Fes Holidays

Fes sits inland in northern Morocco, just over two hours east of Rabat by road. Its UNESCO-listed medina, Fes el-Bali, was founded in the ninth century and remains Morocco’s cultural and spiritual heavyweight. Cars can’t reach most of its narrow lanes, so donkeys and handcarts carry goods past food stalls and workshops. Listen for coppersmiths hammering in Place Seffarine and watch loaves disappear into communal ovens. The setting is medieval. The pace isn’t. 

This is one city where a good guide earns their keep. Fes el-Bali is intricate, its finest interiors hide behind plain doorways, and phone maps lose confidence fast. A guided walk adds context to the carved cedar and zellige of Bou Inania Madrasa and Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859. Non-Muslim visitors don’t enter Al-Qarawiyyin’s mosque, but can glimpse its courtyard from the surrounding lanes. 

If food makes more sense than dates and dynasties, choose a tasting walk. Pastilla, a crisp, sweet-savoury pie finished with cinnamon and sugar, is the local headline. Look out for warm khobz from communal ovens, olives piled high in the souks, and bowls of bissara, a thick soup with cumin and olive oil. 

At Chouara, leather-shop terraces look down on stone vats where hides are soaked, treated, and dyed. The smell reaches you before the view does. A sprig of mint is often offered on the way up. Take it. It helps, but it isn’t magic. Friday needs a little planning. Many workshops and shops close around midday for prayers, so choose another day for the main medina visit if you want to see Fes at full volume. 

Fes also opens up more of northern Morocco. Meknes, another imperial city, is under an hour away, with the Roman mosaics and arches of Volubilis further north. And yes, this part of Morocco makes wine. Vineyards near Meknes produce vin gris, a pale, dry rosé that is much prettier than its name suggests. 

Where you sleep changes how Fes feels. Stay inside the medina for courtyards and rooftops close to the lanes, on its edge for heritage with easier access, or beyond the walls for contemporary design, larger pools, and views across the old city. We’ll help you decide how close you want to be and fit Fes into a northern route with Rabat and Casablanca.