How Much Does a Trip to Fes Cost? Riads, Food and Budget Guide

Fes remains one of Morocco’s most affordable imperial cities, as long as you know where the money goes. Accommodation is the main expense; food, transport and sightseeing often cost less than people expect. Here are the prices we see around us, as a guide, to help you build a realistic budget. Prices vary with the season, so treat them as orders of magnitude. For choosing the accommodation itself, see our guide on where to stay in Fes.

Currency and exchange

The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD), which cannot be bought outside Morocco. A euro is worth a little over ten dirhams and a US dollar a little under: for a quick conversion, divide dirham prices by ten. ATMs are easy to find near the medina gates, and cash remains essential in the souks. All the details are in our Fes travel tips.

Accommodation: the biggest part of the budget

In the medina, riad prices for two people, usually with breakfast included, roughly break down as follows:

• simple guesthouse: from €35 to €60 (about $38 to $65) a night;
• small boutique riad: from €60 to €150 (about $65 to $165) a night;
• large palace riad with spa or pool: from €200 (about $215) a night.

Chain hotels in the new town are often between €70 and €150, without the charm or the location of the medina. Prices rise in spring, in October and over the Christmas holidays; they drop in January, February and midsummer. Booking directly with the riad often gets you better terms, as we explain in book your riad direct.

Eating in Fes: from sandwiches to palace restaurants

This is the expense that surprises people most pleasantly:

• street food: bissara, msemen, kefta or fish sandwiches, between 5 and 30 dirhams;
• mint tea or fresh orange juice in a café: 10 to 20 dirhams;
• tajine or couscous in a local eatery: 50 to 90 dirhams;
• a good Moroccan restaurant: 120 to 250 dirhams per person;
• dinner in a palace restaurant: 300 to 500 dirhams per person, sometimes more.

Bottled water costs a few dirhams. To know what to order, read what to eat in Fes.

Getting around

In the medina everything is done on foot, for free. Further afield, red petit taxis run on the meter: a ride across town usually costs between 10 and 30 dirhams, with a surcharge at night. From the airport, grand taxis charge a posted fixed fare, and most riads offer a fixed-price private transfer; we detail the options in Fes airport to the medina. Trains are very cheap for reaching Meknes, Rabat or Casablanca.

Sightseeing and entrance fees

Monuments in Fes are inexpensive: most madrasas and museums charge between 20 and 70 dirhams. The tanneries can be watched for free from the shop terraces, with a small tip appreciated if you do not buy anything. A licensed guide for half a day costs a few hundred dirhams depending on the season and group size, an expense we strongly recommend on a first visit. Our selection of things to do in Fes will help you choose.

Experiences and day trips

• Local hammam: a few tens of dirhams including the scrub; spa hammam: roughly 250 to 600 dirhams.
• Cooking class: often €40 to €70 per person, market visit and meal included.
• Volubilis and Meknes with a driver: priced per vehicle, which makes it good value for a group.
• Three-day desert tour: the most variable item, depending on the vehicle and the camp.

For souvenirs, set aside a separate budget and follow our tips on shopping in the Fes souks.

Three sample daily budgets per person

Excluding accommodation, here are three orders of magnitude:

• Budget, about €25 to €35 ($27 to $38): street food, sightseeing on foot, one or two monuments, few taxis.
• Comfort, about €50 to €80 ($55 to $87): restaurant meals, a guide shared between two, a traditional hammam, a few taxis.
• Treat yourself, €120 ($130) and up: palace restaurants, a private guide, a spa hammam, day trips with a driver.

Add half the room rate if you are travelling as a couple.

Tipping

Tipping is customary: around 10% in restaurants, a few tens of dirhams for a porter or a driver, and something for your guide at the end of the tour if you are happy. Always carry some small change.

Our tips for spending less

• Travel in January, February or summer, when riads are in less demand; see Fes in summer and the best time to visit Fes.
• Have lunch in local eateries and keep the palace restaurant for one evening.
• Share a guide or a driver with other travellers.
• Withdraw larger amounts at once to limit bank fees.
• Bargain with a smile in the souks, and do a first round to compare.

Budgeting for La Petite Maison

With us, double rooms start from €60 a night and the Essaouira Suite, for families, from €120, homemade Moroccan breakfast included. Your stay is paid on site in cash, in dirhams, euros or US dollars, or by bank transfer in advance. Browse our rooms and their rates, then write to us with your dates: we will reply with our direct rate and availability.