Relais & Châteaux · Medina
Riad Fès
An aristocratic riad of Andalusian patios, a rooftop bar and a celebrated table.
Imperial Cities
The living medieval medina
34.04°N, 4.99°W
Culture & historyCraftArchitectureSlow exploration
The story
If Marrakech is theatre, Fes is depth. Its medina, Fes el-Bali, is the largest car-free urban area on earth — nine thousand lanes that have barely changed since the Middle Ages. This is where Moroccan craft reaches its apogee: the copper beaters of Place Seffarine, the tanners of Chouara, the mosaic masters, the bookbinders.
It rewards a guide and a slower clock. Behind plain cedar doors lie some of the country's most exquisite madrasas — Bou Inania, Al-Attarine — their courtyards a riot of carved plaster and zellige. Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859, is recognised as the oldest continually operating university in the world.
We give Fes the time it deserves: a private artisan trail, a rooftop dinner over the medina, and a day in the cedar forests and Roman ruins of the surrounding Middle Atlas.
What you'll do
01
Artisan trail
A full day with a craft historian through the tanneries, mosaic and metal ateliers.
02
Madrasa architecture
Private access to the carved courtyards of Bou Inania and Al-Attarine.
03
Rooftop feast
A chef-led dinner of Fassi specialities over the lamplit medina.
Local culture
Chouara tannery
The iconic stone vats of dye, worked by hand exactly as they were in the 11th century.
Al-Qarawiyyin
The world's oldest university and a library of priceless manuscripts.
When to visit
The best of Fes shifts with the calendar. Here's how we'd time your visit.
Spring
Comfortable medina temperatures and green surrounding hills — ideal for long walks.
Summer
Hot and intense; we start early and retreat to shaded courtyards by afternoon.
Autumn
Soft light and harvest in the countryside make this a beautiful time to visit.
Winter
Cool and atmospheric, with mist over the medina and very few visitors.
Where you'll stay
A hand-picked selection — the addresses we'd book for you here.
Boutique palace
Palais Amani
A restored merchant's palace with a citrus garden and an excellent cooking school.
