Best Things to Do in Fes

Getting Oriented

Set in the country's north, Fes acts like a gateway to one of the most popular regions of Morocco. Northern Morocco is full of imperial cities, mountain ranges, dense forests, and ancient ruins, with Fes as its major hub. Travelers flock to Fes for numerous reasons, one being its Old Town (Medina), which is the world's largest and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can spend all your days wandering through its maze of streets and alleys, but there's a lot more to experience in the city.

With so many highlights in Morocco, Fes offers some of the country's most unique cultural experiences. You can take several workshops in the city, such as bookbinding, leather stamping, and brass etching, plus learn about Sacred Geometry, an Islamic art skill that you'll often see on sides of buildings and mosques throughout Morocco. You can also enjoy large music festivals that take over the city and plenty of day trips to nearby villages and cities. 

Attend a Workshop

With such a large and dense Old Town, you'll find many opportunities to dive deeper into Morocco's culture. You can take workshops that teach you more about the city's history, plus offer new art skills you can take home with you.

Sacred Geometry Workshop

You'll probably notice a lot of geometric art around Morocco, especially on the facades of historic buildings and mosques. This Islamic art is known as Sacred Geometry, and you can learn more about it in a workshop. Discover the history behind this unique art form, learn tools and techniques, and then create a masterpiece of your own with the help of a professional artist. Read More

Bookbinding & Leather Stamping Workshop

If you've been eyeing all the intricate leather journals for sale in Morocco's famous souks, you can learn the process for yourself in a bookbinding and leather stamping workshop. A professional artisan will lead you through the process of binding a journal with Coptic stitches; then, you'll use stamps to create beautiful designs on the leather to make your journal as unique as you. Take home your masterpiece when you're finished! Read More

Brass Etching Workshop

Discover the history behind Morocco's beloved traditional craft of brass etching. You'll find beautifully etched brass all over the country, especially when shopping in the buzzy souks. If you're tempted to buy a piece, why not learn more about the art and try your hand at this skill with an interactive workshop? After a history lesson, you'll discover the process of brass etching with the help of a professional artisan as you create your own tea tray. Read More

Take a Day Trip

Although you could easily spend weeks in Fes without running out of things to do, one of the city's appeals is its surrounding region. Enjoy a day trip up into the mountains to meet with Berber tribes or explore other nearby towns.

Learn Farming & Herding Techniques in the Ahinajen Berber Village

Enjoy a day trip from Fes to the Berber village of Ahinajen to work with the local tribe's herders and shepherds. After lunch with the tribe's leader, you can work with either group to discover rural life in Morocco's Atlas Mountains. The farmers will teach you different techniques as you practice some of the skills in the fields yourself. Or, you can follow the shepherds and their livestock through the hills as you discover the challenges they face each day. Read More

Jewish Heritage Tour in Sefrou

A day trip to the city of Sefrou allows you to learn how Jewish and Muslim communities lived side-by-side here until the late 1960s. At one point, Sefrou's population was one-third Jewish, and the city was known as "Little Jerusalem." The tour includes highlights such as the old Jewish quarter (Mellah), the Sefrou Synagogue, the Em Habanim school and orphanage, and the Jewish Cemetary of Sefrou. Read More

Experience the Culture

Almost everything you can do in Fes links back to the city and country's culture, but there are a few ways to focus your trip around this topic. 

Let Your Kids Explore Fes With a Donkey

Fes' historic Medina includes over 9,000 streets and alleyways. That's a lot of walking, especially if you have kids joining you on your exploration. Let them have a bit more fun by roaming Fes on a donkey! This unique experience is a great source of entertainment for your kiddos while you listen to guides share stories about the city's history, culture, and architecture. Read More

Attend the Sacred Music Festival

Fes hosts the Sacred Music Festival every July, featuring various exhibits, performances, concerts, and events. Rather than focus on one venue, the festival takes over the city, hosting performances throughout different squares, venues, and parks. You can buy tickets for the entire event or particular concerts. Either way, enjoy the vibrant atmosphere as the city embraces the country's famed genoua music. Read More

How to Craft the Perfect Fes Itinerary

Set in Northern Morocco, Fes can fit well into many Morocco itineraries. With an airport, you can easily make the city your start and endpoint or use it as a hub for exploration. Many other cities nearby pair nicely with Fes, including Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier. If you don't have a lot of time, you could easily zip around to a few of these cities while touring Morocco in just 4 or 5 days. 

However, remember that Morocco is a large country, so how many days you spend in Morocco will depend on how much ground you want to cover. So, give yourself more time (at least a week) if you'd like to visit other cities like Marrakech or explore the coastal or desert regions.

Past kimkim travelers have enjoyed the following itineraries that include experiences in Fes:

• Casablanca, Chefchaouen, & Fes - 4 Days
• Moroccan Cities: Casablanca, Rabat, Fes & Marrakech - 6 Days
• Grand Tour: Casablanca, Meknes, Chefchaouen, Fes, Sahara Desert, Marrakech - 8 Days