Best Things To Do in Fez, Moroc­co: High­lights & Attractions

Fez is one of Morocco’s imperial cities and a popular travel destination. At its heart lies the Medina of Fez, Fes el-Bali, the oldest of its kind in Morocco. Experience the vibrant atmosphere, admire the stunning attractions, and feel the magic of a bygone era.

The Medi­na of Fez, known as Fes el-Bali, was foun­ded in the 8th cen­tu­ry and is con­side­red one of the oldest and lar­gest medieval old towns in the world. As a UNESCO World Heri­ta­ge Site, it stands out for its well-pre­ser­ved his­to­ri­cal archi­tec­tu­re and vibrant cul­tu­ral heri­ta­ge. With its nar­row alleys, fra­grant spi­ce mar­kets, and intri­ca­te­ly deco­ra­ted his­to­ric buil­dings, it is a living tes­ta­ment to Moroc­can histo­ry and cul­tu­re. As one of Morocco’s four impe­ri­al cities, Fez uni­que­ly blends tra­di­ti­on and authenticity. 

Things To See in Fez

The Medi­na Fes el-Bali

The Medi­na of Fez is a desti­na­ti­on in its­elf and an inten­se expe­ri­ence for the sen­ses. Nar­row alleys, bust­ling acti­vi­ty, and a mix of exo­tic scents turn your visit into an adven­ture – some­ti­mes over­whel­ming, but always fasci­na­ting. The old town, Fes el-Bali, is a vast laby­rinth of over 9,000 alleys, invi­ting you to immer­se yours­elf in the authen­tic atmo­sphe­re of the souks. Here, ven­dors offer ever­y­thing from fra­grant spi­ces and hand­ma­de car­pets to lea­ther goods and fresh pro­du­ce. The two “main streets” whe­re most of the action takes place are Rue Talaa Sghi­ra and Rue Talaa Kebi­ra.

The ent­rance to the Medi­na is mark­ed by the famous Bab Bou Jeloud, also known as the Blue Gate, which is ador­ned with mosaics. 

The Tan­ne­ries of Fez

The Chou­a­ra Tan­ne­ries in Fez are among the oldest and most famous tan­ne­ries in the world and a must-see high­light. Here, lea­ther is still pro­ces­sed using cen­tu­ries-old tech­ni­ques. Howe­ver, befo­re you even see the tan­ne­ries, you’ll smell them – and the stench can be quite over­whel­ming.
Once you arri­ve, you’ll likely be approa­ched by mer­chants from near­by lea­ther shops who will hand you a small bund­le of fresh mint. Pro tip: Take it – your sen­se of smell will thank you!
Most of the­se lea­ther shops have roof­top ter­races that offer an excel­lent view of the colorful dye­ing vats, whe­re lea­ther is dyed with natu­ral pig­ments like indi­go, saf­fron, and henna. 

Access to the ter­races is free, but the mer­chants natu­ral­ly hope you’ll purcha­se some­thing from their shops after­ward. As an alter­na­ti­ve, we sim­ply left a small tip. 

The Atta­ri­ne Madra­sa (Qura­nic School)

The Atta­ri­ne Madra­sa, a Qura­nic school from the 14th cen­tu­ry, is a mas­ter­pie­ce of Moroc­can archi­tec­tu­re. Built during the reign of the Mari­nids, it ser­ved not only as an edu­ca­tio­nal insti­tu­ti­on but also as accom­mo­da­ti­on for stu­dents. The cour­ty­ard is ador­ned with intri­ca­te mosaics, deli­ca­te stuc­co work, and ela­bo­ra­te wood car­vings. One of the most striking fea­tures is the marb­le flo­or, which glis­tens beau­tiful­ly in the sun­light.
The madra­sa is a peaceful retre­at amidst the hust­le and bust­le of the Medi­na, offe­ring a glim­pse into the gran­deur of a bygo­ne era. As one of the top attrac­tions in Fez, it tends to get busy, so visi­ting ear­ly in the day is high­ly recommended. 

Bou Ina­nia Madrasa

The Bou Ina­nia Madra­sa, a mas­ter­pie­ce of Isla­mic archi­tec­tu­re, was built in the 14th cen­tu­ry and ser­ved as a reli­gious school. To this day, visi­tors can admi­re the intri­ca­te wood car­vings and beau­tiful mosaics. The cour­ty­ard, with its cen­tral foun­tain, pro­vi­des a peaceful atmo­sphe­re and a wel­co­me break from the bust­ling Medina. 

Kai­raoui­ne Mos­que and Uni­ver­si­ty (Al-Qara­wīyīn)

Foun­ded in 859, the Al-Qara­wīyīn Uni­ver­si­ty is one of the oldest con­ti­nuous­ly ope­ra­ting uni­ver­si­ties in the world. While non-Mus­lims are not per­mit­ted to enter the mos­que, you can admi­re its intri­ca­te archi­tec­tu­re and detail­ed mosaics from the out­side. The cour­ty­ard often exu­des a ser­e­ne atmo­sphe­re, offe­ring a peaceful con­trast to the bust­ling life of the Medi­na just bey­ond its walls. 

The Roy­al Palace

The Roy­al Palace of Fez, also known as Dar el-Makhzen, is a prime exam­p­le of Morocco’s magni­fi­cent archi­tec­tu­re. The mas­si­ve gol­den gates of the palace are ador­ned with intri­ca­te orna­ments and mosaics, making them a popu­lar pho­to oppor­tu­ni­ty. The palace its­elf is not open to the public, as it still ser­ves as a roy­al resi­dence, but the impo­sing faca­de and the sur­roun­ding gar­dens are well worth a visit. 

The Best Restau­rants in Fez

In addi­ti­on to its many attrac­tions, Fez offers an incre­di­ble varie­ty of restau­rants. From tra­di­tio­nal Moroc­can dis­hes to inter­na­tio­nal and vegan opti­ons, you can find some­thing for every tas­te. Here are some of my favo­ri­te places to eat: 

Mom’s Touch: This restau­rant is defi­ni­te­ly among my top 3 in all of Moroc­co. The atmo­sphe­re and the roof­top ter­race are uni­que, and the food is sim­ply deli­cious. Moroc­can dis­hes, often with vege­ta­ri­an opti­ons, are ser­ved here. The Pas­til­la is a must-try—without a doubt the best I’ve ever had in Morocco. 

Café Clock: A true clas­sic in Fez, Café Clock offers a mix of deli­cious natio­nal and inter­na­tio­nal dis­hes. It also hosts coo­king clas­ses whe­re you can learn to prepa­re local specialties. 

The Rui­ned Gar­den: An oasis of calm in the heart of the Medi­na, The Rui­ned Gar­den is the per­fect place to escape the hust­le and bust­le of the old town. The restau­rant delights with a com­bi­na­ti­on of tra­di­tio­nal Moroc­can dis­hes and modern influen­ces. The char­ming gar­den, with its lush plants and babb­ling foun­ta­ins, crea­tes a uni­que atmo­sphe­re that invi­tes you to relax. 

Veggie Pau­se: A para­di­se for vege­ta­ri­ans and vegans, Veggie Pau­se offers a wide sel­ec­tion of fresh, plant-based dis­hes. Try the home­ma­de fal­a­fel or the cre­a­my hum­mus with warm flat­bread. This small, cozy spot not only ser­ves deli­cious food but also stands out for its sus­tainable approach and warm hospitality. 

Whe­re to stay in Fez, Morocco

If you’­re visi­ting Fez, one of the best opti­ons is to book accom­mo­da­ti­ons in the Medi­na. Not only will you be right in the midd­le of the action, but the Medi­na offers uni­que places to stay. From luxu­rious riads to bud­get-fri­end­ly hos­tels, the­re are various accom­mo­da­ti­ons in Fez to suit dif­fe­rent pre­fe­ren­ces and bud­gets. Many of the­se accom­mo­da­ti­ons are loca­ted in his­to­ric buil­dings, offe­ring tra­ve­lers a chan­ce to immer­se them­sel­ves in the vibrant atmo­sphe­re of the souks and near­by attractions. 

My favo­ri­te acco­mo­da­ti­ons in Fez:

Trans­por­ta­ti­on

Get­ting to Fez

Fez is well-con­nec­ted with an inter­na­tio­nal air­port, making it easy to reach. Direct flights from Euro­pe sim­pli­fy the jour­ney. Once you arri­ve at the air­port, the best way to reach the Fez Medi­na is by taxi or pri­va­te trans­fer. Alter­na­tively, Fez can be rea­ched by bus from other major cities in Morocco. 

Par­king in Fez

If you’­re arri­ving by ren­tal car, you’ll quick­ly noti­ce that accom­mo­da­ti­ons in the Medi­na are not direct­ly acces­si­ble by car. You’ll usual­ly have to park in a lot at the edge of the Medi­na and con­ti­nue on foot. Hotels typi­cal­ly send someone with a cart to help with lug­ga­ge trans­port. My tip: Ask your accom­mo­da­ti­on in advan­ce about the nea­rest par­king opti­ons, as the Medi­na is quite large! 

Get­ting Around in Fez

The win­ding streets of the Fes el-Bali old town are only acces­si­ble on foot. For excur­si­ons or more fle­xi­bi­li­ty in tra­vel, a pri­va­te dri­ver or ren­tal car is a good opti­on, espe­ci­al­ly if you want to explo­re the are­as sur­roun­ding Fez. 

Cos­ts of Tra­vel­ling in Fez

Fez is a city that caters to all bud­gets, offe­ring ever­y­thing from afforda­ble meals in the Medi­na to luxu­rious accom­mo­da­ti­ons and expe­ri­en­ces. Here’s an over­view of typi­cal cos­ts you can expect when visi­ting Fez: 

My Toughts on Fez

Fez is undoub­ted­ly a place you should visit during a Moroc­co itin­era­ry. The win­ding streets of the Fes el-Bali Medi­na impress with their authen­ti­ci­ty, the bust­ling souks, and the abun­dance of cul­tu­ral expe­ri­en­ces. Com­pared to Mar­rak­ech, Fez offers fewer attrac­tions and high­lights out­side of the Medi­na. While the atmo­sphe­re is uni­que, I per­so­nal­ly found the city slight­ly less cap­ti­vat­ing than Mar­rak­ech. Nevert­hel­ess, Fez remains a wort­hwhile destination. 

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