Discovering Fes
Fes or Marrakech: Which City Should You Visit?
Buzzing Marrakech or authentic Fes? An honest, point-by-point comparison to help you choose the city that suits you, or combine both.
4 min read
It is one of the big questions when planning a trip to Morocco: Fes or Marrakech? Both imperial cities have a UNESCO-listed medina, superb riads and legendary souks, but they offer very different experiences. We live in Fes, so we are not entirely neutral, but we love Marrakech too. Here is an honest comparison to help you choose, or to combine the two. To discover Fes in detail, see things to do in Fes.
The short answer
- Choose Marrakech if it is your first trip to Morocco and you want buzz, gardens, hotels with pools, livelier nightlife and quick access to the Atlas mountains.
- Choose Fes if you want a more authentic, history-steeped city where crafts are made in front of you, with fewer tourists and one of the best-preserved medinas in the world.
- Best of all: combine both, crossing the desert in between.
Atmosphere
Marrakech is vibrant, colourful and very tourism-oriented. Jemaa el-Fna square, with its storytellers, musicians and evening grill stalls, is a non-stop show. The city also has a modern side, with designer boutiques, rooftop bars and clubs.
Fes is more secretive and more traditional. Life follows the rhythm of craftsmen, prayers and families. For centuries the city was Morocco’s intellectual and spiritual capital, and you can feel it: Fes reveals itself gradually rather than putting on a show.
The medina
The Fes el-Bali medina is much larger, denser and more labyrinthine than Marrakech’s. It is entirely car-free: you only meet donkeys and handcarts, whereas in Marrakech scooters weave through the lanes. It is easier to get lost, but the sense of immersion is unique. Our Fes medina guide explains how to find your way around.
Monuments
In Marrakech: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Majorelle Garden.
In Fes: the Marinid madrasas of Bou Inania and Al-Attarine, among the finest in the Islamic world, Al-Quaraouiyine, the Chouara tanneries, the doors of the Royal Palace and the Mellah. See the madrasas and monuments of Fes and the Fes tanneries.
Food
Marrakech is famous for tanjia, meat slow-cooked in a clay urn, and for the evening food stalls of Jemaa el-Fna. Fes claims the title of Morocco’s culinary capital, with a more refined, sweet-and-savoury cuisine inherited from Andalusian traditions: pastilla, fruit tajines, bissara. Our guide on what to eat in Fes will make you hungry.
Shopping
Marrakech offers an immense choice, lots of contemporary design shops and very busy souks where haggling can be more intense. In Fes, much of what is sold is made locally in the medina’s workshops: leather, copper, ceramics and embroidery. See shopping in the Fes souks.
Hassle
Both cities have their share of touts. In Fes it is mostly fake guides offering to accompany you; in Marrakech, hassle is more frequent around the most touristy spots. In both cases a few reflexes are enough; we detail them in is Fes safe?.
Accommodation
Both cities are full of riads. Marrakech has more large luxury properties with pools and spas; Fes has more small, intimate riads, often at gentler prices for the same level of charm. To choose, read where to stay in Fes and why we believe in the small boutique riad.
Day trips
From Marrakech: the High Atlas and the Ourika valley, the Agafay desert and Essaouira on the coast. From Fes: Volubilis, Meknes, Chefchaouen, the cedars and monkeys of the Middle Atlas, and a shorter road to the great Merzouga dunes. See day trips from Fes and Fes to Merzouga.
Climate
Marrakech is hotter and drier, with milder winters. Fes, further north and surrounded by green countryside, is a little cooler in winter and just as hot in summer.
Combining Fes and Marrakech
The ideal route for a first trip of ten days or more: fly into Fes, spend two or three nights in the medina, cross the Middle Atlas to the Merzouga desert, then arrive in Marrakech along the road of the kasbahs for a few days there. The two cities are also linked by a direct train of about seven hours. Our 10-day Morocco itinerary details this route.
Our take
If you can only choose one, think about what makes you travel: energy, gardens and comfort for Marrakech; history, craftsmanship and authenticity for Fes. And if you are still unsure, know that many travellers who have seen both remember Fes most vividly.
Fes from La Petite Maison
Our riad is a five-minute walk from Rcif square, in the heart of the medina, between Al-Quaraouiyine, Seffarine square and the tanneries. It is an ideal base for experiencing the authentic Fes this article describes. Browse our rooms and write to us to plan the Fes part of your trip.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more authentic, Fes or Marrakech?
Fes is generally considered more authentic: its medina is larger, entirely car-free and less touristy, and much of the craftwork is still made on site.
How many days should I spend in Fes and Marrakech?
Two to three days in each city covers the essentials. With ten days you can combine both, crossing the Merzouga desert in between.
How do you get from Fes to Marrakech?
By direct train in about seven hours, by plane on some days, or by road over two or three days via the Merzouga desert and the road of the kasbahs.
Is Fes quieter than Marrakech?
Yes, on the whole. Fes receives fewer visitors, has no scooters in its medina and a more low-key nightlife, making it a more contemplative city.
