Is the Fes Tannery Worth It?

The Chouara tannery is the largest and oldest in Fes, where leather has been treated and dyed the same way for roughly a thousand years — a honeycomb of stone vats filled with natural dyes (the famous yellows from saffron/turmeric, reds from poppy, browns from henna) and workers standing waist-deep tending the hides. From above it’s a remarkable, photogenic spectacle.

It’s a window into a craft and a way of life that’s almost unchanged — unmissable if you’re interested in the real, working medina.

You view the tannery from the terraces of the leather shops that surround it — there’s no “entrance,” you walk up through a shop. Staff will hand you a sprig of fresh mint to hold to your nose, because the tanning process (which historically used pigeon droppings and lime) genuinely reeks, especially in summer heat.

After the view, you’ll be shown the shop’s leather goods — jackets, bags, poufs, babouches. There’s no obligation to buy; a polite browse and a small tip for the mint/view, or a fair-haggled purchase if you like something, is all that’s expected.

Go in the morning when it’s cooler and the light is good and the smell is less intense. Accept the mint, take your photos from the terrace, and don’t feel pressured by the sales patter afterwards. If you do buy leather, haggle and check the quality and stitching.

Avoid “guides” who insist they must take you there or that it’s “closed” — you can find it via the leather shops yourself, ideally with a registered guide who’s shown you the medina.