 minutes 23 seconds near Luxor (NASA eclipse data), and the eclipse's Wikipedia entry notes that no total eclipse on easily accessible land will be longer until 2114. For North Americans, northern Morocco is the nearest place to see it at close to full length.
The path is about 236 km wide over Morocco (NASA path table). Its northern edge runs through southern Spain, so the whole Moroccan shore of the Strait is inside. What matters is the southern limit, which runs almost straight along latitude 34.6–34.7° N from the Atlantic to Algeria: just south of Moulay Bousselham, Souk El Arbaa and Ouezzane, north of Taza, and through the southern districts of Oujda. Duration falls quickly away from the centre line, which passes almost exactly through Tangier and Tetouan.
| Place | Totality | Totality starts | Sun height | Morning cloud risk | Why go there |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetouan, M'diq, Martil | 4 min 50–53 s | about 9:45 | 38° | Lower on the east side of Tetouan | Longest totality in Morocco; about 1 h from Tangier |
| Tangier | 4 min 50 s | 9:44:36 | 38° | Moderate; central and eastern city are the better bet | Main base: most hotels, airport, fast train |
| Ksar Sghir, Tanger Med coast | 4 min 49 s | about 9:45 | 38° | Moderate | Quiet coast between Tangier and Ceuta |
| Asilah | 4 min 44 s | about 9:44 | 38° | Higher: marine stratus lingers here | Pretty, but the most cloud-prone base |
| Chefchaouen | 4 min 13 s | about 9:45 | 38° | Lowest cloud amount in Morocco | Best inland fallback; about 1 h 45 from Tangier |
| Al Hoceima | 4 min 26 s | about 9:47 | 40° | Uncertain: low cloud can sit on the Mediterranean coast | Far from the other bases |
| Larache | 4 min 18 s | about 9:44 | 38° | Higher: Atlantic stratus | Atlantic coast south of Asilah |
| Nador | 4 min 15 s | about 9:48 | 41° | Uncertain: Mediterranean low cloud | Eastern option; separate trip from the west |
| Ksar el-Kebir | 3 min 43 s | about 9:45 | 38° | Moderate to higher | Shorter totality |
| Ouezzane | 2 min 36 s | about 9:46 | 38° | Near the stratus limit | Close to the southern edge: avoid |
Sources: durations and times calculated from NASA/Espenak Besselian elements (EclipseWise) and cross-checked with NationalEclipse.com; cloud notes from Jay Anderson's Eclipsophile analysis. Expect a second or two of difference at your exact spot.
A 98% partial eclipse is not a smaller version of the event: no corona, no darkness, glasses on throughout. From Fes you would need to reach Chefchaouen or beyond, about four hours' drive, by 9 a.m. That is why our travellers sleep inside the path the night before: in Chefchaouen, where we have secured accommodation for eclipse week.
How we got these numbers: we calculated them from NASA's published Besselian elements and cross-checked them against the town figures on NationalEclipse.com (Tangier 4:51, Chefchaouen 4:14, Nador 4:16, Oujda 1:04); they agree within a few seconds. The Moon's uneven edge shifts real contacts by a second or two, more near the limits. For your exact spot, timeanddate's Tangier eclipse page is a useful cross-check.
| From | By car to Tangier | By train to Tangier | On eclipse morning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chefchaouen | about 1 h 45 | — | Inside the path already (4 min 13 s) |
| Rabat | about 2 h 35 | about 1 h 20 (Al Boraq) | Outside the path (about 98%) |
| Casablanca | about 3 h 30 | about 2 h 15 (Al Boraq) | Outside the path (about 97%) |
| Fes | about 4 h 25 | change onto Al Boraq; allow 5 h or more | Outside the path (about 98%) |
| Marrakech | about 5 h 40 | change onto Al Boraq; allow 5 h or more | Outside the path (about 90%) |
With first contact at about 8:40 a.m. and totality at 9:44, none of these is a same-morning trip you want to gamble on. Sleep on the path the night before: Tangier, Tetouan or Chefchaouen. Driving times from Rome2Rio, without stops; expect heavier traffic that weekend.
About 8:40 a.m.first contact. Glasses on.
About 9:25–9:40the light turns flat and metallic, shadows sharpen, the air cools; shadow bands may ripple over pale walls.
About 9:44:36second contact. Diamond ring, Baily's beads, then totality. Glasses off.
About 9:47mid-eclipse. The corona surrounds a black Moon 38° up, a little south of east; the brightest planets and stars appear.
About 9:49:26third contact. Glasses back on at the first bead of sunlight.
About 11:00last contact.
Morocco has kept GMT+1 year-round since 2018, switching to GMT only for Ramadan (Morocco World News), which falls in February–March 2027. One trap: Spain runs on GMT+2 in summer, so a Spanish "10:44" is our 9:44. Totality starts within about a minute of 9:45 from Asilah to Chefchaouen, and a few minutes later further east — about 9:47 in Al Hoceima and 9:48 in Nador.
Rain is not the risk: Tangier averages a 28.6°C high and under one rainy day in August. The risk is low cloud — marine stratus off the cool Atlantic that creeps inland overnight and can still be lying over the coast at 9:45 a.m.
Climatologist Jay Anderson's analysis at Eclipsophile is specific. The stratus can reach "almost as far as Ouazzane", most often near Asilah, Larache and Souk El Arbaa. Tangier tends to keep it on its western side, so the central and eastern city are the better bet; the eastern side of Tetouan should avoid most marine cloud; Chefchaouen has the lowest cloud amount in Morocco; the Mediterranean coast further east is "dicey". The Levante, a persistent summer easterly, is what hangs a flag of cloud off the Rock of Gibraltar. For scale, he gives Gibraltar a 74% chance of a sunny view (too pessimistic for a mobile observer, in his words) and Cádiz 88%. Egypt is close to a certainty — at about 42°C.
Our travellers watch from Chefchaouen. Tangier and Tetouan have the longest totality, but most of Tangier's accommodation is already sold out for eclipse week, and Chefchaouen has something better than an extra half-minute: the lowest cloud amount in Morocco, well inland from the Atlantic stratus. Totality there is about 4 minutes 13 seconds, and we have secured accommodation in town. I still never lock travellers into one spot. The evening before, we look at the satellite loops and the forecast together, and if cloud threatens the Rif, your private driver takes you toward the east side of Tetouan before dawn, where totality runs close to five minutes. That needs a private vehicle and a driver who knows the back roads, not a coach with a ticketed venue.
Tangier and Tetouan are the only large Moroccan cities on the centre line, with a finite number of good hotels. Eclipse week also falls during Operation Marhaba, the summer return of Moroccans living in Europe — more than 2.74 million had arrived by early August 2026 (Morocco World News) — and the European holidays. Most accommodation in Tangier is already sold out for eclipse week.
That is why Gateway2Morocco has secured additional accommodation in Chefchaouen, inside the path of totality and under the clearest skies in northern Morocco. From now on we base our eclipse travellers there. If you still need to be in the path on 2 August, we can build a customised private Morocco tour around the eclipse and guarantee your accommodation. Our rooms are limited, so the sooner you tell us your dates, the better.
The north is warm and pleasant in early August; the interior is not. On 1991–2020 averages Fes reaches about 35°C and Errachidia, gateway to the desert, about 38°C, with the dunes hotter still. So:
Watch the partial phases only through filters meeting ISO 12312-2, bought before you fly from a vendor on the American Astronomical Society's list of safe suppliers. Following the AAS eye-safety guidance, remove them only when the Sun is completely covered and put them back at the first flash of light. Binoculars and cameras need solar filters mounted on the front. Glasses are included on our Marrakech-to-Tangier journey, and we can add them to any eclipse trip on request — still bring a spare pair.
Expect busy roads between Tangier, Tetouan and Chefchaouen. From Chefchaouen, the east side of Tetouan is about an hour; Tangier is about two and a half. If the forecast says move, we move by 6:30 a.m. Bring water, a hat, folding chairs and sun cream. And skip the Ceuta border on eclipse morning.
Both are 100% private, with your own driver and vehicle throughout. Because Tangier is nearly sold out, both now base you in Chefchaouen for eclipse night, in accommodation we have already secured, with your driver on hand to reposition you if the forecast says so. The difference is the order.
2027 Morocco Eclipse & Tangier to Marrakech — 14 days, from USD $4,830 per person (two travellers). Arrive in the north, see totality from Chefchaouen, then go south: Volubilis and Meknes on the way to two nights in Fes; the Middle Atlas to Errachidia; a sunset camel ride and a night at Madu Premium Camp in Erg Chebbi; the Todra Gorge to Dar Blues in the Dades; Ait Ben Haddou and the Tizi n'Tichka to two nights in Marrakech; two nights in Essaouira; and a transfer to Casablanca airport. Eclipse first, then a long, unhurried Morocco.
Eclipse 2027 — Marrakech to Tangier — 11 days, from USD $3,795 per person (two travellers). Start in Marrakech with a guided city day and the Ourika Valley. Then the Tichka pass to the Dades; the Todra Gorge and a camel trek to Madu Premium Camp; the Ziz Valley and Midelt to two nights at Palais Faraj in Fes; and Volubilis on the way to Chefchaouen for eclipse night, with glasses included. The journey finishes in Tangier with the Kasbah and the American Legation. Shorter, better value, and it builds to the eclipse.
Your written proposal shows the exact nights and hotels for your dates.
Special departure14 days · 13 nights
Tangier → Chefchaouen → Fes → Errachidia → Merzouga → Dades Gorge → Marrakech → Essaouira → Casablanca
Begin your Morocco adventure with the 2027 total solar eclipse in Tangier, then journey south to Marrakech.
From USD 4,830/ person · 2 travellers sharing
Special departure11 days · 10 nights
Marrakech → Dades Gorge → Merzouga → Fes → Chefchaouen → Tangier
Experience the 2027 total solar eclipse on this epic Morocco journey from Marrakech to Tangier.
From USD 3,795/ person · 2 travellers sharing
Both are starting points. We can lengthen either, upgrade the hotels elsewhere on the route, or build a different route entirely — see how our tailor-made Morocco tours work. What we keep is a private driver-guide based with you in Chefchaouen, so that on 2 August the decision about where to stand is made on the weather, not a coach timetable.
Totality lasts under five minutes; the flight from the east coast is seven hours or more. Almost all our eclipse travellers build a real trip around the day.
As of September 2026, Royal Air Maroc flies nonstop to Casablanca from New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Miami and Los Angeles, and from Montréal and Toronto. Los Angeles launched in June 2026 with three weekly 787 flights (AirlineGeeks). Summer 2027 schedules are not all on sale yet — watch royalairmaroc.com and book early; eclipse week fills flights too.
Casablanca to Tangier is a short domestic flight or about 2 hours 10 minutes on the Al Boraq high-speed train; we meet you either way. You can also connect through Europe straight into Tangier. Routings are on our pages for travellers from Canada and from the USA, and entry rules in our Morocco visa guide for Canadians and Americans.
Monday, 2 August 2027, in the morning. The partial phase begins around 8:40 a.m. Moroccan time (GMT+1), totality falls between about 9:44 and 9:52 a.m. depending on location, and the eclipse ends around 11:00 a.m. Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Asilah, Larache, Al Hoceima and Nador are inside the path of totality.
In Tangier, very little: most accommodation is already sold out for eclipse week, which also falls during Operation Marhaba and the European holidays. Gateway2Morocco has secured additional accommodation in Chefchaouen, inside the path of totality. If you book a customised private Morocco tour with us around 2 August 2027, we guarantee your accommodation. Rooms are limited, so send us your dates early.
Totality in Tangier runs from about 9:44:36 to 9:49:26 a.m. local time (GMT+1), roughly 4 minutes 50 seconds; NationalEclipse.com gives 4:51. Tangier is almost on the centre line. Spain is on GMT+2 in summer, so Spanish sources show the same moment an hour later.
No. The southern edge of the path runs along roughly latitude 34.6–34.7° N, just south of Ouezzane. Rabat and Fes lie 60–70 km outside it and see about a 98% partial eclipse, Casablanca about 97% and Marrakech about 90%. None will see the corona. For totality, be in Tangier, Tetouan or Chefchaouen.
For duration, the Tangier–Tetouan corridor, with nearly 4 minutes 50 seconds on the centre line. For weather, Eclipsophile's analysis gives Chefchaouen the lowest cloud amount in Morocco, with about 4 minutes 13 seconds of totality. Most of Tangier is already sold out for eclipse week, so we base our travellers in Chefchaouen, where we have secured accommodation, and keep a private driver ready to move toward Tetouan if cloud threatens.
Good, not guaranteed. August is almost rainless, but Atlantic marine stratus can linger over the coast at 9:45 a.m., and a Levante wind can push cloud through the Strait. Central and eastern Tangier, eastern Tetouan and inland Chefchaouen are the better bets. A private vehicle to reposition is the best insurance.
Not in the north: Tangier averages about 28°C in August. The interior is hot — around 35°C in Fes and 38°C in Errachidia, hotter in the dunes. We guide early, rest in the afternoon, put the desert before or after eclipse week, and time Merzouga for sunset and sunrise.
Yes, for everything except totality. Use glasses or viewers meeting ISO 12312-2, bought before you travel from a supplier on the American Astronomical Society's list. Remove them only when the Sun is completely covered and replace them at the first flash of light. Cameras and binoculars need front-mounted solar filters.
Egypt has longer totality, over six minutes near Luxor, and near-certain clear skies, but average temperatures around 42°C and a much longer flight. Morocco offers about 4 minutes 50 seconds, a milder north, nonstop flights from six North American cities, and a full itinerary around it. For most of our travellers, Morocco is the better trip.
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and how you want to combine the eclipse with the rest of Morocco. We will build a private itinerary around 2 August 2027 with your Chefchaouen accommodation guaranteed, send it within 48 hours, and no deposit is due until it is right.
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