Fes is the city that most often overwhelms first-time visitors, and also the one many of them remember most fondly. Its old city, Fes el-Bali, was founded at the end of the eighth century and covers roughly 300 hectares of lanes closed to cars. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the later quarter of Fes el-Jdid, since 1981.
You could spend a week here and still find new corners, but two full days is a realistic minimum. The plan below puts the dense, historic heart of the medina on day one, with a guide, and keeps day two calmer: the royal quarter, a museum, a garden and a view at sunset. If you are still deciding between the two great medinas, read Marrakech or Fes first.
The plan at a glance
| When | Day 1: Fes el-Bali | Day 2: Fes el-Jdid and the edges |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Bab Bou Jeloud, Tala'a Kebira, Bou Inania Madrasa | Royal Palace gates, the Mellah and the Ibn Danan Synagogue |
| Midday | Nejjarine Museum and lunch nearby | Lunch, then Jnan Sbil garden |
| Afternoon | Chouara Tannery, Al-Attarine Madrasa, Al-Qarawiyyin from the doorway | Dar Batha Museum (closed Tuesdays) |
| Evening | Dinner at your riad | Sunset at the Marinid Tombs, then a hammam or cooking class |
Before you start: book a guide for day one
Fes el-Bali is a maze of thousands of lanes, many of them unsigned, and even good map apps lose their way under covered streets. A licensed guide on the first morning saves time, explains what you are looking at and keeps unofficial guides at bay. Ask your riad to book one, or arrange it through the tourist office; licensed guides carry an official badge and should show it if you ask.
Agree the price, the length (a half day is usually three to four hours) and the route before you set off. Guides often earn commission in shops, so if you do not want to shop, say so politely at the start. Our guide to common scams in Morocco explains the usual tricks, such as being told that a lane is closed or that you are going the wrong way.
Day 1: the heart of Fes el-Bali
Morning: Bab Bou Jeloud and Bou Inania
Most visitors enter through Bab Bou Jeloud, the main western gate, and walk down Tala'a Kebira, one of the medina's two main streets, which slopes gently downhill towards the centre. Go early, before the lanes fill with mule carts and shoppers.
A few minutes along is the Bou Inania Madrasa, a fourteenth-century Marinid college commissioned by Sultan Abu Inan Faris. It is one of the few religious buildings in Morocco that non-Muslims may enter, for a small fee in dirhams. Its courtyard is a masterclass in carved cedar, stucco and zellige tilework. It closes briefly at prayer times; if the door is shut, wander nearby and come back shortly after. Shoulders and knees should be covered.
Midday: Nejjarine
Continue towards Place Nejjarine, where a former caravanserai, or funduq, now houses the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts. It is usually open from about 10am to 5pm, and its rooftop café is a good place to pause. There are plenty of places to eat in this part of the medina; your guide or riad can point you to a reliable one.
Afternoon: the tannery, Al-Attarine and Al-Qarawiyyin
The Chouara Tannery is the largest and one of the oldest of the city's three tanneries. Hides are softened in white vats and then coloured with natural dyes, such as poppy for red, indigo for blue and henna for orange, before drying in the sun. You view it from the terraces of the leather shops around it. Shops often hand out sprigs of mint for the smell. There is no obligation to buy; if you do not, a small tip to the person who showed you the view is customary. The vats are busiest in the morning, so if your guide suggests switching the order, take that advice.
Close by, the Al-Attarine Madrasa was built between 1323 and 1325 and takes its name from the neighbouring spice and perfume market. It is smaller than Bou Inania but just as finely decorated, and many consider it the high point of Marinid architecture. Next door stands Al-Qarawiyyin, which tradition says Fatima al-Fihri founded in 859. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but you can look into its courtyard from the doorways without stepping inside.
End the day back at your riad. Many riads cook dinner for guests if you order in the morning, which is a relaxing way to finish a long day on your feet.
Day 2: Fes el-Jdid, Dar Batha and the views
Morning: the royal quarter and the Mellah
Fes el-Jdid, or New Fes, was built by the Marinids from 1276 as their administrative centre. The Royal Palace is not open to the public, but you can admire its ornate gates from Place des Alaouites.
Just beside it lies the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter. Look up at the houses with open wooden balconies, a style that sets them apart from the inward-facing houses of the medina, especially along Rue Boukhessissat. The Ibn Danan Synagogue, believed to date from the late seventeenth century, can be visited, and the large Jewish cemetery has a small museum in a former synagogue.
Afternoon: Jnan Sbil and Dar Batha
Walk back towards Bab Bou Jeloud through Jnan Sbil, a public garden between Fes el-Jdid and the old city that is free to enter, then visit Dar Batha. This nineteenth-century palace, built under Sultan Moulay Hassan I, reopened in early 2025 as a museum of Islamic arts after a long restoration. Highlights include a fourteenth-century minbar from Bou Inania and ceramics in the famous blue of Fes. Allow at least an hour and a half, and remember that it is closed on Tuesdays, as of October 2026. If day two falls on a Tuesday, swap the order of your days.
Evening: sunset over the medina
For the classic view, take a petit taxi up to the Marinid Tombs, fourteenth-century ruins on the hill north of the old city. There is little left of the tombs themselves, but at sunset the whole medina spreads out below you and you can hear the calls to prayer echo across the valley. The area is outside the walls, so go with others or with a guide, and arrange your taxi back before dark. The nearby Borj Nord, a late-sixteenth-century fortress, houses a museum of arms.
Finish with a hammam or a cooking class, both easy to book through your riad, or simply return to a café you found on day one.
Practical tips for Fes
- Learn your gate. Taxis cannot enter the medina. Note the gate nearest your riad and the route from it, and ask your riad to send someone to meet you on arrival.
- Download an offline map. It will not be perfect, but it helps you get back to a main street.
- Wear good shoes. Lanes are steep in places, uneven and sometimes slippery.
- Dress modestly. Covering shoulders and knees is respectful in the old city and expected in the madrasas. See what to wear in Morocco.
- Bargain calmly. Fes is famous for leather, ceramics and brass. Our guide to haggling in Moroccan souks explains how.
- Carry small notes and coins. Entry fees, tips and snacks are all paid in cash.
If you have a third day
A third day lets you slow down in the medina, or take a day trip to the imperial city of Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Fes also sits on the main rail network, which makes it a natural stop between Tangier or Chefchaouen in the north and Marrakech or the Sahara further south. Our Fes destination guide covers transport and seasons in more detail.
The 10-Day Morocco Travel Blueprint
Imperial cities, the blue town and the Sahara in ten well-paced days.
See what's insideTravel details change. We review our guides regularly, but always confirm prices, schedules and entry requirements with official sources before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
