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The full courtyard of the Al-Attarine madrasa: marble fountain, zellige walls and carved cedar galleries

Al-Attarine Madrasa, Fes · Photo: Houssain tork, CC BY-SA 4.0

Morocco etiquette and customs

In Fes, cover shoulders and knees, greet people with a warm salam, and eat and pass things with your right hand. Ask before you photograph anyone. Bargain in the souks with a smile over tea, tip for good service, and expect working mosques, including the Kairaouine, to stay closed to non-Muslims.

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  • Updated June 2026
  • 2 min read
  • Culture

A little cultural awareness goes a long way in Fes, one of Morocco's most traditional and spiritual cities. Dress modestly, greet warmly, ask before photographing people, use your right hand, and embrace the unhurried pace of mint tea and conversation in the medina.

Dress and behaviour

Fes is a Muslim city with a strong, lived sense of modesty — more conservative than the coastal resorts. Covering shoulders and knees — for men and women — is genuinely appreciated in the medina and especially around the Kairaouine, the medersas and the shrine of Moulay Idriss II. Public displays of affection are best kept low-key.

Fes el Bali spread through its valley under a blue sky, seen from the Merinid Tombs hill

A little cultural awareness goes a long way in Fes, one of Morocco's most traditional and spiritual cities.

Fes el Bali from the Merinid Tombs

Greetings, hands and hospitality

Greetings matter: a warm 'salam' and a handshake (with the same gender; follow the other person's lead across genders) opens doors, and Fassi shopkeepers and artisans expect a little conversation before business. Eat and pass items with your right hand. If you're invited into a medina home — which happens more readily here than you might expect — a small gift of pastries, tea or sugar is a lovely gesture, and accepting tea is part of the ritual, not optional politeness.

A spice seller among sacks of spices and herbs in his Fes medina shop
Fes el Bali, FesPhoto: Dan Lundberg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photography, bargaining and tipping

Always ask before photographing people, especially the tannery workers, water-sellers and stallholders of Fes el-Bali; some will ask for a small fee, others will decline — respect both. Bargaining in the souks is expected and friendly, not aggressive: start well below the asking price and keep it good-humoured over a glass of tea. Small tips (baksheesh) oil daily life, including the porters who guide your luggage through the medina lanes — keep coins and small notes handy.

Quick answers

Short answers to what travellers ask us about this.

Can non-Muslims enter mosques in Morocco?
Generally no — working mosques, including the great Kairaouine in Fes, are closed to non-Muslims, though you can often glimpse the courtyards from the doorways. The compensation in Fes is the medersas: the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine are open to visitors and rank among the finest examples of Marinid zellige and carved-cedar craftsmanship anywhere.
How does bargaining work in Moroccan souks?
It's expected and part of the fun, especially in the Fes leather, brass and zellige souks. Decide what an item is worth to you, open below the asking price, stay friendly over the offered tea, and be ready to walk away — often the best prices appear as you leave.
Is it rude to refuse mint tea?
Tea is a sincere gesture of hospitality, so accept it when you reasonably can. If you genuinely can't, decline warmly and with thanks — Moroccans are gracious about it.

Keep reading

Food stalls along a covered lane of the Fes medina, olives and sweets in glass counters2 min readMoroccan food and drinkFes is widely considered the culinary capital of Morocco — the refined home of pastilla, slow-cooked tagines, couscous Fridays and a deep repertoire of medina street food, all washed down with the endless ritual of sweet mint tea.Read the guideA tanner lifting a pile of hides beside the dye pits of the Chouara tannery5 min readMorocco photography guideFes is one of the world's great photographic cities: morning light falling into the tannery vats, intricate Marinid zellige and carved cedar, the labyrinth of Fes el-Bali, and craftsmen at work in the artisan quarters.Read the guideCoppersmiths' cauldrons and pans stacked in the metalworkers' square of Fes el Bali7 min readShopping in the souksFes is Morocco's artisan capital, and its souks are among the world's great shopping experiences — but they reward preparation.Read the guide

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