10 Things to Do in Fes, Morocco
Fes is the place to look at what Morocco used to be, because its historic core has changed so little. It is loud, it is crowded in the honest sense, and it is brilliant. Here are the ten things that made Fes for me, and the practical notes I wish someone had given me first.
1. Get Inside the Tanneries at the Right Moment
The Chouara tanneries are the reason most people come to Fes and the reason some wish they had not. From the terraces above, the stone pits glow in rows of white, gold, and red dye as workers move leather through them. The smell is powerful, which is why the terrace shops hand out fresh mint. Go at mid-morning on a sunny day for the best color, and tip whoever walks you up. It is a working industrial site, not a show, so respect the people below at work.
2. Walk the Medina With a Guide on Day One
The Fes medina is a maze of thousands of alleys and it genuinely loops back on itself. I made the mistake of trying to solo it early and got turned around fast. On the second day I hired a licensed local guide and the whole place opened up. A good guide gets you into workshops and corners you would never find alone. Pay the going guide rate, agree on it first, and use the first day to learn the routes that link the main gates.
3. Visit the World’s Oldest University
Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fes claims the title of the oldest continuously operating university in the world, founded around the year 859. You can step into the beautiful courtyard with its green-tiled fountain and ornate woodwork. Non-Muslim visitors are limited in how far they can enter the prayer hall itself, but the courtyard and the surrounding streets are full of atmosphere. It sits right in the medina, so pair it with a wander through the book and crafts lanes nearby.
4. See the Blue Gate at Sunset
Bab Bou Jeloud, the Blue Gate, is the grand entrance to the old city and it photographs especially well as the light fades. I walked out through it in the evening and the two-tone tiles glowed against the deepening sky. From there the main street funnels into the medina around a busy cafe and craft stretch. It makes a clear starting or ending point for any walking day, and it is the easiest landmark to find again when you get lost.
5. Eat From the Rooftops
Fes is a city made for rooftop eating, and half the restaurants sit above the streets. I climbed to a terrace for lunch one day and watched the tanneries and the mosque silhouettes while I ate a tagine. The food itself is a reason to linger, with slow-cooked meats, preserved lemon, and sweet tea poured from a height. Look for a place with a real terrace rather than a ground-floor table and time it so the afternoon light washes over the old city.
6. Bargain the Right Way in the Souks
Prices in the Fes souks are expected to be negotiated, but the tradition has rules. I started at about half the opening number and worked in calm steps, walking away when the price was not right. The sellers expect the dance and most are fair once you are respectful. Serious, patient bargaining often ends with tea being offered, which means the deal is done. Buy leather, copper, and woodwork here because they make it in the city itself.
7. Smell the Saffron in the Spice Stalls
Whole lanes of the medina are given over to spice, and the colors alone are worth the walk. I stopped at a stall and the seller let me crumble saffron, smell cumin, and taste a sweet-spiced mix I could not name. Buying a small bag of saffron or cumin is a cheap souvenir that beats anything in a shop window, and it forces you into a proper conversation. Ask what each spice is for and you will get a local cooking lesson for free.
8. Ride a Horse-Drawn Carriage Through the Nouveau Ville
After the intensity of the medina, Fes gets wider and calmer. A petty cab, a horse-drawn carriage, takes you from the old gate across the newer French-built districts on a slow loop. I found it a welcome breath after hours of narrow alleys. The road runs past wide boulevards and parkland and the driver points out buildings as you go. Prices should be agreed before you set off. It is the gentlest hour in an otherwise intense city.
9. See the Mellah and the Jewish Quarter
Fes once held one of the largest and oldest Jewish communities in Morocco, and its old quarter tells that history. I walked the narrow streets, saw the fading balconies, and visited a restored cemetery. It is a quieter, more reflective part of the medina, away from the main tourist drag, and it gives a clearer sense of the many cultures that built this city. Respect it as a living neighborhood and ask before photographing residents.
10. Stay Up Late in the Medina Cafes
When the day’s crowds thin, the medina relaxes into its own evening rhythm. I sat in a small cafe as the street lamps came on and watched the neighborhood switch from commerce to family time. Mint tea, a window seat, and no plan is the real Fes. It is the version most visitors miss because they are gone by dusk, and it rewards the patient traveler with the calmest hour of any day here.
Fes gives you the dense, working version of Moroccan history, not a sanitized one. Book a guide for your first day, bring cash, and let the city set your pace. Wear closed shoes that handle narrow wet alleys and keep your phone secure, the standard rule for any busy urban medina. Come for the tanneries and the university, stay for the rooftop meals and the evening calm, and you will leave understanding why this city still matters.
