How many days do you need in Fes?

Fes el-Bali, the old medina, is dense and bewildering — thousands of alleyways, no cars, and easy to lose your bearings. Because of that, I strongly recommend spending your first day with a knowledgeable local guide. In a single well-planned day you can hit the Chouara tannery, the Qaraouiyine mosque and university, the stunning Bou Inania and Al-Attarine medersas, and the main craft souks without wasting hours backtracking.

A second day lets the city breathe. Go back into the medina without an agenda, browse the brass and leather workshops at your own speed, visit the Nejjarine fountain and woodwork museum, and head up to the Marinid Tombs or the ceramics quarter for the classic panoramic view over the sea of rooftops. This second day is where many people fall for Fes, once the initial disorientation has worn off.

Two days is genuinely enough for the city itself. Fes does not have the gardens, beaches and day-trip variety of Marrakech, so a third day is best justified by an excursion: the Roman ruins at Volubilis and the imperial city of Meknes make an excellent combined day trip, and Ifrane and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas are also within reach.

On a typical Morocco week, two nights in Fes is the standard allocation, often after arriving from the desert. If you are a serious lover of craft, history or Islamic architecture, stretching to three nights will not be wasted — but for most itineraries, two focused days deliver the heart of Fes.