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.
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.
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.
- But it’s the sounds, as much as the sights, that make Place Seffarine special, as the rest of square is given over to copperware, a craft that goes back many centuries in Fez.
- Austerity measures led to several riots and uprisings across other cities during the 1980s.
- Northwest of the Middle Atlas mountains, Fez has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) with a strong continental influence, shifting from relatively cool and wet in the winter to dry and hot days in the summer months between June and September.
- 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.
- The city was first founded in 789 as Madinat Fas on the southeast bank of the Jawhar River (now known as the Fez River) by Idris I, founder of the Idrisid dynasty.
- The city’s water supply, sewage, and electricity networks are managed by the Régie de distribution d’eau et d’électricité de Fès (lit. transl. Water and Electricity Distribution Authority of Fez).
Climb to the Merinid tombs for a breathtaking view of Fez
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.
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.
Perfecting the last mile, one delivery at a time
- More than just a park, Jnan Sbil is a green haven where history and nature meet in the heart of the city.
- The night’s sleep was great, breakfast was included, and it’s suitable for mid-budget travellers.
- Inside, you’ll discover the small rooms where students from all over the kingdom were housed for religious instruction.
- Religious tourism is also present due to the old city’s many major zawiyas (Islamic shrines), such as the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Zawiya of Sidi Ahmed al-Tijani, which attract both Moroccan and international (especially West African) pilgrims.
- What may take you by surprise is how young this monument is compared to the religious schools and shrines in Fez.
- Note the cedar wood doors, which have been smoothed by pilgrims kissing and stroking their surface over the centuries.
- Andalusi families of mixed Arab and Iberian descent, who were expelled from Córdoba after a rebellion in 817–818 against al-Hakam I, were one major component of the immigrant population.
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.
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.
Is it worth visiting Fez vs Marrakech?
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.
#MarocVuDuCiel, Extraits: Ifrane, Fès, Meknès, Moulay Idriss, Volubilis
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.
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.
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.
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.