Top Things to Do and See in Fez!

[00:00:00] HIBA: Hello everyone, and welcome to yet another thrilling episode of the Destination Morocco podcast. which takes us on a tour of Morocco's most alluring sights.  Your host for today's journey through the mythical Moroccan city of Fez is myself, Hiba. So we will discuss, outline, the best activities and [00:01:00] sights to do and see in Fez.

[00:01:03] But, I must say that today's episode holds a specific surprise, as our esteemed host, Azdean is joining us as one of our guests. So, Azdean and Sam will share with us their insatiable curiosity for exploration, in the hopes of revealing the delights of this, as well as sharing their, funny, stories and experience, especially in the most recent trip, which included a stunning stay in Fez.

[00:01:39] So, let's dive into a light and relaxed city tour of Fez, focusing on the key highlights and manageable activities. Sam, Azdean, thank you so much for joining us and welcome back to the podcast.

[00:01:55] SAM: Thank you very much.

[00:01:57] HIBA: You're most welcome. So let's kick [00:02:00] off our exploration with a suggested itinerary for four days.

[00:02:05] So my question to you, Azdean, could you please tell us, what visitors may do on their first day in Fez, please?

[00:02:14] AZDEAN: Thank you, in today's itinerary, we've talked about doing Fez in four days. So the first day I would definitely recommend Bab Boujlud or as they call it, the gate. And you can start your day in the morning, by visiting, The iconic blue gate that makes the entrance to the old Medina and admire the striking blue tilework, and take a lot of photos.

[00:02:50] So the blue color is actually the color of the city of Fes. So on one side, when you stand in front of the gate, you'll see that it's, the [00:03:00] tile, the blue, it's just, it's magnificent. Then when you go through the gate and you look back, you'll see the same thing, but it's a different color, which is a green color, which is the, the color of Islam of peace.

[00:03:11] So this is what I would recommend as one of the stops and these places that we're recommending, they are close to each other either day one, day two, day three, and day four as well. So we definitely, I would recommend a guided Medina tour because fast without a tour guide, you're definitely going to.

[00:03:27] First of all, you're going to get lost. Second of all, you're not going to really get to enjoy, the details of the city and the shops and, and everything else that comes with it. So I would recommend visiting the, uh, Al Karoui Mosque learn about its historical significance as one of the oldest universities in the world.

[00:03:47] And also, we would recommend Madrasa Abu An Aniya, and explore this beautiful, decorated madrasa, known for its intricate tilework and architecture. And obviously the Chouara [00:04:00] Tannery, which is the famous, tannery in Fes and it is the biggest actually in Africa. and it's a must, see and visit, when you visit in Fes.

[00:04:09] So, observe the traditional leather tanning process. from the terrace point of view. Then when you look at it from, the terrace, you can see, there's different colors of those pits. There's one that it's, you know, just white, one that it's yellow. Then on the side, you'll see, some fresh skin, uh, just being sun dried.

[00:04:27] So there's, there's very intricate process from A to Z. And also you're not gonna, you know, you're not gonna see it, but it definitely gonna smell it, which is, um, it kind of stinks, but, Before you visit, they always give you, you know, either coffee beans or mint just to, take care of that smell. it's a beautiful site. the process is very, very interesting. from the outside, if you don't have a guide, it just looks to you like, you know, some guys just stomping on things and leather and stuff. but it's, it's very delicate process. and it's really, really, really, [00:05:00] amazing to see.

[00:05:01] So, this is in the morning. Then what I would recommend, around lunchtime, just have, a bite or a small lunch at a restaurant, either, at the Medina. or you can have it either at your hotel or riad, you know, the food in Fes is really, really different than anywhere else.

[00:05:15] And when you go to Morocco, in Fes, we say they eat with their eyes. So everything they put, it's, you know, very decorative that, you know, it's beautiful and it's really, really delicious. obviously the food that we do recommend is tagine and you can have it with chicken, with beef, with lamb, vegetables, you can have couscous the same way as well, but also fast is really, really known for its pastilla and we have talked about it a few times, in the past, what we call it, pastilla.

[00:05:42] Fes they make the best pastilla in Morocco. So they are really, really known for it as well. And then in the afternoon, you want to wind down, you know, you can take the rest of the day off, or you can do something else, you know, just by yourself or just relax and get ready for the next day.

[00:05:56] So, and keep in mind, uh, four days in fast, it's, [00:06:00] it may seem like it's a lot, but you get a lot of stuff done and it may not be enough people. For us. when we visited first, we did four days, but it was quite a bit. so we had to take a day off, a complete day off within those four days because there's just so much stuff and things we were doing and it kind of made us really, really tired.

[00:06:19] So just, you know, uh, pace yourself. Don't do too many things, especially on the first day. and then if you see that, Hey, you know, I can handle more than second day, you can definitely do more activities and stuff like that. So this is what I definitely recommend for day one. So first, keep in mind, there's a lot of walking.

[00:06:37] when you go to Medina, whether it's, you know, the old Medina, the new Medina, there's a lot of walking anywhere you go. So just make sure you're hydrated. You have enough water with you, bottle of water there's a lot of walking. Yeah.

[00:06:49] HIBA: that's a great point. Thank you, Azdean. Thank you so much. moving on to the next day of our itinerary. what are the most worthwhile things to do and see some of [00:07:00] these?

[00:07:00] SAM: Oh, thank you very much, Hiba. Thank you very much, Azdean. So, as Azdean said, Fars is worth more than one day, two days, three days, and even more than four days. Because it's a fascinating city and far of history, heritage, and so many other things to do. So, during the second day I suggest start in the morning from the Royal Palace of Fez. so the Royal Palace of Fez is not open for visitors, but you can still enjoy the amazing gate. of the Royal Palace and you can stay there as much as you can to take photos and enjoy the tiles, marble and the ceilings of the of the gate is just unbelievable.

[00:07:46] Also it's called, by the way, the Royal Palace or called also Dar Al Makhzen. Dar Al Makhzen means the, the Makhzen is the, government. Okay, the government in the past it's a royal family. It's a, what [00:08:00] is called monarchy, Same moving on, just next to the royal palace, there is the Melah.

[00:08:05] Melah is a Jewish quarter. As you know, that's historical Jewish quarter in Morocco. As you know, Jews were in Morocco for centuries and centuries. 1948, after what they moved to Israel, most of them. And they are Moroccans, both Arabs and Berbers. So, nearby you can enjoy visit the synagogue in the Millah, and also you can enjoy visiting the Jewish Museum of Art.

[00:08:34] Then, you can move to the, to the Nujjarin Museum. Nujjarin Museum is just discover the history of Wood Arts and Carpentry of Fez is one of the best and recommended places and museums that you have to visit in Fez during city tour.

[00:08:53] Then from the Nuzaril Museum, there is like artisans workshops or the, Fez [00:09:00] craftsman shops that you can enjoy during your morning Fez city tour. you can watch the craftsmen working, on their woodworking, metalwork, and also like, as, as Azdean mentioned, uh, the leather, for example, uh, the calligraphy.

[00:09:19] One of the best places in Morocco, by the way, to enjoy calligraphy is first, there is a place which called Café Clock and you can take lessons there. It's not, by the way, so expensive. It's around like 40 per person and you can enjoy their lunch or dinner with the calligraphy as well. Then you can, maybe if you are interested, you can just buy some stuff from the artisans.

[00:09:42] Also, you can help them, like that if you buy some stuff from them, some souvenirs maybe from the artisans, it will be good, a good deal for those people, yeah, you help them. Then afterwards, I recommend highly to have a break, lunch break, break time, [00:10:00] like you can enjoy, there is many restaurants and many rooftops in Fez where you can enjoy your lunch.

[00:10:08] Then you will have like a free afternoon. on your own pace. You can stay in your riad. You can do it on your own without your local guide. Because as Azdean mentioned in the beginning, visiting Fez, local guide is a must. So you can do it only yourself. Because you're gonna waste time, days and days and days, and you will not see anything in Fez.

[00:10:30] Because it's kind of labyrinth. And with the alleys, like 8, 000 alleys, you can just get lost inside the meeting now. So that's it. So in the afternoon you can do whatever you want. You can maybe, for example, just in Jew walk, to the Fesjtid, which is the new Medina, the new, city of Fes. maybe you can enjoy coffee there, or just hang out, for the rest of the afternoon.

[00:10:53] HIBA: That's really interesting. Thank you, Sam. let's take a closer look at the following day of our [00:11:00] itinerary. Azdean, can you give us more specific information if you want these?

[00:11:06] AZDEAN: Oh, sure. For day three, uh, by the way, yeah, Sam mentioned, the calligraphy class. You can also do music class at the same place, which is really, really nice. So Fes is known for its soulful music. in Morocco, it's beautiful, very different, very, uh, Instinguished, music specific to Fascinicness, definitely recommend it.

[00:11:27] So, what I would recommend for day three is, do, uh, a ceramic visit to a cooperative, party. the visit should take you an average, depending on how big the group or it's just you and, you know, a few people with you, it should take about an hour. To an hour and a half, and you can witness the amazing craftsmanship, the skills, the attention to detail is just, I remember our last visit, Sam, it was just beyond incredible. It was for me, I've never seen anything like it. And I remember when we first walk into the, to the [00:12:00] shop, we look on the ground, we see dirt, we see, you know, it looks like clay and in different formats.

[00:12:05] Some is hard. Some is, you know, soft. Some is, uh, it looks like it's, just getting some sunlight to, to harden. and this gentleman was making. stuff live with no measurements. And he made us a tagine and we didn't know what he was making at first, but then he made the bottom of the tagine, in less than a minute, then he made the top of the tagine.

[00:12:27] And when he made the top of the tagine and he put them together, they were a perfect fit. I mean, it takes years and years of practice, of doing the same thing. I mean, I just could not imagine somebody could could do that at a really, really high scale. So that was, for me, a really, really incredible, experience, and we've seen everything from A to Z, and different parts and different things that they can do, and, they sell, they ship worldwide, but the tour was just, for me, one of the highlights of us.

[00:12:57] So when we talk about Fez, we say [00:13:00] day three, uh, I mean, it's, it's, for me, you can spend three months in Fez and you probably will not see the same thing twice. And also what you can do is, you know, watch the Fez Medina, at the, uh, 

[00:13:10] SAM: Many needs.

[00:13:11] AZDEAN: tombs, the Marinid tombs, the Marinid  tombs date back to the 14th century.

[00:13:16] These burial chambers are the final resting place for the Marinid royalty. Although they are wounds today, they still hold a lot of value and sentimental value and they're worth a visit. And you can see them, over the old, Medina of Fes. So, uh, this is what I would recommend to do in the morning.

[00:13:36] Uh, this should take you around probably three hours, three and a half hours. Then you want to do a lunch break. again, the food in Fes is very, very different. you can go for something that is very traditional to something that is really, really modern, but also keep in mind Fes is known for its sweets. anything that is sweet, Fes, Fes has it. I highly recommend it. Take advantage of the food. It's, it's really, really, really delicious and it's very [00:14:00] diverse. then in the afternoon, I would. recommend having a traditional Hammam and spa. and for a lot of people who don't know what that is, basically, it's, it's like a, a Moroccan traditional Hammam with, with a little bit of a twist to it, a little bit of luxury twist to it, which is really, really nice.

[00:14:16] You know, just exfoliate your skin and they just bathe you. and it's a really good experience. So then the other things that I would recommend just to add, if you have time, um, you know, you can visit Bata museum to explore its collection of Moroccan art. Uh, you can relax in the peaceful surrounding of, Jardin Jeunin Sbile.

[00:14:39] it's a beautiful garden oasis in Fes Jedid, which is the new downtown, or take a cooking class. You know, whether you'll stay in a riad, they can arrange it for you. If you're, booking through us, we can arrange it for you. if you're staying at a hotel, they can do the same thing for you.

[00:14:53] Or there's off sites that we can have a cooking class. And, you know, we did the last episode and we talked about [00:15:00] Ramadan. And one of the best ways really, really experienced Moroccan cuisine is have a cooking class in Ramadan. It's just, it's beyond incredible. It's really, really, really good. So these are a few things that I would recommend. during your third day in Fes. So

[00:15:15] HIBA: thank you so much, Azdean. Uh, well, let's explore the fourth day. Sam, what are your recommendations about it, please? 

[00:15:26] SAM: want to add something to what Azdean just said. So, to visit, uh, the pottery or the ceramic office and, the many tombs, over a few office, you need a car, by the way. You can't walk there because it's far from each other. So you need a car.

[00:15:40] Also, you can add the other view of Borj Sud. Borj Sud, if you remember, Azdean we visited last time, the first one on our way to the, to the ceramic cooperative. so for the fourth day, what I suggest to our listeners is to go on a day trip, to go on a day trip from Fez to [00:16:00] visit the imperial city of Meknes.

[00:16:02] Meknes is the fourth imperial city and the modern imperial city of Morocco. So, founded in the 17th century by or the sultan, Moulay Ismail. it takes an hour and a half drive from Fes, including the stops, the panoramic stops. also you can visit the volublees. which is the Roman ruins of Volubilis, we talked, we talked about it many, many times, I think, Azdean, in many, many occasions in our podcast.

[00:16:32] there you will find just some of the best preserved ruins in Morocco. and it's a UNESCO World Heritage, by the way, founded 25 years before Christ, it was the capital of the Romans while they invaded the Berber kingdom of Mauritania, Tangier, and Morocco. Uh, so from there you can enjoy lunch in Meknes, explore in Meknes.

[00:16:55] By the way, during your visit to Meknes, you can visit the Royal Stables. [00:17:00] Or called the Hariswani, it's the granary, uh, stores used, by Moulay Ismail as a stable for his horses. As you know, Azdean, if you remember, he likes so much. This is why he created those stables for his horses.

[00:17:16] Then you can visit the Moulay Ismail. which is the founder of Meknes Mausoleum. One of the mausoleums that you can visit in Morocco, by the way, is the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, beside the founder of the Alawite dynasty Rissani, which is the Moulay Ali Sharif Mausoleum as well. So from there, you enjoy the tiles.

[00:17:38] If you remember Azdean, it was amazing, the tiles, the zelige, decorations inside, it's just breathtaking. Then from there, you can enjoy The gate, which is called the Bab el Mansour, the Bab el Mansour gate. Unfortunately, last time we visited in summer was under renovation. So it will be, it will be available by, after Ramadan [00:18:00] for visitors to, to discover and to enjoy this amazing gates with the calligraphs and decorations and, and stuff.

[00:18:07] So from there, you enjoy just your lunch and drive back Fes. Maybe you can, you can be in Fez like around 3, 4 p. m. Then you still have like the rest of the afternoon to do something just to enjoy your, your last walk in the median of Fez. Maybe buy some souvenirs or just do some shopping or just relax in your riad.

[00:18:28] There is so many amazing rooftops in, in the riads in Fes, and where you can enjoy a mint tea or just enjoy a juice or something. Yeah. Yeah. As you like in Fes. So Fes is amazing. And, uh, even four days is, is, is not enough, but to enjoy Fes, but four days is, I think is more than enough. And it's, it's a relaxing itinerary for, for visitors.

[00:18:52] AZDEAN: Yeah,

[00:18:53] HIBA: yeah. your experiences, guys, I mean, enlighten us. Thank you so much. And here we have it guys, the [00:19:00] top things to do in Seinfest. is there anything you want to add, to what we talked about

[00:19:07] AZDEAN: Yeah, sure, sure. you know, every time I go to Fez, there's always something that it surprises me in the most positive way. I could never get enough of the city. Um, I was, you know, in the past with Doc, if you have one day to spend in Morocco, spend it in Fez. Because Fes still holds a lot of traditions.

[00:19:25] are a lot of cities or small cities at that time. Now they have grown and those cultures and traditions are gone. But Fes still holds that value and that culture importance in Morocco. So Fes, you know, I remember us walking through the maze of the downtown. It's just incredible. We had Moulay Hafidh with us as a tour guide.

[00:19:48] And, When you pass by those shops, you have no idea. They look small, they, you know, super small shops. And I remember we made a stop. it's just very small shop and he [00:20:00] does, uh, uh, horse saddles and, It's like, Hey, Mullah Hafidh is like, Hey, this, we've got to talk to this gentleman. This is someone, you know, and we, we talk to him and he tells us his story.

[00:20:12] And it's just an incredible story. He has three kids. they help him with the business. One of them does marketing and branding and stuff. and then he told us that he's the one that does the, the, the whole settles for the king. You could never guess. I mean, the shop it's, it's probably, uh, maybe not even, yeah, not even, not even six feet by six feet.

[00:20:34] It's just super small. But then the quality of the work that he does is just beyond incredible. Um, you know, and the thing is every shop is a special shopping, shopping that way. I mean, there's so many of them, so many stops you, I mean, we made so many stops during that visit and each one has an amazing story.

[00:20:54] It's just incredible. The stories that we got. behind the scene, talking to the owners, talking to, to the staff, [00:21:00] talking to, to people visiting the shops, just like us. It was just an incredible experience. So Fes really, really, you need to give it the time that it deserves. If you have it, if not, just, we highly recommend a tour guide.

[00:21:15] Definitely tour guide because you don't want to miss it. people pass by that little shop, you know, hundreds of people every day, but they have no idea who that person is and what he does and the impact that he has on the Royal family. I mean, it's just, you know, it's just, it's really, really amazing, stories.

[00:21:31] Then I want to go back to what Sam has said in the past and we talked about it a lot of the times Pace yourself. and enjoy the moment. Savor every second. It is worth it It's it's beyond incredible. Just live in the moment Savor it. you're not gonna regret it I love fast always have and I cannot wait for the next time that we visit fast highly recommend staying at riads.

[00:21:56] you know, those riads, a lot of them are owned by families, so you get a little bit of [00:22:00] extra special service. They are not a, you know, big company. They are not big brands. they really pay attention to the detail and fast. Really, really hospitable people. Um, if you visit in the north side of Morocco, first must be one of those stops for you.

[00:22:13] and then we, we talked about, you know, Meknes and Volibulis. And when I could not believe that we, we went inside to see the mausoleum of Moulai Ismail and his favorite wife and his son. as kids, we read about, the dynasties and we read about the kings and we read, their story, but then standing in front of him next to him, it was just beyond incredible.

[00:22:34] Then, you know, the site visit, we were very lucky. Um, it took us about an hour and a half. A few places were, not opening because of, renovations, but it was definitely worth it. We still got to see a lot. Uh, and we enjoyed it. thank you so much, Hiba. Thank you. Really, really appreciate you. Thank you. Sam, as always, you know, 

[00:22:53] HIBA: uh, throughout your stay, I could say that you had an amazing stay in Fes, so 

[00:22:59] AZDEAN: Oh, [00:23:00] 100%. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[00:23:02] SAM: I think I visited Fes, I think 300, 400 times, and I still getting lost inside Fes. Every time I discovered something, I discovered a gallery. I discovered a new museum. I discovered a fond dock. Fond, which is, um, it's amazing every time you, you just walk through the, the, the small alley, uh, the small streets.

[00:23:24] So wind streets and you discover new things. And as Azdean talks about the sweet, food in Fes, if you remember, we tasted the, the past Moroccan pastries last time in ba, in the blue gate. It was the best one I have tasted in Morocco anyway. Uh, so Fes, uh, as you said, you, you must have a guide, a local guide.

[00:23:46] with you, like that you don't waste your time just walking and walking and you didn't say anything. And, sometimes when you are outside, for example, because the medina in Fes is huge, it's not like the one in Marrakech or the one in [00:24:00] Essaouira, it's very huge and it's very big. So, uh, you need sometimes a car to move from location to another location.

[00:24:07] So, uh, if you book with us, Destination Morocco, we take care about your transportation, your local guide, and there will be a driver and local guide assigned to you, I recommend as well in Fes to give it its time enough time do it the best way.

[00:24:25] AZDEAN: Yes, I, if I may add something else, please, Hiba, We're doing this part of Fes that we have many parts coming up and next week we're going to do live Q and A, and we're going to talk about Fes. And, we did, I believe three.

[00:24:37] Or four episodes with Moula Hfidh. it should be around, yeah, three or so, episodes, but he's talking completely about other stuff than we just did today. So that way it's not, saying the same thing with, with Malahfid, but it's very different. Then also, on social media, we're going to be posting as, you know, when we talk about Fès and we do, a podcast and we do, you know, uh, audio bites or audio sounds [00:25:00] and video, bites, uh, we complement it with, uh, Images from our tour from the last part.

[00:25:05] And if you're following us, you can see that we have posted a few things in Fes and it's just, it brings back a lot of memories. So, look out for that. So, uh, we have Q and A live, second Wednesday of every month. So this month, it's going to be the 13th and we're going to talk about Fes and then we'll do.

[00:25:21] Fes part one, part two, probably part three. And one of the parts we're just talking about a location that we had lunch. And that's where we send all the clients to have lunch. Uh, it's just, it's an amazing, amazing, palace if you would. And, and we'll talk more about it, on that episode as well.

[00:25:36] Thank you so much. Thank you, Hiba. 

[00:25:38] HIBA: Sam and Azdean, thank you so much for being a wonderful guest on the show today, and thank you, our listeners, for turning in, and have a great day.