Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Fes el Bali from the Merinid Tombs · Photo: Zimaal, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fes is the oldest of Morocco's four imperial cities, founded by Idris II, and its old medina, Fes el-Bali, is a maze of lanes with no cars. You hear the brass-beaters of Place Seffarine before you see them. Stay in a riad inside the walls and give the city two or three days with a Fassi guide.
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 narrow lanes, with no cars and barely a motorbike. 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.
In by Bab Boujloud and down Talaa Kebira, the way the medina is walked: drawn schematically from OpenStreetMap.
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.
Each one runs private or small-group and stops properly in Fes. Open one for the day-by-day plan, then ask us to quote it for your dates.
Fes el-Bali Medina & TanneriesA full day on foot through Fes el-Bali with a local historian — Bab Boujloud, the Qaraouiyine, Bou Inania medersa and the Chouara tanneries from a private terrace.See how the days run
Fes Artisan WorkshopsA 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.See how the days run
Fes Food TourA 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.See how the days run
Volubilis & Meknes Day TripA full day to the Roman city of Volubilis, the holy town of Moulay Idriss, and the imperial capital of Meknes — all about an hour or so from Fes.See how the days run
Chefchaouen Day Trip from FesA 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.See how the days run
Fes to Marrakech via the Middle AtlasA 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.See how the days run
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
Imperial Cities: Fes, Meknes & RabatThree 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.See how the days run
Fes Spiritual & Andalusian QuarterA 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.See how the days run
Fes to the SaharaThe 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.See how the days run
Jbel Zalagh sunrise above FesAn early start to the 902 m summit north of the medina, a short walk in the dark, and the city waking up below you.See the plan
Sidi Harazem thermal springsTwelve minutes east of Fes: the spring named for a 12th-century Sufi teacher, palm gardens, and a brutalist bath complex from the 1960s.See the planEach one is guided on foot along its own route. Open one to follow it stop by stop, then ask us to quote it for your dates.
The ten gates of Fes walkBoujloud to Segma, all ten gates in a day, with the story of each.See the walk
Merinid Tombs and Borj Nord at sunsetUp the northern hill on foot to watch the sun set over the medina.See the walk
Madrasas and mosques of FesBou Inania, the Attarine, the Qarawiyyin's doors and the Saffarin madrasa.See the walk
The Fes souk walkTalaa Kebira, the Henna souk, the Kissaria and the coppersmiths.See the walk
Dar Batha and Nejjarine museumsThe Al Batha palace museum and the cedar fondouk of the carpenters.See the walk
Golden-hour photo walkJnan Sbil to the Chouara tannery, paced for photographs.See the walk
First-day orientation walkThe landmarks, the two main streets and the way home.See the walkGetting there. Fly into FEZ, or a 4h drive from Tangier, about 6h from Marrakech
Where to stay. Inside the medina in a restored dar or riad
Dress code. Respectful — shoulders and knees covered near religious sites
Read next. Morocco with Kids — Family Travel Guide by Fes & Imperial Cities; 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?.
The places closest to Fes, easy to join on one private route.
Moulay YacoubThe hot-spring town in the hills north-west of Fes, where the water comes up at 54 °C.See Moulay Yacoub
BhalilThe hillside town of cave houses and painted bridges, half an hour south of Fes, where women knot djellaba buttons in the lanes.See Bhalil
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 SefrouRead these before you add Fes to a trip.