Fes in three days: a practical itinerary

Three days is a good length for Fes. Spend day one in Fes el-Bali, the old walled medina: Bab Boujloud, the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas, the Al Quaraouiyine mosque (from its doorways, since non-Muslims can't go in) and the Chouara tannery. Day two is for Fes el-Jdid, the royal quarter, with the palace gates, the Mellah and a sunset viewpoint. On day three, take the train to Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, or stay in town for craft workshops and a cooking class. Stay in a riad inside the medina if you can. Expect to get lost at least once, and keep a polite "no thank you" ready for unofficial guides.

How Fes is laid out

• Fes el-Bali is the old medina, listed by UNESCO, where most of the sights are. Cars can't get into most of it, so you explore on foot.
• Fes el-Jdid ("New Fes") is the royal district the Marinid sultans founded in 1276. It holds the Royal Palace and the Mellah, the former Jewish quarter.
• The Ville Nouvelle is the modern town, with the train station, the CTM bus terminal and modern hotels. It's a taxi ride from the medina.

Red petit taxis connect all three. Rides in town rarely cost more than 15–20 MAD, and the train station to Bab Boujloud is about 20 MAD on the meter (Wikivoyage, 2025–2026).

Day 1: the heart of Fes el-Bali

Morning: Bab Boujloud and the Bou Inania madrasa

Start at Bab Boujloud, the tiled western gate, which Morocco's tourism site calls the easiest way into the medina. Two main streets start here, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira. Both run downhill into the old city.

A few minutes down Talaa Kebira is the Bou Inania madrasa, a former religious school with a courtyard of carved cedar, stucco and tilework. Unlike the city's working mosques, it's open to non-Muslim visitors. It's open roughly 9 am to 6 pm, and entry was about 20 MAD on recent listings.

Late morning: Nejjarine and Al-Attarine

Further down, on Nejjarine square, a former merchants' inn houses the Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts (around 10 am to 5 pm, about 20 MAD). Nearby, the smaller Al-Attarine madrasa has some of the finest decoration in the city. Reported prices range from 20 to 50 MAD, so check at the door.

Midday: Al Quaraouiyine, from the outside

Al Quaraouiyine is the medina's great mosque, and it's top of the tourism office's list of sights in Fes. It's closed to non-Muslims. You can glimpse part of the courtyard through the doorways as you walk around it, but don't step inside or block the entrances, and avoid prayer times. Just south of it, on Place Seffarine, coppersmiths hammer pots and trays in the open.

Afternoon: the Chouara tannery

The Chouara tannery is the medina's most photographed sight: rows of stone vats where hides are soaked and dyed by hand. You look down on it from the terraces of the leather shops around it. Wikivoyage advises going early, when there's the most activity, so if it's your priority, visit it first.

Tannery etiquette:

• Viewing from a terrace is free. Shops let you up because they hope you'll buy, but you don't have to. A polite "no thank you" is enough.
• If someone guided you or explained the work, a small tip is customary. Wikivoyage suggests a few dirhams.
• Nearby, people may tell you a street is "closed" and lead you another way. Usually they're taking you to a shop that pays them a commission.

End the day around Bab Boujloud, where the food stalls are busy in the evening. Try chicken pastilla, a sweet and savoury pie that Morocco's tourism office highlights as a local speciality.

Day 2: Fes el-Jdid, the Mellah and a sunset viewpoint

Morning: the Royal Palace gates

Take a petit taxi to Place des Alaouites in Fes el-Jdid. This square was laid out in the 1960s and faces the main entrance of the Royal Palace (Dar el-Makhzen), whose gilded bronze doors and tiled gates date from 1969–1971. The palace covers about 80 hectares and isn't open to the public, so you only see the gates. Photos of the doors are fine, but follow the guards' instructions and don't photograph security staff.

Late morning: the Mellah

Next to the palace is the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter, thought to date from the 15th century. On its main street, Rue des Mérinides, the houses have open balconies facing the street, unlike the closed façades elsewhere in Fes. The 17th-century Ibn Danan synagogue costs 25 MAD to enter, and Wikivoyage notes it has no fixed hours. The Jewish cemetery fills the south-western corner of the quarter, and a former synagogue at its edge is now a small museum.

Afternoon: gardens and museums

Walk north to Jnan Sbil, an 18th-century garden between Fes el-Jdid and Bab Boujloud (free, roughly 9 am to 8 pm). For more history, the Dar Batha museum (Wednesday to Monday, about 60 MAD) is close by.

Sunset: the Merenid tombs

The ruined 14th-century Merenid tombs stand on the hill north of Fes el-Bali. They're the classic place to watch the sun set over the medina and hear the call to prayer rise from its mosques. One caveat: ADER-Fès, the medina's conservation agency, announced a major restoration in 2024, and Wikivoyage reported in 2026 that the tombs were closed for the works. Ask your riad before you go. If the site is fenced off, a riad roof terrace gives you a similar view. Either way, take a petit taxi up and come back down before it gets fully dark.

Day 3: choose your day

Option A: Meknes and Volubilis

This is the most popular day trip from Fes, and you can do it without a tour:

1. Take the train to Meknes, 40–50 minutes away (about 35 MAD in second class in May 2025).
2. Take a shared grand taxi to Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. A seat costs about 12 MAD, and the ride takes 20–30 minutes.
3. Visit Volubilis, a few kilometres further on. Walk there or take a taxi for about 40 MAD. It's the ruins of a Roman-era town, with mosaics still in the floors of its houses. Wikivoyage lists entry at 100 MAD (some reports give less) and hours from 8:30 am until an hour before sunset. There's little shade, so bring a hat and water.
4. Back in Meknes, see Bab Mansour, the grandest gate, opposite Lahdim square. The mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is open daily except Friday and free, according to Wikivoyage. The Heri es-Souani granaries were closed for works on the latest reports.

A private taxi from Meknes to Volubilis and back, with waiting time, costs about 300–350 MAD.

Option B: crafts and a cooking class

• The potteries outside Bab el-Ftouh (the Ain Nokbi area) are a short petit taxi ride away (about 5 MAD). You can watch tagines being thrown on the wheel and zellige tiles cut by hand. Bargain hard in the showroom.
• The fixed-price Artisana shop in the Ville Nouvelle gives you a price benchmark before you bargain in the souks.
• Cooking classes run by riads and small schools often start with a market visit. Prices vary widely, so ask what's included and the total price.

Getting around the medina

Getting lost (and found again)

• Learn the two main streets, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira, which both start at Bab Boujloud.
• Walk downhill and you'll eventually reach Place R'cif, where there are taxis and buses.
• Follow the colour-coded signs for the tourist walking routes.
• GPS jumps around between high walls, so download an offline map and check the street signs.
• Ask a shopkeeper or someone who's busy for directions, not the person who approaches you.

Faux guides and official guides

Wikivoyage describes unofficial guides as not dangerous but extremely persistent. The UK government warns that people posing as official guides often harass tourists in medinas, and advises checking for an official badge. Common tricks include saying the road ahead is "closed" and leading you from shop to shop for commissions. Don't engage: say no politely and keep walking with confidence.

A licensed guide is worth it for your first morning, to learn the layout and the history. Book one through your riad or the tourist office (the Regional Tourism Council of Fès-Meknès is on 0535 942 492). Agree the price, the duration and whether entry fees are included before you start, and say you don't want shopping stops.

After dark and safety

The main streets stay lively in the evening, but the side lanes can feel intimidating at night. Plan to reach your riad before dark on your first day, and ask someone from the riad to meet you at the nearest gate. Women travelling alone report unwanted attention in quiet alleys, and pickpockets work the busy areas. Emergency numbers (checked on GOV.UK and France Diplomatie, October 2026): police 190 (or 19), ambulance and fire 150 (or 15), gendarmerie 177 outside towns.

Where to stay: medina riad or Ville Nouvelle

Most visitors choose a riad in the medina, within walking distance of nearly every sight. On Wikivoyage, mid-range riads are listed at about €40–110 a night and upmarket ones at about €100–200. Book early for spring and autumn. Browse riads and hotels in Fes.

Getting to Fes and costs

• By train (ONCF): the station is at the northern end of the Ville Nouvelle. It's about 3½ hours from Casablanca (around 110 MAD in second class and 165 MAD in first), about 2¾ hours from Rabat, around 4½ hours from Tangier on a direct train, and about 7 hours from Marrakech. Check current times and fares with ONCF.
• By CTM bus: the terminal is in the Ville Nouvelle, about 7 km from the medina. Other companies use the bus station near Bab Boujloud.
• By air: Fès-Saïss airport is about 15 km out. Bus 16 runs to the train station for 4 MAD (October 2026), taking about 40 minutes, and the fixed-price taxi costs 120 MAD.
• By car: park at a gate such as Bab Boujloud, Place Batha or R'cif.

Costs at a glance

Fees change often, so treat these as a guide and carry cash in dirhams.

Checklist and what to book

• A riad near a medina gate, with someone to meet you on arrival
• A licensed guide for the first morning
• Small change for tips, and an early start for the tannery
• Modest clothing, and no entering working mosques
• A check on whether the Merenid tombs are open
• Train times for day 3, plus water and a hat for Volubilis

Start with where you'll sleep: browse riads and hotels in Fes, or read all our guides.