Exploring the heart of Fes, Morocco’s Cultural Capital
We had one day to spend in the Medina of Fes as part of our 10-day motorcycle tour of Morocco, and here’s exactly what we saw, did and experienced!
Fes is definitely the cultural and spiritual hub of Morocco, with its ancient architectural design, crafts, places of worship and madrasas still intact and functioning like they’ve been for centuries.
If we’d had a choice, we would have spent 2-3 days because there is a lot to see in Fes. But we made good use of the time we had to explore the main highlights in one afternoon.
Road to Fes
After a long but tiring day wandering the blue city of Morocco, Chefchaouen, we headed southward and inland through the rugged Rif mountains. Nestled within the valley, we were able to admire the Blue Pearl as it sparkled with the setting sun.
Gradually, the scenery goes from rocky and winding to flat and remote but still green enough to provide the perfect contrast to the mountain ranges in the distance.
This post is purely informational and based on our own experiences. We also use affiliate links which help us keep this website running, at no cost to you.
Where to stay in fes
We spent the night at Royal Mirage Fes Hotel located in the new part of Fes, called Fes El Jdid. Here, the city vibes are pretty much like every other modern city around Morocco.
If what you’re looking for is something more traditional, try one of the Riyads in the old Medina known as Fes El Bali. These are usually smaller but warm and inviting with traditional Moroccan decor and hospitality.
We started off the day relatively early. Our goal for the day was to explore the streets of the Medina, which is the main attraction of the city.
Since most points of interests open around 8:30am, it’s best to start early if you want to avoid the crowds.
While wandering through the labyrinth of the streets of Fes, we recommend having a body bag that is front facing and secure. It gets really crowded and its wise to make sure all your items are secure. Pietro usually carries a small backpack and I always were my waist bag but you can get a snug crossbody bag for ease of comfort.
You should also carry a power bank because it would be difficult to find a place willing to let you charge your phone. Morocco uses Type C/E so you can get a universal adaptor to make sure you can always charge your phone without worries.
Other useful items are a scarf for women, a soothing mint inhaler (you’ll see why later), a cooling water bottle and some Moroccan dirham (MAD) for purchases and tips.
For Internet, we use Holafly and it works perfectly fine in most parts of Morocco.
Our one day Fes itinerary
To maximize our time in the medina of Fes, we went with a local guide who spoke Italian. This was the perfect choice because the medina is a labyrnth of over 900 alleyways with some of them leading to dead ends.
If you are short for time and will not be spending a second night in Fes, we suggest you join a tour like this one or book a personal guide if you’d prefer not to have anyone else with you on the tour.
You can also visit alone but be careful not to wander around and get lost.
Google maps doesn’t work well here and it would be a big shame if you miss out on the other iconic spots to see.
So, here are the places we explored with roughly 5 hours to spare.
1. CHOUARA TANNERY
This was the highlight of our time in Fes – and it will be yours too for sure – and our first stop.
Before now, we had no idea what an ancient tannery looked like and it looked so weird and fascinating in pictures.
What is a tannery, you might ask?
Well, a tannery is a place where animal skin (hide) is processed and tanned to produce leather. And Fes is one of the few places on earth where the ancient practice hasn’t been totally lost.
Entrance into the tannery is free and you can even get a mini tour walking of the actual work area if you have cotton-lined nostrils.
However, to get a perfect 270 degrees view there are some shops surrounding the tannery which offer terraces from which to get a bird’s eye view and protect your nostrils a bit.
Our guide leads us directly to the best of these shops – Terrace No. 10.
We first pass through a narrow staircase into a front room where a lady passes around twigs of mint like she’s offering welcome roses.
At first we were confused but we quickly caught on.
As the smell gets thicker, we pop the mints into our nostrils. Ah much better!
Or now is the time to use that soothing inhaler I mentioned earlier if the smell is still too strong for you.
Of the three ancient tanneries in Fes el Bali, the Chouara Tannery is the largest and oldest.
The tannery consists of 2 sets of stone vats. The rectangular ones contain the tanning liquids, which are a mix of rather odd materials – cow urine, pigeon poop, quicklime, salt and water.
Nowadays though, some chemicals like chromium are added to quicken the process.
Obviously, the stench is legendary!
Then there are the circular vats that contain natural colours to dye the leather after several days of tanning. These colours can be gotten from flowers or plants like henna for orange, poppy for red and indigo for blue.
Then we pass through several rooms filled with leather goods. Jackects, bags, poufs, belts, shoes. Every inch of wall is covered.
Finally, we get to the terrace and it didn’t disappoint.
The view of the tannery from up here looked so hyperrealistic. It is exactly as you see in photos, except with more vibrant colours and character.
Needless to say, we were all oohing and aaahing. There’s just so much history and tradition in this one place and to think that it was almost closed down a few years ago.
This is because there are some health concerns like respiratory and skin diseases as well as problems with the muscles and bones as a reult of heavy lifting.
Thankfully, the craft was saved for posterity but regulations are yet to be put in place for the health and safety of the workers. I heard there are talks and plans in place and I hope it happens soon because it would be a huge loss for humanity to lose a place like the Chouara Tannery.
After the tour, the sales pitch began. Again, we had a short time to spend in Fes but thankfully, our guide was there to keep us accountable.
But that didn’t some of us from leaving with a leather item or two.
What better place to buy a local Moroccan keepsake than from a local source and at a great bargain too!
But remember, if you have only a day in Fes, keep your eyes on your watch and don’t get carried away.
IMPORTANT PRO TIP!
TIPPING: If you don’t go with a guide, it is normal to give a small tip. We would suggest around 3-5 dollars/Euros. It is also a show of respect and appreciation for the hard work.
TIMING: Visit between 9am and 11 am for fewer crowds and before the peak of the smell.
EXACT LOCATION: Below is the location on google map to make it easier for you.
2. Cherratine Madrasa
The next place on this one day Fes Itinerary that you’re gonna want to see is at least one of the 11 “madrasas” spread over Fes.
In simple terms, a madrasa is a place of studies in the islamic world. Not quite a university and not exactly a high school, it’s in a category of its own.
Here, subjects like Islamic law (shariah), mathematics, logic, science and astronomy were taught to scholars from all around the arab world.
As I said before, Fes is an important part of Moroccan history and culture and the madrasas play a huge role in building that image.
It is no surprise then that Fes has been crowned the “Mecca of the West” and the “Athens of Africa”. It has definitely earned it since many islamic scholars and spiritual leaders have studied here.
The largest and most visited madrasa is the Al-Attarine Madrasa and we heard it is worth a visit. Unfortunately, we were unable to see it for some reason I don’t quite remember.
Nevertheless, with so many to choose from, our guide brought us to the Cherratine madrasa.
Although Cherratine is more modestly decorated than Al-Attarine, you can still admire the moorish architecture and design.
We especially loved the intricate motifs on the walls and wood screens, which caries that distinct Arabian vibe. Then there’s the “mihrab”, a niche in the prayer hall with resounding acoustic to get the call to prayer as far and wide as possible.
3. University of al-Qarawiyyin
Our guide led us around the corner, into a side courtyard and up a staircase from where we were able to really admire the structural adjustments that were made over the years.
If you want to save time, this is a quicker alternative to see into the courtyard and admire the entire facade of the structure without waiting in line to see the inner rooms. However, if you can, it is a must see too.
This is the mother of all the madrasas in Fes. It all began in 857 when a young woman named Fatima al-Fihri decided to build a mosque to show her dedication to the faith. Her love for studying then transformed the mosque into the very first Madrasa in Fes.
Gradually it was expanded over the centuries by different dynasties, and eventually became an official modern university in 1963.
It also houses a grand library with some of the oldest books in the world which you can also visit as part of a tour. But keep in mind that the mosque is closed to non-muslims.
4. The Medina
Between one landmark to the other, we passed through several narrow streets and alleyways. Of course, we took a few opportunities to stop and check out some of the souks selling everything from fresh vegetables and meat, to delicate lacework, Berber carpets and authentic fresh Moroccan spices.
The medina is a car-free zone but you still have to watch out for the occasional delivery donkey doing it’s rounds on a normal work day.
You will get approached by vendors on the street but being polite really helps reduce how strongly they try to draw you in. A simple “La shukran” (no thank you), a slight nod and no stopping will do the trick.
For us, this is where our tour ended. With barely enough time to grab some street food and a coffee, we headed back out and onto our bike to explore even deeper into Morocco.
However, if you’re spending a second night in Fes, there’s more that you can do for the rest of the day.
More things to do in fes
- Now it’s time to have lunch in one of Fes’ top restaurants. You can choose something on a rooftop for great views of the surrounding area of Fes.
- Relax and soothe your aching muscles in a traditional Moroccan Hammam. We can attest to the expertise of Morocccan massages so highly recommended.
- Have dinner in a real Moroccan home in this special experience offered by a family in Fes.
Overall, we would have loved to have a day more in Fes to better explore the surrounding countryside and get more authentic experiences but the day we spent was still absolutely worth it especially since we saw all the main highlights.
We hope that this post gave you a good idea of what to expect and how best to utilise your time.
Have fun exploring this historically significant and special city!
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