Fes in Winter: Weather, Things to Do and Staying Warm

People tend to picture Morocco under a blazing sun. In Fes, though, winter is a season in its own right, and one of the most pleasant for anyone who likes sightseeing without the crowds: often sunny days, crystal-clear light, a medina handed back to its residents, steaming soups and welcome hammams. You just need to prepare for it and, above all, choose your accommodation carefully. For picking a neighbourhood, our guide on where to stay in Fes is the place to start.

Why Fes in winter is a good idea

From December to February there are fewer visitors, the monuments are calmer and prices are often lower, except over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Sunny days let you walk the medina for hours without suffering from the heat, which is impossible in July. The orange trees in the courtyards are heavy with fruit, and the city returns to a more local, more authentic rhythm. To compare with the other seasons, see the best time to visit Fes.

Fes weather in winter

As a guide, daytime temperatures range from 15 to 18 °C (59 to 64 °F) between December and February, with plenty of sunshine. Nights, on the other hand, are cold: 3 to 6 °C (37 to 43 °F) on average and sometimes close to freezing. Rainy spells of a few days can occur, especially in December and January. Snow almost never falls in the city itself, but it regularly whitens the nearby Middle Atlas, an hour’s drive away.

The essential: a well-heated riad

This is the most important advice in this article. Old medina houses have thick stone and earth walls that keep the cool in, an asset in summer but a challenge in winter, especially as the courtyard is open to the sky. Before you book, check:

• that every room is heated, not just “on request”;
• that there is plenty of hot water;
• that there are extra blankets and thick bedding;
• that an indoor lounge lets you keep warm in the evening.

Our full checklist for choosing a riad is in how to choose a riad in Fes.

What to pack

• Layers: T-shirts, a warm sweater and a jacket.
• A raincoat or water-resistant jacket for wet days.
• Closed shoes with non-slip soles: wet medina paving is slippery.
• Warm socks and slippers for the riad.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen: the winter sun is still strong at midday.

Things to do in Fes in winter

Walk the medina in the mild hours

Plan your visits between 10 am and 5 pm, when the sun warms the lanes. The madrasas, Seffarine square, the souks and the tanneries are all very enjoyable in winter; the smell of the tanneries is even milder in cool weather. Our selection of things to do in Fes covers the essentials, and the madrasas and monuments of Fes details the finest buildings.

Warm up at the hammam

The hammam comes into its own in winter: the humid heat, the black-soap scrub and the rest that follows are pure bliss after a chilly day. Everything you need to know is in the hammam in Fes.

Cook and eat hearty food

Winter is the season for slow-cooked dishes: tajines, Friday couscous and above all bissara, a fava bean soup with olive oil and cumin served early in the morning at medina stalls, or harira, a soup of tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas. A cooking class is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon; see cooking classes in Fes and our dish ideas in what to eat in Fes.

See snow in the Middle Atlas

An hour’s drive away, Ifrane and the Azrou cedar forest are often covered in snow in winter. Local families head up at weekends to play in it, and Barbary macaques can be spotted among the snowy cedars. We describe the outing in our day trips from Fes.

Christmas and New Year in Fes

Christmas is not a Moroccan holiday, and the medina carries on as normal on 25 December. The end-of-year holidays are nonetheless a very popular time for European and North American travellers, so book your riad early. New Year’s Eve is usually spent at the riad or in a restaurant in town, in an atmosphere that is more intimate than festive. For many, that is exactly the charm of New Year in Fes.

Shorter days

In December the sun sets at around 5:30 pm. Start your days early, keep outdoor visits for the middle of the day and save late afternoons for the hammam, a museum or tea in the riad’s lounge. Winter sunsets over the medina, with their clear skies, are often the most beautiful of the year.

The desert in winter

The Merzouga desert is very pleasant in winter, with mild days, but nights there are cold, sometimes below freezing. Choose a camp with good blankets and bring an extra warm layer. All the details are in Fes to the Merzouga desert.

La Petite Maison in winter

All our rooms are heated, with thick bedding and bathrooms with plenty of hot water. The Tangier Room, with its ochre tadelakt walls and cedar ceiling, is a real cocoon on winter evenings. The homemade breakfast is served somewhere warm, and we are happy to cook a tajine in the evening if you ask the day before. Browse all our rooms and write to us with your winter dates.