Fez City Primer
Updated January 2024
Overview
Fez (in French, Fes) is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of around 1.15 million people. Located inland off the coast, the city tends to experience extreme temperatures in the winter and summer. Fez is rich in history, founded in the late 8th Century and known as the religious capital of the country. There are two distinct parts of the city: the New City (Ville Nouvelle) and the Medina of Fes (also called Fes el-Bali), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Get There
Fez is accessible by car via the A2 National highway. By air, the Fes Saiss International Airport (airport code FEZ) is located south of the city and also serves the city of Meknes. There are some direct flights from Fez to Europe; however, some people flying through Casablanca tend to avoid the Fez airport due to its limited number of flights and long layovers. By train, there is one station in Fez, which is serviced by the traditional train (as opposed to the high-speed train).
Get Around
Small red taxis are common in the city, as well as large white taxis when traveling outside the city. There is also a network of buses that provides access throughout the city.
Get Moving
Jnan Sbil is a park located nearby the Blue Gate, full of plant species and ponds. In the new city, the Parc Champ de Course provides a nice area to walk around.
Get Lunch
The Ruined Garden is a lovely restaurant in the heart of the old medina with an amazing atmosphere. You really can’t go wrong with the special of the day.
Get Touristy
Immerse yourself in the narrow streets of the Fes Medina. The maze of streets is full of donkey carts, souvenir vendors, and artisan markets. Tourists typically enter the Medina through the ancient gates, the Blue Gate and Bab Recife being well-known ones. Beware, the city has hills, so you may need to pace yourself as you stroll the streets.
Get Some Sleep
Discover one of the hundreds of riads in the Medina. Or go deeper into the culture and do a homestay with a local family. Spending time in a local home is the best way to experience Moroccan culture. And Moroccan hospitality is legendary because people love opening up their homes and sharing food and drink together.
Get Shopping
The Fes Medina is famous for its leather tanneries, as well as the other artisanal products for sale in the Medina.
Borj Fes is the only shopping mall in the city, located on a hill between the Old and New cities.
Get Dinner
Fes is not known for its international cuisines options; however, you can find any number of restaurants providing traditional Moroccan plates. Your riad may provide both breakfast and dinner, so make sure to explore that option.
Do Not Miss
While in the Fez Medina, check out the Karaouiyn (Qarawiyyin) Mosque and University, considered the oldest continuously operating university in the world.
The leather tanneries of Fez were featured on an episode of The Amazing Race. Believed to be some of the oldest in the world, stepping into the tanneries is like stepping back in time, where age-old techniques meet artistic mastery. Even if you are not interested in shopping, you’ll get a mesmerizing glimpse into the intricate process of transforming raw hides into exquisite leather goods.
One of the famous street foods of Fes is maakouda (Moroccan potato cakes or fritters). Try them in the Old City or New City, on their own or in a sandwich.
You can also come and visit us at our Center in Fes! Join us for a three-hour Curious Explorer course to learn the basics of Moroccan Arabic and cultural awareness for your travels.
Bonus: Our Favorite Restaurants and Foods in Fes
Culture Box - Moroccan or international food in the Old Medina.
Pam Pam - rotisserie chicken, pizza, Moroccan tajine, or just about any dish you could desire.
OSOWA - delicious Korean food
Ben Thai - Asian fusion
Are you visiting Morocco soon? Start your travels with us to learn some Moroccan Arabic phrases and cultural dos and don’t and to have the best trip available to you.
Thanks to Courtney at All The Best Days for the idea of how to set up these city primers.
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The small city of Azrou is the Capital of Amazigh Culture. With a population of around 80,000 people, this city tucked into the Northern end of the Atlas Mountains is a peaceful escape from the larger cities of Fes and Meknes. Azrou is known for its distinctive rock located in the middle of town (from which it gets its name), and for the Cèdre Gouraud Forest, home to a nearly 800-year-old cedar tree and to the Barbary macaque monkey. The town itself is unique in Morocco because it is built in the European style with red-tiled roofs that allow the buildings to withstand large amounts of snow in the winter.