The walled medina and its gates
Sefrou's old town keeps its crenellated walls and gates such as Bab Bni Medrek and Bab Lmaqam. Inside, the lanes follow the Oued Aggai.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Sefrou · Photo: رشيدة رقي, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sefrou, Morocco
Sefrou is a walled medina town 33 km by road south-east of Fes, on the edge of the Middle Atlas, about 38 minutes by car from Bab Ftouh. It was home to one of Morocco's largest Jewish communities, it holds a cherry festival every June, and the Oued Aggai runs through its old town towards a waterfall just outside.
- Private or small-group
- A written quote for your dates
- WhatsApp support during your trip
Why go to Sefrou
Sefrou takes its name from the Ahel Sefrou, a Berber tribe that once lived in the area, and Idris II lived here for a time while he oversaw the building of Fes. For centuries it was also home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Morocco, perhaps 8,000 people at its height, most of whom left by 1967. Today Sefrou is a provincial capital of about 87,000 people (2024 census) at the edge of the Middle Atlas. The Oued Aggai runs through the walled medina and the old mellah, and about 1.5 km west of town it drops over a small cascade. Thursday is market day, and every June the town holds its Cherry Festival, recognised by UNESCO.
- Best time
- April–June, with the Cherry Festival in June; September–October
- How long
- Half day to a full day from Fes
- Nearest airport
- Fès-Saïs (FEZ)
- Region
- Middle Atlas foothills · Sefrou Province
The road from Fes to Sefrou, 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.
33 km
about 38 min at the wheel, without traffic or stops
من فاس، باب الفتوح إلى صفرو
Road distance and free-flow time from the OSM car router (OSRM), Bab Ftouh to Sefrou. 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
- Bhalilالبهاليل29 km
- Sefrouصفرو33 km
What you'll see in Sefrou
The mellah
Tall old houses in the former Jewish quarter recall a community that may have numbered 8,000 before most of its families left for Israel and elsewhere by 1967.
The Sefrou cascade
About 1.5 km west of the town, the Oued Aggai falls over a small waterfall into a pool, a short walk from the old town.
The Cherry Festival
Held every June for three days, with folk music, food, fantasia riders and the crowning of Miss Cherry. It began in 1920 and is recognised by UNESCO.
Kef el-Moumen and Lalla Rekia
Caves near the town hold old tombs, one of them claimed to be the tomb of the prophet Daniel, and the spring of Lalla Rekia is said locally to cure madness. We tell both as the local traditions they are.
Tours that reach Sefrou
Each one runs private or small-group and stops properly in Sefrou. 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 plan
Fes-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 33 km from Bab Ftouh, roughly 38 minutes by car on the OpenStreetMap car route, passing close to Bhalil on the way
Market day. Thursday
Pairs with. Bhalil, 6 km away, and Immouzer Kandar on the plateau to the south-west
Cherry Festival. Every June over three days; tell us early if your dates fall on it
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 Sefrou with
The places closest to Sefrou, easy to join on one private route.
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
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 Sefrou
What people ask us before they add Sefrou to a trip.
How far is Sefrou from Fes?
About 30 km south-east of Fes. From Bab Ftouh it is around 33 km by road and roughly 38 minutes by car without traffic.
What is Sefrou known for?
Its walled medina on the Oued Aggai, its Jewish heritage and old mellah, the small cascade outside town and the Cherry Festival held every June.
Can we visit Sefrou and Bhalil on the same day?
Yes. Bhalil is 6 km from Sefrou and the road from Fes passes close to it, so the two fit easily in half a day.
Tell us your dates. We'll plan Sefrou 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.