After spending three days on the road, we’ve arrived in Fez. We were dropped off at our riad, then we checked into our room, had a nice hot shower, and enjoyed a really lovely dinner that the riad had set up for us. We spent the following day exploring Fez, learning and immersing ourselves in the rich history and culture of this UNESCO-listed medieval city.
- Why You Should Visit Fez, Morocco
- How to Get to Fez from Marrakech
- What is the Weather Like in Fez in December
- Getting Around in Fez
- Where to Stay in Fez
- Fez Travel Tips
- Restaurants in Fez Morocco
- What to See & Do in Fez (our 1-day itinerary)
- Other Activities to Do in Fez
- Day Trip Ideas from Fez
- Follow Our Moroccan Journey
Why You Should Visit Fez, Morocco
Often overshadowed by Marrakech, Fez is an underrated cultural gem in Morocco. The city breathes of history at every corner, oozing cultural significance and architectural intricacies. It’s eye-opening to see how much historical significance the city has provided for the world and set the footprint for how society runs today. You certainly should visit Fez if you like history, culture, and traditional craftsmanship.
How to Get to Fez from Marrakech
We got to Fez via a 3-day desert tour from Marrakech, which takes the mountainous scenic route with a magical overnight stay in the Sahara Desert. Otherwise, it’s an approximately 7-8 hour drive on the highway from Marrakech to Fez. You can do so with a private car hire or your own car rental.
Alternatively, you can take the Al Atlas Train from Marrakech to Fez. The journey takes about 6.5-7 hours. Direct flights are also available between Marrakech (RAK) and Fez (FEZ). The flight takes about 1 hour and 5 minutes, and is usually operated by budget airlines.
What is the Weather Like in Fez in December
Similar to what we experienced in Marrakech, the weather in Fez was mild during the day, but could get chilly at night when we visited in December. Daytime temperature averages around 16-19°C (61-66°F), and nights around 6–8°C (43-46°F).
Getting Around in Fez
InDrive is the Uber equivalent available in Morocco and is a reliable way to get around Fez. Local taxis are also available, and you should agree on a price before hopping in. Do note that taxis take cash only. It is important to know that cars are not permitted within the Old Medina. You’d be dropped off at your nearest access point, and someone from your riad should come pick you up from there.
The medina in Fez is a much larger maze than Marrakech’s, with a more winding and narrower labyrinth of alleyways, which even locals find challenging to navigate. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you get a local guide to show you around to avoid getting lost. Similar to Marrakech, you may encounter people offering directions and demanding money afterwards.
Where to Stay in Fez
There are plenty of riads in Fez to choose from. If you want to be within close proximity to major tourist attractions, then staying around the Old Medina, i.e. Fez El Bali, would be ideal. For this trip, we stayed at Riad Amor, which is a humble but comfortable riad in the heart of the medina, with warming & welcoming staff that made our stay a memorable one. As with many other riads in the medina, staff will come to pick you up from the medina entrance. This is because the medina of Fez is more intricate and complicated than that of Marrakech, and it’s easy to get lost.
Another popular area to stay in would be the Ville Nouvelle, which is the new town of Fez. Whilst lacking local vibes, it is compensated for by snazzy modern luxury, as this is the area where international hotel names are established. If you are staying in this area, you’ll have to take a taxi to get to the medina for sightseeing.
Fez Hotel Recommendations
- Riad Amor (where we stayed) – Fes El Bali – £
- Riad Anata – Fes El Bali – ££
- Riad Semlalia – Fes El Bali – ££
- Karawan Riad – Fes El Bali – ££££
- Hotel Sahrai – Ville Nouvelle – ££££
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Fez Travel Tips
- Download offline map before arriving at Fez, as your mobile signal can get patchy in the Medina due to the narrow streets and thick walls.
- If being offered directions by strangers, do not accept them, as they are often scams.
- Get an eSIM to help you stay connected.
- Not imperative, but it is recommended to dress modestly to respect local customs, as Morocco is a muslim country
- Tap water in Morocco is not safe for drinking. Always consume bottled water only.
Restaurants in Fez Morocco
We didn’t get to explore the restaurant scene in Fez as we only spent a day there. But I’ve done my research beforehand, and here are some popular restaurants I’ve gathered:
- The Ruined Garden
- Fez & Friends
- Cafe Clock – see our itinerary
- Nejjarine Restaurant – see our itinerary
- Riad Al Fassia
- Fondouk Bazaar
- Palais de Fes Dar Tazi
What to See & Do in Fez (our 1-day itinerary)
Fez Medina Walking Tour
After breakfast, Riad Amor arranged a local tour guide to take us on a walking tour in the medina. If you think Marrakech’s medina is hard to navigate, try Fez’s – it’s mind-blowing how anyone can navigate their way properly in this insane maze. Our guide says even locals find it hard to navigate the medina, let alone tourists!
The Old Medina of Fez is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world’s largest car-free urban spaces. Since it was Jummah (Friday), many shops were closed, and the medina was noticeably very quiet compared to the evening before. Though honestly, it was kind of nice as it’s much less chaotic to explore.
Souks
Every step we took within the medina was oozing with history, with intricate architecture at every corner. The souks in Fez showcase more traditional craftsmanship and handcrafted goods, such as leather, pottery, brass, and copper. We saw local artisan meticulously crafting intricate mosaic designs at a lamp shop, which was fascinating to see.
Al Quaraouiyine and Zaouia Moulay Idriss
We walked around and made brief stops at a couple of attractions, such as the Al Quaraouiyine and Zaouia Moulay Idriss.
Al Quaraouiyine, in particular, is the first-ever university established in the world, founded by Fatima al-Fihri back in 859. Not only was it a pioneer in the world’s education system, but it also helped to raise women’s status in society, as it was founded and led by a female! You can see other old European universities, such as Coimbra University in Portugal, take a lot of architectural inspiration and influences from Al Quaraouiyine.
Just around the corner is Zaouia Moulay Idriss, home to the tomb of Idris II, who is a descendant of Prophet Muhammad and is commonly considered the founder of Fez and the first Moroccan Islamic state. Tourists are not allowed to enter, but it was still mesmerising to see the intricately colourful tiled entrance.
Fez Chouara Tannery
Next, we were brought to the Fez Chouara Tannery. Before we entered, we were handed some mint leaves to help cope with the pungent smells from the tannery. After getting past rows and rows of leather goods, we climbed upstairs and were led to the balcony overlooking the entire tannery.
Was the smell that bad? To be honest, it’s not as bad as we thought. We didn’t even need the mint leaves at the beginning and only sniffed them a few times towards the very end of the visit. It’s rather interesting to witness the whole manual process of traditional leather tanning & dyeing, a method used since ancient times. Though it’s certainly left me slightly dubious on leather goods, just because I’m now aware that the process involves pigeon poop.
Lunch at Nejjarine Restaurant
After more twists and turns in the medina maze, winding through narrow zigzag alleyways, our tour guide took us to this “secret location” restaurant, claiming it’s a neighbourhood gem that only locals know about. I later found out the restaurant was Nejjarine Restaurant.
It’s located on a rather unassuming alleyway, but once you push through those massive wooden doors, it reveals a beautiful 9th-century riad. We were greeted with extremely high ceilings, and the interiors were adorned with opulent designs and intricate colours.
We had a set lunch menu, which started with a tableful of mezze, followed by a main course of our choice. Since it was Jummah (Friday), couscous made an appearance on the menu. We had the chicken pastilla and a beef tagine couscous.
Merenid Tombs
After the meal, the tour guide brought us back to the riad. We had a quick refresher and joined the couple we met at the tour to head back out. We took a little walk up to the Merenid Tombs, which serve as an amazing viewpoint of Fez aside from its historical ruins.
Just right when we got to the top, we heard the Adhan (call to prayer) echoing around the hills, and it was truly a special moment.
Fez Royal Palace
From there, we wandered past some markets, which were just opening up again after Jummah, and made our way through to the Royal Palace of Fez.
The foundations of the palace were built in the 13th century, but the palace complex today was mostly built in the 1960s. Even though it’s not open to the public, it’s worth seeing its spectacular exterior, especially the tall, ornate golden gates at Place des Alaouites.
Ibn Danan Synagogue
From there, we popped over to see the Ibn Danan Synagogue, one of the oldest and most important synagogues in North Africa. In all honesty, we thought it wasn’t particularly impressive compared to the grandeur and architectural masterpieces found in Fez. But it’s undeniable that the place had so much history.
This place wasn’t on our radar to visit, but our new couple friends introduced us to it. It’s also a little hard for us to connect to the place since we’re not Jewish. But anyhow, at least we managed to catch quite a lovely sunset from the rooftop of the synagogue.
Dinner at Cafe Clock
For dinner, we checked out Cafe Clock, which happened to be near our riad. We tried their famous Camel Burger – yes, you read it right, a burger made of camel meat. Frankly, it tasted somewhat similar to venison or veal, in our opinion. It was enjoyable, and Cafe Clock is a lively spot to hang out at.
Other Activities to Do in Fez
- Dar Batha Museum of Islamic Arts
- El Glaoui Palace
- Pottery Class
- Local Cooking Class
- Moroccan Hammam Spa
Day Trip Ideas from Fez
- Volubilis, Moulay Idriss, & Meknes (Roman ruins, hilltop town, and imperial city)
- Chefchaouen (the blue city) – or make it a separate stop as we did! Read about our journey to Chefchaouen here.
Follow Our Moroccan Journey
Part 1: Marrakech
Part 2: Sahara Desert Tour
Part 4: Chefchaouen & Tangier
