Hotels in Fez

Fes is truly one of the most amazing cities in the world. We loved every minute of our wandering around the medina. I can highly recommend spending one day on your own just wandering along the two main streets, doing little trips left and right so you don't get too lost. Enjoy exploring at your own pace which is the most fun of travel. Then make sure you hire a local guide. Yes, they will take you to carpet shops but really good ones! And they show you so many wonderful bits of Fes that are simply hidden away behind brown doors. You really can't see all of Fes without the inside knowledge of a guide. Our guide, Ferida, was wonderful and she showed us so many little treasures we felt our trip to Fes would never have been as complete without half a day with her. Cooking classes at Cafe Clock was a highlight - as were their camel burgers! One of the only downsides to Fes we found is that the shopping is very poor quality. Most of the 'tourist' trinkets we bought have broken already. I recommend spending a little more and going to the better quality shops. Dare to walk in and see the good stuff. The easy goods on view can be terrible quality. Best restaurant in Fes was the Ruined Garden - we ordered the special lamb a day ahead and it was WONDERFUL. Great atmosphere with a fire lit at night. Our other favourite place to eat was the restaurant directly to the left of the Blue Gate. Try the 'Special Fruit Salad' located under the drinks section. It is a mind-blowing ice-cream sundae with every fruit included with a most amazing flavour. Hardly a drink - more like a dessert.

Fez is best experienced by staying in a medina riad. It needn't be expensive, but try to find one that's located higher up for the best roof terrace views--hint, the Blue Gate area is about the highest, with the rest of the medina sloping away to the east and north towards the Bab Rcif area. For a more local dining experience (w/ less hassle and certainly much less cost!!), try the modest restaurants and cafes just outside the Blue and Rcif gates. When you're lost, it's not too difficult to distinguish between the genuinely concerned residents/workers and the touts--relax, very few people will try to take advantage of you.

My guide was excellent his name was Adil a young married chap though I paid him more than what was asked and that was my wish. You must bargain at every step, if your guide is good he will tell you how to bargain. One is sellers price and the other is buyers price and if a sale is to be made both will meet somewhere within these two prices. I was happy to learn that the place does get cleaned as if it didn't it would be a negative for Fes. All guides take you to their own place if you say you want to buy something and everywhere you go it is high pressure sales and one must always be cool as a cucumber because if you are not you will be taken for a ride, Sometimes when you say a price and the seller does not agree and then when you are leaving his shop he agrees I have often said that I do not want it any more just to keep the seller honest for his next customer. The road side eating shops were the best, the clock, and the five star hotels for wine were great especially on the roof top places. Local TV needs a lot to be desired.

We stayed 3.5 days and I believe that 2 days would have been quite enough. The medina was very impressive but after one day of exploration it became monotonous. There is a lot of places to eat near Bab Boujoulud that look similar and offer practically the same menu for more or less same price. But Chez Rashid has much more generous portions and side dishes that e.g. Restaurant de Jeunes. We also visited Riad El Yakout. This is a real gem! (the location of one of U2 videoclips). Don't miss the opportunity to see a real oriental luxury! The manager was so kind to open it for us before opening hour, and we were served lunch in a really unforgettable place. Thanks! My general advice: cut your stay in Fez and Marrakech to a couple of days and add those free days to Essaouira!

It does take a little while to orient yourself so would recommend using a guide for the first day. Choose one recommended by your accommodation host. A few more days would have made it less hectic and more relaxing as well as provide an opportunity to familiarize yourself with this unique living museum. Thoroughly recommend Riad Idrissy for the stay and the Ruin Garden for amazing food.

We found Fes to be quite laid back. We were not pestered nearly as much in Fes as in Marrakech. In the old town, there are many places to eat near the Blue Gate but as you move downhill and deeper into the medina the food places become scarce, the streets become narrower and getting lost is a certainty. To get back we followed streets that took us uphill ignoring the touts that told us the street was closed and offering to guide us out. At Batha we took a red petite taxi over to the new town for DRM15. Near the railway station we found a cafe serving juicy rotisserie chicken with salad verte and cold beer for a very reasonable price. We walked all over Fes and enjoyed the old buildings, the ceramics and the architecture. It was not as edgy as Marrakech which perhaps makes it more suitable for laid back travellers.