Stand on the terrace above the Chouara Tannery in the morning and you look down on stone vats of dye, men walking the narrow paths between them, and walls hung with pelts drying in the sun. Below you, the medina of Fez el-Bali carries on as a working pedestrian city, its lanes filled with dried fruit, leather goods, ceramics, textiles and food stalls.
Fez suits travellers who are happy to navigate a maze on foot, who want Moorish and Moroccan architecture rather than a checklist of monuments, and who do not mind being offered a guide every few minutes. It is a city of madrasas, mosques, fondouks and gardens, with a car-free old quarter that rewards slow wandering.
This guide covers the sights and experiences in the medina and its surroundings, with practical notes on timing and what to combine, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Fes
1. The Tanneries (Chouara Tannery)
The dye pits in the middle of the medina are the city's most distinctive sight, with leather-making techniques unchanged since the Middle Ages. Men walk the narrow paths between huge vats of lye and colourful dyes, water wheels creak as the leather is rinsed, and the buildings facing the tannery are covered with pelts hanging to dry.
Visit early in the morning before the sun hits the tannery and the stench sets in. Young boys will offer to guide you there, and the tour is free, though a small tip of 1-5 dirham to your guide is appropriate. Just 10 m left of the entrance is a leather shop with a balcony overlooking the tannery, free of charge, though you should expect to be pressured into buying goods in return. If you want to enter the tannery itself, hang around near the entrance until someone offers to take you in for 10 dirham. Wear closed shoes, and bring a mint leaf to sniff if you have a weak stomach. The smaller Sidi Moussa Tannery lies about 700 m southeast of Chouara Tannery.
2. Bou Inania Madrasa
A 14th-century religious college and the best example of Islamic architecture a non-Muslim can see in Fez, with wooden walls elaborately carved with geometric patterns and Arabic calligraphy, and a beautiful minaret. In the courtyard there is a portico with a still-functioning mosque, separated from the rest of the courtyard by a small moat.
It is open 09:00-18:00 and entry costs 20 dirham. Pair it with a walk through the surrounding medina streets while you are already in the area.
3. Al Attarine Madrasa
Another former religious college open to visit, much smaller than Bou Inania but just as richly decorated. It was built by the Marinid sultan Uthman II Abu Said in 1323-5.
It is open 08:00-18:00 and entry costs 50 dirham. Because it sits near the Souk Attarine, it combines naturally with the Moulay Idriss II shrine and the spice and craft stalls around it.
4. Al Quaraouiyine mosque and library
A large religious complex that has evolved since the 9th century into a famous centre of learning. Non-Muslims cannot enter, but the courtyard and the prayer hall are partly visible from the mosque's doorways, and the doors are more likely to be open on Fridays. Its historic library is housed in an annex on the south side of the mosque, off Place Seffarine.
Approach it on foot from the surrounding lanes and take your time at the doorways rather than expecting to go inside.
5. Moulay Idriss II shrine
The tomb of Fez's founder, set off the Talaa Kbira near the Souk Attarine. Entrance is limited to Muslims, but the view from just outside its doors is still well worth hunting down.
Combine it with Al Attarine Madrasa and the Souk Attarine, which are all within the same stretch of the medina.
6. Nejjarine Museum (Funduq al-Najjariyyin)
A museum of wooden arts and crafts, with many historic items presented in a beautiful and spacious fondouk on Al-Najjariyyin square. The museum has a nice rooftop cafe.
It is open 10:00-17:00 and entry costs 20 dirham. The rooftop cafe makes it a good mid-afternoon pause when you need to sit down and look out over the medina.
7. Cherratine Madrasa
The last major madrasa built in the medina, dating from 1670. It is less ornate than the older Marinid madrasas but larger, and the dormitories of its upper stories can be visited.
Entry costs 20 dirham. Visit it if you want to understand how students lived rather than only how the courtyards were decorated.
8. Borj Nord
One of the two fortresses overlooking the old city, containing an armaments museum, with spectacular views from the hills surrounding the old city.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00, and entrance costs 50 dirham. Note the midday closure when planning your walk up.
9. Borj Sud
The southern fortress, a counterpart to Borj Nord. The interior is not open, but it has spectacular views of the medina from the other side.
It is a short walk uphill from Bab Ftouh, so it fits neatly at the end of a route that finishes in the southern part of the medina.
10. Merenid Tombs (Marinid Tombs)
The ruins of 14th-century tombs, on a hill with excellent panoramic views over the medina and the wider city, as well as the olive tree lined hills surrounding the city. It is a nice place for some peace and quiet, a sanctuary from the bustle of the rest of the city, though you may still see the occasional tout.
As of 2026 the ruins are closed for reconstruction, though it is possible to either bribe a worker or sneak your way inside during the evening. The hill sits next to the Merenid Hotel.
11. Dar Batha Museum
A former royal palace on Rue de la Musée, commissioned by the Alaouite Sultan Hassan I and his successor Abdelaziz in the 19th century and converted into a museum in 1916. It houses exhibitions mainly about local craftsmanship and has a very nice garden.
It is open Wednesday to Monday, 09:00-17:00, and entry costs 60 dirham. The garden is the reason to linger rather than pass through.
12. Garden Jnan Sbil
The oldest garden in Fes, created by Sultan Moulay Abdallah in the 18th century, featuring 3000 plant species, some of them quite rare. Admission is free.
It is open 09:00-20:00 on Avenue Moulay Youssef, which makes it an easy green break between the medina and the Ville Nouvelle.
13. Synagogue Ibn Danan
A synagogue dating from the 17th century in the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter southwest of the medina, with a Jewish cemetery nearby.
There are no set opening times, but the guardian will let visitors in for 25 dirham each and give a brief tour of the inside.
14. Glaoui Palace
A beautiful run-down palace at 1 Rue Hamia Douh. It has infrequent opening times, so do not count on it being accessible.
There is no fixed price, approximately 25 dirham per person, which occasionally includes a guided tour. Treat a visit as a bonus rather than a fixed point in your day.
15. Andalusian Mosque
Dating back to the inception of the city in the 9th century, with the completion of the foundation in 859-860, this is one of the oldest mosques in the world and one of the relatively few remaining Idrisid-era establishments. It is off-limits to non-Muslims.
View it from outside as part of a walk through the Andalusian quarter of the medina.
16. Mosque and Mausoleum of Sidi Ahmad al-Tijani
Sidi Ahmad al-Tijani is the founder of the Tijaniyya Sufi order. He was born in a Berber family in Aïn Madhi in Algeria and died in Fez at the age of 80.
Include it when you are already moving through the medina's religious sites rather than making a separate trip.
17. A walk in the medina
One of the most fascinating activities in Fez is simply a trip through the medina. It is so complex to navigate that it is sometimes easier to lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of the various markets and find your way out once you have had enough of the sights, sounds and smells.
You will eventually find your way out via lots of dried fruit, leather goods, ceramics, textiles and food stalls. Get a shave in the medina while you are there, since nowhere is it cheaper and they really pay attention, even trimming your hair.
18. Sofitel Palais Jamai terrace
The terrace has an incredible view over the medina if you are willing to pay 30 dirham for a glass of tea in order to access it. This is particularly worthwhile if you can time your visit to coincide with the call to prayer, as you can hear multiple minarets from the terrace.
Rooftops more generally are the best way to escape the bustle of the streets, and the views are particularly spectacular during sunset and after dark.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Chouara Tannery before the sun hits it and the stench sets in, viewing the pits from the leather shop balcony just 10 m left of the entrance. From there, walk to Bou Inania Madrasa when it opens at 09:00, then continue to Al Attarine Madrasa, the Moulay Idriss II shrine and Al Quaraouiyine mosque and library, whose doorways are partly visible even to non-Muslims.
Afternoon: Stop at the Nejjarine Museum on Al-Najjariyyin square, open 10:00-17:00, and take a break at its rooftop cafe. Then visit Cherratine Madrasa, and if time allows, walk up to Borj Nord, open 14:00-18:00, for the view over the old city.
Evening: Finish on the Sofitel Palais Jamai terrace with a glass of tea, timing it for the call to prayer if you can, when you can hear multiple minarets from the terrace. The view over the medina is at its best at sunset and after dark.
Frequently asked questions
Can non-Muslims visit the mosques and madrasas in Fes?
The Andalusian Mosque and Al Quaraouiyine mosque are off-limits to non-Muslims, though the courtyard and prayer hall of Al Quaraouiyine are partly visible from its doorways, and the doors are more likely to be open on Fridays. The madrasas, including Bou Inania, Al Attarine and Cherratine, are open to visitors.
How do I see the tanneries without being pressured?
You can view the Chouara Tannery free of charge from the balcony of the leather shop just 10 m left of the entrance, though you should expect to be pressured into buying goods from the shop in return. Guides will offer to take you to the tanneries, and the tour is free, with a tip of 1-5 dirham appropriate. To get into the tannery itself, hang around near the entrance until someone offers to take you in for 10 dirham.
When is the best time of day to visit the tanneries?
Visit early in the morning before the sun hits the tannery and the stench sets in. Wear closed shoes, and bring a mint leaf to sniff if you have a weak stomach.
Where can I get a view over the medina?
Borj Nord and Borj Sud both have spectacular views of the medina, as do the Merenid Tombs, though the ruins there are closed for reconstruction as of 2026. The Sofitel Palais Jamai terrace offers an incredible view over the medina for the price of a 30 dirham glass of tea, and the views are particularly spectacular during sunset and after dark.
Start planning your days around the early-morning tannery visit and the rooftop at sunset, and the rest of Fes will arrange itself around them.