We enjoyed this season for long strolls through the medina and cultural visits without the heavy summer heat. You can expect rainy days and lower temperatures between 15°C (59°F) and 18°C (64.4°F). Fès abounds in excellent restaurants, from popular gargotes to gourmet eateries set in historic riads.
Visit early or late in the day to see this beautiful space at its quietest. It’s also one of the few religious sites in Fes that can be entered by non-Muslim people. Because of its location, it’s easy to visit while wandering through the medina. Continuing the color theme is the adjoining mosque, with its breathtaking green minaret that is visible across the medina. The Bou Inania Madrasa is an iconic religious building in the center of the medina.

History

This fortress, which is currently being restored, bears witness to the military architecture of the period and the desire to protect the imperial city. You can follow a signposted tour that reveals the past opulence of this palatial residence and testifies to the influence of the Glaoui family in the history of Maroc. Because of its large size, this palace was built outside the old medina to mark the royal power in the city’s urban planning. You can admire this spectacular façade, which stands opposite the entrance to the Jnan Sbil park.
Relax, cool down, and watch the Fes locals enjoying the park too. Because of its historical significance, and cultural importance, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. More than half of the complex is taken up by an Andalusian-style garden, still used for cultural and religious events in summer. The work was sponsored by Maryam bint Mohammed bin Abdullah, the sister of Fatima al-Fihri, famed for establishing the University of al-Qarawiyyin – and the two mosques have historically been rivals.

Immerse yourself in the colors of Tanneries Chouara, ancestral know-how

• Yes—It’ll be a tiring day, but you’ll make it.
• Zellij workshops in other cities, such as Meknes, Salé and Marrakesh, usually follow or emulate the craftsmanship style of Fez.
• Fez hosts the annual World Sacred Music Festival, which started in 1994 and showcases religious music from around the world.
• We were impressed by this labyrinth of 14,000 listed buildings, where 137 mosques rub shoulders with 23 public hammams.
• The gate on the north facade is from the beginning of the 13th century and has two arches, one adorned with moulded plasterwork and the other cedar, and both rich with zellige decoration.
• Famille Berrada and Salah Canteen, in the Achabine Souks, are local lunchtime favorites and still draw the crowds who want to sit down in comfort, but you’ll have the most fun hopping from stall to stall sampling different foods.

Avoid locals trying to direct you to shady parking spots. By midday, tour groups gather near the tanneries and large madrasas; by late afternoon, the souk’s energy swells. This 13th-century city is an imperial city of long-lasting multicultural history, that reserves unexpected surprises for its visitors.

• A stirring panorama of Old Fez awaits you at the ruins of a royal necropolis from the Marinid Dynasty (13th to 15th centuries).
• Although its educational activities have disappeared, the Médersa Attarine remains a living testimony to the artistic and intellectual heyday of medieval Fez.
• Take a day trip to the Middle Atlas and explore the monkey forest!
• Discover Meknes by including it in a guided day tour with a local guide.
• A number of social and physical changes took place during this period and across the 20th century.
• Fez sits in north-central Morocco, east of Rabat and a good stretch north.

The entrance of the former Royal Palace of Fez

We were on a grand tour of Morocco and always looked for a secure parking spot. We felt safe walking the spines and main cross-passages by day and early evening. Both give that “Fez is endless” panorama; only one with coffee vans and parking helpers waving vigorously for coins.

The Royal Palace (Dar Al-Makhzen)

Rachid still grills smoky kefta to pack into khobz (bread) fresh from the oven, and on the small square by Mosquée El Qaffazine, locals tuck into some of the city’s best lobia (white beans stewed with turmeric) and addis (lentils stewed with tomatoes, paprika and cumin). The day begins with a market tour in Rcif, sampling local specialties before returning to a tranquil private house to cook. Set in a 19th-century Andalusian-style palace, the Dar Batha Museum has reopened after major renovation, offering a thoughtful journey through Fez’s history from its medieval foundations to modern times. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University is a public university founded in 1975 and is the largest in the city by attendance, counting over 86,000 students in 2020.
The Borj Nord is designed after the Portuguese gun forts of the period, and had the dual purpose of defending Fes el-Bali, but also keeping the unruly population of the city under control. One of the most striking defensive features on the Medina’s walls is this 16th-century Saaid dynasty fortress towering over the city from the north and visible for miles. Note the cedar wood doors, which have been smoothed by pilgrims kissing and stroking their surface over the centuries. The shrine, sitting below the tallest minaret in Old Fez, was built between 1717 and 1824, and is mainly for Fez residents, although visiting practising Muslims can also enter the mausoleum.
Don’t leave without having tasted the city’s gastronomy, reputed to be one of the best in the world. Along the way, he shares stories of the landscape, pausing for views and small touches that make the day memorable, such as tea brewed on the spot and a hammock slung between trees. Famille Berrada and Salah Canteen, in the Achabine Souks, are local lunchtime favorites and still draw the crowds who want to sit down in comfort, but you’ll have the most fun hopping from stall to stall sampling different foods. The Attarine, near the Karaouiyine Mosque, dazzles with intricate zellige, stucco and Kufic calligraphy, while the Cherratine, built later, is austere and contemplative, its narrow cells once housing theology students. Set in a relaxed, authentic atmosphere, it’s an immersion into the flavors and rhythms of Moroccan home cooking.
Still, it’s one of the top-rated options, offering private rooms with an en-suite bathroom. The night’s sleep was great, breakfast was included, and it’s suitable for mid-budget travellers. The big lesson—sleep just outside the chaos, park once, and walk around. This is a quick one and two day itinerary in Fez, highlighting the best things to do. Meknes, Ifrane, and Chefchaouen are popular day trips.

We have seen people also doing Fez in a day, or using it as a base for visiting orls around. Two days in Fez are perfect, did four nights split between two riads within the medina. We tracked every dirham across Morocco; Fez sat in the middle for costs and was great for everyday eats.

Beautiful viewpoints for free

Further south is the town of Sefrou, while the city of Meknes, the next largest city in the region, is located to the southwest. The city is divided between its historic medina (the two walled districts of Fes el-Bali and Fes Jdid) and the now much larger Ville Nouvelle (New City) along with several outlying modern neighbourhoods. Austerity measures led to several riots and uprisings across other cities during the 1980s.
Yes, if “good” means local, cheap, and satisfying. As we visited in the summer, the heat was unbearable on some days. Shoulders and knees covered made entering places fez bet easier, and interactions with locals more pleasant. Online reviews were somewhat vague, but we found a great, guarded lot near Al Oud café for 40 MAD per 24 hours—slept fine, car parked fine.