Fes
Morocco's spiritual and scholarly capital, where a vast medieval medina still works as a living city.
Overview
Last reviewed 13 October 2026
Fes el-Bali, the oldest part of Fes, is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Its thousands of lanes hold madrasas, mosques, fondouks, workshops and family homes, and much of it still functions as it has for centuries.
The city is home to Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri and often described as one of the oldest continuously operating educational institutions in the world. For travellers interested in history and craft, Fes is the most immersive city in Morocco.
- Best for
- History, crafts, architecture, food
- Suggested stay
- 2–3 nights
- Getting there
- Fes–Saïss Airport; trains from Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech
- Pace
- Immersive; a guide helps on day one
Photo: Macia Serrano on Unsplash
Photo: Younes M on Unsplash
Photo: Don Fontijn on Unsplash
Photo: Jean Carlo Emer on UnsplashWhen to go
Conditions vary from year to year. Check a forecast before you travel.
Pleasant temperatures; the surrounding hills are green.
Hot inland heat; the medina's shade helps.
Warm and comfortable.
Cool and sometimes rainy; cold nights.
How long to stay
Two to three nights
Allow one full day in the medina with a guide, a second to revisit places at your own pace, and a third for Meknes and Volubilis.
Highlights
Bou Inania Madrasa
A fourteenth-century Marinid madrasa with exceptional carved cedar, stucco and zellige. Unlike most religious buildings in Morocco, it is open to non-Muslim visitors for a small entry fee.
Al-Attarine Madrasa
A small, intricate madrasa beside the spice market.
Chouara Tannery
The city's best-known tannery, viewed from terraces of the surrounding leather shops.
Bab Bou Jeloud
The blue-tiled gate that is the main entrance to the medina for most visitors.
Craft quarters
Coppersmiths, weavers and dyers still work in their traditional quarters.
Meknes and Volubilis
An imperial city and an important Roman site, an easy day trip away.
Getting there and around
Schedules change. Confirm times and fares with operators before travelling.
Fes is on the main rail network, with direct trains to Meknes, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech (about seven hours). For Tangier, changing at Kenitra onto the Al Boraq high-speed train takes about four hours, a little faster than the direct conventional train. CTM buses reach Chefchaouen in four to five hours.
The medina is closed to cars. Taxis drop you at the nearest gate, and porters with carts can help with luggage; agree a price first or ask your riad to arrange it.
Suggested itineraries
Two days in Fes
- Day 1: The medina with a guide
- Bab Bou Jeloud, Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas, the outside of Al-Qarawiyyin, the craft quarters and the tannery.
- Day 2: At your own pace
- Return to favourite places, visit the Batha area and the Borj Nord for views, then a cooking class or hammam.
Adding a third day
- Day 3: Meknes and Volubilis
- Explore the Roman ruins of Volubilis in the morning and the imperial city of Meknes in the afternoon.
Budget guidance
Guidance reviewed October 2026. Check current prices for your dates.
- Accommodation
- Riads in Fes often offer strong value compared with Marrakech.
- Guides
- A licensed half-day or full-day guide is the most useful single expense.
- Food
- Street food and small local restaurants are inexpensive and excellent.
Local customs and useful advice
Customs
- Al-Qarawiyyin and active mosques are closed to non-Muslim visitors; admire their doorways from the lane.
- Tannery viewing terraces are usually inside leather shops; you are under no obligation to buy.
- Dress modestly in the old city.
Practical tips
- Book a licensed guide for your first day; your riad can arrange one.
- Note the gate nearest to your riad and the colour of its door.
- Visit the tannery in the morning, when dyeing pits are most active.
Related reading
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