Our guide to Fez, Morocco, with kids

Fez, one of Morocco’s largest and oldest cities. Before coming to Morocco, we read so many things on what to do in Marrakesh. Saw so many beautiful photos of Chefchaouen. But not a whole lot about Fez.

We came to Fez with low expectations, and it became one of our favourite spots in Morocco.

In our guide to Marrakesh, we described it as Morocco’s beating heart. If Marrakesh is the heart of Morocco, then Fez is its soul. Fez as a city is larger than Marrakesh, with a well-developed modern centre with tall buildings and large malls. The old town, Fez El Bali, is a UNESCO site walled Medina, and where visitors spend most of their time. It is the oldest and largest Medina in North Africa. It is a place steeped in culture, where history lingers, and points of interest and day-to-day life coexist together. Fez is quieter than Marrakesh, grittier than Chefchaouen. It is in our opinion the most beautiful of the medinas, and the best place to be if you want to understand what Morocco is all about.

Is Fez kid-friendly?

We feel Fez is one of the most kid-friendly Morocco cities. It’s vibrant, but not frenetic, and there is lots to see and do without feeling overstimulated.

One of the things we loved most about the Fez Medina is how you can see local tradespeople working everywhere you go. The Medina is organized into specialized souks based on the crafts. For example, Place Seffarine is famous for metalworking, and you can see and hear people hammering out bowls and metalwares. Our kids enjoyed this much more than simply browsing street after street of shops. Many of the historical sites did go over their heads, but most of these were brief stops. The kids were happy enough to take their quick look around, and move on.

The Medina is also pedestrian only, which, while busy, felt safer for kids than Marrakesh’s Medina, which had cars and small trucks. The downside of this means you may need to do a bit more walking to get to the Medina gates to reach your car or taxi.

How many days should you spend in Fez?

You can feasibly hit up all the main sights around the Medina is a full day. The Fez Medina is very walkable. Some of the sites are closed to non-Muslims, such as Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque, so you are only making brief stops here.

We would recommend at least 2 nights. This gives you plenty of time to explore the Medina, take a day-trip to nearby attractions, or participate in an experience such as a traditional cooking class, or hammam.

How to get to and around Fez

Fez is located in central-north Morocco. It is around 3 hours inland from Casablanca, and 2 hours from Rabat, along the nicest stretch of highway (the only stretch of highway, rather) anywhere in Morocco. Chefchaouen (Morocco’s famous “blue city”) is 3 hours north of Fez, and frequently combined for visitors heading this way. Most people visit Fez as part of a larger Morocco tour, in what I like to call the Casablanca – Fez – Sahara – Marrakesh square (although not a square).

While Fez does have an international airport serving certain European countries, most airlines fly into either Casablanca or Marrakesh. The best way to get to Fez (and get around Morocco in general) is by hiring a car. We do recommend hiring a driver as well, even if you don’t take a tour. Many tour agencies offer this option, where you can plan the itinerary and the driver simply takes you there. We felt this was significantly easier and less stressful then driving ourselves. Even for Fez, there were police checks along the way, insane congestion in Fez’s newer areas, and the headache of finding a place to park your car outside the Medina during your stay.

If you’re not planning to drive, you can get from Casablanca to Fez by train or bus. The train service is operated by Morocco Railways, departs hourly, and takes around 4 hours. There is also a long-distance bus run by CTM, but we would not recommend this especially while traveling with children.

Fez El Bali (the Medina) is entirely walkable. If you want to explore a bit further (eg. to Marinid Tombs), you can easily hire a taxi. Day trips – eg. to Volubilis, Meknes, Chefchaouen – can be done through organized tours or car hires.

Where to stay in Fez

We recommend staying in a riad within the Medina, as you will be spending most of your time here. A riad is a former family home that has been converted into a BnB or small hotel. The classic features of these is a central “courtyard” with common dining and lounging spaces, and bedrooms on the upper floors.

We found that on the whole, riads in Fez tend to feel a bit “older” than riads elsewhere. The rooms are darker, with twistier halls and stairwells. Not many have pools (whereas in Marrakesh this is quite common.) They were also more elaborately decorated, with beautiful mosaics and detailed wood carvings. It makes for a very unique stay, even if you are staying in riads in other places in Morocco.

We stayed at an airBnB near the north of the Medina (below the city wall and the Marinid Tombs, about 5 minutes walk from the infamous tannery). We recommend this area if you want an amazing view of the Medina.

All about Fez El Bali, the Medina

Take a guided tour

Fez El Bali is the highlight of Fez. With kids, we recommend a private half day guided tour. Guided tours with kids can sometimes be a hard sell. Big S and Lil S have short attention spans, and generally prefer to explore and discover places at their own pace. However, the Fez Medina can be tricky to navigate. With its many famous gates, fountains, doorways, and buildings to see, a guide can be helpful. You do not want to be playing ‘Where’s Waldo?’ the entire time.

We hired our private guide directly through our riad, and in all honesty, he was *not* the greatest for kids. He was friendly and welcoming, but the kids did not find him interesting. Even so, they managed a good 3 hours before starting to lag after lunch, and we hit most of the significant spots around the medina.

::Fez Medina highlights for kids::

To be completely honest, there was a good numbers of stops along our tour the kids had limited interest in (as we’ll get to below). However, there are several highlights they loved, so I would be sure to hit these up whether you are on a tour or exploring on your own.

-> Chouara Tannery

The oldest tannery in Fez, where leather has been prepared the same way since the 11th century. Arguably, this is the most famous attraction in Fez, and for good reason. It’s fascinating to see the giant vats of dye and natural chemical treatments, and watch the workers handling the leather. Oh, and the “natural chemical treatment”? A mix of pigeon poop and cow’s urine! This knowledge and the pungent smell definitely kept the kids’ attention. 😛 Mint leaves are given to help minimize the smell. While you can visit the Tannery on your own, it is mighty convenient via a tour. The best views are from the terraces and patios of individual shops. If visiting on your own, we recommend access through shop No 10.

–> El-Attarine Madrasa

An ancient religious school, built in the 14th century. It is widely consider to be the most beautiful in Morocco, with elaborate mosaics and exquisite woodworking. As we noticed when visiting Marrakesh, the kids really seem to enjoy exploring these madrasas. Possibly because they relate more to the student life? 😛 They also liked getting to explore the dormitories upstairs.

–> Place Seffarine

The infamous metalworking courtyard. You can watch locals make everything from pots and pans to farm equipment from metals such as copper, brass, and pewter. It almost feels like you are on a movie set.

–> Textile dyeing quarter and textile shops

Our kids, who are not normally into textiles, really enjoyed seeing the process of fabric being dyed right on the street. And we liked all the colourful yarn hanging overhead. While visiting a textile shop was clearly a bid to get us to buy stuff, the kids did enjoy getting to see the locals working at the looms.

–> Attarine food souks

So. Much. Food. The kids got to try local goods, have ice cream, and they thought the alleyway selling tubs of lard and meat products (including camel) was particularly fascinating (in a morbid kind of way).

–> The cats

Honestly? Probably the kids’ favourite part. 😛

:: Other Medina attractions::

Some bits of the tour were not as exciting for the kids, but worth a quick look-see if you are passing by.

–> Bab Bou Jaloud (the Blue Gate)

The most famous gate into the Fez Medina. This was on the opposite end of where we started, so we did not quite make it this far. We did pass several other gates closer to us though… Not sure the kids even realized they were passing through a gate/city wall. 😛

–> Mausoleum of Mouley Idriss II

Probably the most spiritually significant building in Fez. It contains the tomb of Idriss II, who ruled Morocco in the 800s and is said to be the founder of Fez. He is also considered a descendent of the prophet Muhammad, so his mausoleum is an important pilgrimage site and generally restricted for Muslims. We were able to admire it from the doorway, but the significance of it went right over the kids’ head.

–> Al-Qarawiyyin University and Mosque

The world’s oldest operating university. Because it also serves as a mosque, this site is restricted for Muslims only. Again, we admired this from the doorway, and again, the significance of it was lost on the kids. 😛

–> Funduq Nejjarine and Nejjarine Fountain

An 18th century traveler’s hotel (“hotel of the carpenters”), now a museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts. There is a gorgeous tiled fountain next to it, and this is a very picturesque bit of the medina. We did not go into Funduq Nejjarine, but visited Funduq Shamma’in (“hotel of the candlemakers”) to admire the traditional architecture of these funduqs, which were common in the ancient Islamic world.

Eating in Fez

We found eating in Fez to be a very easy experience (possibly because by now we knew exactly what the kids like!)

Book a riad that includes breakfast

And most will. Breakfast at our hotels/riads frequently felt like the most luxurious meal of the day, because there is such an extensive and colourful spread. Plates and cups for coffee, tea, juice in traditional ceramic ware. An assortment of breads, pastries, and traditional Moroccan Msemmen (a type of flaky/chewy pancake), with a gazillion types of jams and spreads. And you can enjoy it all from your riad, which is mighty convenient, budget-friendly, is an experience of its own in when in Fez.

Book dinner with your riad on the day of arrival

Most riads also offer the option of a prepared dinner, usually a traditional Moroccan meal. The price is usually comparable or slightly higher than a restaurant, but may be worth it if you have been traveling all day (especially if you are coming from the desert direction). We did not do this (because the price we were quoted was high), but kind of wish we did! After driving all day and fighting through Fez traffic, we ended up stopping for McDonald’s!

Kid friendly Moroccan food options

A traditional Moroccan meal is usually tagine (a meat or vegetable “stew” cooked in traditional earthenware pots), served along with bread, olives, and cold vegetable dips and appetizers (lentils, eggplants). This can be a bit tricky for kids who have their preferences. 😉 Big S and Lil S recommend:

• Pastilla – a specialty of this region, pastilla is a type of Moroccan pie with a flaky phyllo-ish crust, a meat and spices filling, and dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar. It is sweet and salty, and was a win with the kids (and adults!)
• Meat kebobs – beef or chicken skewers, this was a hit with the kids throughout Morocco.
• Kefta tagine – a type of Moroccan meatball/sausage, in a tomato based stew. This was hands down the kids’ favourite tagine.

Restaurant recommendations

• Berrada – this was the *one* restaurant that came up over and over again as we sleuthed social media for Fez recommendations. And for good reason. This small family run restaurant is close to the Tannery, and the family is so incredibly friendly (and speak great English). The restaurant serves only tagine. It doesn’t have a menu, but will bring you samples of the tagines that are available that day. The kids absolutely loved this. It made me realize kids would be so much more invested in eating if more restaurants did this. 😛 The tagines were out of this world.
• Riad Moulay Driss and Giacomo Restaurant – this restaurant was recommended by our guide. It is a set menu, which makes life way easy, and the food was tasty. However, we are not married to the restaurant, per se, but it is an experience in itself to have a meal in Fez at a fancy riad. The space and decor blew us right out of the water.

Additional experiences

Take a cooking class

Fez is really the perfect blend of culture and day-to-day life, and is a great place to take a class on traditional Moroccan cooking. Most classes start with going to the souks to buy fresh ingredients, and ends with a delicious meal (usually tagine. :P) You can organize this directly with your riad, or with your tour guide.

Visit a hammam

Another traditional Moroccan experience, this is a spa experience that combines steam and massage. Now this may not be an experience that kids are interested in, but most hammams are directly in the riads (or close by), so you can conveniently take turns while the kids chill in the riad.

Marinid Tombs

The Marinid Tombs are necropolis ruins from the Marinid dynasty, who controlled Morocco in the 13th-15th century. The Tombs are perched above the wall north of the Medina, and can be accessed by walking from the Medina or hiring a taxi. But most visitors do not come here specifically for the ruins, but rather for the panoramic views of the Fez Medina, particularly at sunset. (Although our secret is still booking an airBNB directly below this area, so you get the spectacular view without having to go anywhere. 😉 )

Day trips

Fez, due to its central location, is frequently a stop “on the way”. On the way from Casablanca. On the way to Merzouga. But because of its central location, it’s also a great base for day trips around central/north Morocco.

Day trip to Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen, Morocco’s “Blue City”, is a picturesque town in the northern Rif mountains. A travelgrammer’s dream, and very tourist-friendly. But we do *not* recommend a day tour unless you are completely strapped for time, and would not recommend this with kids. It is a 3 hour drive in each direction, and leaves very little time for catching your breath and exploring Chefchaouen. It also brings you to Chefchaouen during the busiest time of the day, making it much harder to appreciate Chefchaouen’s magic. We recommend at least 1 night in Chefchaouen, if not 2.

Day trip to Volubilis (and Meknes)

Volubilis is the site of the ruins of a Roman city from the 100s AD (are Roman ruins everywhere?? :P) Captured by local tribes in the 200s and later the ruling seat of Morocco, it was eventually abandoned around the 11th century when the capital moved to Fez. The kids really enjoyed wandering through these ruins, and learning about the various structures they used to be.

Volubilis is about 1.5 hours from Fez. If taking an organized tour, Volubilis is typically combined with a tour to Meknes. (A former capital of Morocco, much of Volubilis was looted to build Meknes.)

If self-driving, Volubilis can be done as a day trip from Fez, or can be a stop on the way from Fez to Chefchaouen.

Day trip to Ifrane

Just over 1 hour away from Fez, Ifrane is Morocco’s version of a resort town. Nicknamed “little Switzerland”, Ifrane is a replica of a classic European alpine town. It was built by the French in the 1920’s as a retreat from Morocco’s acrid climate. Frequently combined with a tour of the surrounding National Park to look for Barbary Macaque monkeys that live there.

We personally do not feel it is worth your time to take a day trip here. However, Ifrane is on the way between Fez and Merzouga, and is a good stop for a quick gander.

Day trip to Bhalil

Looking to get off the beaten path? Bhalil is it. Around 40 minutes from Fez, this is a great hidden gem. The most unique draw of Bhalil are the cave houses – houses built into the side of the mountains. These cave houses are privately owned, and you will have to arrange a tour guide to visit. The town of Bhalil is colourful and quaint, with Chefchaouen vibes without the crowds. Be sure to stop at the One Aggai waterfalls nearby!

Want to read more on traveling to Morocco with kids? Be sure to check out the rest of our articles!