The week before
Markets and travel
Families buy their sheep and everything for the feast, so markets are busy. Many people travel home, and trains, buses and roads fill up.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Eid al-Adha 2027 in Fes
Eid al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, is expected in Morocco on Sunday 16 or Monday 17 May 2027. Families gather at home, the medina slows for several days, and the roads fill as people travel. Here's what that means for a trip to Fes, and how we plan around it.
- Dates marked as expected
- Days planned around the feast
- WhatsApp support during your trip
What changes in Fes
The date is expected, not fixed: Morocco confirms it by sighting the moon about ten days before. We confirm it with you then.
Expected 16 or 17 May
The feast day
Morning prayer, then the sacrifice at home and a day with family. The medina lanes go quiet, and most shops are shut.
The days after
A slow restart
Workshops and shops reopen over several days. Some guides and drivers take the time off, so we book yours early.
For a few days in May, Fes eats at home.
Fes el BaliHow we plan around it
One way to arrange a May week. We shape it around the confirmed date.
Two days before
The medina while it's open
Your guided walk through Fes el-Bali, with the markets at their busiest.
Eid morning
Out of the city
A drive into the Middle Atlas cedars or out to Sefrou, away from the sacrifice if you'd rather not see it.
Or
Into the Sahara
Eid is a good time to be on the road to the dunes, with the medina back to normal when you return.
After
Back to the workshops
The craft quarters reopen over the following days, and the city returns to its usual pace.
Eid questions
The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.
When is Eid al-Adha 2027 in Morocco?
Eid al-Adha is expected on Sunday 16 or Monday 17 May 2027. Morocco confirms the date by sighting the moon at the start of the month of Dhu al-Hijja, about ten days before, so it can move by a day. It is a public holiday of two days.
What closes in Fes during Eid al-Adha?
Many medina shops, workshops and some restaurants close for several days around the feast while families celebrate at home, and some guides and drivers take the days off. Monuments and riads may keep shorter hours. Trains and roads are busy just before and after as people travel home.
Will we see the sacrifice?
Possibly. Families traditionally buy a sheep in the days before and sacrifice it on the morning of Eid, at home. In 2025 the King asked Moroccans not to perform the sacrifice because of drought; in 2026 households returned to it. If you would rather not see it, we plan Eid morning outside the medina.
Is it a bad time to visit Fes?
Not bad, but different. The days just before Eid are lively, the feast day itself is quiet in the streets, and the medina is slow for a few days after. We usually plan Eid itself as a countryside day, a Middle Atlas drive or part of a Sahara trip, and keep the medina for the days either side.
Travelling in May 2027? We'll plan around the feast.
- 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.