One day vs Two days

Fes el-Bali is a medieval city still lived in, and how long you give it changes the trip entirely. With one day you can see the headline acts — the warren of Fes el-Bali, the Chouara tannery from a leather shop's terrace, the dazzling tilework of the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine medersa, the blue-tiled gate of Bab Boujloud and the exterior of the Qarawiyyin — but you'll be moving briskly and the medina's quieter corners stay closed to you. With two days the city opens up: you slow down inside Fes el-Bali, then add Fes el-Jdid (the 'new' 13th-century imperial city) and the Mellah (the old Jewish quarter), spend unhurried time in the artisan quarters watching dyers, weavers and brass-beaters at work, and still have room for one of the great day trips beyond the walls — the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes, both within easy reach. One day is enough to say you've seen Fes; two is enough to begin to understand it.

If Fes is one stop on a fast-moving Morocco loop, a single well-planned day captures the essentials: start early at Bab Boujloud, work through Fes el-Bali to the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine medersa, take in the Chouara tannery, and finish before the afternoon crowds. But Fes rewards time more than almost any city in Morocco. Two days lets you slow down inside the old medina, add Fes el-Jdid and the Mellah, spend real time with the artisans, and still fit in a Volubilis-and-Meknes day trip — for many visitors the highlight of the north. Our honest recommendation: give Fes two nights and two days if you possibly can. If you truly only have one day, take it — but consider a licensed guide to make every hour count, and accept that you're sampling the city rather than seeing it.

Read the full guide to One day or to Two days.