- Pastilla: the sweet-savoury pigeon pie is a Fassi wedding dish; chicken versions are everywhere.
- Brochettes and tagines in the medina's grill streets.
- Kaab el ghazal (gazelle horns) and other Fassi pastries from the old patisseries.
Fès City Guide
The Chouara tannery, Fès. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Fès is the spiritual and intellectual heart of Morocco: the oldest imperial city, home to the world's oldest university, and to Fès el-Bali, a medieval medina so intact that cars simply cannot enter it. Donkeys still carry the freight.
Come for the tanneries, the madrasas and the craftsmen, and stay in a riad in Fès el-Bali. Hire an official guide for the first morning; the medina has some 9,000 alleyways and rewards a proper introduction.
What to do in Fès
Fès el-Bali
- 1
Chouara Tannery The great dye pits, worked since the 11th century; best from the leather-shop terraces. - 2
University of al-Qarawiyyin Founded 859 by Fatima al-Fihri; the mosque courtyard and library. - 3
Bou Inania Madrasa The 14th-century Marinid school, one of the few religious buildings open to non-Muslims. - 4
Bab Bou Jeloud The blue gate: Fès el-Bali's main entrance. - 5
The souks The kissaria, the dyers' souk, the brass and copper quarters. - 6
Dar Batha Museum Fassi crafts in a 19th-century palace in Fès el-Jdid.
The hills and beyond
- 1
Merenid Tombs The hilltop ruins above Fès el-Bali; the classic sunset viewpoint. - 2
Jnan Sbil gardens The 19th-century garden between the two medinas.
Fès Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Fès. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Riad Fès
The landmark luxury riad on the edge of Fès el-Bali, with the terrace over the medina.
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Luxury
Riad Laaroussa
The boutique riad and its celebrated restaurant in Fès el-Bali.
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Getting there and around
Fès-Saïss (FEZ) is about 15 km south. The ONCF station runs trains to Casablanca and Rabat (about 4 hours) and east to Oujda. Petits taxis are red; agree the meter is on.
Eating in Fès
Fledge Food has a full guide to how Fès eats: its defining dishes and how to order them, street food decoded, the markets, and the neighborhoods to eat in.