Getting your bearings
Fes has three parts: Fes el-Bali, the old walled medina in a valley; Fes el-Jdid, the 13th-century Merinid quarter with the Royal Palace and the Mellah (old Jewish quarter); and the Ville Nouvelle, the French-era new town with the railway station, hotels and restaurants.
Fes el-Bali is a maze of more than 9,000 lanes. Two main streets, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira, run downhill from Bab Bou Jeloud towards the Quaraouiyine Mosque and the tanneries. Most first-time visitors hire an official guide for a half day.
Main sights
- Chouara Tannery: leather has been dyed in its stone vats for centuries. Leather shops around it let you watch from their terraces.
- Al Quaraouiyine: often described as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Non-Muslims can look through the doors.
- Bou Inania and Al-Attarine madrasas: the best places to see Merinid carving, tilework and stucco up close.
- Merinid Tombs: the classic viewpoint over the medina, best at sunset.
Day trips
Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis are an easy day trip, and Chefchaouen is about four hours away by road. Fes is also a common start for tours to Merzouga.