Fes el-Bali is a UNESCO World Heritage site and arguably the most intact medieval urban fabric anywhere on earth. Founded in 789 CE, it predates most European capitals. For our travellers it is also the northern threshold of a Sahara journey — the last great city before the long road south through the Middle Atlas to the Erg Chebbi dunes. Walking it for the first time is an act of surrender: you will be lost, you will be delighted, and the two feelings are inseparable.
The case for a licensed guide
We say this gently but firmly: on a first visit, hire a licensed guide. The medina has over 9,000 streets, many of them dead ends, and the signage is minimal by design — the city was built for people who already knew it. A licensed guide (identified by an official badge issued by the Ministry of Tourism) does three things a map cannot: they navigate the logical circuit so you see the highlights in order, they grant access to private workshops and family courtyards, and they absorb the persistent attention of unofficial touts so you don't have to. Budget US$60–100 for a full day; Sahara Desert Adventures arranges this as the medina day that opens every Fes-to-Sahara itinerary.
The tanneries of Chouara
The Chouara tannery is perhaps the most photographed sight in all of Morocco — a honeycomb of stone vats filled with dye and pigeon dung that has been treating leather since the 11th century. The view is from leather-shop terraces on the rim above. Shops will offer you entry and a sprig of fresh mint to hold under your nose (the smell of the vats is considerable). You are not obligated to purchase anything, though the leather goods are among the finest in Morocco and priced fairly at source — a soft leather pouf or a pair of babouches makes a fine memento before the dunes.
Visit before 11:00 for the best light and the fullest vats — afternoon sun flattens the colours and the workers often break. Your guide will time it correctly.
The Qarawiyyin — the world's oldest university
Founded in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, the University of al-Qarawiyyin holds a credible claim to being the oldest continuously operating university in the world — older than Oxford by two centuries. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but the elaborately carved cedar doorways visible from the lane, and the glimpse of the courtyard fountain through wrought-iron grilles, are among the most beautiful things in the city. Stand quietly and let the geometry of the tilework settle.
Beside it, the recently restored Nejjarine fountain and caravanserai house a superb woodwork museum. A fifteen-minute visit to the museum rooftop gives you an aerial perspective of the medina that no street-level photograph captures.
Getting gloriously lost
After the structured morning with a guide, ask them to leave you at the edge of the Andalusian quarter — the quieter, less-visited half of the medina across the river — and spend two hours wandering without an agenda. The Andalusian quarter has fewer tourists, gentler vendors, neighbourhood bakeries where locals queue with unbaked dough on wooden boards (the communal oven bakes it for a few dirhams), and the kind of alley views that no app will route you through.
When you want to emerge, any local will point you towards Bab Rcif or Bab Guissa in under a minute. Getting lost in Fes is safe; getting genuinely stuck is impossible.
Where to stay and what to eat
Stay inside the medina in a riad — the contrast between the narrow lane outside and the light-filled courtyard within is the defining Fes experience, and a soft landing before the camp nights to come. Sahara Desert Adventures works with a shortlist of riads where the restoration has been done with care rather than speed; ask us when you enquire about a Fes-to-desert itinerary.
For food, Fes is the culinary heartland of Morocco. Pastilla — a flaky pastry of pigeon or chicken with almonds and icing sugar — is a Fassi invention. Order it as a starter in one of the rooftop restaurants above the Bou Inania Medersa. For lunch, ask your guide to take you to a neighbourhood restaurant where the set menu (harira, a main, mint tea) costs under 80 MAD. Avoid the tourist-facing restaurants on Rcif Square — they serve the same food at three times the price.
The best time to visit
March to May and September to November offer ideal conditions for both city and desert — mild temperatures between 18 and 26 °C in the medina, bearable heat and cold clear nights on the dunes, and smaller crowds than the peak European summer. Fes in July and August can reach 40 °C with little shade in the narrow streets, while the Sahara is fierce by day. Winter (December to February) is cold and occasionally wet in the city but deeply atmospheric, with wood-smoke rising from the hammam chimneys and the medina at its quietest; pack warm layers for the desert nights, which drop close to freezing.
If your dates are flexible, the most rewarding routing pairs Fes with the run south to the Erg Chebbi dunes — medina first in the cool of the morning, then the desert in the shoulder-season sweet spot when the sand is warm and the nights are clear.
Frequently asked
Do you need a guide to explore the Fes medina?
A licensed guide is strongly recommended for a first visit. The medina has over 9,000 streets and no obvious landmarks beyond the minarets. A good guide navigates the tanneries, Qarawiyyin Quarter and artisan lanes in a logical loop — without one, most visitors spend their first two hours genuinely lost. Sahara Desert Adventures arranges a licensed Fes guide as part of every northern desert itinerary.
How much does a private guide in Fes cost?
Expect to pay US$60–100 for a full-day licensed private guide, depending on depth of coverage and whether they arrange access to private workshops. Half-day tours run US$40–60. Avoid unlicensed 'students' who approach you on the street — they earn commissions from shops, not from you.
Can I reach the Sahara desert from Fes?
Yes — Fes is the northern gateway to the dunes. The drive south to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes takes roughly seven to eight hours through the Middle Atlas cedar forests, Ifrane and the Ziz Valley, usually broken into a scenic two-day run with an overnight along the way. Many of our travellers fly into Fes, tour the medina, then head straight for the Sahara before looping back to Marrakech.
Can you see the tanneries for free?
The famous Chouara tannery view is accessed from the terrace of leather shops on the rim — you are expected to enter and may be offered a mint sprig to mask the smell. You are not obligated to buy anything, but refusing a cup of tea politely is fine. Several shops above Sidi Moussa also have free rooftop views.
Is Fes safe for solo travellers?
Yes. The medina is generally safe during the day. The main nuisance is persistent offers of guidance from unofficial 'guides'. A polite but firm 'no thank you, I have a guide coming' usually ends the conversation. Keep bags to your front in the busiest lanes.
What is the best time of year to visit Fes and the desert?
March to May and September to November are ideal for both — mild temperatures and good light in the medina, bearable heat and cold clear nights on the Sahara dunes. Summer (June–August) is very hot in Fes, often reaching 40 °C with little shade, and the desert is fierce by day. Winter days can be cold and wet in the city while the dunes turn genuinely cold after dark, but both are uncrowded.
Fes, then the dunes
We'll pair a licensed medina day with a night in the Sahara.
Every Sahara Desert Adventures Fes programme includes a curated medina day with a licensed guide, riad accommodation handpicked for restoration quality, and a southbound route to the Erg Chebbi dunes with a camp under the stars.
Request a Fes & Sahara itinerary