Morning
Out by Bab Ftouh
Pickup at your riad or the gate, then east out of Fes for about 12 minutes.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Sidi Harazem · Photo: Dominiquewackercao, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sidi Harazem: a warm spring and a saint's koubba
Sidi Harazem is a spring town 11 km by road east of Fes, about 12 minutes by car from Bab Ftouh. It is named for Ali ibn Harzihim, a Sufi teacher who died in Fes in 1163. You see the domed koubba among the palms, the warm spring, and the concrete bath complex the architect Jean-François Zevaco designed between 1960 and 1975.
- From Fes: 11 km by road
- Drive time: About 12 min
- Length: Two to four hours
A short morning east of the walls
Sidi Harazem is the closest of the springs around Fes: a small town of about 5,600 people (2014 census) just east of the city, built around a warm spring that the geographer Leo Africanus already described in the 16th century. The water comes up at around 35 °C and has long been bottled under the town's name.
First hour
The koubba and the spring
The domed shrine of Sidi Harazem in its palm garden, and the warm spring water.
Second hour
Zevaco's bath complex
A walk around the concrete pavilions and pools, as far as access allows on the day.
Late morning
Back in the medina
Return to Fes for lunch, or carry on east towards Taza.
Road distances and times are typical ranges for a private car, without stops.
The road from Fes to Sidi Harazem, 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.
11 km
about 12 min at the wheel, without traffic or stops
من فاس، باب الفتوح إلى سيدي حرازم
Road distance and free-flow time from the OSM car router (OSRM), Bab Ftouh to Sidi Harazem. 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
- Sidi Harazemسيدي حرازم11 km
How we run it
The saint behind the name is Ali ibn Harzihim, known as Sidi Harazem, a Sufi teacher who led a zawiya in Fes and was the spiritual master of Abu Madyan. He died in Fes in 1163. His koubba stands among palms by the spring.
The bath complex is the other reason to come. The modernist architect Jean-François Zevaco designed it between 1960 and 1975 in raw concrete. In 2017 the architect Aziza Chaouni won a Getty Foundation grant to restore it with the people who live around it, and the work has included a new market for local traders.
Private
Private means your party only: one vehicle, one driver, your start time, your stops. Linger at the macaques, skip the shop, add a viewpoint. It suits families, couples, photographers and anyone with a fixed plan.
Small-group
Small-group means we pair you with other travellers on the same route and date when there is a match, which shares the day with a few like-minded people. Ask for it in your quote request and we will tell you honestly whether a group fits your dates.
What we arrange
- Private vehicle and driver from your Fes riad or hotel and back
- Timing built around your pace, the season and site opening hours
- A licensed local guide where one adds real value (on request)
- Bottled water on board and a phone or WhatsApp contact throughout
- Fuel, tolls and parking folded into one written quote
- A guide who can tell the story of the saint and of the architecture
Best season
Year-round. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable; Sidi Harazem sits low, at around 300 m, and summer afternoons are very hot, so in July and August we go early.
The honest details
A working place, under restoration
Sidi Harazem is a busy local spa, not a museum, and parts of the bath complex have been under restoration. What is open changes; we check before your day and tell you plainly.
The shrine
The koubba is a saint's tomb and a place of prayer. We look from outside unless invited in, and dress modestly.
Questions, answered
What people ask us most before they book this.
How far is Sidi Harazem from Fes?
About 11 km by road from Bab Ftouh, the eastern gate of Fes el-Bali, roughly 12 minutes by car without traffic.
Who was Sidi Harazem?
Ali ibn Harzihim, a Sufi teacher born and buried in Fes, who led a zawiya in the city and taught Abu Madyan. He died in 1163, and the spring and the town carry his name.
Who designed the Sidi Harazem baths?
The modernist architect Jean-François Zevaco, between 1960 and 1975. The complex is a well-known example of brutalist architecture in Morocco.
Is this tour private or small-group?
Both are possible. Private is your party alone. Small-group pairs you with other travellers on the same date when there is a match; tell us your preference when you ask for a quote.
How much does this tour cost?
Every tour is a custom quote for your party, dates, pace and choice of private or small-group. Send the details through the quote form and we reply with a written plan and one figure.
Tell us your dates. We'll plan it 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.