The cave houses
Homes built into the rock of the old quarter, some still lived in. Local guides can arrange a visit inside, always at the family's invitation; a small gift or tip for their hospitality is customary.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Bhalil · Photo: GearsDatapacks, CC BY 4.0
Bhalil, Morocco
Bhalil is a hillside town 6 km north-west of Sefrou and about 33 minutes by car from Fes, known for the cave houses in its old quarter and its brightly painted homes linked by small bridges. Women still make djellaba buttons by hand in the lanes. Some cave homes open to visitors through local guides, always as guests.
- Private or small-group
- A written quote for your dates
- WhatsApp support during your trip
Why go to Bhalil
Bhalil climbs a hillside a few kilometres from Sefrou, at the foot of the Middle Atlas. Its old quarter is known for houses built into caves in the rock, some still lived in, and for homes painted in many colours and joined by a network of small bridges across the lanes. The cave houses are disappearing as the town modernises, which makes a respectful visit now worth more. Bhalil is also known for djellaba buttons: you often see women working through hundreds of strings and knots in the alleys. The town, home to about 13,700 people at the 2024 census, also makes olive oil and still bakes in traditional bread ovens.
- Best time
- Year-round; spring for green hills, autumn for mild walking weather
- How long
- One to two hours, or half a day with Sefrou
- Nearest airport
- Fès-Saïs (FEZ)
- Region
- Middle Atlas foothills · Sefrou Province
The road from Fes to Bhalil, drawn to scale
Out of the medina by Bab Ftouh, on the OpenStreetMap car route. Each town sits at its real distance along the road.
30 km
about 33 min at the wheel, without traffic or stops
من فاس، باب الفتوح إلى البهاليل
Road distance and free-flow time from the OSM car router (OSRM), Bab Ftouh to Bhalil. A real day takes longer: traffic leaving Fes, a viewpoint, a slow lorry on the bends. We plan the day around it.
- Fes, Bab Ftouhفاس، باب الفتوح0 km
- Bhalilالبهاليل30 km
What you'll see in Bhalil
Painted houses and bridges
Bhalil's homes are painted in many colours and linked by small bridges over the lanes, so the old town reads like a staircase of colour up the hill.
Djellaba buttons
Women in Bhalil hand-make the small knotted buttons used on djellabas, often sitting together in the alleys as they work.
Bread ovens and olive oil
The town still bakes in traditional bread ovens and is known for its olive oil.
Tours that reach Bhalil
Each one runs private or small-group and stops properly in Bhalil. Open one for the day-by-day plan, then ask us to quote it for your dates.
Sefrou & the Fes CountrysideA gentle day in the green country south of Fes — the old medina of Sefrou with its waterfall, the cave-dwelling village of Bhalil, and the surrounding orchards.See how the days run
Sefrou and the Bhalil cave housesA half day close to Fes: the hillside village where families still live in houses cut into the rock, then the old walled town of Sefrou.See the planFes-Meknes region three-day loopImperial Meknes, Roman Volubilis, a night in Moulay Idriss, Bhalil's cave houses, a night in the Middle Atlas and the cedars on the way home.See the planBefore you go
Getting there. About 30 km from Bab Ftouh, roughly 33 minutes by car on the OpenStreetMap car route
Visiting a cave house. Only by invitation, usually through a local guide; photographs of people need their permission
Pairs with. Sefrou, 6 km away
Read next. High Atlas Mountains Day Trip from Marrakech: Imlil, Ourika & What to Expect; Is Volubilis Worth Visiting, and How Do You Do a Meknes & Volubilis Day Trip from Fes?; Can You See Wild Monkeys Near Fes, and Is the Ifrane & Azrou Cedar Forest Day Trip Worth It?.
Pair Bhalil with
The places closest to Bhalil, easy to join on one private route.
SefrouThe walled town south of Fes where Idris II stayed while Fes was built, with a mellah, a waterfall and a June cherry festival.See Sefrou
Immouzer KandarThe first plateau town south of Fes, at 1,340 m, on the road to the Middle Atlas lakes and Ifrane.See Immouzer Kandar
FesMorocco's spiritual and artisan capital, and the heart of everything we do.See FesQuestions about Bhalil
What people ask us before they add Bhalil to a trip.
How far is Bhalil from Fes?
About 30 km by road from Bab Ftouh, roughly 33 minutes by car without traffic.
Can you go inside the cave houses in Bhalil?
Often, through a local guide who knows the families, but always as guests at a family's invitation. These are homes, not exhibits.
Is Bhalil worth visiting?
For a short, unusual stop close to Fes, yes: lived-in cave houses, painted lanes and button-makers at work, with Sefrou a few minutes away.
Tell us your dates. We'll plan Bhalil with you.
- Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
- A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
- You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.