Fez – the name is so evocative, conjuring up images of dark, narrow alleyways filled with intriguing doorways that lead we know not where. This historic and cultural city is a must-visit place during any trip to Morocco. In this article, I will describe the best things to do in Fez.
In this article
The History of Fez
Idriss I, who founded Morocco’s first imperial dynasty, decided that Volubilis was too small to be the capital. In 789AD, he drew up plans for a great new city. He died before his ideas were implemented so it’s his son, Idriss II, who gets the credit for founding the city of Fez.
Fez’s fortunes rose and fell over the next few centuries depending on which dynasty was in charge, but it did become established as a centre of learning and culture in an empire which stretched from Spain to Senegal.
During the 19th century, European influence in Morocco increased and central power in the country crumbled. Fez and Marrakech emerged as separate capitals of a fragmented nation with Fez retaining its status as the spiritual centre of Morocco. It is still regarded as the country’s most traditional city.
Fez Today
Fez is generally well regarded by the rest of Morocco. Many of the nation’s intellectuals, and much of its wealth, come from the city. Moroccans tend to believe that anyone born in the Fez medina is more religious, cultured, artistic, and refined than those born elsewhere. The present king’s wife, Lalla Salma, is from Fez, meaning that the royal family spend a lot of time in the city. Natives of Fez (Fassis) are very proud of this!
Today, Fez is the largest car-free urban area in the world. 70,000 people live within the walls of the medina. It is a maze, virtually impossible to navigate for the first-time visitor. People jostle with each other as they try to shop, work, or make their way home. Donkeys transport goods through the warren of alleyways as they have done for centuries. The place has a run-down feel with many dilapidated buildings. It is noisy, smelly and chaotic. And yet, it is beguiling. Visitors either love Fez or they loathe it. I fall into the former category!
Our Visit to Fez
Our Arrival in Fez
We arrived in Fez in the late afternoon by train from Meknès. The first thing our guide, Hamid, told us was that there are more off-licenses in the city than elsewhere in Morocco. More importantly, there was one opposite our hotel! This came as welcome news to several members of our group, coming as it did after several ‘dry’ days on our Intrepid tour around the country.
So, the priority for some of us was a refreshing ice-cold beer!
Dinner in the Medina
On our first evening in Fez, we transferred from our hotel in the ville nouvelle (so-called because it is a mere 700 years old!) to the ancient medina in a very posh minibus driven by Hamid’s friend. The pair were in high spirits and entertained us with rousing renditions of Berber songs as we drove along. We were struck by the cosmopolitan appearance of the city. It was very clean and had wide boulevards and decorative fountains.
Once at the medina, Hamid led us through a very narrow alleyway to the restaurant, which had been converted from a lavish family home. Even though we weren’t venturing far into the medina, we soon felt disoriented and were extremely grateful that we had a guide!
We were served our food in very decorative surroundings – everything from the ceiling to the cushions to the lamps was elaborately ornate.
The meal began with a selection of delicious meze – vegetable salads, olives, and bread. Our main course was a Fez speciality – chicken pastilla. These meat pastries are sweetened with icing sugar and are not to everyone’s taste. Dessert was fresh fruit and tiny home-made cakes. All-in-all it was a lovely authentic experience.
A Day in Fez
We spent a whole day exploring Fez and its medina with our local guide, Mohammed. It was exhausting but exhilarating. I would recommend that everyone spends at least a few hours here.
Viewpoint
Our first stop of the day was at a viewpoint to allow us to appreciate just how vast the medina is. The ancient buildings were dotted with countless satellite dishes. Our guide told us that these first appeared just nine years ago! Prior to that, the medina looked just as it had for centuries before.
The Royal Palace
We paused at the Royal Palace. Visitors are not allowed inside so we had to make do with taking photos of the imposing entrance doors.
The Jewish Quarter
From the palace, we walked down rue des Mérinides, the Jewish quarter, to admire the quirky architecture and watch the commercial goings-on. One of our group got into bother for taking a photo of a guard in uniform despite being told not to. A word of warning – don’t do it! The Moroccan authorities take a very dim view of such transgressions. Our friend was lucky to get away with being made to delete the offending snap from her camera.
Mosaique et Poterie de Fez
Our next stop was at an artisanal workshop to see how pots are made and decorated entirely by hand. It is very skilled work. The end results were outstanding.
The Medina
Mohammed led us into the medina with strict instructions not to wander off as we would likely never be found again! With this warning ringing in our ears, we walked closely behind him (in single file for the most part as there was no room to do otherwise!) and resisted the temptation to keep stopping to take photos.
We walked through the food market first before passing through the dark, stifling hot dyeing alley into an open square which was packed with shops selling metalware. Everywhere there were crowds of people, a cacophony of sounds, sights to take your breath away, and a melange of aromas the like of which I’ve never smelt before. I was in my element!
Tannerie Chouara was next, the largest and most famous of all the tanneries in Fez. The dye pits are original, all of them constructed in the 14th century. Getting to the viewing platform involved climbing lots of narrow stairs, passing through the obligatory shops en route. We were given bunches of mint to sniff as the stench of pigeon droppings used in the dyeing process is very strong! We did hold them and smell them from time to time, but we didn’t go as far as a group of Japanese tourists we saw who had actually stuffed the mint up their noses!
After giving us plenty of time to take photos, representatives of the shop explained the different leathers to us and showed us how much lighter camel hide is than that from a cow. They told us to avoid sheep leather (‘sheep is cheap’) and look for kid instead. Kid leather is the best quality and, naturally, the most expensive. It is still much cheaper than at home, though, and several of our group bought footstools, bags, jackets, and other souvenirs.
Back on the move through the medina, I heard children’s voices coming from the other side of a small door. I peeped inside and saw a tiny classroom where a teacher was giving an Arabic lesson to a group of three and four-year-olds. She invited me in. I couldn’t stay long because I was afraid of losing the rest of the group, but it was really interesting to be there. I gave the teacher a few dirhams towards exercise books for the children.
After lunch which we had in a beautiful riad, we continued our tour of the medina with visits to a couple of mosques and a koranic school where the students lived in small cell-like rooms.
Our senses continued to be assaulted with the vibrant colours of stunning fabrics, threads, and shoes, the sounds of hammers embossing designs onto bronze trays, and the aromas of spices and preserved lemons.
The last stop of our day was at a fabric shop where the cloth was all woven on the premises on foot-powered looms. There were silks and wools which were available to buy directly from the bolt or made up into beautiful scarves and dresses. For a fabricaholic like me (yes, there is such a thing!), it was a dream!
Leaving Fez
After an evening with the group chatting about all we had experienced, we left Fez early the next morning for the five-hour bus journey to Chefchaouen, the blue city.
The Best Things to do in Fez
Explore the Medina
Entering Fès el-Bali (the medina) is like stepping back in time. The basic footprint hasn’t changed for 1000 years. I recommend you explore with a guide. It’s too easy to get hopelessly lost in the maze of twisting alleys and dead ends. Also, you could miss so many of the hidden souqs and beautifully tiled fountains known only to the locals. Take the time to absorb the atmosphere of this unique place. Enjoy people-watching, but make sure you listen out for mule drivers shouting ‘balak!’ (‘watch out!’) so that you get out of the way before being mown down by a heavily-laden donkey!
Visit Medersa Bou Inania
- Open 9am to 5pm daily (closed during prayers)
- Entrance fee – Dh20
This is the koranic school we visited. It is the finest theological college in Fez. Sultan Bou Inan built it between 1351 and 1357. In recent years, it has been sympathetically restored with elaborate tiles and carved plaster, beautiful lattice screens made from cedarwood, and huge brass entrance doors.
This medersa is the only one in Fez to have a complete mosque within its walls. The minaret is decorated with beautiful green tiles.
Spend an Hour in the Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts
- Open 10am to 5pm daily
- Entrance fee – Dh20
This museum is housed in a fully-restored fondouq (rooming house) which was originally used by travelling merchants who stored and sold their goods in the ground floor rooms and lodged on the floors above.
Today, the rooms around the central courtyard are given over to displays of traditional wooden crafts and the tools used to make them. There are chunky prayer beads, Berber chests, and some fine musical instruments.
The rooftop café has amazing views over the medina.
Buy Leather Souvenirs at Chaouwara Tannery
As I described above, the Chaouwara Tanneries are one of Fez’s most iconic sights. Even if you’re not looking to buy any leather, I still recommend you pay a visit. From the rooftop vantage point, you get to watch (and smell!) the natural process of producing world-class leather using methods that haven’t changed since medieval times. Try to arrive in the morning when the pits are awash with coloured dye.
Whilst it can feel like a rip-off because you can only get to see the pits from viewing platforms in leather shops, it really isn’t! You probably won’t find a better selection of leather in Morocco and the prices are as good as you’ll get anywhere. The shops work together with the tannery workers and everyone gets a share of the profits. Many of the leather salesmen have relatives working hard in the pits below. If you don’t want to buy anything, at least give a small tip to the salesman who explains everything to you. It’s not compulsory, but I think it’s good form.
Go to the Batha Museum
- Open 9am to 5pm Wednesday to Monday
- Entrance fee – Dh10
This museum is housed in a wonderful 19th-century summer palace which was converted to a museum in 1915. You will find an excellent collection of traditional Moroccan arts and crafts, including woodwork, tiles, sculpted plaster, stunning embroidery, colourful Berber carpets, and old musical instruments. There is also a fantastic array of ceramics dating from the 14th century to modern times, including lovely examples of the famous blue pottery of Fez.
The museum’s Andalucian-style garden is a great place to rest a while away from the chaos of the medina.
Admire the Royal Palace
Although the palace and its grounds are closed to the public, most visitors to Fez stop in Place des Alaouites to admire the magnificent brass doors with intricately carved cedarwood surrounds. It is probably the most popular spot in Fez for a ‘selfie’ for locals and tourists alike.
Experience a Hammam
Several hotels and guesthouses in Fez offer hammam experiences. For around Dh200 – 300, you can enjoy a traditional bath with local olive oil soap and exfoliation with a coarse glove.
Take a Cooking Class
This has to be one of the best things to do in Fez!
We did this in Marrakech, not Fez, but the company we used, Café Clock, offer classes in Fez, too. I can’t recommend them highly enough! You start the day planning your menu, then you shop for ingredients in the souk, later you return to the kitchen to learn how to cook your dishes (it’s very hands-on), and finally, you get to enjoy what you have produced. Read my account of our experience in Marrakech here.
Go on a Walking Tour
Walking is undoubtedly the best way to see the sights of Fez. To save yourself a lot of hassle and to stop yourself getting lost too often, I would recommend you hire a guide. The going rate for an official guide in Fez is Dh250 for a half-day tour or Dh500 for a full day.
READ MY COMPLETE MOROCCO TRAVEL GUIDE
Further Reading About Morocco
Check out my Morocco colouring books!
Unlike most colouring books on the market, mine, suitable for both adults and older children, are full of line images created from photos I have taken on my travels. This means that they are highly detailed. They are not line drawings where you can colour between every line. The pictures invite you to be creative. Apply a colour wash with watercolour. Use coloured pencils to create texture. Blend colours together. Add detail with a fine ink pen. The choice is yours! Create your own work of art! When you’re happy, remove it from the book. Stick it on the fridge as a reminder of a place you’ve already been to or somewhere that’s on your bucket list. You could even get it framed. Display it on the wall for people to admire.
Here is a selection of my Morocco titles:
If you like what you’ve read, PIN IT!!
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Hi! Thank you for that nice blog about the Morocco! Your blog is probably one of the most detailed one I’ve ever read! Thanks!