10 Things to Do in Fes That Don't Involve Getting Lost (Plus How to Handle It When You Do)
Let's address the elephant in the room — or rather, the mule in the alley. You WILL get lost in Fes. The medina has 9,000 alleys, GPS is useless, and the narrow passages twist and dead-end with zero logic. Accepting this is step one. Enjoying it is step two. Here's how to make the most of Morocco's most intense city.
1. Hire an Official Guide for Your First Medina Day
I know. You're an independent traveler. You don't need a guide. Except in Fes, you absolutely do — at least on day one. The medina (Fes el-Bali) is the world's largest car-free urban area, and it will swallow you whole.
Hire an official guide from the tourist office at Bab Bou Jeloud — they carry brass badges. Half-day costs MAD 300-500 ($30-50). They'll navigate the impossible alleys, explain the history, and shield you from the self-appointed "guides" who materialize the moment you look confused.
After your guided day, you'll have enough mental landmarks to explore solo. Maybe.
2. Watch Leather Being Dyed at Chouara Tannery
The most photogenic spot in Fes — and the smelliest. Chouara is one of three medieval tanneries where leather is still dyed by hand in stone vats using centuries-old techniques. Workers stand waist-deep in vats of dye, surrounded by hundreds of round pits in colors ranging from saffron yellow to cobalt blue.
You view the tannery from surrounding leather shop terraces — the viewing is free, but the shopkeepers will expect you to browse their goods. And they'll hand you a sprig of mint to hold under your nose. Take it. You'll need it.
Pro tip: Visit between 9AM and 1PM when the vats are freshly filled and the colors are most vivid. Afternoon visits can be dull once the dye settles.
3. Stand Under the Blue Gate at Dawn
Bab Bou Jeloud — the main entrance to Fes el-Bali — is blue on the outside (the color of Fes) and green on the inside (the color of Islam). It's gorgeous at any hour, but at dawn, before the tour groups arrive, it's just you, a few early shopkeepers sweeping their doorsteps, and the morning call to prayer echoing through the alleys beyond.
The surrounding cafes have rooftop terraces with gate and medina views. Cafe Bou Jeloud is the classic choice — mint tea costs MAD 10-15 ($1-1.50).
4. Learn to Cook Tagine in a Riad Kitchen
Cooking classes in Fes typically include a market tour — your instructor takes you into the medina to buy ingredients (spices, preserved lemons, fresh vegetables, meat), which is itself a master class in haggling and Moroccan food culture.
Back at the riad, you'll make tagine, couscous, and maybe pastilla (a sweet-savory pigeon or chicken pie dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon). Half-day classes run MAD 400-700 ($40-70) per person at places like Palais Amani or Cafe Clock.
I took a class at Cafe Clock and made the best lamb tagine I've ever eaten. Then I spent three months trying to replicate it at home. Still can't.
5. Visit Al-Qarawiyyin — The World's Oldest University
Founded in 859 AD. That's over 200 years before Oxford. UNESCO and Guinness World Records both recognize Al-Qarawiyyin as the world's oldest continuously operating university.
Non-Muslims can only peek through the doors, but the courtyard glimpse is stunning — zellige tilework, carved stucco, and a marble fountain. The adjacent library, restored by the Moroccan government, occasionally opens for guided tours. Ask your guide or check at the tourist office.
6. Eat a Camel Burger at Cafe Clock
Yes, a camel burger. Cafe Clock on Derb el Magana in the medina has made this their signature dish — MAD 85 ($8.50). It tastes like a slightly gamey, leaner beef burger. Worth trying once for the story.
But honestly, the real move at Cafe Clock is the rooftop terrace. Sunset views over the medina rooftops, traditional music performances some evenings, and a vibe that's equal parts Moroccan and cosmopolitan. They also do excellent traditional harira soup for MAD 25.
7. Watch Zellige Tiles Being Made by Hand
Fes is famous for its geometric ceramic tilework (zellige). Visit Art Naji or the Fes Pottery Cooperative on the city outskirts to watch artisans hand-cut and hand-paint tiles using techniques unchanged for centuries. A single geometric panel can take weeks to complete.
Free tours of the workshops — they'll show you the entire process from raw clay to finished mosaic. A hand-painted tagine pot costs MAD 100-300 ($10-30). The 15-minute taxi ride from the medina costs MAD 15-20.
8. Climb to the Merenid Tombs for the Panoramic View
The hill above the medina holds the ruins of the 14th-century Merenid tombs — free to visit. Climb up (30-minute walk) for a panoramic sunset view over the entire city. The medina sprawls below you, a sea of satellite dishes and minaret spires, with the mountains framing the background.
The adjacent Borj Nord fortress houses an arms museum (MAD 20 entry). But the view is the real attraction. Golden hour here is extraordinary.
Safety note: Walk up in daylight and don't linger after dark. The area is generally safe but isolated after sunset.
9. Navigate the Food Stalls at Bab Bou Jeloud
Forget the hotel restaurant. The cheapest and often best food in Fes is at the street stalls just inside the Blue Gate. A bowl of harira (tomato and lentil soup) costs MAD 5 ($0.50). A lamb sandwich is MAD 15. A full tagine — slow-cooked in the cone-shaped clay pot — runs MAD 30-50.
The stalls are most active from 6-10PM. Pick one that's busy with locals (always a good sign) and point at what looks good. Communication works even without shared language.
10. Stay in a Riad — Not a Hotel
Riads — traditional courtyard houses converted to guesthouses — are the soul of Fes accommodation. Sleeping in a riad isn't just about the room; it's about the architecture, the rooftop terrace with medina views, and the breakfast included in the price (typically fresh bread, olive oil, honey, eggs, and mint tea).
Budget riads start at MAD 400/night ($40). Mid-range MAD 800-1,500. Luxury MAD 2,000+. The courtyard fountains, zellige tilework, and carved plaster ceilings make even budget riads feel special.
Bonus: Getting Lost (and Found)
You will get lost. Here's the protocol:
Don't panic. The medina is surrounded by walls. You can't leave the city accidentally.
Walk downhill. Downhill generally leads toward the river and the main thoroughfares.
Look for minarets. The Al-Qarawiyyin mosque minaret is a reliable navigation landmark.
Ask a shopkeeper — not a random person on the street. Shopkeepers will point you in the right direction without expecting payment.
Say "la shukran" (no thank you) firmly to anyone who offers to guide you. If you accept, you'll owe them MAD 50-100.
If a mule train is coming, press flat against the wall. "Balak!" means "watch out!" and those mules have absolute right of way. For more details, see our Fes travel guide.
Getting lost in Fes isn't a failure. It's the point.
