Skip to main content
Coppersmiths' cauldrons and pans stacked in the metalworkers' square of Fes el Bali

Place Seffarine, Fes · Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki, CC BY 3.0

The souks of Fes, with someone who knows them

Down Talaa Kebira from Bab Boujloud to the tree-shaded square of the Henna souk, through the Kissaria, the old central bazaar of Fes el-Bali, and out to the hammering of the coppersmiths on Place Seffarine. A licensed guide who knows the lanes, and help with the haggling if you want to buy.

Plan a souk walkSee the walk on the map
  • Private or small-group
  • Licensed Fassi guide
  • Help with haggling if you want it

The walk, stop by stop

1.3 km on foot, about 20 minutes of walking between 4 stops, along the OpenStreetMap foot route. Half day, at your pace.

1234باب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudساحة الصفارينPlace Seffarineسوق الحناءHenna soukباب أبي الجنودBab BoujloudالقيساريةThe Kissariaسوق الحناءHenna soukساحة الصفارينPlace SeffarineالقيساريةThe Kissariaباب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudسوق الحناءHenna soukالقيساريةThe Kissariaساحة الصفارينPlace Seffarine

  1. Where the walk begins

    Where we meet, 1913

    Bab Boujloud باب أبي الجنود

    We start at the tiled gate and walk down Talaa Kebira, one of the longest and most important streets of Fes el-Bali, which runs from near Bab Boujloud to the Attarine madrasa by the Qarawiyyin.

    More about Bab Boujloud

  2. 15 min on foot from Bab Boujloud, 1000 m

    A square under the trees

    The Henna souk سوق الحناء

    A small square with trees at its centre, historically called the Souq el-Henna, on the west side of the old Maristan of Sidi Frej, between Talaa Kebira and the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II. The old hospital is now a funduq of shops.

  3. 1 min on foot from Henna souk, 100 m

    The old central bazaar

    The Kissaria القيسارية

    The historic central bazaar of Fes el-Bali, between the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Qarawiyyin. Its streets were each given to a trade, such as clothes, silks, babouches and jewellery. It has been here since the Idrisid city of the 9th and 10th centuries, and was rebuilt at least once, after a fire in 1324 and a flood in 1325.

  4. 3 min on foot from the Kissaria, 230 m

    The coppersmiths' square

    Place Seffarine ساحة الصفارين

    Named for the coppersmiths who have worked here for centuries, on the south side of the Qarawiyyin. The Saffarin madrasa opens on the square, and on its north-west side is the Qarawiyyin library, first built in the late 16th century.

    More about Place Seffarine

Why walk it with a guide

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

  • Know what you are looking at

    Which lane sells what, how the craft is done, and what a fair price feels like. Your guide translates, explains and, if you ask, haggles beside you.

  • Buy only if you want to

    We plan the walk around what you want to see. Shopping is your choice, never the point of the tour.

  • Never lost

    The souks are a maze of covered lanes. With a guide you can look up at the cedar ceilings instead of down at your phone.

Plan a souk walk

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

Coppersmiths' cauldrons and pans stacked in the metalworkers' square of Fes el Bali

On Place Seffarine you hear the souk before you see it.

Place Seffarine, Fes

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.

A busy souk lane in Fes el Bali under a carved cedar lattice roofGuideThe souks of FesOur guide to shopping in the medina.Read the guideBrass lanterns, trays and teapots spilling from shops along a sunny souk lane in FesJournalHow to haggle in the souksWhat to say, what to offer and when to walk away.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 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 walkA tanner treading hides in a pit at the Chouara tanneryLate afternoonGolden-hour photo walkJnan Sbil to the Chouara tannery, paced for photographs.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.

Do we have to buy anything?
No. The walk is about the souks, their trades and their history. If you want to buy, your guide helps you find the right shop and a fair price.
Is henna still sold in the Henna souk?
The square is still a market. Its name comes from the henna and beauty goods sold there in the past; your guide shows you what the stalls sell on your day.
When are the souks busiest?
Shop hours vary by trade and by day. Tell us your date and we plan the walk for when the lanes are at their best.
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'd like to find. We'll plan the walk.

  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 souk walkAsk a question first
Plan this with us