Fez

Fez (فاس) (French: "Fès") is a city in Morocco famous for being home to the world's oldest university (Qarawiyyin University), dating to 859, and the world's oldest continuously-operating library, dating to 1359. It has an ancient World Heritage listed walled city, which many compare to the walled city of Jerusalem.

Understand
Fez is the medieval capital of Morocco, and a great city of high Islamic civilization. Fez has the best-preserved old city in the Arab world, the sprawling, labyrinthine medina of Fes el-Bali, which is incidentally also the world's largest car-free urban zone. Transport of goods is provided by donkeys, carriages, and motorbikes.

The city has just over 1 million inhabitants.

By plane


Destinations and carriers:
 * Air Arabia flies to/from Amsterdam, Brussels, Barcelona, several airports in France, as well as domestically to/from Agadir and Marrakech
 * Royal Air Maroc offers daily flights from Casablanca and Paris-Orly to Fes-Saiss airport.
 * Ryanair offers flights from Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Alicante, Frankfurt (Hahn), Düsseldorf (Weeze), Milano (Bergamo), Pisa, Bologna, Rome (Ciampino), Charleroi (Brussels), Eindhoven, Marseille and London Stansted to Fez, though not on a daily basis. They also fly domestically to Agadir and Marrakech.
 * Transavia flies from Paris-Orly, Lyon and Rotterdam/The Hague
 * TUI Fly Belgium flies to Brussels.

Getting there and away:
 * By bus – If you do not have too much luggage, you can take the #16 local bus; 4 dirham (as of Apr 2019) and 40-min ride. It goes from the airport to the main train station. The stop is about 100 m right and then 100 m left out of the airport, follow the road, you will see a bus sign. No timetable is available, but it goes about hourly between 06:00–23:00.
 * Going from Fez to the airport, the bus stop is on the left of the entrance to the train station. The stop isn't marked, but look for a crowd of people with suitcases to the left of the train station. You can buy a ticket in advance at the cash desk at the bus stop. Allow plenty of time, as departures can be erratic.


 * By shared taxi – From the bus stop at the airport this should cost 10–20 dirham (per person) depending on your negotiation skills (as of Apr 2019). Many taxis will stop if they see people waiting at the stop; just bargain hard.
 * By taxi – If you are up for a local challenge after your journey, choose a taxi! There is a fixed price for a taxi: 120 dirham from the airport to the city (including the medina and the train station). There is a taxi stand directly outside. An usher will help you to get one, but make sure you confirm the price before you get in and best to only give the exact amount instead of waiting for change.

By train


From specific destinations:
 * Marrakech – There are regular train services along the Marrakech–Oujda and Tangier–Oujda train lines. There are 8 arrivals daily from Marrakech. The train takes about 7 hr (although delays are frequent) and costs exactly 295/195 dirham (first class/second class).
 * Casablanca – The trip takes 3½–4½ hr and runs hourly throughout the day; the cost is 165/110 dirham (1st class/2nd class) in high-speed double-decker trains.
 * Tangier – There are five trains per day arriving after 4½ hr at a cost of 165/110 dirham (1st class/2nd class).
 * Rabat – It takes about 2½-3 hr, and costs 75-105 dirham.

There are hustlers operating on trains into Fez. See the and  sections below.

By bus




From the Gare Routière, you can leave by bus for almost any direction in North Morocco. Buses are usually crappy (old, rusty and without lights), with the exception of CTM company, which offers European-quality service, for a double the price of the Moroccan standard, but usually including the 5–10 dirham required for transporting luggage (malletas), and not being overcrowded. People usually come to the station in the morning to book their ticket for the afternoon or the day after and collect stickers for luggage, so beware about showing up at the last minute and not finding place.

At the station, touts will try to sell you tickets for Chefchaouen if you look like a tourist. Avoid them.


 * CTM leave for the main destinations (Marrakesh, Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan, Oujda, Nador). Going from Fez to Rissani (Merzouga is another 30 km taxi ride after Rissani) there is one CTM bus a day, leaving the Fez bus station at 20:00.
 * Other companies serve these and additional cities (Meknes 13-15 dirham), and towns and villages in north and center Morocco; departing hours are shown over the counters, but may change from one day to another, so ask the employee.

While the gare routière covers more routes more cheaply, many visitors prefer CTM for its reliability and cleanliness. Most CTM buses leaving Fez start from the Gare Routière and make a stop in the CTM terminal after 30 min in the town traffic. CTM bus coming into Fez, at the contrary, will leave you at the CTM terminal.

By car
Fez is a 4-hr drive by car from Casablanca. The stretch of toll highway from Rabat to Fez is in superb condition.

By taxi
Traveling by grand taxi (inter-city taxi), though more expensive than trains, is viable for tourists. Seats in a taxi are sold individually, in order to travel in relative comfort, you may need to purchase more than one seat. A ride between Fez and Casablanca costs approximately 60-80 dirham per seat. Grand taxi fares are regulated and it is worth checking the official rates with the tourist board, as some drivers or hotels will quote inflated prices.

There are a couple of grand taxi stations:

By private taxi or using a touristy transport agency, you will mostly be overcharged: about 1,600 dirham from Casablanca airport to Fez for up to 3 passengers.

Orientation
The main street is the Talaa Kbira, which runs from Bab Boujeloud to the Kairouine mosque in the heart of the medina. The Talaa Sghira also begins at Bab Boujeloud and eventually merges back into the Talaa Kbira. Once you get into the narrow, winding heart of the medina, you can also find your way out again by constantly heading downhill, which will eventually lead to the Place R'cif, a dropoff for buses and taxis, where you can get a petit taxi out of the medina.

For more detailed tours and directions, look for the book Fez from Bab to Bab (Hammad Berrada). It has a complete map of the medina and several well-described walking tours. It can be found in most bookshops, both on the Talaa Sghira or at the large bookstore on the Avenue Hassan II in the ville nouvelle. However, be discreet taking out your map or you will have many offers from false guides.

On foot
Ignore the travel guides that tell you that you will get lost in the medina and that you must hire a guide. One of the easiest ways to get around is to use the red taxis to take you to the nearest gate (bab) and then walk from there until you get your bearings. Gates are all around the city and taxis are cheap. A rough map of where the sights are will help, and a GPS navigation app doesn't hurt either, although GPS readings are sometimes unreliable inside the medina. Be prepared for some wrong turns and confusion your first time in the medina.

On the other hand, if you have a bad sense of direction, are particularly worried, or want to make sure you see all the main sights in the medina in a limited time, a guide can be a good way to make sure you won't get lost. If you do decide to hire one, be sure to arrange a licensed guide through your hotel or the tourism office. They will be able to give you an accurate history and will make fewer shopping stops. The faux-guides in particular will simply take you from shop to shop where you will be pressured to buy goods, which will cost you extra because the seller will be obliged to pay the guide a hidden commission.

There are several well-marked trails through the city: follow the green (Andalusian palaces and gardens), orange (walls and fortifications), or blue signs and you will not get lost in all the narrow twisting streets.

By taxi
Within Fez, a ride in the petits taxis (local taxis) rarely costs more than 15-20 dirham. However, the medina of Fes el-Bali is only accessible from a few points by car. Bab Boujeloud and nearby Place Batha are popular drop-off points, as is Place R'cif—for parking there is spaces at Ain Zleten on the northeast edge of the medina. Another open air parking is situated near Hotel Batha (price 20 dirham/day).



By bus
Buses run within the city and cost 2.50–3 dirham. The bus no. 19 runs from the train station to the central medina place R‘cif, and costs 2.50 dirham. The stop is a bit outside of the train station on Rue Lalla Asmaa, there exists a sign indicating the stop, but no time table.

See






Do
One of the most fascinating activities to do in Fez is a trip in the medina (Old City). The medina is so complex to navigate that sometimes it is easier to simply lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of the various markets, and find your way out once you have had enough of all the sights, sounds, and smells that will overwhelm your senses. You will eventually find your way out via lots of dried fruit, leather goods, ceramics, textiles and food stalls!

Get a shave in the medina, nowhere is it cheaper than here, and they really pay attention, even trimming your hair.

Make sure you find an opportunity to escape from the bustle of the streets and see the medina from one of its rooftops - some shops and restaurants have rooftop terraces (see the food section below for some useful tips). The views are particularly spectacular during sunset and after dark.


 * Football:
 * Football:

Buy
Some may consider Fez to be the handicraft capital of Morocco, but in reality the quality and value of its wares can be hit and miss. Leathergoods, copper and brassware are the bargains, although you may also find good prices on drums and other musical instruments.

As a rough guide, you can expect to pay:
 * Leather satchel: 200-400 dirham depending on quality
 * Drums: 30-150 dirham depending on size and quality
 * 10-20 dirham for a full size tagine dish, plus an extra 10 dirham if it's been glazed or decorated.

If you are interested in the cobalt-blue ceramic, you might go to the potteries where they make it. It is interesting to see them shape the clay into a tagine in 45 seconds. From Bab el-Ftouh, it is a 5-dirham taxi trip. Ask the driver to take you to "Les potteries de Fez". There are 2 big "factories" which both show you the whole process if you want or you could just see the exhibition (and buy). Bargain really hard, prices seem to be fixed, but they are not.

Bargaining is a way of life that has survived for centuries, and shows no sign of changing. Moroccans even bargain among each other for everything except perhaps their utilities. Don't believe anyone (and you will hear it all the time) who tells you prices are being "regulated". Every other souk claims to be a "Government Regulated Co-op".

There is a single, genuine government-regulated fixed price shop in the Ville Nouvelle where all prices are posted, the goods are of decent (if not amazing) quality, and the single bored cashier will just stare incredulously at you if you attempt to bargain with him. Ask any hotel manager or petit taxi driver to take you to the "Artisana." All products sold in Artisanas come directly from the artists who made the products.



Eat
The markets near the 'main' gate of Bab Boujeloud (near to Hotel Cascades) are full of yummy food. It is worth just wandering through them, buying random bits of food. Street food is very cheap and is often safe. Restaurants, even cheap ones, will often be up to twice the cost of street food, and the quality can be the same. In the medina it is difficult to find cheap food other than in the Bab Boujeloud area. There are only a very few tourist restaurants where you will get ripped off and some food stalls down in the food market near the R'cif place.

Drink
Almost all drinking establishments in Fez are hotel bars. The rest are local bars that women and anyone without a good command of Arabic might be uncomfortable entering. In bars of either type, prostitutes are frequent but mostly ignore western travellers. Fes is a much more traditional town than Casablanca or Marrakesh, and it is illegal to drink in public. Purchasing alcohol or seeming intoxicated are sure to draw stern looks from passersby.


 * La Cave at the Centre Commercial Borj Fes. Take a taxi to the Borj shopping centre. Tucked into a small, easily ignored corner near the Carrefour is a small bottle shop called La Cave with a good selection of beer and wine at decent prices.
 * La Cave at the Centre Commercial Borj Fes. Take a taxi to the Borj shopping centre. Tucked into a small, easily ignored corner near the Carrefour is a small bottle shop called La Cave with a good selection of beer and wine at decent prices.
 * La Cave at the Centre Commercial Borj Fes. Take a taxi to the Borj shopping centre. Tucked into a small, easily ignored corner near the Carrefour is a small bottle shop called La Cave with a good selection of beer and wine at decent prices.
 * La Cave at the Centre Commercial Borj Fes. Take a taxi to the Borj shopping centre. Tucked into a small, easily ignored corner near the Carrefour is a small bottle shop called La Cave with a good selection of beer and wine at decent prices.
 * La Cave at the Centre Commercial Borj Fes. Take a taxi to the Borj shopping centre. Tucked into a small, easily ignored corner near the Carrefour is a small bottle shop called La Cave with a good selection of beer and wine at decent prices.
 * La Cave at the Centre Commercial Borj Fes. Take a taxi to the Borj shopping centre. Tucked into a small, easily ignored corner near the Carrefour is a small bottle shop called La Cave with a good selection of beer and wine at decent prices.

Sleep
Most visitors to Fez will want to stay in the Fez El Bali (Old Fez, or Medina) as the main tourist sights are located there and where many local residences operate as guesthouses. Also, the new town is quite a distance from the medina, so you will be relying on taxis to take you in and out every day.

Budget

 * There are a few more hostels near the main gate walking down any of the two parallel main streets, but not many of them. Try to arrive well before dark. The streets beyond the two main ones can be frightening at night.
 * There are a few more hostels near the main gate walking down any of the two parallel main streets, but not many of them. Try to arrive well before dark. The streets beyond the two main ones can be frightening at night.
 * There are a few more hostels near the main gate walking down any of the two parallel main streets, but not many of them. Try to arrive well before dark. The streets beyond the two main ones can be frightening at night.
 * There are a few more hostels near the main gate walking down any of the two parallel main streets, but not many of them. Try to arrive well before dark. The streets beyond the two main ones can be frightening at night.

Splurge
There are beautiful, comfortable guest-houses ("riads") in the medina of Fes el-Bali. They are expensive by Moroccan standards but offer luxury for about the price of a North American chain hotel. Some Moroccan proprietors prey on Westerners' culture-shock to direct business toward favored or overpriced services, so it is worth doing your research before going.



Stay healthy
As of May 2019, one traveler has confirmed two cases of bed bug infestations: one at Riad el Mizan and another very close by at Dar Naima. These are highly unlikely to be isolated incidents. Also, see the general information on riads.

Stay safe
Fez is somewhat safe, but crowded. Take standard precautions against pickpocketing.

If you hear "Belek! Belek!" behind you, stand aside because a heavily-laden donkey is bearing down on you!

Appear to know where you are going, even if you don't, or you will get offers from false guides. False guides are not dangerous but they can be exasperatingly tenacious. Best technique is to not even acknowledge their presence. That is rude and they won't be pleased, but it is better than to have them walk with you for half an hour. If you have to ask directions ask someone that is obviously busy in their own business or a shopkeeper behind a counter, and try to appear as sure as you can of the way you are going ("This way to Bab R'cif, right?"). Getting caught with a faux guide will cost you, but it will cost the faux guide more: they can receive up to 2 days imprisonment if they get caught. Police are often in plain clothes, so be wary! A useful strategy with false guides is to say all the lines they have been taught before they have said them to show you know what you are doing; they all say the same thing so just learn it and repeat.

Due to the maze like alleyways in Fes El Bali (Medina) touts will often attempt to mislead visitors by saying this road is closed further down, then offer to take you to a different direction, obviously with intention to turn quick profit out of the unsuspecting foreigner. This is especially endemic around the tanneries. It's best not to take advice from any locals in touristy areas.

As elsewhere in Morocco, lone women usually experience harassment in alleys.

You should also beware of hustlers (aka con-artists); Fez has far more of them than almost everywhere else and they use more sophisticated techniques. An example of a prominent and rampant scam occurs where you come into Fez by train or bus (even the bus driver) and someone talks to you saying he is coming to visit his relatives, and is actually a respectable outsider (e.g. an owner of a hotel). He will then ask you to come eat with his relatives (their "cousins" or "brothers") and when you get there they will spend most of the time trying to suggest accommodation, offering you tours where they gain commission from all the (especially Carpet) shops, and even organize expensive desert excursions that are actually just you driving in circles just outside the city for three days. Note, especially refrain from handing over your credit card in such situations, you will not get it back. Coming in by plane is the easiest and hassle free way of coming to Fez: there are no touts at the airport and the prices of the taxis are fixed by the government.

There are many other scams and annoyances trying to get you into a shop/restaurant/hotel with various degrees of lying in the stories people make up. If in doubt, be independent and look for yourself e.g. whether the hotel you want to go to is indeed closed or under construction.

This is unfortunately one of the sad things about Morocco, that you get to distrust every one, even those people who are genuinely friendly and hospitable, because sometimes this is only a façade.

Connect
A decent number of restaurants in the medina offer wifi.

SIM cards offering 4G service and one week of data up to 1 gigabyte (abbreviated Go, as in French gigaoctet) are available in many stores. In 2017, a SIM card by provider INWI (there are others) can be obtained for 30 dirham. Keep the credit-card-sized card the SIM comes in, it may have a PIN number you'll need to set up the service.

Cope
For some visitors, Fez requires a real change of outlook or it will be a very high-stress trip. Shopkeepers and guides are very assertive and you will have to get used to saying "no" a lot. On the other hand, they can be genuinely warm and friendly even while trying to sell you something, an idea that is pretty alien to some.

Non-Muslims are not allowed to visit mosques, although they can visit the medrases (religious schools).

Go next

 * A visit to the ancient Roman site of Volubilis is a must. This crumbling yet spectacular city has stunning mosaics on offer, and you can easily spend a couple of hours ambling through the ruins.
 * Casablanca
 * Chefchaouen
 * Marrakech
 * Meknes – Worth a visit, if only due to its calmer and less crowded medina, which has ample shopping opportunities.
 * Rabat
 * Tangier