Fes Imperial
5
Day Itinerary •
Morocco
Five days in Fes and the Imperial Cities takes you through the living medieval world of the oldest university city in the world, to the Roman ruins of Volubilis rising from the Moroccan plain, the extraordinary walled city of Meknes built by the Moroccan Louis XIV, and the remarkable hilltop town of Moulay Idriss where Morocco's holiest shrine draws pilgrims from across the Islamic world. This route covers the full Imperial Cities circuit. The Fes el-Bali medina and its extraordinary tanneries, the Al-Qarawiyyin University founded in 859 AD, the Bou Inania Medersa, the Roman city of Volubilis, the extraordinary stables and granaries of Meknes and the remarkable Moulay Idriss zaouia that non-Muslims may not enter but can circle in extraordinary atmosphere.
Best Time To Visit
March to May or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Fes Saiss (FEZ) or Casablanca (CMN)
Getting Around
Walking in medinas, petit taxi between cities
Budget Per Day
Approx 70 to 140 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking on uneven medina surfaces
DAY 1
FES EL-BALI: GATES, TANNERIES AND TOMBS
MORNING
BAB BOU JELOUD AND THE BOU INANIA MEDERSA
Enter Fes el-Bali through the extraordinary blue gate of Bab Bou Jeloud, the finest gateway in Morocco. The Bou Inania Medersa immediately inside is the most extraordinary example of Marinid architecture in the country, its three-storey courtyard covered from floor to ceiling in zellige tilework, carved stucco and cedarwood. The extraordinary minaret clock opposite was designed in the 14th century and has never been fully explained. Entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 20 min walk
MIDDAY
THE FES TANNERIES VIEWPOINT
The Chouara tannery is the oldest and largest in Fes, its extraordinary honeycomb of stone vats filled with dyes of saffron, poppy, mint and indigo visible from the leather shop terraces above. The tannery has operated continuously since the 11th century and the process is entirely unchanged. Workers in the pits spend their days treading hides in the dye vats. The extraordinary smell and colour make it one of the most visceral experiences in Morocco. Free from terraces. Drive: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE ANDALUSIAN QUARTER AND THE SUNSET MERENID TOMBS
Cross to the Andalusian quarter on the eastern bank of the Oued Fes for the quieter, more authentic side of the medina. The Andalusian Mosque, founded in 859 AD, is the companion to the Qarawiyyin and is surrounded by the finest craftsmen streets in the city. The ruined Merenid tombs on the hill above the medina give the extraordinary panoramic view over Fes el-Bali at sunset, the minarets and green-tiled rooftops extraordinary in the falling light. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Saffarin Medersa beside the Qarawiyyin Mosque is the least visited of the Fes medersas and arguably the most beautiful, its extraordinary courtyard opening directly onto the bank of the Oued Fes. The carved stucco and zellige are in remarkable condition. Entry approx 2 euros. Almost always quiet.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Riad breakfast Moroccan breakfast of baghrir, honey and mint tea on the riad terrace. | Lunch: Clock Cafe rooftop, near Bab Bou Jeloud Merguez sandwiches, harira and fresh juice above the medina. | Dinner: Riad dinner, Fes el-Bali The finest bastilla in Morocco: pigeon, almonds and cinnamon in pastry.
DAY 2
FES: THE QARAWIYYIN AND EL-JEDID
MORNING
THE AL-QARAWIYYIN MOSQUE AND UNIVERSITY
The Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri, is the oldest continuously operating university in the world. The mosque courtyard is visible through the extraordinary brass-studded doors to non-Muslims. The Qarawiyyin Library, recently restored, holds the most extraordinary collection of Islamic manuscripts in Africa. The surrounding neighbourhood of scholars, booksellers and ink-makers is the most atmospheric in the medina. Free to view. Drive: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
THE NEJJARINE FOUNTAIN AND THE WOODWORKERS SOUK
The Place Nejjarine is the most beautiful square in Fes, its extraordinary 18th-century fountain of zellige and carved cedarwood surrounded by the woodworkers souk and the remarkable Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts in the caravanserai above. The souk is filled with the smell of cedar, the sound of turning lathes and the extraordinary products of the finest woodworking tradition in North Africa. Museum entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE FES EL-JEDID MELLAH AND THE ROYAL PALACE GATES
Fes el-Jedid, the 13th-century new city beside the old medina, contains the extraordinary Mellah, the Jewish quarter founded in 1438 and the oldest in Morocco. The remarkable synagogues, the extraordinary balconied houses and the Jewish cemetery are all outstanding. The gates of the Royal Palace facing onto the Place des Alaouites are the most extraordinary example of modern Moroccan craftsmanship in the country, their extraordinary gilded brass doors unmissable. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Tannakra neighbourhood in the northern medina, near the potters quarter, is the most untouristed part of Fes el-Bali. The extraordinary traditional houses, the remarkable neighbourhood mosques and the complete absence of souvenir shops make it feel like the medieval city it actually is. Walk through it in the morning. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe near the Qarawiyyin Mint tea and msemen before the morning at the world's oldest university. | Lunch: Restaurant Nejjarine Traditional Moroccan lunch on the rooftop above the beautiful square. | Dinner: Dar Roumana, Fes medina The finest restaurant in Fes. Outstanding modern Moroccan cuisine.
DAY 3
VOLUBILIS, MOULAY IDRISS AND MEKNES
MORNING
VOLUBILIS, THE FINEST ROMAN RUINS IN AFRICA
Volubilis was the westernmost city of the Roman Empire, its extraordinary ruins set on a hill above the Moroccan plain with the Middle Atlas mountains behind. The triumphal arch of Caracalla, the extraordinary mosaic floors of the aristocratic houses and the remarkable Capitoline Temple are all outstanding. The site is covered in wildflowers in spring and the light in the early morning on the stone is extraordinary. Entry approx 8 euros. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
MOULAY IDRISS, MOROCCO'S HOLIEST TOWN
Moulay Idriss clings to the hillside above the Volubilis plain, its extraordinary white houses climbing to the zaouia of Moulay Idriss I, the founder of the Moroccan state and one of the most sacred shrines in the Islamic world. Non-Muslims may not enter the zaouia but can walk the extraordinary lanes of the town, buy the remarkable local mouna cakes and take tea with the remarkable hospitality of the townspeople. Entry free. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
THE MEKNES MEDINA AND THE BAB MANSOUR
Meknes was built by Sultan Moulay Ismail between 1672 and 1727 as the Moroccan Versailles. The extraordinary Bab Mansour gate, the finest gate in Morocco, dominates the Place el-Hedim. The medina inside is remarkably authentic and far less visited than Fes. The Dar Jamai Museum in a 19th-century palace at the edge of the square has the finest collection of traditional Moroccan arts in the region. Entry approx 3 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Sijilmasa site near Erfoud, the extraordinary ruined capital of the medieval gold and salt trade empire, is one of the most remarkable and least visited ancient sites in Morocco. The drive from Fes through the Middle Atlas to reach it is itself extraordinary. Entry free. A day trip for the adventurous.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Fes Early start for Volubilis. Tea and bread before the drive. | Lunch: Restaurant in Moulay Idriss Extraordinary hospitality: home-cooked lunch in the holy town. | Dinner: Meknes medina restaurant Arrival dinner in the quieter Imperial City. Mechoui lamb and couscous.
DAY 4
MEKNES IMPERIAL CITY
MORNING
THE MEKNES ROYAL STABLES AND HERI ES-SOUANI GRANARIES
The Heri es-Souani granaries and stables of Moulay Ismail are the most extraordinary feat of Moroccan imperial architecture. The granaries, designed to store enough grain to feed the city for twenty years of siege, extend over a vast underground vaulted complex. The royal stables alongside could accommodate 12,000 horses. The extraordinary scale, the remarkable engineering and the extraordinary atmosphere of the ruins are outstanding. Entry approx 5 euros. Drive: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
THE MAUSOLEUM OF MOULAY ISMAIL
The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, open to non-Muslims in its outer courtyard, is the most extraordinary royal tomb in Morocco and one of the few Islamic shrines in the country accessible to non-Muslim visitors. The extraordinary zellige, the carved stucco and the remarkable cedarwood ceilings of the outer chambers are among the finest examples of Moroccan craftsmanship in existence. Entry free. Drive: 30 min taxi
AFTERNOON
RETURN TO FES AND THE EVENING MEDINA
Return to Fes for a final afternoon in the medina. The extraordinary evening light in Fes el-Bali, when the muezzin calls from a hundred minarets and the craftsmen are finishing their work, is unlike anything else in Morocco. Walk the Talaa Kebira main street from the Bab Bou Jeloud down to the Qarawiyyin neighbourhood and take a final mint tea at the Cafe Clock rooftop as the medina settles for the night.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Borj Nord and Borj Sud, the two 16th-century Portuguese-built fortresses on the hillsides above Fes el-Bali, give the finest views of the medina and house the remarkable Arms Museum. Almost always completely quiet. Entry approx 3 euros. The view from the Borj Nord terrace at dusk is the finest in Fes.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Riad breakfast, Meknes Full Moroccan breakfast before the stables and granaries. | Lunch: Meknes medina lokanta Simple Moroccan lunch: harira, kefta and khobz bread. | Dinner: Dar Anebar, Fes Beautiful riad restaurant in the heart of Fes el-Bali.
DAY 5
FES FINAL DAY
MORNING
FES EL-BALI FINAL MORNING: CRAFTSMEN AND THE ATTARINE MEDERSA
The Attarine Medersa, adjacent to the Qarawiyyin Mosque, is the most refined example of Marinid decoration in Fes, its extraordinary courtyard of carved stucco and zellige panels considered the finest in the city. The surrounding Attarine souk of spice and perfume merchants fills the air with extraordinary fragrance. The brass and copper souk nearby, the sound of hammering filling the narrow street, is the most atmospheric in the medina. Entry approx 3 euros. Drive: 20 min walk
MIDDAY
THE FES EL-BALI POTTERY QUARTER
The pottery quarter of Fes, at the northern edge of the medina below the Merenid tombs, has the finest traditional pottery workshops in Morocco. The extraordinary blue and white Fes ware, the remarkable hand-painted plates and the wood-fired kilns of the cooperative are all outstanding. The cooperative allows visitors to watch the entire production process from clay to glaze. The prices at source are the finest in the city. Free to visit. Drive: 30 min walk
AFTERNOON
THE MERENID TOMBS FINAL VIEW AND DEPARTURE
A final afternoon at the Merenid tombs above the medina before departure. The view of Fes el-Bali from this extraordinary vantage point, the largest medieval city in the world still functioning as a living urban organism, is one of the most extraordinary sights in Africa. The minarets, the green-tiled rooftops and the extraordinary density of the city stretching across the valley are remarkable. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Glaoui Kasbah of Telouet, 100km south of Fes over the Middle Atlas, is one of the most remarkable and melancholy buildings in Morocco. The extraordinary decorated reception rooms of the last great Berber lord are crumbling but still magnificent. Entry approx 3 euros. The drive through the cedar forests of Ifrane is itself extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Riad breakfast, Fes Final Moroccan breakfast: baghrir pancakes with honey and argan oil. | Lunch: Cafe Lalla, Fes medina Quiet cafe in the heart of the old city. Tagine and fresh almond milk. | Dinner: Farewell dinner, Fes riad Final evening in the oldest university city in the world.
Where To Stay
Fes medina riad, Nights 1 to 3 Riad inside Fes el-Bali. Approx 70 to 160 euros per night. Meknes riad, Nights 4 to 5 Riad near Bab Mansour in the Meknes medina. Approx 60 to 120 euros. Fes riad tip Book inside Fes el-Bali not Fes el-Jedid. The old medina is the only place to stay.
Top Tips
1. Hire a licensed guide for the first Fes medina morning. Unlicensed guides are persistent.
2. The tanneries view is from the leather shop terraces. Entry is free but a purchase is expected.
3. Volubilis is best in the morning when the light is on the triumphal arch and the wildflowers are open.
4. The Bou Inania Medersa at night, when the carved stucco is lit, is one of Morocco's finest moments.
5. Meknes is far less visited than Fes. The Bab Mansour gate and royal stables are extraordinary.
6. The train between Fes and Meknes is fast, comfortable and excellent value. Use it over taxis.
Total Budget
85 to 190 euros/day