Imperial city · Northern Morocco
Morocco's spiritual and artisan capital — the world's largest car-free medieval city, and the heart of everything we do.
Best time
April–May and September–October
Recommended
2–3 days
Airport
Fès-Saïs (FEZ)
Region
Imperial city · Northern Morocco
Why Fes
Fes is where this whole company begins. Founded in 789 AD by Idris II, it is the oldest of Morocco's four imperial cities and the spiritual and craft soul of the country. At its centre lies Fes el-Bali — a UNESCO-listed medina of more than 9,000 lanes, with no cars and barely a motorbike, the largest car-free urban area on earth. This is a city you read by ear and nose: the call to prayer from the Kairaouine, the hammer of the brass-beaters in Place Seffarine, the lanolin-and-pigeon tang drifting up from the Chouara tanneries, the dye-stained hands in the kissaria. Stay inside the walls in a restored dar or riad, walk it slowly with a Fassi historian, and let the medersas, the zellige workshops and the tanneries unfold over days rather than hours. Everything else in this guide — the imperial neighbours, the deep south, the two coasts — is framed by how you reach it from here.
What to see
Descend the Talaa Kebira from blue Bab Boujloud through the souks to the Kairaouine — founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri and recognised as the world's oldest continuously operating university, with its courtyard glimpsed through the great brass doors.
The medina's iconic stone pigment vats, dyed by hand exactly as they were in the Middle Ages, viewed from a leather-shop terrace with a sprig of mint. Best in the morning light, before the heat sharpens the smell.
Two 14th-century Marinid colleges that are the high-water mark of Fassi craft: carved cedar, hand-cut zellige and chiselled stucco worked to a fineness found nowhere else in Morocco.
The living crafts of Fes at the source: a zellige cutter chipping eight-point stars by hand, the coppersmiths of Place Seffarine, and the silk-and-cactus weavers off the Talaa — bought direct, not through a Marrakech middleman.
Across the river, the cobalt-and-white Fassi ceramics are thrown, glazed and fired by hand; above the city, the ruined Marinid tombs give the classic dusk panorama over the whole medina.
Itineraries
Every itinerary below is privately operated, fully customisable, and includes a deep stop in Fes. Click any tour for the day-by-day plan, the map, dates and pricing.
1 daysBestsellerCities
A full day on foot through Fes el-Bali with a licensed local historian — Bab Boujloud, the Qaraouiyine, Bou Inania medersa and the Chouara tanneries from a private terrace.
1 daysHands-onCities
A full day inside the workshops that made Fes famous — the zellige tile cooperative at Aïn Nokbi, the blue-pottery kilns, and the hammering brass quarter of Place Seffarine.
12hTop ratedCities
A half-day grazing walk through Fes el-Bali — bissara, sardine maakouda, fresh msemen, camel sausage, the city's famous pastries and mint tea, with a local food guide.
1 daysCities
A full day to the Roman city of Volubilis, the holy town of Moulay Idriss, and the imperial capital of Meknes — all within an hour or so of Fes.
1 daysNorth
A long but rewarding day from Fes to Chefchaouen — about four hours each way through the Rif — with free time to wander the famous blue medina.
2 daysMulti-day
A two-day private transfer from Fes to Marrakech the scenic way — the alpine town of Ifrane, the cedar forests and Barbary macaques of Azrou, an overnight in the Middle Atlas.
1 daysOff the beaten pathCities
A 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.
3 daysSignatureMulti-day
Three days across three of Morocco's imperial capitals — a deep day in Fes, the monuments of Meknes and Roman Volubilis, and the seat of government in Rabat.
12hCities
A half-day on the quieter east bank of the medina — the Andalusian quarter founded by refugees from Córdoba, its great mosque, the zawiyas and the spiritual heart of Fes.
3 daysBestsellerSahara
The classic three-day run from Fes to the great dunes of Erg Chebbi — over the Middle Atlas via Ifrane and the cedar forest, through the Ziz gorges, a camel trek and a night in a desert camp.
Before you go
Concierge
Tell us your dates, group size and pace. We'll send back a written proposal within 24 hours — private guides, transfers, riads, the lot.
Request a proposalFAQ
Fes is the spiritual and artisan heart of Morocco and the least diluted of its medieval cities — quieter on the tourist circuit, denser, and richer in living craft. From here you reach Volubilis, Meknes, Moulay Idriss, the Middle Atlas cedar forests and Chefchaouen as day trips and short extensions, before continuing south. Marrakech is the showpiece finale, not the foundation.
Strongly recommended, especially for the first day. Fes el-Bali has more than 9,000 lanes and almost no straight lines — without a Fassi guide you will get lost, and you will miss the context that turns a tannery or a medersa from a photo into a story. We use medina-born historians who can open workshop doors that stay shut to walk-in visitors.
Fly into Fès-Saïs (FEZ) directly from several European cities, or arrive via Casablanca by air or high-speed train. By road it is around 4 hours from Tangier and 7 hours from Marrakech over the Middle Atlas. Most journeys we build either start or finish in Fes.
Closest destinations
These destinations are closest to Fes — easily combined on a private itinerary.
51 kmThe most historically layered day reachable from Fes — Roman mosaics beneath a hilltop holy town, an easy private day trip out of the medina.
Explore53 kmFes's imperial neighbour — under an hour away, and the perfect day trip for Moulay Ismail's gates, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss.
Explore
57 kmFes's alpine neighbour — a cedar-forested 'Little Switzerland' an hour south, the first stop on the scenic road toward the desert.
ExploreRead more
Travel notes and practical guides to plan your time around Fes.