Fès-Meknès, northern Morocco · Morocco
The most complete medieval city in the Arab world, a car-free maze of madrasas, tanneries and workshops that has barely changed in centuries.
Photo: Ideophagous · CC BY-SA 4.0
Fes was founded in 789 by Idris I, and his son Idris II made it his capital around 809. It grew as a centre of learning and trade, receiving waves of refugees from Córdoba and Kairouan in the 9th century, and it has been the intellectual and religious capital of Morocco for much of the time since. UNESCO inscribed the medina in 1981.
The old city, Fes el-Bali, is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world. Thousands of lanes wind between houses, workshops, fondouks (caravan inns), fountains and mosques, and mules and handcarts carry everything. It is easy to be overwhelmed, and even harder to get out, but with a guide for the first morning, it becomes a place of extraordinary craftwork and quiet corners.
Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, is often described as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Around it stand the great Marinid madrasas of the 14th century, and outside the walls the newer Ville Nouvelle offers cafés and more modern hotels.
Why visit
Fes is the best place in Morocco to feel the country's medieval past, and one of the great historic cities of the Islamic world.
Craftspeople still make brass, leather, ceramics and textiles in the same quarters, by the same methods, as their predecessors.
The Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas are covered in carved cedar, stucco and zellige tile.
The Chouara tannery, with its stone vats of dye, is one of the most photographed and pungent sights in Morocco.
Fes is regarded as the culinary capital of the country, and its pastilla and rich stews are celebrated.
Fes remains a working city, and the medina is a place where people live, shop and pray.
Main attractions
The main sights are in Fes el-Bali. Hire a guide for the first day and then explore alone.
The blue-tiled gate, from 1913, at the western entrance to the medina. Blue outside, green inside, the colours of the city and of Islam.
Tip Enter here for the most gradual introduction to the medina.
A medieval leather tannery where hides are soaked in vats of dye and pigeon droppings. Visitors watch from the terraces of leather shops, which give out sprigs of mint.
Tip Best in the morning, and you are expected to browse the shop.
The mosque and university founded in 859. The interior is closed to non-Muslims, but the gates and courtyard can be glimpsed from outside, and its restored library has reopened to visitors at times.
Tip Ask your guide about the library's current opening.
A 14th-century Marinid college with a courtyard of cedar, marble and tile, one of the few religious buildings in Morocco open to non-Muslims.
Tip Visit early for the best light.
A smaller, more intimate 14th-century madrasa with immaculate decoration, next to the spice market.
Tip Combine it with the spice and perfume stalls.
The 13th-century royal quarter and the old Jewish quarter, with distinctive balconies, the palace gates and a Jewish cemetery.
Tip Go by petit taxi, since it is outside the medina.
Hilltop viewpoints above the medina, which give the classic panorama of the old city.
Tip Go at sunset.
Things to do
Fes rewards a slow rhythm, and wandering with a purpose, whether shopping, eating or learning a craft.
A licensed guide takes you through the main lanes, explains the crafts and keeps you from getting lost. Book through a riad for a fair price.
Tip Agree the price and the length in advance.
The Seffarine Square coppersmiths, the weavers, the woodcarvers and the potters all work in the open.
Tip Ask permission before taking photographs.
Learn to make a tagine or pastilla in a riad kitchen, after a shopping trip to the market.
Tip Book a day ahead.
The potteries outside the medina fire the celebrated blue Fassi ceramics, and offer demonstrations.
Tip Combine with the Borj Nord view.
The Marinid Tombs on the hill give a sweeping view over the medina, and are quietest at dusk.
Tip Take a petit taxi up.
Meknes, Volubilis and Chefchaouen are all within reach. See Meknes and Volubilis.
Tip Ask your riad to arrange a driver.
Local food
Fassi cuisine is considered the most refined in Morocco, based on rich sauces, pastry and slow cooking.
The famous pigeon or chicken pie in paper-thin pastry with almonds, cinnamon and sugar.
Where to try it Riads and upscale restaurants.
Shredded msemen pancakes with chicken, lentils and fenugreek in a spiced broth, traditionally served to new mothers.
Where to try it Traditional restaurants.
A thick, warming fava bean soup with olive oil and cumin, eaten for breakfast in winter.
Where to try it Street stalls in the medina.
Lamb or chicken cooked with dried fruit, saffron and preserved lemon.
Where to try it Restaurants in the medina.
Flat breads and semolina cakes eaten for breakfast with honey and butter.
Where to try it Bakeries and cafés.
Sweet pastries and tea in a café or riad courtyard.
Where to try it Cafés in the medina.
Accommodation
Staying in the medina is a major part of the Fes experience, and riads range from simple to palatial.
Transport
Fes is about 200 km east of Rabat and 300 km north-east of Marrakech.
Fes el-Bali has no cars, and the rest of the city is served by taxis.
When to go
Fes is inland and has hot summers and cool, wet winters.
Mild, sunny and green.
Hot, often above 35°C.
Warm days, cooler nights.
Cold and wet at times, but few visitors.
Worth planning around: July and August. The Festival of World Sacred Music in spring draws crowds.
Itinerary
The classic medina sights with a guide on the first day and self-guided exploring on the second.
Gates, crafts and tanneries.
Slow exploring.
Travel tips
Fes is a maze, and a few tips make it easier.
FAQ
Two or three. One day gives you a taste, but the medina rewards a slower pace.
It is strongly recommended for the first morning. The medina has thousands of lanes, and a licensed guide helps you navigate and avoid unofficial ones.
Yes, for most visitors. Expect hassle from touts, and take care of valuables in crowded lanes.
Fes is older, more authentic and less polished. Marrakech is livelier and easier. Many visitors do both.
Generally no. The Bou Inania Madrasa and some others are open as historic monuments, but most mosques are closed to non-Muslims.
It is pungent, and shops give mint sprigs to hold to your nose. It is worth seeing.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Fes, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Fès-Meknès, northern Morocco, Morocco
A UNESCO-listed imperial city built by Sultan Moulay Ismail, with vast gates and granaries, plus the Roman site of Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss nearby.
Don't miss The mosaics of Volubilis, still in place, with the Roman arch and the Zerhoun hills behind.
Explore Destination — Meknes and VolubilisTanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, Rif Mountains, Morocco
The famous 'blue pearl' of Morocco: a hillside medina of blue-washed walls and stairways, a lively square, a spring-fed river and trails into the Rif.
Don't miss The blue lanes of the old medina at first light, before the tour groups arrive.
Explore Destination — ChefchaouenRabat-Salé-Kénitra, Atlantic coast, Morocco
Morocco's capital: a UNESCO-listed city with the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Chellah ruins and a relaxed medina.
Don't miss The Kasbah of the Udayas, with its blue-and-white lanes and Andalusian garden above the Bouregreg river.
Explore Destination — RabatMarrakech-Safi, central Morocco, Morocco
The most visited city in Morocco: a walled medina of souks, madrasas and palaces, the great square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, the Majorelle Garden and a hundred riads.
Don't miss Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, when the storytellers, musicians and food stalls take over the square.
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