# Fez

Fez el-Bali is a huge, living medina: tanneries, madrasas and thousands of car-free alleys. With two nights you understand it; with three you enjoy it.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/morocco/fez · Revisado: 2026-11-11

## How do you get there from Spain?

There are direct flights to Fès-Saïss from several Spanish cities: Vueling flies from Barcelona and Ryanair has routes from Spain (check on its website which operate on your date). The airport is about 15 km away; the taxi to the medina is negotiated: agree the price before getting in. Bus 16 goes to the station for very little.

By land, cross by ferry from Tarifa to Tangier Ville, about an hour, or from Algeciras to Tangier Med, an hour and a half. From Tangier to Fez it is about four hours by train, with direct trains or a change at Kenitra. It is a comfortable and cheap journey.

You need a passport valid for more than six months; the national ID card is not valid (checked in November 2026).

## How not to get lost in the medina

Fez el-Bali has no cars, and goods are moved by donkeys and handcarts: when you hear "balak", step aside. Two long streets, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira, run down from Bab Boujloud to the heart of the medina. If you get lost, downhill leads to the centre and uphill to the gates.

You will be offered guiding every few metres, especially near Bab Boujloud and the tanneries. The fake guides end up at a rug or leather shop. For the first day, an official half-day guide is worth it: your riad arranges it.

## Money, haggling and Fridays

Dirhams are withdrawn at the cash machines in the Ville Nouvelle and at those at the medina gates. Inside, almost everything is in cash. In the souks you haggle; at the tanneries, the shop that lets you up on its terrace expects you to look at its goods, not necessarily buy. You tip for the view, about 10–20 dirhams. On Fridays at midday many workshops close for prayer.

## Qué hacer
- **Fez el-Bali Medina, along Talaa Kebira** (4 h · In comfortable shoes · Free): What it is
Fez el-Bali is the old medina of Fez and one of the largest car-free historic cities in the world: about 300 hectares of alleys, workshops, mosques, fondouks and souks. It was born of two cities: the one founded by Idris I in 789 on the right bank of the Fez river and the one founded by his son Idris II in 809 on the other bank, later joined by the Almoravids. It has been a World Heritage site since 1981, together with Fez el-Jdid.
It is not a museum: people live and work here. Goods are moved by donkeys and handcarts, and when you hear "balak" you have to step aside.
The Talaa Kebira route, step by step
Talaa Kebira is the longest and main street of the medina. It runs from the west gate to the Qarawiyyin quarter, almost always downhill and with souks and shops on both sides. It is the simplest way to cross the medina without getting lost:

Bab Boujloud. You enter by the blue gate. In the little square inside, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira part: take the Kebira, the big one; ask if in doubt.
Bou Inania madrasa and, opposite, the facade of the Dar al-Magana water clock. First stop, a few minutes away.
The descent. Tiled fountains, babouche stalls, butchers, wood-fired bakeries, copper and weaving workshops.
Place Nejjarine. A small detour takes you to the carpenters' square, with its tiled fountain and the Nejjarine fondouk, an old caravanserai turned into a museum of woodcraft.
Al-Attarine madrasa and the Qarawiyyin gate, at the end of the street. It is the religious heart of the medina.
Place Seffarine, that of the coppersmiths, where copper is hammered.
Chouara tannery, a little further down, towards the river.

From the bottom of the medina, do not climb back up on foot. Leave towards Place R'cif, next to the river, where the medina's only road arrives, or towards one of the lower gates, and take a petit taxi back.
How long it takes
Half a day, about four hours, with the madrasas, the tannery and stops. If you only want to go down Talaa Kebira to Al-Attarine, an hour and a half. Start early: at nine many shops are already open and it is still comfortable to walk.
Guide, yes or no
It is not compulsory, but the first day it helps a lot. Fake guides offer themselves mainly at Bab Boujloud and near the tanneries, and usually end up at a shop. Ask your riad for an official one: you have it at official medina guide. Plan-it Morocco organises a full-day visit with a private guide, from 9:00 to 16:00, with pick-up at the riad, which includes Bou Inania, the Qarawiyyin, the Nejjarine fondouk, Al-Attarine, the Mellah and the Marinid tombs; the price is requested on its website.
When to go
In the morning, on a weekday. On Friday at midday many workshops close for prayer. In spring and in October it is better for walking; in July and August it exceeds 35 °C and the bottom of the medina gets oppressive.
What to bear in mind

Footwear. The streets are polished stone, sloping, and slippery in the rain.
Orientation. If you get lost, downhill leads to the centre; uphill, to the gates. Ask a shopkeeper, not someone who offers in the street.
Money. Inside almost everything is in cash; the cash machines are at the gates.
Clothing. Shoulders and knees covered to enter the madrasas.
With children and a pushchair. Slopes, steps and crowds: better a baby carrier. Teenagers like getting a little lost and haggling.

Eating and sleeping
For a rest near the gate, Café Clock or Le Tarbouche. Sleeping inside the medina lets you see its empty streets at dusk: Riad Laaroussa, Riad Fes or, on a small budget, Funky Fes.
- **Chouara Tannery** (30 min · Everyone who can stand the smell · Tip on the terrace): What it is
Chouara is the largest of the Fez tanneries and the image everyone has of the city: a courtyard of stone pits full of coloured dyes, with men up to their waists working the hides. It is in Fez el-Bali, next to the Saffarin madrasa and on the banks of the Fez river. Local tradition traces it back to the founding of the city by Idris II, in the early 9th century; historians say its origin is unclear.
The process is still manual, without machines. Cow, sheep, goat and camel hides spend two or three days in white pits with a mixture of cow urine, pigeon droppings, quicklime, salt and water, which cleans and softens them. They are then dyed in pits of natural colours: poppy for red, indigo for blue, henna for orange. They are dried in the sun on the rooftops and sold to craftspeople who make bags, babouches and jackets. A few years ago it was restored and kept in place, although there were plans to move it out of the medina.
How you see it
The tannery is not visited from inside. You look at it from above, from the terraces of the leather shops that surround it. You go into one of them, climb several floors among bags and jackets and come out on a terrace with the courtyard at your feet. They will give you a sprig of mint for the smell, which is strong, especially in the heat.
The shop expects you to look at its goods. You are not obliged to buy: leave a tip for the view, about 10 to 20 DH, and go down. If you buy, haggle calmly and compare in other shops first.
When to go
In the morning, between nine and eleven or so. That is when the most work is going on in the pits, they are full of colour and the light comes in well. At midday in summer the smell gets strong. On Friday at midday many workshops in the medina stop for prayer.
Allow half an hour on the terrace, plus the time to get there.
Getting there
It is in the tanners' quarter, below Place Seffarine, at the bottom of the medina. From Bab Boujloud you go down Talaa Kebira to the area of the Al-Attarine madrasa and continue towards the river: it is a long walk downhill, more than half an hour with stops. The last little streets are a labyrinth: ask in a shop for the Chouara tannery. There is no way to get there by car.
Near the tannery many lads and fake guides come up offering to take you "to the good terrace". The calmest thing is to go with the official guide of your first day, who takes you straight to a terrace and saves you the detours. You have it at official medina guide.
With children and teenagers
Teenagers find it impressive. With small children, the smell can be too much; the mint helps. The stairs in the shops are narrow and steep: do not let go of them, including on the terrace. You cannot go up with a pushchair.
- **Bou Inania Madrasa** (30 min · Everyone · Cheap entry, 10 to 20 DH according to guides): What it is and why it matters
The Bou Inania madrasa is the largest of the Marinid Quranic schools in Fez and the only one with the status of a Friday mosque. It was built by the sultan Abu Inan Faris: works began on 28 December 1350 and finished in 1355. That is why it has its own brick minaret, on the north-west corner, something rare in a Moroccan madrasa. It has been restored many times: in the 17th century after an earthquake, under the sultan Moulay Slimane between 1792 and 1822, and the decoration again in the 20th century.
It is a couple of minutes from Bab Boujloud, at the start of Talaa Kebira, so it is usually the first visit in the medina.
What you see

The courtyard. Large, paved in marble, with a fountain and an ablution pool in the centre and galleries around. Each wall has zellige below, carved stucco in the middle and carved cedar above.
The classrooms. On the sides of the courtyard, two classrooms with cedar doors and wooden domes.
The prayer hall. South of the courtyard, separated by a small water channel, with arches on marble and onyx columns. It is a place of worship and non-Muslims cannot enter: you look from the courtyard.
The students' cells, on the upper floor.
The water clock. On the way out, opposite, in the street, is the Dar al-Magana: a cedar facade with 13 brackets and 12 windows that formed a hydraulic clock. Its bronze bowls were removed in the 20th century and the structure was restored at the start of this century. Look at it from the street.

Hours and price
It is open every day, but closes during prayers and, above all, on Friday at midday. Published hours do not agree: some guides give 9:00 to 17:00 and others close at midday for a few hours. Entry is cheap, between 10 and 20 DH according to guides, in cash and at the door. There is no online sale. Allow half an hour.
Getting there
Cross Bab Boujloud inwards and enter by Talaa Kebira; the madrasa is a few minutes away and is recognised by its minaret. If you come by taxi, ask to be dropped at Bab Boujloud.
Rules, children and accessibility
It is an active place of worship: shoulders and knees covered, a low voice, no food inside and respect if people are praying. Go outside prayer times so as not to find it closed. With children it is a short visit. The courtyard has steps at the entrance and the marble is slippery; the upper floor is not always open.
Combine it
In the morning, start here and then go down Talaa Kebira through the Fez el-Bali medina to the Al-Attarine madrasa. Comparing the two helps you understand the Marinid style. For lunch nearby, Café Clock is a few steps away.
- **Al-Attarine Madrasa and the Qarawiyyin Gate** (45 min · Everyone · Cheap entry, 10 to 20 DH according to guides): What it is and why it matters
The Al-Attarine madrasa is a Quranic school that the Marinid sultan Abu Said Uthman II had built between 1323 and 1325. It takes its name from the Attarine souk, that of the spice sellers and perfumers, at whose entrance it stands, at the end of Talaa Kebira and a few steps from the Qarawiyyin mosque. It is small, but its courtyard is among the richest in Fez: almost every surface is decorated.
It has two floors around a central courtyard. Below, zellige (cut tile mosaic), carved stucco, muqarnas and carved cedar wood; at the back, the prayer hall, with the mihrab and a wooden dome, which keeps its original bronze lamp. Upstairs, 30 cells where the students slept: the foundation was designed for about 50 or 60 students, plus imam, muezzins and teachers. The bronze doors at the entrance are replicas; the originals are in the Dar Batha museum.
What you see
You enter through the bronze door and you are in the courtyard, with its fountain in the centre. Notice the order of the decoration: zellige below, stucco in the middle, cedar above, each material with its own pattern. You can look into the prayer hall and, if it is open, go up to the floor of cells, narrow and simple, which contrast with the luxury of the courtyard.
The Qarawiyyin gate
A few steps away is the Qarawiyyin, one of the oldest mosques in the Islamic world. Tradition says it was founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 857 or 859; an inscription attributes it to Dawud ibn Idris in 877. Non-Muslims cannot enter. From outside its north gate, Bab al-Ward, you see the courtyard with its stucco facade and the wooden lattice of the entrance to the prayer hall. Look without crossing the threshold and step aside if someone goes in to pray.
Hours and price
The madrasa is open every day, but closes during the Friday midday prayer. Entry is cheap: guides give between 10 and 20 DH, and there is no online sale; you pay cash at the door. The published hours do not agree, so do not leave it until late afternoon. Allow about 30 to 45 minutes.
Getting there
From Bab Boujloud, go down Talaa Kebira to the end: the madrasa is at its eastern end, already in the spice souk. It is a long walk downhill among shops, more than half an hour with stops. It is the heart of the Fez el-Bali medina: from here Place Seffarine and the Chouara tannery are close.
Rules, children and accessibility
It is a religious building: shoulders and knees covered and a low voice. Do not climb on the fountain or touch the stucco. With children it is a short visit and easy to understand. The entrance has steps and the floor is polished marble, which is slippery; the upper floor is reached by a narrow staircase. It is not wheelchair accessible.
- **Bab Boujloud, the Blue Gate** (15 min · Everyone · Free): What it is
Bab Boujloud is the main gate of Fez el-Bali on the west and the most repeated image of the city. It is newer than it looks: the French administration built it in 1913, soon after the protectorate was set up. To make room for it a stable and three shops were bought and demolished. It replaced a more modest gate, perhaps from the 12th century, with a bent entrance, which can still be seen to one side, walled up.
Its two facades are covered in tilework with arabesques and geometric motifs. On the outside, facing west, blue dominates; on the inside, facing the medina, green. It is usually explained that blue is the colour of Fez and green that of Islam. That is why it is called the Blue Gate.
What you see
Stand in front, on the outer esplanade, and look through the central arch: in the background the minarets of the Bou Inania madrasa and the Sidi Lazzaz mosque appear, framed by the gate. It is the classic photo.
When you cross it you enter a small square full of cafés, juice stalls and restaurants with terraces. From it leave the two streets that go down to the heart of the medina: Talaa Kebira, the big one, and Talaa Seghira, the small one. The tour of the Fez el-Bali medina begins along Talaa Kebira.
What it is for on your trip

Meeting point. It is the easiest place to explain to a taxi driver, a guide or your riad.
End of the cars. Cars come this far; from the gate on, the medina is on foot, with donkeys and handcarts.
Taxis. On the outer esplanade the petit taxis stop, red in Fez. To go to the railway station, the Ville Nouvelle or the Marinid tombs, take one here and agree the price or ask them to use the meter.
Parking. If you arrive by car, look for guarded parking nearby and expect to give the attendant a few coins.

When to go
At any time: it is free and always open. For the photo, first thing in the morning, with few people and soft light on the blue tiles. At dusk, when the lights of the little square come on and the terraces fill, it has more atmosphere.
What to bear in mind
It is also the place where the most fake guides offer to accompany you. Say no politely and keep walking; if you want a guide, make sure they are official and hire through your riad: you have it at official medina guide.
Nearby
Ten minutes on foot you have the Dar Batha museum. For lunch, next to the gate, Café Clock, Le Tarbouche and NUR. For sleeping nearby, Riad Fes or the hostel Medina Social Club.
- **Dar Batha Museum** (1 h · Everyone · General admission 60 DH): What it is
Dar Batha is a palace of the late 19th century, at the gates of the medina, which is now the Al Batha Museum of Islamic Arts. It was begun by the sultan Hassan I (1873–1894) and finished and decorated by his successor, Moulay Abdelaziz (1894–1908). In 1915 it became a museum of local arts, and for a century it was the ethnographic museum of Fez. In 2019 a thorough restoration began and it reopened on 26 February 2025 with a new museum devoted to the arts of Islam. It is run by the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco.
What you see

The permanent collection. It traces the history of Morocco through its dynasties and civilisations, from the pre-Islamic era to the modern. There are Quranic manuscripts, carpets and textiles, ceramics and metalwork, and a small selection of contemporary Islamic art.
The palace. Courtyards, rooms with cedar ceilings, zellige and stucco: the building is as much a part of the visit as the display cases.
The garden. It takes up more than half the grounds. It is an Andalusian garden of rectangular plan, divided in four by two paths with a fountain in the centre, laid out by the landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier in 1915. It has palms, jacarandas, hibiscus and a large holm oak in the centre. There is shade and benches, and concerts are held here.
Pieces from other monuments. The museum's collections have housed, among others, the original bronze doors of the Al-Attarine madrasa and marble gravestones from the Marinid tombs. Ask at the entrance what is on display now.

Hours and price
It opens from 10:00 to 18:00 and is closed on Tuesdays. Entry costs 60 DH for foreigners, 30 DH for Moroccans and 15 DH for children. Tickets can be bought on the National Foundation of Museums website or at the ticket office. Allow an hour, a little more if you sit in the garden.
Getting there
It is on Place Batha, in the Oued Fejjaline district, a few minutes' walk from Bab Boujloud. By petit taxi, ask for "Batha": taxis reach the square.
With children and accessibility
It is a good stop with children mid-morning or at midday, when the medina overwhelms: the garden gives shade and room to move. Ask at the ticket office about wheelchair access to the rooms and the garden.
When to go
At the start or end of a medina day, or in the hot hours. Bear in mind it opens at 10:00, later than the madrasas: if you want to start early, go first to the Bou Inania madrasa and leave the museum for later. Remember it is closed on Tuesday.
Nearby
In the Batha and Ziat area you have large, quiet riads, such as Riad Fes and Palais Faraj. For lunch, Café Clock and NUR, next to Bab Boujloud.
- **Fez el-Jdid, the Mellah and the Royal Palace Gates** (2 h · Families, with pushchairs on the main streets · Free): What it is
Fez el-Jdid, "New Fez", is the city founded by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub in 1276 as a royal citadel and seat of government, next to the old medina. It was originally called Madinat al-Bayda, the White City. It has been a World Heritage site together with Fez el-Bali since 1981. Here is the Royal Palace, the Dar al-Makhzen, of about 80 hectares, which the king still uses from time to time, and at its southern end the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, to which the Jewish population was probably moved in the mid-15th century.
It is a very different visit from Fez el-Bali: wider streets, fewer slopes, fewer people and fewer shops for tourists. It is everyday Fez.
The walk, step by step
Allow about two hours on foot at an easy pace.

Place des Alaouites and the Royal Palace gates. Start here, on the large esplanade. The palace's golden gates, of worked brass between tiles and cedar wood, were made in the 1960s and early 1970s. The palace cannot be visited: it is seen only from outside. There are guards: take your photos from the square and respect whatever they tell you.
The Mellah along Rue des Mérinides. From the square enter the Mellah along Rue des Mérinides, which the French opened in 1924 beside the south wall of the palace. Notice the houses: unlike those of the medina, closed inwards, here they have balconies open to the street, some of carved wood.
The Ibn Danan synagogue. In the lower Mellah is this synagogue, believed to date from the late 17th century and known for its interior. It is usually opened by a caretaker who expects a tip.
The Jewish cemetery. South of the Mellah, a large field of whitewashed tombs. At its end there is an old synagogue turned into a museum.
Bab Semmarine and the Grande Rue. Head back north along the Mellah's main street to Bab Semmarine, the monumental gate at the south of Fez el-Jdid. From there the Grande Rue climbs between shops and mosques, such as al-Hamra, to the old Mechouar.
Jnan Sbil gardens. Finish in these gardens, between the old Mechouar and the Bab Boujloud area, with shade, ponds and the Fez river resurfacing. From here you are a walk from Bab Boujloud.

Price and hours
Walking around is free. The synagogue and the cemetery are visited with a small tip or donation, and usually close on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest: confirm at your riad. On Friday at midday the Grande Rue stops for prayer. The Jnan Sbil gardens open by day; hours are not reliably published, so do not leave them until late afternoon.
Getting there
By petit taxi from Bab Boujloud or from the Ville Nouvelle, ask for "Palais Royal" or "Place des Alaouites". On foot, from Bab Boujloud you cross Jnan Sbil and the Mechouar area in about 20 minutes; you can do the route in reverse.
With children and a pushchair
It is the part of Fez that is most comfortable with children: wide, flat streets, with space. With a pushchair you do well on the square, Rue des Mérinides and the Grande Rue. Jnan Sbil, with its ponds and paths, is a good place for them to run about for a while.
With a guide
A guide helps above all in the Mellah, to get into the synagogue and understand the history of the quarter. Plan-it Morocco includes the Mellah in its one-day medina visit. If you hire your own, make sure they are official: you have it at official medina guide.
- **Marinid Tombs at Sunset** (1 h · Everyone · Free): What they are
The Marinid tombs are the ruins of a 14th-century funerary complex on the hill that overlooks Fez el-Bali from the north. Before that there was a Marinid palace here, al-Qula, of which almost nothing remains: its stones were removed over centuries. Between 1361 and 1398, and one last time in 1465, several Marinid sultans were buried on the hill, among them Abu Salim Ibrahim and the last of the dynasty, Abd al-Haqq II. The burials are poorly documented and no thorough excavation has ever been made.
What you see are two large rectangular mausoleums with horseshoe arches, which lost their wooden and green-tiled roofs, remains of carved stucco and an Arabic inscription inside, a small qubba behind that also lost its dome and stretches of wall. In 2024 the ADER-Fès agency announced a major restoration of the site: you may find areas under works.
What you see
What brings people is not the ruins, but the view. From the hill you have the whole medina at your feet: thousands of rooftop terraces, the minarets, the green roof of the Qarawiyyin and, all around, the olive-covered hills. At sunset, when the light turns golden, the calls to prayer begin from the medina's mosques and are heard one after another.
Beside it, on the same hill, is the Borj Nord, a fortress that houses the arms museum.
Getting there

By petit taxi. It is the most comfortable: from Bab Boujloud, ask for "Tombeaux Mérinides". The road that circles the medina on the north climbs up to the ruins. Ask the driver to wait or agree the return, because walking down at night is not ideal.
On foot. From the Bab Guissa area, north of the medina, you climb on foot up the slope. It is a short but steep climb; do it by day and in company.
By car. You can drive up and leave the car next to the ruins.

When to go
At sunset, without doubt, an hour before the sun goes down, to see how the light changes and hear the calls to prayer. First thing in the morning it also has good light and is empty. In summer, at midday, there is no shade. Allow an hour including the taxi ride up.
Price and facilities
It is an open, free site. There is no ticket office, nor toilets, nor cafés at the ruins; bring water.
Safety
The ruins are on an open hill, with no fences at some edges. Watch children near the drops. At sunset there are usually people, locals and tourists, but when it gets dark it empties: come down before nightfall or go with your taxi waiting. As anywhere in the city, ignore anyone offering to guide you.
Combine it
It is a good way to close a medina day, or a way to grasp the size of Fez before entering it. If you only have two days, go the first afternoon: for the rest of the trip you will know where you are.
- **Volubilis and Meknes** (8 h · Families and history lovers · General admission 100 DH, plus transport): What it is
Volubilis is a Roman city on top of a gentle hill, among olive groves, about 20 km north of Meknes and 4 km from the holy town of Moulay Idriss. Its origin predates Rome: it was one of the capitals of the kingdom of Mauretania and, after the Roman annexation in the year 44, became a Roman municipality. It is possibly the best-preserved Roman site in this part of North Africa, and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. It covers about 20 hectares, and only around half has been excavated.
From Fez it is done as a day trip, combined with Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail.
What you see, step by step
The route goes uphill from the entrance to the upper part of the city:

The houses with mosaics. The most striking thing at Volubilis are the mosaics still on the floors of the houses, in the open air, where they were laid: mythological scenes, animals and geometric designs. The houses are organised around an atrium with its pool, the impluvium.
The olive presses. All over the city you will see millstones and presses: Volubilis lived on olive oil, like the fields around it today.
The forum, the basilica and the Capitol. In the centre, the public square, the 2nd-century basilica, where justice was dispensed, and the Capitoline temple, with its columns standing.
The Arch of Caracalla. Raised in the year 217 on the decumanus, the main street. It is the image of Volubilis.
The decumanus. Follow the great street from the arch, with large houses on both sides.
The baths. Remains of public and private baths.

Allow two to three hours at the site.
Hours and price
Entry costs 100 DH for foreign adults and 50 DH for foreign children aged 7 to 13; 30 and 10 DH for Moroccans and residents, who enter free on Fridays. It is sold at the Ministry of Culture's online ticket office and at the ticket window. The website gives general hours of 9:00 to 17:00; confirm at the entrance what time the last admission is.
There are usually guides at the entrance. Without a guide it is easy to follow with a plan, but a good guide takes you straight to the mosaics and explains each house. Agree the price beforehand.
Getting there from Fez

By car. A little over an hour, via Meknes and the Moulay Idriss road.
By train and taxi. Train from Fez to Meknes and, from Meknes, a grand taxi to Volubilis and Moulay Idriss. Agree the wait and the return with the driver.
With a driver or an excursion. The most comfortable way to do Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes in a day. Ask at your riad.

If you are doing the full day, start with Volubilis early and leave Meknes for the afternoon.
When to go
In spring, with the fields green and flowers among the ruins, and in autumn. In summer the site has no shade and the hill heats up a lot: go in at nine, when it opens, and bring water, a hat and sun protection. In winter, if it has rained, the ground turns to mud.
With children and accessibility
Children like the animal mosaics and looking for figures on the floor. The ground is uneven stone, with slopes and steps: with a pushchair it is difficult and in a wheelchair only the lower part can be toured. Do not climb on the walls or step on the mosaics.
Moulay Idriss and Meknes
Moulay Idriss, 4 km away, is the village where Idris I, the founder of the dynasty that created Fez, is buried. The shrine is reserved for Muslims, but the white village can be walked around. Meknes, about 20 km away, has the Bab Mansour gate, the medina and Place el-Hedim.
You go back to sleep in Fez: in the medina, Riad Laaroussa or Palais Faraj. If you go by train, the Fez station has trains to Meknes.

## Dónde comer
- **Le Tarbouche** (Restaurant, Talaa Kebira, €). Qué pedir: Moroccan salads, tagine or chicken pastilla.
- **Café Clock** (Café, Derb el Magana 7, next to Talaa Kebira, €€). Qué pedir: the brunch or a tagine.
- **NUR** (Restaurant, Medina, Zkak Rouah, €€€€). Qué pedir: the tasting menu of about ten courses, which changes every day according to the market.

## Car-free: Train, riad and on foot
Fez is better done without a car than with one. The train from Tangier reaches the station and from there a petit taxi drops you at a medina gate. Inside, everything is on foot.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Riad Fes** (Spa hotel): Several palatial houses joined together in the upper part of the medina, with courtyards, a pool and taxis nearby.
- **Riad Laaroussa** (Small hotel): An old riad with a green courtyard and a dozen rooms, a few minutes' walk from the souks. Lots of stairs: ask for the ground floor if climbing is hard.
- **Medina Social Club** (Hostel): A renovated riad with mostly private rooms, for anyone who wants a hostel atmosphere without bunk beds.
### Servicios
- **From Fès-Saïss airport to the medina**: 15 km · taxi or bus 16 to the railway station · the riad can pick you up
- **Fez Railway Station**: ONCF · Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh · petit taxi to the medina
- **CTM and Supratours Buses**: Chefchaouen, Merzouga and the south · buy your ticket the day before
- **Official Medina Guide**: Accredited · half a day · ask at the riad and say no shops

## Luxury: Palaces with views over the medina
In Fez luxury is a restored palace with a pool in the upper part of the medina, from where you walk down to the souks and come back by taxi.
Presupuesto orientativo: 250–600 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Riad Fes** (Spa hotel): Several palatial houses joined together in the upper part of the medina, with courtyards, a pool and taxis nearby.
- **Palais Faraj Suites & Spa** (Spa hotel): On the edge of the medina, with the old city in front of you from the terrace and a car right to the door.
### Servicios
- **From Fès-Saïss airport to the medina**: 15 km · taxi or bus 16 to the railway station · the riad can pick you up
- **Official Medina Guide**: Accredited · half a day · ask at the riad and say no shops

## Backpacking: Hostel in a riad and a free medina
Walking the medina costs nothing, and eating on the street not much either. Fez is among the cheapest cities of the trip if you sleep in a hostel.
Presupuesto orientativo: 25–40 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're backpacking
- **Funky Fes** (Hostel): A hostel in a traditional house, near Batha, with a travellers' atmosphere and breakfast on the terrace.
- **Medina Social Club** (Hostel): A renovated riad with mostly private rooms, for anyone who wants a hostel atmosphere without bunk beds.
### Servicios
- **From Fès-Saïss airport to the medina**: 15 km · taxi or bus 16 to the railway station · the riad can pick you up
- **Fez Railway Station**: ONCF · Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh · petit taxi to the medina
- **CTM and Supratours Buses**: Chefchaouen, Merzouga and the south · buy your ticket the day before
- **Official Medina Guide**: Accredited · half a day · ask at the riad and say no shops

## As a family: The medina in short doses

With children of different ages, Fez works if you alternate medina and open spaces. Half a morning of alleys, lunch on a rooftop and the afternoon in a garden or at a viewpoint.

### What works best
Chouara tannery: the colours and the smell are unforgettable

Fez el-Jdid and the Mellah, wider, flatter streets

Volubilis, Roman ruins to run about among mosaics

### Where to sleep
A riad with a family room near Bab Boujloud

Palais Faraj, with a car right to the door

### Where to eat
Café Clock, with simple dishes and music at night

### Keep in mind
No pushchair: steps, slopes and donkeys; use a baby carrier

Donkeys and handcarts do not brake: teach children to step aside at "balak"

In summer Volubilis has no shade: go first thing

### Qué hacer as a family
- Chouara Tannery
- Bab Boujloud, the Blue Gate
- Dar Batha Museum
- Fez el-Jdid, the Mellah and the Royal Palace Gates
- Marinid Tombs at Sunset
- Volubilis and Meknes

## With teenagers: A medieval city that really works

Teenagers find Fez more impressive than a museum, because everything is real: workshops, tanners, donkeys carrying gas cylinders. Give them a map and a meeting point.

### What works best
Talaa Kebira, from top to bottom, with them choosing the way

The tanneries, from a terrace

Marinid tombs at sunset

### Where to sleep
A riad with a rooftop in the medina

Funky Fes, if they are travelling with friends

### Where to eat
Café Clock, with a terrace and a young atmosphere

Snails and skewers at the stalls at Bab Boujloud

### Keep in mind
Madrasas get boring if you string them together: one is enough

Fake guides target the youngest: have them say "no, thank you" and keep going

A phone without a connection gets lost: download a map

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Fez el-Bali Medina, along Talaa Kebira
- Chouara Tannery
- Marinid Tombs at Sunset
- Volubilis and Meknes

## Consejos

### Enter by Bab Boujloud and go down Talaa Kebira
It is the main street and leads, downhill, to the Al-Attarine madrasa and the Qarawiyyin.

### Go to the tanneries in the morning
From nine to eleven the vats are full of colour and the light is better. They will give you a sprig of mint for the smell.

### Sleep in the medina, not the Ville Nouvelle
The medina at night, empty, is another city. And you save two taxis a day.

### Take care during Ramadan
Expected from 8 February to 9 March 2027: many medina restaurants open only after sunset.

### Wear shoes with grip
The streets are polished stone, sloping, and slippery in the rain.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do you need in Fez?
Two days for the medina, the tanneries and the madrasas. Three if you want to do Volubilis and Meknes on an excursion.

### Can you go to Fez without a car?
Yes, and it is best. You arrive by train or plane and the medina is toured on foot. For Volubilis, a grand taxi or an excursion.

### Do you need a guide?
It is not compulsory, but the first day it helps. Make sure they are official, accredited, and have your riad hire them. Tell them you don't want shops.

### Can non-Muslims enter the mosques in Fez?
No. Neither the Qarawiyyin nor any of the others. They can enter the madrasas, which were schools, such as Bou Inania and Al-Attarine.

### How long does it take from Fez to Marrakesh?
About six and a half hours by direct train, or a flight. By car it is more than 500 km.

### And from Fez to the desert?
To Merzouga it is about 470 km through the Middle Atlas, about 7–8 hours by car. Supratours has a daily bus of almost ten hours.