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Fez, one of Morocco's four imperial cities with Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat, is made of three towns: Fes el-Bali, the medieval medina listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, Fes el-Jdid, founded by the Marinids around the royal palace, and the new town.
People come to get lost in the medina's pedestrian lanes, look down on the Chouara tannery vats, step into the Bou Inania madrasa and walk past the walls of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859. Two or three days are enough, plus a day for Volubilis and Meknes.
Overview
Fez is the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco: its UNESCO-listed Fes el-Bali medina is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world.
Fez is one of Morocco's four imperial cities and its spiritual and cultural capital. Its heart, the Fes el-Bali medina, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981: a pedestrian maze of alleys, souks and monuments, among the largest car-free urban areas in the world.
Here you can visit Al-Qarawiyyin University (founded in 859, one of the oldest educational institutions still operating in the world), the famous Chouara tanneries, the Bou Inania Madrasa and countless artisan workshops (leather, blue ceramics, metalwork). Fez is best discovered slowly, at the pace of its alleys.
8 places to take with you
In the guide's order, ready for Google Maps or your GPS.
Book the activities from this guide
Our picks for Fes, well rated and free to cancel.
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Guided walking tour of the medina
€19 per person (GetYourGuide price 2026)
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Souk visit and Moroccan cooking class
€38 per person (GetYourGuide price 2026)
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Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes in a day
€15 per person, Volubilis entry not included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
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Fes el-Bali medina
Founded from the 9th century onwards, Fes el-Bali has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Its lanes, too narrow for cars, run down towards the Fes river between specialised souks, fondouks, fountains and the workshops of coppersmiths, weavers and potters.
The best-known entrance is Bab Bou Jeloud, the gate tiled blue on the outside and green on the medina side, where the two main streets, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira, begin. Nejjarine square and its fountain mark the carpenters' quarter.
Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university
Founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, al-Qarawiyyin is both a mosque and one of the oldest educational institutions still operating in the world. Enlarged by the Almoravids in the 12th century, it fills the heart of the medina and remains its main landmark.
The mosque is closed to non-Muslims. You can glimpse the courtyard, its fountains and tilework from the doors opening onto the surrounding lanes; its library was restored and reopened in 2016.
Chouara Tannery
In the north-east of the medina, near Seffarine square, the Chouara tannery lines up its stone vats filled with lime and dyes. Hides are soaked, softened and dyed by hand, with methods that remain artisanal.
You watch from above, from the terraces of the leather shops around the vats. The smell is strong: you are often handed a sprig of mint at the door.
Bou Inania Madrasa
Built from 1350 to 1355 for the Marinid sultan Abu Inan Faris, the Bou Inania madrasa is the dynasty's largest in Fez. Its marble courtyard is framed by zellige tilework, carved stucco and sculpted cedar wood, around a central basin.
The prayer hall is off-limits to non-Muslims, but the courtyard and galleries can be visited. Opposite, the Dar al-Magana façade held a water clock whose wooden brackets are still visible.
Marinid Tombs
On al-Qula hill, north of Fes el-Bali, stand the ruins of 14th-century Marinid mausoleums: two large rectangular halls with horseshoe-arch doorways and a small domed structure. Several sultans were buried there between 1361 and 1398, then in 1465.
Only a few stucco fragments and an inscription remain, but people come up mainly for the view over the whole medina, its roofs, minarets and the surrounding hills.
Al Batha Museum of Islamic Arts
Dar Batha, near Bab Bou Jeloud, is a palace built between 1886 and 1907 under the sultans Hassan I and Abdelaziz, around a large Andalusian garden. After works that began in 2019, it reopened on 26 February 2025 as the Al Batha Museum of Islamic Arts.
Its more than 6,500 objects include the 9th-century minbar of the Andalusian Mosque, the one from the Bou Inania madrasa, Qur'ans, astrolabes and the blue ceramics of Fez.
Royal Palace of Fez
Dar al-Makhzen takes up much of Fes el-Jdid, the royal town founded in 1276 by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub. The King of Morocco still uses it regularly: the palace is not open to the public.
People come for its monumental gates on Place des Alaouites, built from 1969 to 1971: gilt bronze with geometric patterns, zellige tilework and carved cedar. The mellah, the old Jewish quarter, begins right next to it.
Jnan Sbil Garden
Between Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, Jnan Sbil is a former royal garden open to the public: palm-lined paths, pools and a large pond, fed by channels from the Fes river.
Local families come for the shade and cool air; it is the easiest break between the medina and the royal palace.
Guided walking tour of the medina
Three hours or more in Fes el-Bali with a licensed guide who grew up in the medina: the working tanneries, the Bou Inania madrasa, the Nejjarine quarter, lanes away from the main streets and craft workshops. The guide also tells the story of al-Qarawiyyin. The highlight: no longer getting lost, and stepping into places you would not find alone.
Allow €19 per person on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation, starting near Bab Bou Jeloud. The tour is in English; artisan stops come with no obligation to buy.
- 3-4.5 hrs
- €19 per person (GetYourGuide price 2026)
Souk visit and Moroccan cooking class
Mint tea in a family home, choosing the dishes as a group (salads, tagines, vegetarian options), then shopping in the souk with the hosts before cooking together, in small groups of up to 10. The highlight: eating what you made, with the recipes to take home.
Allow €38 per person on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation. Classes in French, English or Arabic.
- 3.5 hrs
- €38 per person (GetYourGuide price 2026)
Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes in a day
A day in an air-conditioned vehicle from Fez: free time in the Berber-Roman ruins of Volubilis (Arch of Caracalla, basilica, Capitoline temple), a stop at Moulay Idriss, the holy town of green roofs clinging to its hill, then the medina of Meknes, another imperial city. The highlight: the Volubilis mosaics amid the fields.
Allow €15 per person on GetYourGuide, with pick-up from your accommodation and free cancellation; the Volubilis ticket is bought on site. Bring a hat and water, the site has no shade.
- 9 hrs
- €15 per person, Volubilis entry not included (GetYourGuide price 2026)
Day trip to Chefchaouen, the blue town
Leaving around 8 am, crossing the Rif mountains with a photo stop, then about four free hours in Chefchaouen: the viewpoint above the town, the Ras el-Maa spring and the blue lanes of the medina. The highlight: wandering unguided through a medina smaller and calmer than Fez.
Allow €24 per person on GetYourGuide, in a shared group, with hotel pick-up and free cancellation. The drive takes several hours each way: expect a long day.
- 12 hrs
- €24 per person (GetYourGuide price 2026)
Getting there
Reach Fez via Fès-Saïss Airport (FEZ), about 13 km from the centre, or by the ONCF rail network from Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier.
Fès-Saïss Airport (FEZ) lies about 13 km from the city centre. To reach town, the bus (line 16) serves the central station in around 40 minutes; a fixed-fare taxi also runs to the centre.
By train
Fez is well connected to the national ONCF rail network, with direct trains from Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes and Tangier. The station is in the new town, a short taxi ride from the medina.
Getting around
The Fes el-Bali medina is fully pedestrian and explored on foot. Red petits taxis serve the new town and the medina gates; ask for the meter or agree on the fare in advance.
Getting around
On foot in the medina, by red petit taxi between the medina, Fes el-Jdid and the new town.
Fes el-Bali is pedestrian: you walk everywhere, stepping aside for donkeys and carts. Map apps are unreliable there; learn the gates and the main streets (Talaa Kebira, Talaa Seghira).
For longer distances, the red petit taxis link the medina gates, Fes el-Jdid, the station and the new town; ask for the meter or agree the fare before getting in.
What to do
The medina with a guide, the Chouara tanneries in the morning, the Bou Inania madrasa, the Batha museum, the royal palace and the mellah; as day trips, Volubilis, Meknes and Chefchaouen.
Spend a first day in Fes el-Bali with a guide: the Chouara tanneries in the morning, Seffarine square, the surroundings of al-Qarawiyyin, the Bou Inania madrasa and Nejjarine square. The next day, the Batha museum, Jnan Sbil garden, the royal palace gates and the mellah in Fes el-Jdid, then sunset from the Marinid Tombs.
A cooking class is another way into the food souk. For day trips, Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes fit into one day; Chefchaouen takes a full day on the road.
Food
Pastilla, tagines, harira and bissara in the medina's eateries; mint tea everywhere, alcohol rare inside the medina.
Fez claims the pastilla, a sweet-and-savoury pastry with pigeon or chicken, and tagines with dried fruit or preserved lemon. Early in the morning, the medina's eateries serve bissara, a broad-bean soup, and harira in the evening, especially during Ramadan.
Mint tea comes with every visit. Alcohol is rare in the medina: a few riads and new-town restaurants serve it.
Climate & seasons
When to go to Morocco?
Monthly averages over the past 5 years (Open-Meteo).
Best months
- February
- April
- May
- October
- November
Avoid
- July
- August
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our take | ||||||||||||
| Weather | ||||||||||||
| High | 19° | 20° | 21° | 25° | 30° | 34° | 39° | 39° | 33° | 30° | 23° | 19° |
| Rain (mm) | 49 | 54 | 108 | 47 | 33 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 35 | 36 | 82 |
| City sightseeing | City sightseeing January | City sightseeing February | City sightseeing March | City sightseeing April | City sightseeing May | City sightseeing November | City sightseeing December |
What to do by season (autumn)
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City sightseeing
Pedestrian-friendly most of the year.
When to go
Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) offer the most pleasant weather; summer is very hot for walking the souks.
The best times to visit Fez are spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October): mild days and ideal light for exploring the medina.
Summer (July-August) is very hot (the heat in the alleys can be tough), while winter stays mild by day but cool in the evening, with occasional rain. If you can, schedule sightseeing for the morning and keep afternoons for gardens, museums and shaded terraces.
Where to stay
A riad in the medina for atmosphere, near Bab Bou Jeloud for taxi access; the new town for modern hotels and the station.
To live the medina, stay in a riad, a traditional house built around a courtyard. Pick one near a gate reachable by taxi, Bab Bou Jeloud or Bab Guissa, as luggage is carried on foot through the lanes; many riads send someone to meet you.
The new town (Ville Nouvelle, around Avenue Hassan II) has the modern and chain hotels, near the station, a few minutes by taxi from the medina.
Safety
Fez is safe; watch out for snatch theft and unofficial guides. Emergencies: police 19, fire and ambulance 15, gendarmerie 177.
Morocco remains a safe country according to the French authorities. In the medina, the main nuisances are unofficial guides offering to lead you, sometimes to a shop, and snatch theft in crowds: keep your bag and phone close.
Avoid deserted lanes and the area around the Marinid Tombs after dark. Emergency numbers: police 19, fire and ambulance 15, gendarmerie 177.
Formalities
French citizens need no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days; a valid passport is enough. The currency is the Moroccan dirham, exchanged on arrival.
For a tourist stay, French citizens need no visa for up to 90 days. A valid passport covering the whole stay is required (the ID card is not accepted); you must be able to show a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds.
Currency
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD), a non-freely-convertible currency obtained in practice on the spot (banks, exchange offices, ATMs at the airport and in town). Keep cash for the souks and small shops.
Safety and customs
Morocco remains a safe country according to French authorities; stay alert to snatch theft in large cities and to faux-guides in the medina. Dress modestly in line with local customs (covered shoulders and legs), especially near places of worship, which are closed to non-Muslims.
FAQ
Visa, currency, airport access, guides and safety: the key answers to plan your trip to Fez.
Do French citizens need a visa to visit Fez?
No. French citizens need no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. A valid passport covering the whole stay is required (the ID card is not accepted), and you must be able to show a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds.
What currency should I use and can I exchange it before leaving?
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD), a non-freely-convertible currency obtained in practice on the spot (banks, exchange offices, ATMs at the airport and in town). Keep cash for the souks and small shops.
How do I get from Fès-Saïss Airport to the centre?
The airport is about 13 km from the centre. The bus (line 16) serves the central station in around 40 minutes; a fixed-fare taxi also runs to the centre.
Do I need a guide for the medina, and how do I avoid scams?
The medina is a pedestrian maze: an official guide is strongly recommended to find your way and avoid the faux-guides who approach visitors at the gates. Stay alert to snatch theft in large cities.
When is the best time to visit Fez?
Spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October) offer pleasant weather. Summer (July-August) is very hot for walking the souks.
How should I dress in Fez?
Dress modestly in line with local customs (covered shoulders and legs), especially near places of worship and during Ramadan.
Can I enter the Al-Qarawiyyin mosque?
No, the mosque is closed to non-Muslims, like most Muslim places of worship in Morocco. You can still glimpse the courtyard from the doorways, without photographing worshippers.
Is Fez safe for travellers?
Yes, Morocco remains a safe country according to French authorities. The main caution concerns snatch theft in large cities and persistent attention towards solo women.
Sources
The figures in this guide come from the sources below, checked on the publication date.
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