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Fes el Bali seen through a gap in the Merinid Tomb ruins, minarets and green roofs below

Fes el Bali from the Merinid Tombs · Photo: YassirZek, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sunset over Fes from the Merinid Tombs

Out of the medina and up the northern hill on foot: past Borj Nord, the fort the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansour built in 1582, to the ruined Merinid Tombs, where Fes el-Bali lies below you as the sun goes down. A private late-afternoon walk with a licensed guide.

Plan a sunset walkSee the walk on the map
  • Private or small-group
  • Licensed Fassi guide
  • Driven back to your riad

The walk, stop by stop

2.2 km on foot, about 33 minutes of walking between 3 stops, along the OpenStreetMap foot route. Late afternoon to sunset, at your pace.

123باب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudالبرج الشماليBorj Nordقبور المرينيينThe Merinid Tombsالبرج الشماليBorj Nordباب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudقبور المرينيينThe Merinid Tombsالبرج الشماليBorj Nordباب أبي الجنودBab Boujloudالبرج الشماليBorj Nordقبور المرينيينThe Merinid Tombs

  1. Where the walk begins

    Where we meet, 1913

    Bab Boujloud باب أبي الجنود

    The tiled gate at the western end of Fes el-Bali: blue on its outer face, green on its inner face. Through the main arch you see the minarets of the Bou Inania madrasa and the Sidi Lazzaz mosque. Your guide meets you here, or at your riad door.

    More about Bab Boujloud

  2. 22 min on foot from Bab Boujloud, 1.5 km

    Saadian fort, 1582

    Borj Nord البرج الشمالي

    The fort on the hill north-west of the medina, built in 1582 by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansour. Today it houses the Museum of Arms, founded in 1963. If the museum is open on your date, we go in.

    More about Borj Nord

  3. 11 min on foot from Borj Nord, 730 m

    Ruins of the 14th century

    The Merinid Tombs قبور المرينيين

    Ruined monumental tombs on the hill above and north of Fes el-Bali, attributed to the 14th century. Two tall mausoleums with horseshoe-arch entrances still stand. The site is known as a lookout over the old city, and people come up for the sunset.

    More about the Merinid Tombs

Why walk it with a guide

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

  • The whole medina at once

    From the ridge, the roofs, minarets and green tiles of Fes el-Bali fill the valley below. It is the view that makes sense of the lanes you walked that morning.

  • On foot, then driven home

    About 2 km up through the city's edge, timed to reach the tombs before the light goes. A car brings you back down to your riad.

  • Time for the history

    A Saadian fort and a Merinid necropolis, two dynasties apart. Your guide explains who built what, and why on this hill.

Plan a sunset walk

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

The Merinid Tombs on their green hill north of Fes, a road winding below

Below the ridge, the whole of Fes el-Bali turns gold, then blue.

Merinid Tombs, 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 16th-century Saadian bronze cannon displayed at the Borj Nord arms museumGuideBorj Nord and the Merinid TombsOur guide to the northern hill.Read the guideFes el Bali at blue hour, its lanes and minarets lit up beneath the dark hillsEveningThe medina by nightSunset on the hill, then the lit lanes and dinner.See the tourBab 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 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 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.

How long is the walk up?
About 2.2 km from Bab Boujloud by the OpenStreetMap foot route: around 20 minutes to Borj Nord and 10 more to the tombs, plus stops. It climbs, so wear good shoes. If you would rather not walk up, we drive you.
What time do we start?
Timed back from sunset, so later in summer and earlier in winter. We set the time for your date.
How do we get back?
A car meets you on the hill after sunset and drives you back to your riad, or to dinner.
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 your date. We'll time the sunset.

  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.
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