Where to stayBy Clever Tourists · Published
For a first visit, book a restored riad inside Fes el-Bali, the old medina, close to Bab Bou Jeloud (the Blue Gate) or the Batha area. You get the courtyard, the fountain and the rooftop breakfast, the madrasas and souks start at your door, and a taxi can still drop you at a gate a short walk away. Go deeper into the medina, toward the Qarawiyyin and Place Seffarine, only if atmosphere matters more than easy arrivals, and choose the Ville Nouvelle if you want a car park, a pool and a modern hotel. We spent 3 nights in Fes, 1 to 4 September 2022, arriving from Chefchaouen and going on to Rabat.
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• First visit, 2 to 3 nights: a riad in Fes el-Bali near Bab Bou Jeloud or Batha.
• Deepest immersion: a riad in the heart of the medina, near the Qarawiyyin, the tanneries or Place Seffarine.
• Families or limited mobility: a riad right by a gate, or a hotel in the Ville Nouvelle.
• Driving: the Ville Nouvelle or a hotel on the edge of the medina with parking.
• Summer: anywhere with a pool or rooftop shade; the Ville Nouvelle and the hotels around the medina walls have most of the pools.
• Budget: small riads and guesthouses inside the medina are often cheaper than hotels in the new town.
What it's like: the upper, western end of the old medina, where the two main lanes, Tala'a Kebira and Tala'a Seghira, start their descent into the souks. Bab Bou Jeloud, with its blue tiles outside and green inside, is the landmark, and Batha is the quarter just to its south. Our Fes guide recommends a riad here for the courtyards with fountains, carved plaster and rooftop terrace breakfasts.
Who it suits: almost everyone on a first visit. You are at the top of the medina, so the walk back is easy to find: our guide's tip is that if you get lost, ask a shopkeeper for Bab Bou Jeloud or follow uphill lanes toward the gates. Taxis can get close, which matters on arrival.
Downside: this is the busiest entry point, so the lanes around the gate are crowded and you will meet more touts offering to guide you. Our souk haggling and scams guide explains how to say no.
What it's like: the heart of Fes el-Bali, around the University of al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859, the Al-Attarine madrasa, the coppersmiths of Place Seffarine and the Chouara Tannery. Lanes are too narrow for cars, and goods still move by handcart and mule. Some of the finest restored riads in the city are down here.
Who it suits: travelers who want to be in the medina when the day visitors leave, and who are comfortable finding their way through unmarked alleys. Mornings before the shops open are the quietest time to see it.
Downside: arrival and departure. You will need your riad to send someone to meet you at the nearest gate or car park, and a porter with a handcart for big cases. Ask for this when you book, with the exact meeting point.
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What it's like: the 'new' Fes of the 13th century, between the old medina and the Ville Nouvelle, built around the Royal Palace and its golden doors, with the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, beside it. Streets are wider and calmer than in Fes el-Bali, and a few guesthouses sit here.
Who it suits: travelers who want a traditional house without the intensity of the main medina, and easier taxi access.
Downside: fewer restaurants and riads to choose from, and Fes el-Bali's sights are a walk or a short taxi ride away. In our how many days in Fes plan it is a half-day visit, not a base.
What it's like: the French-built new town south-west of the medinas, with broad avenues, cafes, supermarkets and the train station. Our Fes guide points to it for easier vehicle access and modern hotels; it is also where most of the big hotels with pools are.
Who it suits: drivers, families, travelers arriving late by train, and anyone who wants a familiar hotel and a swimming pool after a hot day in the medina.
Downside: no medina atmosphere at all, and every visit to Fes el-Bali starts with a taxi ride. For a first trip, you lose the reason people come to Fes: waking up inside it.
Choosing a riad. Look at the walking time from the nearest gate or taxi drop-off, not just the map pin; a riad 300 metres in can be a confusing ten minutes. Rooms open onto the central courtyard, so they can be dark and sound carries; the rooftop terrace is where you spend the evenings.
Arrival. Ask the riad to meet you at a named gate or car park, and agree the price of the pickup or porter in advance. It saves you from the people who offer to walk you there.
Season. Our Fes guide picks March to May and October to November, when the enclosed medina is comfortable on foot. Summer is very hot and winter can be cool and rainy, so check for air conditioning or heating. Ramadan changes meal times and opening hours; see our Ramadan 2027 guide.
Book 2 to 3 nights: two full days for the medina, the madrasas, the tannery and Fes el-Jdid, and a third for Volubilis and Meknes. We had 3 nights. Our Moroccan food guide has the pastilla and lamb tagine with prunes to order here.
Fes sits between the north and the south. Our Fes to Chefchaouen guide and 2 days in Chefchaouen cover the blue town, our Marrakech to Fes guide compares the options south, and our 24-day Morocco itinerary shows the whole route. For the next city, see where to stay in Marrakech.
Inside, in a riad in Fes el-Bali, for a first visit. Stay in the Ville Nouvelle only if you need parking, a pool or a modern hotel, because every medina visit then starts with a taxi.
Near Bab Bou Jeloud or Batha, at the upper end of Fes el-Bali. The souks start at your door, the gates are easy to find again, and taxis can drop you close by.
Ask the riad to meet you at a named gate or car park and agree the price of any pickup or porter in advance. Lanes in the heart of the medina are too narrow for cars.
March to May or October to November, when the medina is comfortable on foot. Summer is very hot and winter can be cool and rainy.
Two to three: two full days for the medina and a third for Volubilis and Meknes. We spent 3 nights in Fes in September 2022.
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