Fes

Fes is the oldest of Morocco's imperial cities. Its walled medina, Fes el Bali, was one of the first places in Morocco listed by UNESCO, in 1981, which describes it as one of the largest Islamic metropolises of its time.

What to see

• Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859, which Guinness World Records lists as the oldest existing and continually operating educational institution in the world.
• The Chouara tannery, seen from the terraces of the leather shops around it.
• The Bou Inania madrasa and the Nejjarine fondouk, now a museum of wood crafts.
• The Mellah, Morocco's first Jewish quarter, from the 15th century, and the Ibn Danan synagogue, built around 1701 and restored in the 1990s.
• The view over the whole medina from the Marinid tombs.
• Nearby: Roman Volubilis, the holy town of Moulay Idriss and Meknes, and Sefrou, once called 'Little Jerusalem'.

Tours that include Fes

• 8-day imperial cities tour, with two nights in Fes and a food walk.
• 8 days: Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech.
• 10 days in the north, with three nights in Fes.
• Jewish heritage tour, with Shabbat in Fes.
• 14-day grand tour, with three nights in Fes.
• 9-day Andalusian & Jewish heritage trail, with the Ibn Danan synagogue.
• 10-day culinary journey, with three nights of Fes cooking.

Good to know

• The medina is a maze of lanes without cars. A licensed guide saves you hours on a first visit.
• Fes is about 530 km from Marrakech, a long day's drive, so most visitors come to it on a circuit rather than a day trip.

Read before you go

• The four imperial cities of MoroccoFes, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech, the route and how many daysRead
• Jewish heritage in MoroccoThe mellahs, Ibn Danan, Essaouira, Sefrou and DemnateRead