Morocco's spiritual and cultural capital, and the world's largest living medieval city.
Fes is Morocco's oldest imperial city and its spiritual heart. Founded in 789, its walled medina — Fes el-Bali — is the largest car-free urban area on earth, a bewildering, intoxicating maze of 9,000 lanes where donkeys still carry the loads and crafts are made exactly as they were a thousand years ago.
Less polished and less touristy than Marrakech, Fes feels more authentic and more medieval. It is home to Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 and considered the world's oldest continuously operating university, and to the famous Chouara tanneries where leather is still dyed in stone vats.
The medina is the attraction — a UNESCO World Heritage maze best explored with a local guide who can lead you to madrasas, fondouks and workshops you'd never find alone.
View the iconic honeycomb of dye pits from a surrounding leather shop's terrace (you'll be handed mint to mask the smell) — a sight unchanged in 900 years.
Two 14th-century religious schools showcasing the pinnacle of Marinid craftsmanship in carved plaster, cedar and zellij.
Peer into the courtyard of the world's oldest university and its mosque, the spiritual core of the city.
Bab Bou Jeloud frames the medina's entrance; nearby, the ceramic cooperatives produce Fes's signature blue-and-white pottery and zellij tiles.
The ruined Merinid Tombs stand on the hillside to the north. From there you look out over the entire medina — most striking shortly before sunset, when the calls to prayer roll across the rooftops.
The 13th-century "new Fes" holds the Royal Palace with its golden doors, and the Mellah, the Jewish quarter, with the restored Ibn Danan Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.
Between Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid lie the Jnan Sbil gardens, extensively restored and reopened in 2011, with water basins, palms and mature trees. After hours in the narrow lanes it is the most welcome pause in the city — and far more popular with residents than with visitors.
The best time to visit Fes is March to May and September to November, when temperatures sit at a comfortable 20–27°C — which matters in a city where you spend the whole day on foot in narrow, often shadeless lanes.
Note Ramadan: many places close during daylight hours, but the city comes remarkably alive after sunset.
Fès–Saïss Airport (FEZ) lies about 15 km south of the city with direct flights from several European cities. Morocco's rail network connects Fes reliably with the rest of the country. Note: the Al Boraq high-speed train runs Tangier–Kenitra–Rabat–Casablanca and does not serve Fes — regular ONCF services operate to and from the city.
With several thousand lanes, Fes el-Bali is considered the largest car-free urban area in the world — and you will certainly get lost. That is part of the experience, though it can wear thin on a hot afternoon with luggage. Three practical notes: navigate by the big gates such as Bab Boujloud, remember that downhill almost always leads towards the centre, and take an official guide for your first day — after that you will explore far more calmly on your own.
Most visitors stay in a riad inside Fes el-Bali, in the thick of things and within walking distance of the sights — though you will have to carry your bags the last stretch on foot or by handcart, as no cars enter the medina. If you would rather have comfort and vehicle access, the Ville Nouvelle has modern hotels about 15 minutes from the old city by taxi.
We strongly recommend one for at least your first day — the medina is genuinely disorienting, and a good guide turns confusion into wonder while keeping faux-guides at bay.
Absolutely — they're very different. Fes is older, more medieval and more about craft and spirituality; many travellers prefer it.
Merzouga is about a day's scenic drive south through the Middle Atlas and Ziz Valley — the route is part of the experience.
Two full days covers the medina, the tanneries, the medersas and an unhurried look from the Merinid hillside. With day trips to Volubilis and Meknes, three days makes sense.
Fes is the older, more authentic and less touristed city, with the more impressive medina. Marrakech is livelier, better served and the more practical base for desert tours. Choose Fes for history and craft, Marrakech for atmosphere, hotels and excursions. Many travellers link the two on a one-way route through the desert.
For the first day we recommend one. The medina is genuinely disorienting, and an official guide opens workshops and explains connections you would otherwise miss. Check that the guide is officially licensed.
Yes. The Chouara tanneries still work with lime and pigeon droppings. You are handed a sprig of mint at the viewing terraces, which genuinely helps. Early morning is the most bearable time to visit.
Yes. From Fes the route runs via Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt and the Ziz valley to Merzouga — about 470 km, sensibly split over two days. Many travellers continue as a one-way route from Fes through the desert to Marrakech.
One Way
Cedar forests of Ifrane, an Erg Chebbi camel trek, Todra Gorge, the Dades Valley and Aït Ben Haddou — ending in Marrakech.
Imperial Cities
Marrakech, Aït Ben Haddou, the Sahara, Fes and the blue city of Chefchaouen — the complete first-timer's Morocco in a week.
Grand Tour
Imperial cities, Atlantic coast, Sahara, oases and mountains — the complete kingdom in two unhurried weeks.
