Bab Boujloud
The blue-tiled main gate to the medina, with a view of minarets through its arches.
All host cities
Host city guide · The Spiritual Capital
Fès
فاس العالمة
A thousand-year-old medina of mosques, madrasas and workshops, where donkeys still carry the goods through the lanes.
Airport
Fès-Saïss (FEZ)
Stadium
Fès Stadium
Summer weather
Very hot days, cooler nights
By train
Direct to Meknès, Rabat, Casablanca & Tanger
Match day
The stadium is in the modern city, a taxi ride from the medina. Summer evenings are hot, so carry water to the match.
- 1
Leave the medina early. Walking out to a taxi gate takes time, and taxis get scarce before kick-off. [Add official shuttle info when announced]
- 2
Red taxis use the meter. Fès's red petit taxis wait at Bab Boujloud, Batha and R'cif. Ask for the meter or agree the fare first.
- 3
Mark your riad's door. Save its location offline before you go: the medina is hard to navigate after dark.
Don't miss
Chouara Tannery
Leather dyed in stone vats as it has been for centuries. Watch from a shop terrace; a sprig of mint helps with the smell.
Al-Qarawiyyin
Founded in 859 and still teaching. Non-Muslims can look into the courtyard from the doors.
Bou Inania Madrasa
A 14th-century school of carved cedar, stucco and zellige, open to visitors.
Royal Palace gates
Seven golden doors in Fès el-Jdid, among the most photographed in Morocco.
Merinid Tombs
Ruins on the hill above the medina: the best view in town at sunset.
Eat like a local
بصحتك
Fassi cooking is famous across Morocco. Five dishes worth seeking out in the medina.
- PastillaFès's pride: pigeon or chicken, almonds and cinnamon in crisp pastry
- BissaraFava bean soup with olive oil, served at tiny stalls in the morning
- KhliiSpiced dried beef, fried with eggs for breakfast
- Lamb with prunesA festive tagine of lamb, prunes, almonds and sesame
- ChebakiaHoney-soaked sesame flowers, with a glass of mint tea
Where to stay
Fès el-Bali
Restored riads inside the old medina. Unforgettable, but expect stairs and a walk with your bags.
Batha
The medina's edge: riads within reach of taxis and Bab Boujloud.
Ville Nouvelle
Hotels with pools, wide avenues, the train station and the stadium nearby.
Run a riad or hotel in Fès?
Get listed for free in this guide and reach fans planning their trip.
Day trips from Fès
Full day
Meknès & Volubilis
The imperial city of Moulay Ismail, then mosaics and columns of a Roman town.
Full day
Ifrane & Azrou
Alpine-style town and cedar forest with Barbary macaques, an hour into the Middle Atlas.
Half day
Sefrou
A small walled town with a waterfall and a lively weekly market.
Long day
Chefchaouen
The blue town of the Rif, about four hours away: go early or stay the night.
Local tips
"Balak!" means "watch out": step aside when you hear it, a mule or a cart is coming through.
Hire an official guide for your first medina walk: they carry a badge, and your riad can book one.
Ignore "the tannery is closed" or "that way is closed": it's an old trick to lead you to a shop.