A madrasa, a foundouk, a viewpoint, lunch sitting down — then leave before you hate the medina. These are the things to do in Fes that make a stay worth it.
Things to do in Fes: the medina
The tanneries terrace is the photograph. It is not the day. Give a licensed local guide the morning for a madrasa interior, a foundouk, and one view over Fes el-Bali. Eat lunch sitting down. Shop only if you asked to.
The Bou Inania and Attarine madrasas show the finest carved cedar and zellige in the country. The Nejjarine foundouk is now a woodwork museum with a lovely rooftop café.
Beyond the old city
Fes Jdid, the royal quarter, has the golden gates of the Dar el-Makhzen palace and the old Jewish Mellah. The Merinid Tombs viewpoint at sunset gives the best view over the whole medina. Pottery and zellige workshops outside Bab Ftouh show how the tiles are cut by hand.
Day trips from Fes
When you have another day, take the Volubilis and Meknes day trip rather than a second loop of the same lanes. Ifrane and Azrou are the mountain reset in hot weeks, and Chefchaouen is a long but beautiful day in the Rif.
Fes as a gateway
Fes is also a gateway. The desert road toward Merzouga is shorter than from Marrakech. If you fly in and out of different cities, a Fes to Marrakech desert tour is the spine we build most custom trips around.
For walking craft, read how to visit the Fes medina. For the city itself, stay two nights if you can.
Further reading from an official source: UNESCO listing for the Medina of Fez (UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Medina of Fez).
