Fes, Morocco's oldest imperial city, is where a medieval medina still works as a living town. Fes el-Bali, listed by UNESCO in 1981, is a car-free maze of medersas, workshops, fountains and leather tanneries. Give it two or three nights, explore the lanes with a licensed guide on the first day, and use the city as a base for Meknes, Volubilis or Chefchaouen. Fès–Saïss Airport is about 13 km from the center, and the city sits on the national rail network.
Why visit Fes, Morocco?
Fes is the place to see traditional Moroccan crafts and scholarship in their original setting. The old city, Fes el-Bali, is still partly enclosed by battlements flanked with stone towers, and it holds the Qarawiyyin Mosque, whose university dates from 859. Around it, quarters of dyers, tanners, coppersmiths and weavers work much as their trades always have, and the medersas, the old residential colleges for students, show some of the finest carved cedar, stucco and tilework in the country.
The city has three distinct parts, and each deserves a different kind of time:
- Fes el-Bali, the walled old medina, for a full day or two half days on foot.
- Fes el-Jdid, founded by the Marinid dynasty in the 13th century, with the gates of the Royal Palace and the old Jewish quarter, the Mellah.
- The Ville Nouvelle, the modern city of avenues and cafés, where you will find the train station.
The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music takes place in late May or June, though its dates and format change, so check before you plan around it.
How long should you stay in Fes?
Two nights is the minimum, and three is better. Fes asks more of a visitor than Marrakech does: the medina is larger, steeper and harder to read, so a slower pace pays off.
With two nights, spend one full day in Fes el-Bali with a guide, and use the second morning for Fes el-Jdid and a hilltop view over the valley before moving on. With three nights, add a day trip to Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, or an unhurried afternoon wandering on your own.
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, since inland summer afternoons often climb past 35 °C. Winter days are cool and the nights cold, so pack layers.
How do you get to Fes?
Fès–Saïss Airport (FEZ) lies about 13 km from the city center, a short drive to the medina gates. Fes is also on Morocco's rail network, with trains from Rabat and Casablanca; check timetables with ONCF before you travel. Cars cannot enter the lanes of Fes el-Bali, so drivers stop at a gate and you walk, or a porter carries your luggage, to the riad.
By road, the main routes are well-trodden. Chefchaouen is about 200 km to the north, 3.5 to 4 hours. Marrakech is roughly 460 to 520 km away, 5.5 to 7 hours of driving depending on the route. The Sahara at Merzouga is about 450 to 480 km to the south-east via Ifrane and Midelt, 7 to 9 hours, which is why a desert crossing between Fes and Marrakech usually takes three days.
What does a private guide or driver add in Fes?
In Fes, a licensed guide is close to essential on the first day. The lanes give few clues about what lies behind each wall. A guide shows you the medersas, the tannery terraces and the workshops in a logical order, then leaves you confident enough to wander alone. Guiding is a licensed profession under Law 05-12, and UK travel advice warns about people posing as official guides, so ask to see the badge. The same advice notes that some drivers take visitors to shops for commission, so say at the outset that shopping stops are optional.
A private driver matters most once you leave the medina. The classic outings from Fes are spread across the surrounding plains and hills:
| Trip from Fes | Distance and drive time | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Meknes | About 60 km, about 1 hour | An imperial city listed by UNESCO in 1996 |
| Volubilis and Moulay Idriss | About 70 km, about 1 hour 15 minutes | Roman ruins listed by UNESCO in 1997 |
| Chefchaouen | About 200 km, 3.5 to 4 hours | The blue town of the Rif, better with a night |
| Merzouga and Erg Chebbi | About 450 to 480 km, 7 to 9 hours | The Sahara, as a multi-day trip |
Meknes and Volubilis sit close together and combine well in a single day.
Private tours and transfers from Fes
Pick a starting point, and Morocco Royale can shape the rest of your time in the north around it.
- In the city: the Fes private day tour and the Fes medina walking tour.
- Day trips: the Meknes and Volubilis day trip and the Chefchaouen private tour.
- Longer routes: the Fes to Marrakech desert tour and the imperial cities private tour.
- Arrivals: Fes airport transfers.
You can also browse all Morocco destinations, private tours in Morocco, private transfers, Sahara desert tours and luxury Morocco tours, or plan your Morocco trip from the start. Nearby, see Chefchaouen, Rabat and Marrakech.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fes or Marrakech better for a first visit?
Many travelers see both. Marrakech is easier to settle into, with gardens, a famous square and simple day trips. Fes is the more absorbing medina, with older craft quarters and fewer modern distractions. If you only have time for one, choose Marrakech for variety and Fes for depth.
Can non-Muslims enter the Qarawiyyin Mosque in Fes?
No. Active mosques in Morocco, including the Qarawiyyin, are closed to non-Muslims, and UK travel advice asks visitors not to try to enter them. The medersas, fountains, workshops and viewpoints of the medina are open to everyone, and a guide can explain the mosque's role in the city's history.
Can you explore the Fes medina without a guide?
You can, and many people do on their second day. On the first, a licensed guide saves time and stress, because the lanes are dense, steep and easy to lose your bearings in. A useful rule once you are alone: walking downhill takes you deeper into the old city, and walking uphill leads back toward the western gates.
How far is Fes from Chefchaouen?
Chefchaouen is about 200 km from Fes, 3.5 to 4 hours by road through the Rif foothills. It works as a long day trip, but a night in Chefchaouen is more relaxed and lets you continue north to Tangier, about 2 hours further, the next day.
Is Fes a good starting point for a Sahara trip?
Yes. The road south through the Middle Atlas, past Ifrane and Midelt, reaches Merzouga in about 7 to 9 hours of driving. Most private routes then continue west past the Todra and Dades gorges and Ouarzazate, finishing in Marrakech after about three days.