Things to do
Fez rewards slow exploration. A morning in the tanneries, an afternoon lost in the alleys, an evening at the Merenid Tombs as the city turns gold. The best things here are free, unhurried, and unmissable.
The oldest and largest tannery in Fez, operating since the 11th century without interruption. The circular stone vats are filled with natural dyes — saffron, poppy, indigo, mint — and hides are still processed entirely by hand. Access the viewing platforms through the leather shops surrounding the tannery; shop number 10 is the most reliable. They will hand you a sprig of mint. Use it.
Best light for viewing 10am–12pm. Busiest in the morning.
The principal entrance to Fez el-Bali and the most photographed monument in the city. Blue mosaic on the outer face, green on the inner face. Just over a century old and therefore relatively young for Fez. The natural starting point for any medina walk, where the two main routes — Talaa Kbeera and Talaa Sghira — diverge into the labyrinth.
Visit Morocco · Fez →The finest example of Merenid architecture in Fez and one of the great buildings of the medieval Islamic world. Built in the 14th century as a Quranic school. The interior is a masterwork of three materials — carved cedar above, stucco in the middle, zellige tilework below — covering every surface. Open to non-Muslims, which is not always the case in Fez.
Avoid visiting during Friday prayers.
Founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri — a woman — the Quaraouiyine is the oldest continuously operating university in the world, predating Oxford by 250 years. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque but can stand at the doorways and see the vast interior. The adjacent coppersmiths' square of As Seffarine rewards a slow hour of sitting and watching.
An 18th-century caravanserai converted into a museum of Moroccan woodwork. The museum itself is less important than the building: three storeys around a courtyard fountain, restored at considerable expense. The rooftop terrace has one of the best views of the medina. A drink costs 20 dirhams. Open 10am–5pm daily.
The rooftop terrace is the reason to come. Go late afternoon.
14th-century royal tombs on the hill above the medina. No guide needed, no entry fee, no crowds after 4pm. The ruins themselves are unremarkable. The view of Fez el-Bali from here — the minarets, the tannery rooftops, the smoke from the hammams, the entire medieval city spread below in fading light — is the best in the city. A 10-dirham taxi from the medina gate.
Go one hour before sunset. The walk back downhill takes 12 minutes.