Fes: A Complete City Guide

Fes is the city that makes Morocco make sense. The imperial cities each play a different role in the country’s self-image, but Fes is the one that has been continuously inhabited and continuously significant for over 1,200 years. The medina, Fes el-Bali, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an extensive network of narrow streets that are largely inaccessible to cars. Walking into it for the first time is disorienting in a way that no amount of preparation fully prevents.

The city rewards patience. Fes is not a place you conquer in a day. The medina’s lanes include passages too narrow for two people to pass comfortably, hidden fondouks from the 14th century, tanneries that have worked the same way for a thousand years, and a culinary tradition that Moroccans across the country regard with genuine respect. Come with time and without a rigid agenda.

Fes el-Bali: The Old Medina

Fes el-Bali is not a museum but a working city. Leather workshops, bread ovens, schools, mosques and homes all share the same lanes. The Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 AD, claims the title of the world’s oldest continuously operating university. The Bou Inania Madrasa, a 14th-century theological college, is open to non-Muslim visitors and represents some of the finest Islamic architecture in North Africa.

Navigation is difficult. Most phones lose signal in the deep medina. A local guide for the first morning is not a tourist crutch; it is a practical decision that lets you orient yourself before going solo. The official guides attached to riads or arranged through the tourist office are generally reliable. Street guides who attach themselves to you near the main gates are a different story.

For a route through the main sights, start with our things to do in Fes guide. If you are choosing between the imperial cities, compare Marrakech and Fes before fixing your itinerary.

The Tanneries

The Chouara Tannery is one of those images so associated with Morocco that seeing it in person carries a slight unreality. The working tanneries seen from the terraces of the leather shops above them show stone vats in shades of ochre, saffron, burgundy, and white, with workers moving between them by hand. The leather shops themselves will let you onto their terrace for free in expectation that you might buy something. The sales pressure is real but manageable.

The smell is significant. The shops provide sprigs of fresh mint for a reason. Morning visits, when the tanneries are most active and the light is best, are worth setting an alarm for. The three main tanneries, Chouara, Sidi Moussa, and Ain Azliten, are each accessible from different parts of the medina.

Food in Fes

Fes is often called the gastronomic capital of Morocco. Pastilla, the flaky pigeon or chicken pie dusted with powdered sugar, is closely associated with the city, as are its harira, the lamb and chickpea soup, and the slow-cooked lamb dishes made with preserved lemons and aged olives that require both a clay pot and several hours.

Around Rcif Square, look for briwat, bissara and kefta cooked to order. Compare prices at the stall before ordering. For a seated riad meal, inspect the menu and whether drinks and service are included before booking.

Our Fes food guide explains the dishes to look for and how to plan meals around a day in the medina.

Fes el-Jdid and the Royal Palace

In the Mellah, the Museum of Moroccan Jewish Culture traces Jewish life across Morocco through manuscripts, clothing and religious objects.

Beyond Fes el-Bali lies Fes el-Jdid, the New Fes, built in the 13th century. The Royal Palace here has a set of ceremonial brass doors that are one of the most photographed spots in the city. The palace itself is not open to the public, but the plaza in front of it is grand and worth the walk. The Jewish mellah adjacent to the palace is one of the best-preserved historic Jewish quarters in Morocco.

For the wider history of mellahs, synagogues and visiting arrangements, read our Jewish heritage guide.

Travelling here after Marrakech? Our seven-day itinerary gives Fes two nights after a full Marrakech–Fes travel day. Check the selected train, station and any connections in the ONCF guide rather than scheduling a tour on your arrival evening.

Where to Stay

The traditional choice is a riad inside the medina. At their best, the Fes riads are extraordinary, quiet courtyards with fountain tiles and rooms that feel completely removed from the chaos a few steps outside. At their worst they are dark, cold in winter, difficult to reach by taxi, and overpriced for what they are. Research matters here. Compare recent guest reviews, room heating or cooling, and the walking route from the nearest vehicle drop-off rather than judging a riad by its nightly rate alone.

Staying in the Ville Nouvelle, the French-built modern town, gives you easier access to restaurants, reliable wifi, and taxis. It is a less atmospheric base but a more comfortable one for longer stays or for people who want the medina in doses rather than immersion.

Inside the Medina

Getting lost in Fes el-Bali is not a possibility but a certainty on your first visit. The medina has over 9,000 alleys, many of which are unmarked and look identical. Google Maps works to a limited extent (it shows the general direction but not always the correct path), and offline maps like Maps.me are sometimes more accurate for the smaller alleys.

The most practical navigation strategy is to learn the main arteries. Talaa Kebira and Talaa Sghira are the two main routes descending from Bab Boujloud to the centre of the medina. If you stay on or near these streets, you can always orient yourself. When you venture off them into side alleys (which you should, because that is where the less commercial side of the medina reveals itself), set a mental timer and retrace your steps after 15 minutes if nothing looks familiar.

Hiring an official guide for a half-day orientation walk is worth the investment. Agree the duration, route, language and total fee directly with a licensed guide before starting. A good orientation walk should also help you recognise routes you can navigate independently afterward. Avoid self-appointed guides who approach you on the street. Official guides carry a metal badge issued by the Ministry of Tourism.

Day Trips from Fes

Meknes, the fourth imperial city, is just 45 minutes by train. It has a fraction of the tourists that Fes and Marrakech receive, yet its Bab Mansour gate, the Heri es-Souani granaries, and the medina are impressive. Combining Meknes with the Roman ruins at Volubilis makes for a full and rewarding day trip. Volubilis (Walili in Arabic) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with remarkably preserved mosaics and columns, about 30 kilometres from Meknes.

The Middle Atlas town of Ifrane, known as Morocco’s Switzerland, is an hour’s drive south of Fes. The town itself is clean and quiet with European-style architecture, built during the French Protectorate era. The nearby cedar forests of Azrou are home to Barbary macaques (the only primates in Africa north of the Sahara). In winter, Ifrane receives snow and the nearby ski resort at Michlifen opens, though the skiing is modest compared to European resorts.