Fez, the medieval city in which it is almost an obligation to get lost in its labyrinthine and chaotic, but full of charm, medina. Unlike the tourist Marrakech in Fez we can enjoy a little more tranquility and less stress, especially by sellers. In addition to touring its medina, we have to walk and haggle in its endless souks, have tea in one of its terraces, visit its Koranic schools, try the best couscous and tajine, visit the tanneries and not stop smell, look and feel their environment.
There's a lot things to see and do in Fez, we wanted to make a list of the 50 that we think are most important, making a selection of the ones we liked the most on the trip we made to Casablanca, Meknes, Volubilis and Fez. We start!
1. Make the route of the artisans, a circular itinerary marked with posters that begins in the Boujloud Square, and that will help us get a first idea of the medina and what we can find.
2. Reach the Bab Guissa door of the 10th century, north of the medina, and with the Jewish cemetery hill in front.
3. Tour the Mellah, the Jewish quarter of Fez, located next to the Royal Palace in the Fez el-Jdid medina, starting at the main street Rue Mellah and entering its alleyways.
4. Dine traditional Moroccan food on the terrace of Riad Rcif, with magnificent views of the medina.
5. View from the viewpoints of the shops, with a mint branch in the nose, the Chouwara Tannery, a show of smells and colors.
Chouwara Tannery
6. Entertain in Talaa Tabira street, starting at the Bab Bou Jeloud gate, one of the main arteries that crosses the entire medina, full of shops of all kinds.
7. See the green and white minaret of the Mezquita de los Andaluces in the Barrio de los Andaluces.
8. Listen to the metal blows of the artisan boilermakers in the beautiful Plaza Seffarine, one of the best things to see in Fez.
9. Enter the Medersa Bou Inania, one of the Koranic schools of Fez, with a beautiful interior courtyard with hand-carved wooden walls.
10. Visit the Weapons Museum, a 16th-century military fort with incredible views of the medina and one of the most important collections of weapons of all kinds.
11. Take a picture from outside to inside the Al Karaouine Mosque, known for having the oldest university in the world, although you can only access if you are a Muslim.
12. Ignore the fake guides who try to sell you a tour of the medina, in the end it can become a tour of the shops of their friends.
13. If we do not want to miss any detail or curiosity of the medina, it is interesting to book a tour with an official Spanish guide.
14. Eat a good tajine or couscous on the terrace of the Sekaya restaurant, with spectacular views of the medina, one of the best things to do in Fes.
15. Visit the Medersa Attarine, with a beautiful inner courtyard full of mosaics with phrases from the Koran.
Medersa Attarine
16. Tour the Souk of Henna, at the end of Talaa Kebira Street, a market for traditional cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.
17. Staying in a riad. We were at Riad Ibn Khandoun, which we recommend, with incredible views of the city and a spectacular breakfast.
18. Visit the Dar Batha Museum, full of traditional Moroccan objects. Just for a walk in the courtyards of the palace, it is worth it.
19. Smell a mint branch or cover our nose while we walk through the Chouwara Tannery and see the hard work of the tanners to color the skins.
20. If we have time we can not miss an excursion to spend a night in Merzouga desert in a traditional Berber haima, located among the best excursions from Fez.
21. Stroll along the Talaa Sghira shopping street, the sister of Talaa Tabira street that also crosses the medina and from which alleyways leave to get lost.
22. Take a look from the outside to the Mulay Idrís Mausoleum, a sanctuary that only Muslims have access to.
23. Eat a good pill, puff pastry stuffed with meat, in the beautiful Nagham Cafe restaurant.
24. Tour the Hassan II Avenue, in the center of the new neighborhood, Ville Nouvelle, full of shops, restaurants, gardens and fountains in the center of the avenue.
25. Visit the Ibn Danan Synagogue in the Jewish quarter, with a 17th-century Torah written on gazelle skin and a basement with a Jewish ritual bath.
26. Take a picture at the bronze doors of the Royal Palace, one of the best things to see and do in Fez.
Royal Palace of Fes
27. Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current exchange we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
28. See beautiful carpets in the Palais Quaraouiyine.
29. Enter the Medersa Cherratine, less decorated than others but interesting because it allows you to see the rooms of the students, one of the best things to see and do in Fez.
30. Find a street with bridal shops, one of the most curious we saw in the medina.
31. Order the HariraTraditional Moroccan soup, plus lots of delicious Moroccan food dishes at the Dar Tajine Fès restaurant.
32. Save a day to make the excursion to Chefchaouen, the blue city and one of the essential places to see in Morocco.
33. Overwhelmed when visiting the Jewish cemetery of El Mellah, with the hill full of white graves.
34. Find the Nejjarine Souk of master craftsmen in carpentry, near the Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts.
35. Leave the map and get lost in the streets and souks of Fez.
Getting lost in the Fez Souks, one of the best things to see and do in Fez
36. Visit the Museum of Wood Arts and Crafts, in a wonderful 18th-century inn full of wood carvings, in which Moroccan artisans are true experts.
37. Rest from the hustle and bustle of the medina and eat or drink mint tea quietly in the riad The Ruined Garden, one of the best things to do in Fes.
38. Stroll through the charming Andalusian neighborhood of Fez, created by the emigration of Muslims from southern Spain.
39. Buy and smell the spices of the Attarine souk near the Medersa Attarine.
40. Near the souk of El Attarine find the souk of the Joutia, the salt and fish market.
41. North of the El Attarine souk, be sure to visit the Ech Chabine souk, with a characteristic smell of the medicinal plants they sell.
42. Take a day trip to Volubilis, Mulay Idrís and Meknes, three places worth visiting.
43. See the exterior of La Zaouïa by Sidi Ahmed Tijani, a beautiful mosque-mausoleum in which is the grave of one of the great saints.
44. Get a henna tattoo.
45. Cross the Bab Bou Jeloud door, also known as the "Blue Door", the most important and beautiful access door of the Medina Fez el-Bali.
Bab Bou Jeloud door
46. Tour a part of the great wall of Fez centuries old that protects the medina.
47. Try the camel burgers in the tourist Cafe Clock, with good views from the terrace, near the Bab Bou Jeloud door.
48. Let you shave by hand with a good massage in one of its many barbershops.
49. Watch the sunset and sunset over Fez from Merinies tombs.
50. Fez is a safe city but it is always advisable, as in other cities, to use common sense and not to walk through certain streets with few people at night or display valuables. Surely the city will make you fall in love and you will be counting the days to return.
* Book your transfer Airport ⇆ Centro or Hotel in Fez here
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Fez by travelers:
- 2 day excursion to the desert of Merzouga
- Guided tour of Fez and panoramic tour
- Excursion to Chefchaouen
- Excursion to Volubilis, Mulay Idrís and Meknes
- Guided tour of the Medina of Fez
- More excursions and tours here
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Fez by travelers:If you feel like helping us complete the list of 50 things to see and do in Fes, add yours in the comments.
