3 Days in Fes: A Detailed Day-by-Day Itinerary

Three days is the ideal length for a first stay in Fes: enough to see the essentials of the medina without rushing, discover Fes el-Jdid, get a taste of local life and enjoy a great day trip. Here is the itinerary we suggest to our guests most often, with approximate timings and variations depending on the season and your interests. For the full list of sights, see also things to do in Fes.

Before you start

Stay in the medina, ideally near a taxi-accessible gate: you will save precious time every day and can head back for a rest at midday. Our guide on where to stay in Fes will help you choose. Book ahead the guide for day one, the cooking class or hammam for day two and the driver for day three; your riad can arrange them.

Day 1: the heart of the medina

Morning: the great monuments with a guide

Start around 9 am with a licensed guide, while the light is soft and the crowds still moderate. Enter through Bab Bou Jeloud, the Blue Gate, then visit the Bou Inania Madrasa. Walk down Talaa Kebira watching the craftsmen at work, to Nejjarine square and museum. Continue to the Al-Attarine Madrasa and the doors of Al-Quaraouiyine. Details of each monument are in the madrasas and monuments of Fes.

Midday: lunch and a break

Have lunch in the medina, then head back to the riad for a rest during the hottest hours. In summer it is essential; the rest of the year it is simply a pleasure.

Afternoon: Seffarine and the tanneries

Around 3:30 pm, make your way to Seffarine square and its coppersmiths, then to the Chouara tanneries, which you watch from the terraces of the surrounding shops. The late-afternoon light is beautiful on the pits; our tips are in the Fes tanneries.

Evening: sunset over the rooftops

Finish on your riad’s terrace for sunset and the calls to prayer, then dine at the riad or in a medina restaurant.

Day 2: Fes el-Jdid, souks and the art of living

Morning: the Royal Palace, the Mellah and Jnan Sbil

Take a petit taxi to the golden doors of the Royal Palace, then stroll through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, with its ornate balconies, the Ibn Danan synagogue and the Jewish cemetery. Walk back through the Jnan Sbil gardens. Everything is explained in Fes el-Jdid, the Mellah and the Royal Palace.

Midday: Fassi cuisine

For lunch, try a pastilla or a tajine, or join a cooking class, which often starts with a trip to the market. See cooking classes in Fes and our dish ideas in what to eat in Fes.

Afternoon: souks or hammam

Two options depending on your energy: wander the souks, the henna souk, the spice souk and the dyers’ souk, following our tips for shopping in the Fes souks; or treat yourself to some relaxation in a hammam, described in the hammam in Fes.

Evening: the Marinid tombs

Late in the day, take a taxi up to the Marinid tombs for the finest view of the medina at sunset. Our other viewpoints are in the best views in Fes.

Day 3: a day trip to Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes

Leave around 9 am with a driver. An hour’s drive brings you to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO site, with mosaics still in place, a basilica and a triumphal arch. Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the visit. Continue to Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, a holy town draped over two hills, for lunch with a view. In the afternoon, head to Meknes, with its monumental Bab Mansour gate and el-Hedim square, before returning to Fes in the early evening.

Other options for day three: the blue town of Chefchaouen, further away, or Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest. We compare them in day trips from Fes.

Variations by season and travel style

• In summer: shift visits to early morning and late afternoon, with a long break at the riad between 1 pm and 4 pm.
• In winter: keep outdoor visits for the middle of the day and finish with a hammam.
• With children: lighten day one and add a break in the Jnan Sbil gardens.
• If you only have one day: follow our plan for one day in Fes instead.
• If you have more time: add a fourth day for Chefchaouen or head on to the Merzouga desert.

Getting around over the three days

In the medina, everything is done on foot. For Fes el-Jdid and the Marinid tombs, red petit taxis are handy and cheap; ask for the meter. For the day trip, a private driver booked through your riad is the most comfortable solution. Our Fes medina guide explains how to find your bearings.

These three days from La Petite Maison

Our riad, five minutes from Rcif square, is ideally placed for this itinerary: Seffarine square, Al-Quaraouiyine and the tanneries are a few minutes’ walk away, and taxis wait at Rcif for Fes el-Jdid. We book licensed guides and trusted drivers for you, and cook dinner on request the day before for evenings when you would rather stay in. Browse our rooms and write to us to plan your stay.