Is Fez Worth Visiting? Our Honest Take.

Fez was the end point of our Morocco road trip and in hindsight it was an awesome experience. But we want to be honest with you because while we were there, there were moments where we questioned the decision to go.

The drive from the Sahara to Fez is long with not a great deal in between. By the time you arrive you are tired from the road and Fez itself can feel in some ways like a stealth version of Marrakesh, another ancient medina, another maze of souks (google maps doesn't work, so if you're bad with directions, avoid Fes all together!!). If you have already spent significant time in Marrakesh you may find yourself wondering what is genuinely different here.

The evenings felt less comfortable than anywhere else we visited in Morocco. We experienced people trying to give us false directions, saying we were lost in the streets on more than one occasion and there were moments where we felt genuinely uneasy. It never escalated into anything but it left an impression.

That said, the Fez tannery is one of the most visually extraordinary things we saw. Watching the leather being dyed in the ancient stone vats from the viewing terraces above is unlike anything else in Morocco and worth making the trip for on its own. The riad we stayed in was also exceptional and added enormously to the experience.

If you have seven days or more in Morocco, include Fez. If you are short on time, prioritise Marrakesh and the Sahara and save Fez for a future trip.

Kristina's tip: Visit the tannery in the morning when the light is best and the smell is slightly more manageable. The viewing terraces above the surrounding leather shops are meant to be free to access, but they asked us for a small donation, which was fine. They gave us a sprig of mint to hold under our nose (the tannery is smellyyyy!). Book a riad inside the medina walls for the full experience and ask your host for their honest recommendations on which parts of the medina to explore after dark.