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The Chouara tannery from a terrace, dye pits below and Fes el Bali climbing the hill behind

Chouara tannery, Fes · Photo: Uwe Brodrecht, CC BY-SA 2.0

Fes in the last light, with a camera

From the garden of Jnan Sbil through Bab Boujloud and down into the lanes, to the coppersmiths and the dye pits of the Chouara tannery: a late-afternoon walk paced for photographs, with a licensed guide who knows where to stand and who to ask.

Plan a photo walkSee the walk on the map
  • Private or small-group
  • Paced for photographs
  • Licensed Fassi guide

The walk, stop by stop

2.2 km on foot, about 33 minutes of walking between 6 stops, along the OpenStreetMap foot route. Late afternoon, at your pace.

123456جنان السبيلJnan Sbil gardenفندق النجارينNejjarine museumساحة الصفارينPlace Seffarineدار الدبغ الشوارةChouara tanneryباب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudجنان السبيلJnan Sbil gardenالمدرسة البوعنانيةBou Inania madrasaباب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudفندق النجارينNejjarine museumالمدرسة البوعنانيةBou Inania madrasaساحة الصفارينPlace Seffarineفندق النجارينNejjarine museumدار الدبغ الشوارةChouara tanneryساحة الصفارينPlace Seffarineجنان السبيلJnan Sbil gardenباب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudالمدرسة البوعنانيةBou Inania madrasaفندق النجارينNejjarine museumساحة الصفارينPlace Seffarineدار الدبغ الشوارةChouara tannery

  1. Where the walk begins

    19th-century garden

    Jnan Sbil garden جنان السبيل

    Created in the 19th century by Sultan Moulay Hassan I and opened to the public in 1917. It was renovated between 2006 and 2010 and reopened in 2011. We start here, in the shade.

    More about Jnan Sbil garden

  2. 9 min on foot from Jnan Sbil garden, 600 m

    Blue and green tile, 1913

    Bab Boujloud باب أبي الجنود

    Blue on its outer face, green on its inner face, with the minarets of Bou Inania and the Sidi Lazzaz mosque framed by the main arch. Both faces of the gate, and the square in front of it.

    More about Bab Boujloud

  3. 2 min on foot from Bab Boujloud, 140 m

    Marinid, 1350 to 1355

    Bou Inania المدرسة البوعنانية

    The madrasa of Abu Inan Faris, with its rare prominent minaret, and nearby the Dar al-Magana, with its old water clock on the facade.

    More about Bou Inania madrasa

  4. 12 min on foot from Bou Inania madrasa, 770 m

    Fountain and fondouk

    Nejjarine square فندق النجارين

    The Nejjarine fountain and the carved gateway of the carpenters' fondouk of 1711.

    More about Nejjarine museum

  5. 6 min on foot from Nejjarine museum, 380 m

    The coppersmiths

    Place Seffarine ساحة الصفارين

    Copper pots stacked in the doorways and the coppersmiths at work. Your guide asks before you photograph anyone.

    More about Place Seffarine

  6. 4 min on foot from Place Seffarine, 300 m

    The largest tannery in Fes

    Chouara tannery دار الدبغ الشوارة

    The largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest, near the Saffarin madrasa along the Oued Fes. We finish on a terrace above the dye pits.

    More about Chouara tannery

Why walk it with a guide

Private or small-group, planned around your date and your questions.

  • Where to stand

    Your guide knows the doorways, terraces and corners that photographers come back for, and gets you there while the light lasts.

  • Ask first

    In Fes you ask before you photograph a person. Your guide asks for you, in Darija, and takes no for an answer.

  • Your pace

    About 2.2 km, with as long as you like at each stop. Private, so nobody is waiting for you to finish the shot.

Plan a photo walk

A person writes back with a plan and a quote. No prices online, no obligation.

Riad rooftops in Fes el Bali bristling with satellite dishes at dusk

The hour before sunset, when the medina's walls turn the colour of honey.

Fes el Bali

What we checked

Every date on this page, and where it comes from. Opening days and hours change, so we confirm them for your date.

More walks in the medina

Each one on its own OpenStreetMap route, each planned for you.

The blue-tiled horseshoe arch of Bab Boujloud framing the minaret of the Bou Inania madrasa, FesJournalMorocco photography spotsWhere to take the pictures, across the country.Read the articleThe Chouara tannery in bright sun, rows of dye pits between the old tannery housesJournalSeeing the Chouara tanneryThe best way to see the dye pits.Read the articleBab Mahrouk, a crenellated rammed-earth gate block with a horseshoe arch and closed wooden doorsFull dayThe ten gates of Fes walkBoujloud to Segma, all ten gates in a day, with the story of each.See the walkFes el Bali seen through a gap in the Merinid Tomb ruins, minarets and green roofs belowLate afternoon to sunsetMerinid Tombs and Borj Nord at sunsetUp the northern hill on foot to watch the sun set over the medina.See the walkThe marble courtyard of the Bou Inania madrasa, its carved facade and fountain basinHalf day, morningMadrasas and mosques of FesBou Inania, the Attarine, the Qarawiyyin's doors and the Saffarin madrasa.See the walkA tiled lane of the Kissaria market in Fes el Bali hung with red lanternsHalf dayThe Fes souk walkTalaa Kebira, the Henna souk, the Kissaria and the coppersmiths.See the walkThe arcaded courtyard of Dar Batha with its sunken zellige poolHalf dayDar Batha and Nejjarine museumsThe Al Batha palace museum and the cedar fondouk of the carpenters.See the walkCafé terraces and a carved wooden balcony house just inside Bab Boujloud, start of Talaa Kebira2 to 3 hours, morningFirst-day orientation walkThe landmarks, the two main streets and the way home.See the walk

Questions before you walk

The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.

What time does the walk start?
Late in the afternoon, timed back from sunset, so the time changes with the season. We set it for your date.
Can I photograph people?
Ask first: it is expected in Fes. Your guide asks for you, and some people will say no.
Do I need a big camera?
No. A phone is fine, and a small camera is easier in narrow lanes than a big one.
How much does it cost?
We don't publish prices. Every walk is private or small-group and quoted for your date, your group and how long you want to stay out. Tell us and a person writes back with a plan and a quote.

Tell us what you want to shoot. We'll plan the light.

  1. Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
  2. A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
  3. You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.
Plan a photo walkAsk a question first
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