Fes medina guide: tanneries, madrasas, souks and the art of getting lost

This Fes medina guide is for travellers who have a day or two in Fes before or after the Sahara. Fes el-Bali, the old walled city, is not a museum set: people live, study, pray and work in its lanes, and most of the goods still move by mule. Here is how to see the tanneries and madrasas, shop the souks without stress, and decide whether you need a guide.

What Fes el-Bali is

Fes was founded more than 1,200 years ago under the Idrisid dynasty, and Fes el-Bali ("old Fes") is the walled city that grew from that first settlement along the river. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1981. Inside the walls you will find thousands of lanes, many no wider than your outstretched arms, packed with mosques, fountains, workshops, bakeries and family houses behind plain doors.

Most of the medina is closed to cars. Goods arrive on the backs of mules and donkeys or on hand carts. When you hear "Balak!" behind you, it means "watch out": step to the side, ideally against a wall, and let the load pass. Next to the old city sits Fes el-Jdid ("new Fes"), built in the 13th century around the royal palace, with the old Jewish quarter, the Mellah, and its houses with wooden balconies.

Finding your way (and getting lost on purpose)

Two main streets carry most of the traffic: Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira. Both start near the blue-tiled Bab Bou Jeloud gate at the top of the medina and run downhill towards the Qarawiyyin mosque at its heart. That slope is your compass. Going down takes you into the centre; going up takes you back towards the gates and the taxis.

Phone maps help, but GPS often drifts in the narrow, covered lanes. Pin your riad before you set out, note the name of the nearest gate, and when you are lost, ask a shopkeeper rather than someone hanging around a corner. Dead ends are normal; a lane that looks private usually is. Getting a little lost is part of the experience, so leave a free afternoon for it.

The Chouara tannery

Chouara is the largest and best known of the Fes tanneries, a field of round stone vats where hides are soaked, scraped and dyed much as they have been for centuries. You do not walk into the tannery itself. You see it from the terraces of the leather shops that surround it, reached by narrow staircases. Someone at the door will usually hand you a sprig of mint to hold under your nose: the smell, from lime and pigeon droppings used to soften the skins, is strong.

Go in the morning, when the workers are in the vats and the light falls into the pits. Visiting a terrace costs nothing formally, but the shop hopes you will look at its bags, jackets and babouche slippers. Take a genuine look, buy only if you want to, and leave a small tip if you stayed a while and bought nothing. Ignore anyone in the lanes who insists the tannery is "closed today" and offers to take you to another one.

Madrasas, the Qarawiyyin and other landmarks

Most mosques and shrines in Morocco are closed to non-Muslims, so the Quranic schools known as madrasas are your chance to see religious architecture from the inside. The Bou Inania madrasa, near the top of Talaa Kebira, and the smaller Al-Attarine madrasa, by the spice market, were both built in the 14th century under the Marinid sultans. Look at the layers: zellige tilework at the bottom, carved stucco above it, cedar wood under the roof, all around a courtyard with a fountain.

The Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 by Fatima al-Fihri, is often called the oldest university still in operation. Non-Muslims cannot enter, but through its open doors you can glimpse the white arcades and the courtyard. Nearby, the zawiya of Moulay Idris II, the city's founder, draws a steady stream of pilgrims. Respect the wooden bars across some lanes that mark where non-Muslims should stop.

Souks and craft quarters

The medina is organised by trade, a layout that goes back centuries. Around Seffarine square you hear the coppersmiths before you see them, hammering trays and cauldrons in the open. Near the Nejjarine fountain, with its tiled arch, the carpenters work cedar. Further on are the dyers' street, the weavers, the slipper makers and the henna souk, a quiet little square under a large tree.

• Bargain with a smile. Ask the price, offer what it is worth to you, and settle somewhere in the middle. Walk away politely if it does not work.
• Buy from the maker. In the craft quarters you can often watch the object being made and buy it from the same hands.
• Carry small notes and coins. Shops, juice stalls and bakeries in the lanes mostly take cash.
• Friday is quieter. Many shops close around midday prayers, which makes it a good day for architecture and a slower day for shopping.

Why a local guide helps in the Fes medina

You can explore Fes alone, and on a second day you should. But for a first visit, a licensed guide changes the day. You see the main sights in a logical loop instead of walking in circles, you get the stories behind closed doors, and the unofficial "guides" who approach visitors leave you alone. Official guides carry an ID badge; ask your riad to book one for a half or full day, and agree in advance that shopping stops are optional.

If you go without a guide, expect offers of help. "This way is closed", "the tannery is over here" and "today is a special festival" are common openers. A calm "la, shukran" (no, thank you) and walking on with purpose is enough. Children who show you the way will expect a coin.

How long to spend in Fes

One full day covers the essentials with a guide: tanneries, madrasas, the Qarawiyyin doors, the craft quarters. Two days let you add Fes el-Jdid, the brass gates of the royal palace and the Mellah, a sunset from the hills above the city, and an afternoon of wandering without a plan. If you leave for the desert the next morning, arrive the evening before so you start the drive rested.

Practical tips

• Shoes with grip. The lanes are steep in places, uneven and slippery after rain.
• Cover shoulders and knees. It is a conservative, religious city; light, loose clothes are respectful and cooler.
• Ask before photographing people. Craftsmen may say no, or expect a small tip.
• Mind the seasons. Summer afternoons in Fes are hot, so explore early and late; winter nights are cold and damp, and riads can be chilly.

Starting the desert from Fes

Fes is the shortest classic gateway to the Sahara. The road to Merzouga, about 470 km, climbs through Ifrane and the cedar forest of Azrou, where Barbary macaques live, crosses the Middle Atlas at Midelt and drops through the Ziz gorges to Errachidia and Erfoud. It is a full day, with the camel ride (about 1 hour) to camp at the end. Our Merzouga desert guide explains what waits at the other end.

Pickup is around 8:00. Cars cannot enter the lanes, so if your riad is deep in the medina we meet you at the nearest gate; tell us its name when you book. Choose the 2-day desert tour from Fes if you are coming back to Fes, the Fes to Marrakech desert tour to cross the country in 3 days, or the 3-day desert tour from Fes for two nights near the dunes. Dinners and breakfasts are included, and you can choose a standard camp (electricity, shared bathrooms) or a luxury one with a private bathroom, hot water, charging outlets and Wi-Fi. To know what the night is like, read a night in a Sahara desert camp, or see all our tours.

Fes medina: common questions