One Day in Fes

Start at the iconic Blue Gate — the main entrance to Fes el-Bali, the world's largest car-free urban zone. The gate is blue on the medina side (the colour of Fes) and green on the outside (the colour of Islam). Pass through and descend Talaa Kebira — the main artery of the medina.

• The gate is most photogenic in morning light
• Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira are the two main downhill paths — take Kebira
• Immediately inside, you enter the oldest continuously inhabited medieval city in the world

The finest medieval school in Morocco, built in 1351–1357. Every surface is covered in hand-carved stucco, zellij tilework, and cedar woodwork. The courtyard, with its marble floor and central ablution fountain, is one of the most beautiful spaces in the Islamic world.

• Visit early — it is quieter and the light through the courtyard is golden
• Look up: the cedar wood carvings under the roofline are extraordinary
• This is the only madrasa in Fes with its own minaret (it functioned as a mosque too)
• One of the few religious buildings in Morocco open to non-Muslims

Walk downhill along Talaa Kebira — the main commercial artery. The lane narrows and widens, passing through neighbourhoods of metalworkers, woodcarvers, leather sellers, and food vendors. Donkeys carry goods. The smell shifts from cedar to leather to spice to bread every few minutes.

• Press against the wall when donkeys pass — they have right of way
• This walk is the sensory heart of Fes — take your time
• Look for the communal bread ovens (ferran) — locals bring dough to be baked
• The music shop at the bend sells handmade ouds and gnawa instruments

The iconic Fes tanneries — stone vats filled with coloured dye where leather is processed using methods unchanged for 1,000 years. You view from leather shop terraces above. The sight is extraordinary: a honeycomb of circular vats in white, red, orange, yellow, and brown.

• The shop owners give you a sprig of mint for the smell — the tanneries use pigeon droppings as a fixative
• No obligation to buy from the terrace shop, but a small tip (10–20 MAD) is polite
• Morning light is best for photos — the sun lights up the vats
• The tanneries are a working place, not a museum — real craftsmen at work

The Karaouine (Al-Qarawiyyin) Mosque is the oldest university in the world, founded in 859 CE. Non-Muslims cannot enter, but you can peer through the open doors at the courtyard — a vast space of marble arches and a central fountain. The surrounding area is the spiritual heart of the medina.

• UNESCO recognises Al-Qarawiyyin as the oldest continuously operating university in the world
• The doors are sometimes open during non-prayer times — look but don't enter
• The restored library (Khizanat al-Qarawiyyin) occasionally opens for guided visits — ask at your riad

A beautiful museum housed in a restored 18th-century fondouk (caravanserai). The building alone is worth the entry — three stories of carved cedar galleries around a central courtyard with a fountain. The collection covers traditional Moroccan woodwork: screens, chests, musical instruments, and architectural elements.

• The rooftop terrace has panoramic views over the medina rooftops
• The central fountain on the ground floor is a masterpiece of Fassi craftsmanship
• The fondouk was originally a rest stop for travelling merchants — imagine their caravans

The Fes souks are organised by trade — a system dating back centuries. Wander through the metalwork souk (clanging hammers on copper), the spice souk (mountains of turmeric and cumin), and the textile souk (brocades and embroidery). Fes is Morocco's craft capital — the quality here is the country's best.

• Fes is famous for blue-and-white pottery, leather goods, and brocade fabrics
• Start at 40–50% of the asking price and negotiate with a smile
• The leather goods here are genuinely superior to Marrakech — direct from the tanneries
• Look for Fassi pottery with the distinctive blue-on-white pattern

Fes is Morocco's food capital. For a special lunch, The Ruined Garden serves modern Moroccan cuisine in a beautifully restored garden riad. For authentic Fassi cooking, Café Clock does an excellent camel burger and offers cultural events. For budget, find a local hole-in-the-wall serving rfissa or tanjia.

• The Ruined Garden — beautiful setting, refined food, book ahead
• Café Clock — the camel burger, rooftop terrace, cultural events
• Budget: Restaurant Thami near Rcif — legendary pastilla for 50 MAD
• Try pastilla if you eat nowhere else — Fes makes Morocco's best

A small square where coppersmiths have worked for centuries. The rhythmic hammering of copper and brass is the soundtrack of Fes. Watch artisans shape enormous cooking pots, tea trays, and lanterns by hand. The square also borders the Karaouine Library walls.

• The hammering sound is mesmerising — stand and watch for a few minutes
• Copper items make excellent souvenirs — a small tray costs 50–100 MAD
• The quality of metalwork here is museum-grade — you are buying from the source

Exit the medina via Bab Guissa and climb (or taxi, 15 MAD) to the Merinid tombs on the hill above Fes. The tombs themselves are ruined, but the view is the reason to come: the entire Fes medina spread below you — a sea of white and brown buildings punctuated by green-tiled minarets.

• The best panoramic view of Fes — and one of the best views in all of Morocco
• Late afternoon light is perfect for photos (golden hour hits the medina)
• Take a taxi up and walk down — the climb is steep and hot
• Small cafe at the top serves mint tea with the view (15 MAD)