Medina of Fez (Fes el-Bali)
The walled old city of Fez, a UNESCO-listed maze of narrow lanes, workshops, markets and old religious buildings. Visitors usually explore on foot, often with a local guide.
Fes
Al-Qarawiyyin, a centre of Islamic learning that dates back centuries, sits in a historic medina of narrow lanes with old leather tanneries.
Attractive locations
Bou Inania Madrasa
A 14th-century religious school with an elaborate courtyard of carved cedar, plaster and zellige tilework. It is one of the few historic religious buildings in Fez that welcomes visitors of all faiths.
Al-Attarine Madrasa
A small but richly decorated 14th-century school close to the great mosque. Its tiny courtyard is covered in mosaic tiles, carved stucco and wood, making it a showcase of Marinid craftsmanship.
Bab Bou Jeloud
The ornate blue-and-green gate that marks the main western entrance to the old medina. Most visitors pass through it to begin exploring the narrow lanes, and cafes nearby look back at it.
Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque
A historic mosque and learning centre founded in the 9th century, often described as one of the oldest universities still running. Non-Muslims cannot enter, but can glimpse the courtyard from some doorways.
Dar Batha
A 19th-century palace turned museum, with an Andalusian-style garden at its centre. Its rooms hold Moroccan woodwork, ceramics, textiles and other crafts, many linked to the local traditions of Fez.
Chouara Tannery
A leather-dyeing yard in the old medina where workers soak hides in stone vats of colour. Visitors watch from surrounding terraces, where mint is often handed out to soften the smell.
Airports
Fes Saïss International Airport FEZ
It is about 13 km in a straight line from Fes.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Morocco page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan9.9 °C95 mm
- Feb10.9 °C86 mm
- Mar13.6 °C94 mm
- Apr16.1 °C72 mm
- May19.8 °C38 mm
- Jun24.5 °C9 mm
- Jul28.6 °C3 mm
- Aug29.3 °C9 mm
- Sep24.8 °C24 mm
- Oct20.5 °C74 mm
- Nov14.2 °C116 mm
- Dec11.2 °C94 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Jan, Mar, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 42% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Fes Festival of World Sacred Music
Old palaces in Fes are the setting for spiritual music.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 19 (cities) or Gendarmerie 177 (countryside). Ambulance and fire 15.
local government
Moroccan National Tourist Office (ONMT)
Helps with: Morocco's national tourism office, which runs the official tourism website. Visitors can write to its Rabat headquarters or use the contact form on the website.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Morocco or planning a trip there.
Address: Batiment 7, Avenue Omar Ibn Al Khatab, Arribat Center, Agdal, Rabat, Morocco
local government
National medical emergency number 141 (listed by ONMT)
Helps with: The Moroccan tourism office's website says to call the single national toll-free number 141 in a medical emergency.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Morocco, including visitors, in a medical emergency.
Phone: 141
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Morocco
Helps with: The UN migration agency, supporting Morocco's migration management since 2007. It works on protection of vulnerable people, safe and regular migration and legal pathways.
Who qualifies: Migrants and vulnerable people on the move. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +212 (0)5 37 65 28 81
Email: [email protected]
Address: 11 rue Ait Ourir, Pinede, Souissi, Rabat, Morocco