Fes Morocco — Complete Travel & Attractions Guide
The tanneries, the medina that has not changed in a thousand years, the best food in Morocco, and the practical details on getting there, getting around, and who to trust as a guide.
Fes is the most complex city in Morocco and the most rewarding to spend time in. The medina — Fes el-Bali — has been continuously inhabited since the 9th century and is home to around 150,000 people who live, work, and trade in the same streets as their ancestors. It is not a museum. The tanneries still produce the same leather using the same methods. The copper smiths in Seffarine Square work with the same tools. The souks sell to locals as much as to tourists.
This guide covers the top Fes Morocco attractions, the practical details on getting there and around, accommodation, food, safety, and how Fes connects to the desert routes south. It answers the questions that matter before you go — including what a guide costs, how safe the medina is, and what the nightlife actually looks like.
Fes Morocco — Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Local time | GMT+1 year-round. Morocco does not observe daylight saving time. In summer it is the same as BST (UK). In winter it is 1 hour ahead of GMT. |
| Airport | Fes-Saiss Airport (FEZ). Direct flights from London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, Brussels, and many other European cities. Around 15 km from the city centre. |
| Train | ONCF railway. Casablanca to Fes: approximately 3.5 hours. Rabat to Fes: approximately 2.5 hours. Tangier to Fes: approximately 4.5 hours (via Meknes). Book at oncf.ma. |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Not convertible outside Morocco. ATMs at the airport and throughout Ville Nouvelle. Medina stalls are largely cash only. |
| Language | Darija (Moroccan Arabic) in daily life. French for business and tourism. English spoken at most riad and hotel level. Spanish not common in Fes. |
| Getting around | Petit taxis between Ville Nouvelle and medina gates. Fes el-Bali is pedestrian only — no vehicles inside. Walking and the occasional donkey cart are the modes of transport. |
Top Fes Morocco Attractions
The Fes Morocco map of attractions is anchored in two areas: Fes el-Bali (the old medina) to the east, and the smaller Fes el-Jdid (the new medina and Mellah) to the west. Almost everything worth seeing is inside or between these two walled areas.
The Chouara Tanneries are the most famous image of Fes and the centrepiece of the city’s craft identity. The circular stone dyeing vats — filled with natural pigments — have been in use since the 11th century. Tanners work the leather by foot and hand in the same sequence of soaking, scraping, dyeing, and drying that has not fundamentally changed in a thousand years. The view is from the terraces of the leather shops above — enter one, accept a sprig of mint to hold under your nose (the smell is potent), and look down into the vats. No admission charge to look; the shops sell on the way out. Go before 11am when the work is most active.
Built in the 14th century by the Marinid sultan Bou Inan, this is the most architecturally complete Islamic school in Morocco. The central courtyard has three tiers of carved plaster, cedar latticework, and zellij tilework from floor to ceiling — each layer more intricate than the one below. It is one of the few religious structures in Fes open to non-Muslim visitors. Go in the morning when the light falls across the courtyard from the east. Allow at least 45 minutes to look properly.
Al-Qarawiyyin was founded in 859 AD and is recognised by UNESCO and the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. The mosque attached to it is one of the largest in Morocco. Non-Muslim visitors cannot enter the mosque or the main university building, but the entrance gates, the surrounding lanes, and the library courtyard (occasionally open) give a sense of the scale and the atmosphere. The Al-Qarawiyyin Library — restored and reopened — is a remarkable building worth seeing from outside even when access is limited.
Directly adjacent to Al-Qarawiyyin, Medersa Attarine (the Medersa of the Spice Sellers) was built in the early 14th century and is named for the spice souk it overlooks. The carved plaster and cedar wood in the central courtyard rival Bou Inania for quality but the space is smaller and the scale more intimate. Often less crowded than Bou Inania, particularly in the late afternoon. Combine both medersas in the same morning with a good guide.
The Blue Gate is the most photographed entrance to Fes el-Bali. Built in 1913, it marks the western entrance to the medina at the top of Rue Talaa Kebira — the main artery of the old city running downhill toward Al-Qarawiyyin. The facade facing outward is decorated in the green of Islam. The facade facing inward is blue — the colour of Fes. The cafes on the terrace above the gate serve mint tea with a view over the gate and the minaret behind it.
The Marinid Tombs sit on a hill above the medina — 15 minutes on foot from Bab Bou Jeloud through a residential neighbourhood. The ruins of the 14th century royal necropolis are modest, but the panoramic view over Fes el-Bali from the hilltop is the best in the city. Every minaret, every rooftop terrace, and the full extent of the medina spread out below. Go at sunrise for the best light and the fewest other visitors. Sunset is also excellent but slightly more crowded.
The Mellah in Fes el-Jdid is one of the oldest Jewish quarters in Morocco, established in the 14th century. The balconied buildings, the Hebrew inscriptions still visible above some doorways, the Ibn Danan Synagogue (open for visits), and the Jewish cemetery at the edge of the quarter give a dense and layered sense of the city’s history. Less visited than the main medina and worth an afternoon on its own.
Seffarine Square — Place Seffarine — is a small square near Al-Qarawiyyin where copper and brass smiths work on enormous platters, bowls, and vessels. The hammering is continuous from early morning. It is one of the few places in the medina where you can watch traditional metalwork being produced at full scale. The nearby Nejjarine Square has a carved cedar fountain and a woodworking museum (Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts) in a restored fondouk.
Things to Do in Fes Morocco — Food & Eating
Things to do in Fez Morocco extend well beyond the monuments. Fes has the most sophisticated food culture in Morocco — the recipes are the oldest in the country and the ingredients are sourced locally in a way that has largely been lost in the more tourist-facing cities.
What to Eat in Fes
Pastilla is the defining dish of Fes — a sweet-savoury pie of pigeon or chicken cooked with almonds, eggs, and spices in thin warqa pastry, dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. It originated here and is made better here than anywhere else. Order it at a riad restaurant rather than a street stall — the version made properly takes hours. Other essential dishes: harira soup at any medina cafe (thick, warming, with bread and dates on the side), mechoui (slow-roasted lamb sold by weight at the mechoui stalls near Rcif Square), and any tagine in the Andalusian quarter where the spice combinations are more complex than in Marrakech.
Where to Eat
Riad restaurants in the medina serve the best food at the most honest prices — full Moroccan menus for 150 to 250 MAD. The street food around Bab Bou Jeloud — bread rings, sfenj (doughnuts), and fresh orange juice — is the best breakfast option in the city. The medina cafe terraces near the Blue Gate serve mint tea with views for 15 MAD a glass. For a full evening meal, ask your riad to recommend a restaurant rather than taking guidance from anyone who approaches you on the street.
Moroccan Cooking Class
A cooking class in Fes typically starts at the spice souk, where the instructor selects the ingredients, and moves to a riad kitchen for two to three hours of preparation. You cook and eat what you make — usually a tagine, a salad course, and pastilla if time allows. Prices range from 400 to 700 MAD per person. Book through your riad in advance rather than through a street approach.
Safety & Guided Tours in Fes
Is the Fes Medina Safe?
The Fes medina is safe for tourists. The risks are specific and avoidable. The main issue is the unofficial guide — someone who approaches you outside Bab Bou Jeloud or in the main lanes and offers to show you the tanneries for free. There is no such thing as a free guide in Fes. The approach leads to leather shops, carpet emporiums, and silver jewellers where the guide earns commission on anything you buy. You are under no obligation and can leave at any time, but the experience is unpleasant.
A licensed local guide eliminates this entirely. Your guide’s presence signals to unofficial operators that you already have a guide, which stops the approaches. This alone is worth the cost of the guide fee. Beyond that, the medina is genuinely disorienting — even experienced travellers get turned around in the lane network — and a guide keeps the morning productive rather than lost.
What Does a Fes Guide Cost?
A licensed guide in Fes costs approximately 300 to 500 MAD for a half-day (3 to 4 hours) and 500 to 800 MAD for a full day. This is the Ministry of Tourism-regulated range. If someone approaches you and offers a tour for significantly less, they are not licensed. If you book through your riad or through a reputable tour operator like Morocco Desert Tour, the guide is verified licensed and priced correctly.
Hotels in Fes Morocco — Where to Stay
The best accommodation in Fes is inside Fes el-Bali — a riad in the medina puts you inside the experience rather than observing it from the outside. The walk to the Blue Gate from a medina riad takes 5 to 10 minutes rather than the 30-minute taxi ride from Ville Nouvelle.
Inside Fes el-Bali. Reliable standard, central location, dinner and breakfast available. View on TripAdvisor
Renovated riad inside the medina. Rooftop terrace with medina views. Strong reviews for breakfast and staff. View on TripAdvisor
Five-star palace hotel on the medina edge with panoramic views over the city. Pool, spa, and the best rooftop restaurant in Fes. View on TripAdvisor
More international hotel options with easier parking and airport taxis. Further from the medina but useful if you need a hire car base or an early departure.
How to Get to Fes, Morocco
Fes-Saiss Airport (FEZ) has direct connections to London Stansted, Paris Orly, Madrid, Amsterdam, Brussels, and many other European cities. Ryanair and Royal Air Maroc are the main operators. Taxis from the airport to the medina gates cost around 100 to 150 MAD.
ONCF trains from Casablanca Voyageurs to Fes take approximately 3.5 hours. Multiple daily departures. Book at oncf.ma. First class is comfortable and worth the small price difference.
Tangier Ville to Fes: approximately 4.5 hours via Meknes. The Meknes stop is worth a half-day if you have time. Book at oncf.ma.
The most complete arrival. A private desert tour from Marrakech covers Ait Ben Haddou, the canyon country, Erg Chebbi, and Ziz Valley before arriving in Fes — no repeated roads and the city as a reward at the end of the route.
Fes Nightlife & Evening Options
Fes has a more conservative character than Marrakech and the nightlife reflects this. The medina is alcohol-free and largely quiet after 10pm. The best evening options in the city are not bars — they are food and atmosphere.
- Riad restaurant dinner — the most consistently good evening experience. Several riads host live Andalusian music with dinner. Ask when booking whether music is available on your date.
- Rooftop cafe at Bab Bou Jeloud — the cafe terraces above the Blue Gate stay open until 11pm and have the best view in the medina for the price of a mint tea.
- Evening walk on Rue Talaa Kebira — the main medina street in the evening when the souk lights are on and the lane is quieter than during the day. One of the more atmospheric walks in Morocco.
- Ville Nouvelle bars and restaurants — several hotel bars and restaurants in the new town serve alcohol and stay open late. Less atmospheric but useful if you want a drink after dinner.
- Merenid Tombs at dusk — the panoramic view from the hill above the medina at last light, with the call to prayer from the minarets below. Free, 15 minutes from Bab Bou Jeloud, and one of the genuine highlights of a Fes visit.
Fes and the Desert — Connecting the Two
Fes is the most natural starting or ending point for a desert tour that covers the full Morocco circuit. The route south from Fes goes through Ifrane, the Ziz Valley, Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes, the Dades Valley, Todra Gorge, Ouarzazate, and Ait Ben Haddou before reaching Marrakech. The route north from Marrakech runs the same route in reverse — arriving in Fes from the Sahara.
Both directions make geographic sense and neither requires backtracking. Contact us to arrange a private tour connecting Fes to the desert — or browse all options on the Fes desert tours page.
Leave Fes in the morning. Erg Chebbi dunes and luxury desert camp on night one. Ait Ben Haddou and Marrakech arrival on day three. No backtracking.
See Fes to MarrakechThe same route in reverse — starting in Marrakech and ending in Fes. Ait Ben Haddou, Dades Valley, Sahara camel trek, Ziz Valley, Fes.
See Marrakech to FesEvery tour starting or ending in Fes — all durations, both directions, all group sizes.
Browse Fes desert toursFrequently Asked Questions — Fes Morocco
What are the top attractions to visit in Fes, Morocco?
The top Fes Morocco attractions are the Chouara Tanneries (viewed from leather shop terraces), Bou Inania Medersa, Medersa Attarine, Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University (oldest in the world), the Nejjarine Fountain and woodworking museum, Bab Bou Jeloud (the Blue Gate), the Mellah (Jewish quarter), and the panoramic views from the Marinid Tombs above the city.
How safe is it for tourists to explore the medina in Fes?
The Fes medina is safe but requires awareness. The main risk is persistent unofficial guides who offer unsolicited help and lead you to commission shops. A licensed local guide eliminates this — their presence stops unofficial approaches and handles navigation in the labyrinthine lanes. Solo exploration is possible in the main artisan streets during daytime. After dark, stick to well-lit lanes around Bab Bou Jeloud.
Which traditional crafts and markets are a must-see in Fes?
The Chouara Tanneries are the centrepiece — viewed from the leather shop terraces above, with tanning vats unchanged since the 11th century. The Nejjarine souk (woodworking) around the Nejjarine fountain is one of the finest craft souks in Morocco. The copper souk at Seffarine Square, the textile souk along Rue Talaa Kebira, and the spice market near Medersa Attarine complete the essential craft circuit.
What cultural experiences can travellers expect in Fes?
Fes offers the deepest cultural immersion of any Moroccan city. Living craft traditions — tanning, woodcarving, weaving, copper work — practiced in the same streets for centuries. Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD, is the oldest university in the world. A Moroccan cooking class in the medina, a traditional hammam, and a riad dinner with live Andalusian music round out the cultural experience.
What makes Fes a unique travel destination in Morocco?
Fes is the most authentically preserved medieval Islamic city in the world still functioning as a living urban environment. Unlike many historic cities that have become open-air museums, Fes el-Bali is home to around 150,000 people who live, work, and trade in the same medina that has existed since the 9th century. The craft traditions, food culture, and architecture are all active rather than preserved.
When is the best time to visit Fes, Morocco?
March to May and September to November are the best months. Spring temperatures in Fes average 18 to 26°C — comfortable for medina walking. Autumn is slightly less crowded than spring. July and August reach 38 to 42°C — the medina becomes very hot by midday. December through February is mild and quiet with good accommodation availability.
How can I plan a trip to Fes, Morocco?
Reach Fes by direct flight to Fes-Saiss Airport (FEZ), by ONCF train from Casablanca (3.5 hours) or Tangier (4.5 hours), or by private desert tour from Marrakech via the south. Allow two nights minimum — one full day is not enough. Book a licensed local guide for the medina day. Stay in a riad inside Fes el-Bali for the most complete experience.
Is Fes safe and what is the nightlife like?
Fes is safe for tourists. The medina is active and well-lit in the main streets until around 10pm. Nightlife is quieter than Marrakech — the city is more conservative. The best evening options are dinner at a riad restaurant (some with live Andalusian music), a walk on Rue Talaa Kebira after dark, rooftop tea at Bab Bou Jeloud, and the Marinid Tombs panorama at dusk. Hotel bars in Ville Nouvelle serve alcohol and stay open late.
How much does a Fes tour guide cost?
A licensed local guide in Fes costs approximately 300 to 500 MAD for a half-day and 500 to 800 MAD for a full day — the Ministry of Tourism-regulated range. Avoid unofficial guides who approach you on the street; they are not licensed and lead to commission shops. Guides booked through reputable riads or tour operators are reliably licensed. If you arrive as part of a desert tour, the licensed Fes guide day is typically included in the tour price.
Arrive in Fes via the Sahara Desert
Private desert tours from Marrakech to Fes — Ait Ben Haddou, Todra Gorge, Erg Chebbi, Ziz Valley, and Fes. The most complete way to see southern and northern Morocco in one trip.