5 min read
A first-timer's guide to the Fez medina
The oldest, most intact medina in Morocco, and the easiest one to get lost in on purpose.
Fez el-Bali dates to the 9th century, and unlike Marrakech's medina, it was never significantly rebuilt or widened for cars, some of its lanes are barely a metre across. That's part of what makes it worth visiting and part of why a guide, at least for the first day, is genuinely useful rather than a luxury.
The three fixed points most visitors build a day around are the Chouara Tannery (best seen from one of the leather shops' rooftop terraces), the Al-Attarine and Bou Inania madrasas, and Bab Bou Jeloud, the blue-and-green gate that marks one of the medina's main entrances.
Beyond those, the medina rewards wandering more than a checklist does: workshops for metalwork, weaving, and woodcarving are tucked into lanes with no signage, and half the experience is stumbling onto one rather than being led to it on a map.
Two things to know before you go: the tanneries can smell strong (mint sprigs, offered at the entrance, help), and touts offering to 'guide' you for a tip are common near the main gates: a driver or guide booked in advance avoids both the hassle and the pressure.
Planning around Fez? Read the Fez destination guide or see 6-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Marrakech to Fez, a sample itinerary that includes it.
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6-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Marrakech to Fez
A private route over the Atlas passes and down into the Sahara, with two nights to actually sit still in the dunes instead of rushing through them. We end in Fez instead of backtracking to Marrakech, so every day moves forward.
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Read articleTours that include this
4-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Fez
The most direct route to Erg Chebbi and back, for travellers based in Fez with four days rather than a week. The Middle Atlas cedar forests and Ziz Valley palmeries do a lot of the scenic work on the way down.
4-Day Imperial Cities Tour from Fez
The shortest way to see three imperial cities and the best Roman ruins in the country, without touching the desert or the coast further south: a good add-on to a Fez-based trip rather than a trip on its own.
4-Day Middle Atlas Tour from Fez: Ifrane and Azrou
A short trip into the cedar forests and mountain air of the Middle Atlas: Ifrane's alpine-style streets, Barbary macaques near Azrou, and a slower pace than the medina, an hour and a half from Fez.