Fes Travel Guide: The Medina, Tanneries and Best Day Trips

Fes is Morocco’s oldest imperial city and its craft and religious centre: a walled medina of more than 9,400 alleys, two great medersas, working tanneries and the university mosque founded in 859. This guide covers how many days you need, where to stay, what to see inside Fes el-Bali, what it costs in 2026, and which day trip to pick, so you can plan two or three days here without losing the first one to wrong turns.

How many days do you need in Fes?

Two full days is enough for the essentials. Give day one to Fes el-Bali on foot, from Bab Bou Jeloud down Talaa Kebira to Bou Inania, Al-Qarawiyyin and the Chouara tannery. Give day two to Volubilis and Meknes, the classic pairing north of the city. A third day suits slow travellers, serious shoppers, or a second day trip to Chefchaouen or the Middle Atlas.

One day works only as a stop between cities, and it will feel rushed. If Fes is one stop on a wider loop, our seven days in Morocco route shows how it fits between Chefchaouen and the desert road south.

Where should you stay in Fes?

Sleep inside the medina if you can. Fes el-Bali sits on a slope, cars cannot enter most of it, and a riad near the top of the hill saves your legs every evening. Porters meet you at the nearest gate and wheel your bag in.

Area	Best for	Keep in mind
Fes el-Bali, near Bab Bou Jeloud	First visits, walking everywhere, rooftop views	Steps and slopes; confirm porter pickup before arrival
Fes el-Bali, near Rcif or the tannery	Deep-medina feel, lowest riad prices	Longest walk out; ask your riad for the simplest route
Fes el-Jdid and the Mellah	Quieter streets, the Royal Palace gates	15 to 25 minutes on foot to the old medina sights
Ville Nouvelle	Modern hotels, restaurants that serve alcohol, parking	A taxi ride from the medina; little old-town character

For a first visit, a riad near Bab Bou Jeloud or upper Talaa Kebira is the best compromise. You enter through the famous blue gate, drop your bags, and start downhill into the sights. Budget doubles in the medina start from a few hundred dirhams; comfortable mid-range riads with a courtyard pool and terrace often run 600 to 1,200 MAD (about $60 to $120) a night.

What should you see in Fes el-Bali?

Start at the top and walk down. The medina slopes from Bab Bou Jeloud toward the river, so a downhill route from the gate to the tannery saves effort and matches the order below.

Bab Bou Jeloud

Bab Bou Jeloud, the Blue Gate, is the ceremonial entrance to the old city, built in 1913 with blue zellij on the outer face and green on the inner one. It is a photo stop rather than a sight to enter: ten minutes, morning light on the blue tiles, then through the arch onto Talaa Kebira.

Bou Inania Medersa

Halfway down Talaa Kebira stands the Bou Inania Medersa, the 14th-century Marinid college built between 1350 and 1355, and one of the few religious buildings in Fes that non-Muslims may enter. Inside you get the full set: zellij tilework, carved cedar, stucco and a quiet courtyard that feels a world away from the lane outside. Allow 30 to 45 minutes, plus a look at the Dar al-Magana water clock facade across the street.

Entry is around 20 MAD (roughly $2) in 2026, according to the 2026 visitor guide, which makes it the best value in the medina. Hours run roughly 9am to 6pm daily with a midday closure, and the medersa is usually closed to visitors on Fridays. Confirm times locally since access pauses during prayers.

Bab Bou Jeloud, the Blue Gate, with blue zellij tiles and a central arch onto Talaa Kebira.

Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University

Further down, the Al-Qarawiyyin complex fills a whole quarter. It is a mosque and university founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, recognised by UNESCO and Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously operating university (Morocco key sites). The catch is access. The interior is closed to non-Muslims, so you admire the courtyard through the great open doors on the surrounding lanes and study the tilework and cedar eaves from outside.

Pair it with the Al-Attarine Medersa next door, which does admit visitors for about 20 MAD, and the Nejjarine Fondouk, the restored caravanserai holding the wooden arts museum for about 20 to 25 MAD.

The Al-Qarawiyyin minaret at night, seen from a nearby courtyard in the old city.

Chouara Tannery

The Chouara tannery is the largest of the three working tanneries in the medina, a honeycomb of stone pits where hides are cured and dyed much as they have been for centuries. You do not walk among the vats. You climb to a rooftop terrace of one of the surrounding leather shops and look down on the whole coloured grid.

Three rules make the visit easy. First, go in the morning between 9 and 11am, when workers fill the pits with fresh dye and the colours read strongest (tannery visit guide). Second, expect no formal ticket but leave 10 to 20 MAD (about $1 to $2) per person if you buy nothing; browsing the shop below is the understood exchange. Third, take the sprig of mint offered on the terrace and hold it to your nose. The curing smell is strong, stronger in summer heat, and the mint takes the edge off while you photograph.

Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The smaller Sidi Moussa tannery nearby is calmer if the main terraces feel crowded.

Souks and fondouks

Between the monuments, the lanes themselves are the sight: dyers, coppersmiths, weavers and brass workshops grouped by trade, many in old fondouks you can step into. Keep an eye out for the Moulay Idriss mausoleum quarter; non-Muslims cannot enter the shrine but the lanes around it are worth the detour.

How much does it cost to see the main sights?

Sights	Entry in 2026	Notes
Bou Inania Medersa	About 20 MAD	Mornings best; usually closed to visitors on Fridays
Al-Attarine Medersa	About 20 MAD	Next to Al-Qarawiyyin; quick interior visit
Nejjarine Fondouk museum	20 to 25 MAD	Restored caravanserai of wooden arts
Chouara tannery terraces	Free, tip 10 to 20 MAD	Via leather shops; mornings 9 to 11am
Al-Qarawiyyin interior	Closed to non-Muslims	Courtyard views through the open doors
Volubilis ruins	70 to 100 MAD	Day trip from Fes; group tours from about 170 MAD

Food and beds cost less than in Marrakech at every level. A filling tagine lunch in the medina, mint tea and bread on the side, leaves change from 100 MAD. For full numbers across transport, beds and meals, see our Morocco trip cost breakdown, and eat through the Moroccan food guide before you order.

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Do you need a guide in the medina?

For your first full day, yes. Fes el-Bali covers about 280 hectares with more than 9,400 alleys and dead ends, a UNESCO-listed street plan that defeats phone maps (medina guide). A licensed guide finds the tannery terraces, the working fondouks and the quiet viewpoints. They explain the prayer closures and steer you past the unofficial “helpers” who attach themselves near the gates. A three-hour licensed medina walk booked online often costs from about 110 MAD (around $11) per person (Fes tours).

Book through your riad or a platform with named licensed guides, agree the route and the price before setting off, and state clearly whether shopping stops are welcome. Practical safety, dress and scam notes for the whole country sit in our Morocco travel tips.

The standard hassle to expect: someone near a sight offers to show you a viewpoint or a workshop, then asks for money or walks you to a shop that pays commission. A polite no and steady walking ends most of it. The medina is safe to walk by day; at night, stick to the main lit lanes of Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira or take your riad’s advice.

Should you choose Fes or Marrakech?

Most first trips include both, but if you must pick, the two cities do different jobs.

	Fes	Marrakech
Medina feel	Working city, craft quarters, fewer touts in the lanes	Grand showpiece, busier squares, keener haggling
Star sights	Medersas, tanneries, Al-Qarawiyyin quarter	Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Medersa, Jemaa el-Fna
Evenings	Rooftop terraces, quiet lanes after dark	The square fills with food stalls and drummers
Prices	Lower for riads, food and taxis	Higher, especially near the square
Best day trips	Volubilis and Meknes, Chefchaouen	Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Agafay
Suits	History, craft, slow looking	First-timers wanting the full spectacle

Fes rewards patience and close looking. Marrakech performs. Read the Marrakech travel guide alongside this one and split a week between them.

Which day trip should you take from Fes?

Volubilis with Meknes is the default and the right one for most visitors. Volubilis is the best-kept Roman site in Morocco, a UNESCO-listed city of triumphal arches and floor mosaics about 90 minutes north, usually paired with the holy hill town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun and the imperial gates of Meknes. Entry at Volubilis runs 70 to 100 MAD (about $7 to $10) for foreign visitors (museum prices 2026). Group day trips from Fes start at about 170 MAD (around $17) per person with pickup, and run about nine hours. Go early. The site has little shade and midday sun is fierce from May onward.

Westward over the medina rooftops toward the hills and the Marinid Tombs ridge.

Chefchaouen is the second choice, the blue lanes of the Rif about 195 km away, but it means three and a half to four hours each way. It works as a very long day or, better, as an overnight before or after Fes. Ifrane and the Middle Atlas cedar forest, about 65 km south, is the gentle option: an easy half day by taxi or tour.

Sunset belongs back in Fes at the Marinid Tombs ridge north of the walls. The climb takes 20 to 30 minutes from the medina edge and the whole old city spreads below. Go with company rather than alone, and head down before dark.

When is the best time to visit Fes?

March to May and September to November are the sweet spots: warm days, cool nights, dye pits at full colour and terraces comfortable at midday. June to August turns very hot, often past 38C, and the tannery smell thickens in the heat; start sights at opening time and rest through the afternoon. December to February is cool and quiet with the lowest riad rates, though mornings can sit near 5C.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music usually falls in late May or early June and fills riads for its long weekend. Book well ahead if your dates overlap a festival.

How do you get to Fes and get around?

Fes-Saiss Airport sits about 15 km south of the city. Your options for arriving and moving around:

• Plane and transfer: taxis wait outside the terminal, and most riads offer pre-booked pickup. Agree the fare before you load your bags.
• Train: regular ONCF services link Fes with Meknes (under an hour), Rabat and Casablanca, with one line running south toward Marrakech. The station sits in the Ville Nouvelle.
• Small taxi: a ride from the station to Bab Bou Jeloud or Rcif costs about 25 to 40 MAD (about $2.50 to $4).

Inside the walls, you walk. Petit taxis cannot enter the old lanes, so they drop you at a gate and your feet or a donkey take over. For the Ville Nouvelle, Jnan Sbil gardens or the Marinid Tombs road, agree the meter or the fare before the doors close. Browse all our Morocco guides when the Fes days are set and the rest of the trip needs filling in.

At a glance

Bab Bou Jeloud

Tiled ceremonial gate built in 1913 marking the main western entrance to the Fes el-Bali medina.

Address

Fes, MA

Bab Bou Jeloud

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Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Fes?

Two full days covers the Fes el-Bali medina and one day trip. Spend day one inside the old city with Bou Inania, the Chouara tannery and the souks, and day two at Volubilis with Meknes. A third day suits slow travellers, shoppers, or a second day trip to Chefchaouen.

Can non-Muslims enter Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque?

No. The mosque and university interior is closed to non-Muslims. You can admire the courtyard through the open doors on the surrounding lanes, and visit the restored library area on limited guided access. For an interior you can actually walk through, go to the Bou Inania Medersa instead.

Does the Chouara tannery charge an entry fee?

There is no formal ticket. You view the dye pits from the rooftop terraces of the surrounding leather shops, and a tip of 10 to 20 MAD (about $1 to $2) per person is expected if you buy nothing. Morning between 9 and 11am is the best time, when the pits are full and the light is kind.

Do you need a guide in the Fes medina?

For your first full day, yes. Fes el-Bali holds more than 9,400 alleys across 280 hectares, and a licensed guide finds the tannery terraces, the working fondouks and the viewpoints without the detours. A three-hour licensed walk booked online often costs from about 110 MAD (around $11) per person.

Should you visit Fes or Marrakech?

Pick Fes for history, craft workshops and a medina that still runs as a working city. Pick Marrakech for grand palaces, gardens and a livelier square after dark. With a week in Morocco, visit both: they sit about five to six hours apart by train via Casablanca.

What is the best day trip from Fes?

Volubilis with Meknes. The Roman ruins sit about 90 minutes north, pair naturally with the imperial gates of Meknes, and group tours from Fes start at about 170 MAD (around $17). Chefchaouen is the second choice, but at nearly four hours each way it makes a very long day.

Useful links (6)

1. Bou Inania Madrasa Fes 2026 visitor guide, Serenity Morocco Tours— serenitymoroccotours.com
2. Fes Medina Guide 2026, Serenity Morocco Tours— serenitymoroccotours.com
3. Chouara Tannery visit guide, tickets and hours— chouara-tannery.com
4. Chouara Tanneries tours and reviews 2026, GetYourGuide— getyourguide.com
5. Morocco museum ticket prices 2026, MoroccoPrices— moroccoprices.com
6. Morocco history and key sites 2026, OpenTravelGuide— opentravelguide.com

Photo credits

Thank you to Petar Milošević, RACHID BAYA and Sim Br for sharing these beautiful photographs and helping bring this guide to life.

Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 2.0