9 Amazing Reasons to Visit Fes Medina

You’re planning a trip to Morocco, but you’re wondering what cities to see. You have limited time there so you can’t see them all. You’ve heard of Fes, but you’re not as familiar as you are with the more widely known city of Marrakech. Fes or Fez, is an ancient 8th century city in the northern part of Morocco, about 3.5 hours by train from Casablanca. It consists of Fes el Bali (old city), and Fes el Jdid (new city.) If you’re wondering what areas to see in Morocco, here’s 9 photos and reasons why you should visit Fes Medina.

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Why You Should Visit Fes, Medina

During our Morocco visit, we stayed two nights in Fes. One of those days we did a day trip excursion to Chefchaouen aka the Blue City, so we really only spent one day in Fes. Since it’s easy to get lost in the winding maze of the medina, we booked a private guided tour through our riad, Le Jardin des Biehn located within the medina. Alternatively, you can also book a tour here for up to 5 people. This will take you through the medina, souks and a tannery.

Our guide took us through Fes el Bali aka the Old City, so I cannot speak as much for the New City. He explained the history and background of the area and emphasized how it’s one of the largest car-free cities in the world. The Medina of Fez is also listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, and it’s easy to see why.

An alleyway of shops in the old medina of Fes

1. A Winding Maze of Delight

Walking through the Fes medina is an easy way to get lost. There’s plenty of sights, smells and sounds to fill your senses. The shops here are generally more laid-back compared to Marrakech.

Closeup of tile work on one of the doors in Fes medina

2. Stunning Architecture

The Moorish influence seen all over the buildings in Fes is a reason alone to visit. The tile and detail on the woodwork is incredible. Every corner you turn will be another photo opportunity.

A view of a tannery in Fes from above

3. For a Tannery Experience

Fes is famous for its leather, and visiting a tannery is a great experience to see how it’s made. During the process the hides are soaked in vats of water and pigeon poop, giving off a distinct smell. This is why you’ll be given mint to hold to your nose while taking a tour. There’s also vats with natural dyes such as saffron, mint, indigo, that show a lovely array of colors. You can get a bird’s eye view by visiting a leather shop and ask for a tour while also grabbing a few souvenirs. This is an experience not to be missed!

Looking into the University of Al-Karaouine from the outside

4. University of Al-Karaouine

Visit the oldest currently operating university in the world, and also marvel at its beautiful architecture. Unless you are muslim you won’t be able to go inside, but you can view it from the outside from a few open entrances.

Inside the carpet shop in Fes

5. Carpet Shop: Bring Home a Story to Tell

Visiting a carpet shop is a must-have experience, although be careful of scams. We were brought to a grand-looking place by our guide and were urged by the staff to buy 10 various carpets for the mind-boggling cost of $20,000 USD. They threw carpets at our feet, and served us refreshments like butlers. Then they said we could sell the carpets at an art auction in New York for triple since they were made by hand and one-of-a-kind. I however didn’t buy into it, and in the end only ended up getting one carpet for a very good price with my “Berber” style bargaining. We will definitely always remember this experience and have an exotic carpet in our place to relive it!

Door in old medina of Fes

6. The Doors

I found myself taking photos of a lot of doors throughout Morocco. Fes is no exception to beautiful doors, and with the Moorish details and colorful tiles they are even more special.

Peeking inside Zaouia of Moulay Idriss II

7. Zaouia of Moulay Idriss II

Another must-see architectural wonder in Fes medina. Have a peek inside and you’ll see the familiar gorgeous and detailed tile work as seen throughout the old city. It contains the tomb of Idris II, however only muslims are allowed inside.

Walking through the markets at night in Fes medina

8. The Markets

Walking through the markets is quite a unique experience with the sights, sounds and smells. See locals go about their daily lives. Observe all of the various shops with butchered meats, dried fruits, live chickens with eggs, and foods being prepared. Your nose will be filled with pungent smells of another world. We highly recommend a guide if you plan to go at night to not get lost.

Ceramics shop in Fes medina

9. Ceramics

Fes is a large center of producing pottery. The Fes distinct style has colorful geometric shapes. If you’re looking for souvenirs to bring back, you can visit a ceramics shop and buy here. We did see this pottery being sold all over Morocco, but I imagine it may be a bit cheaper here.

These are just a few reasons to visit Fes Medina. It’s definitely a must-see while you’re in Morocco. For ideas on trip planning, see how we fit it into our 10 day Morocco guide.

Have you been to Fes? If so what was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments!

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