What is Fes like in December?

December brings winter properly to Fes. Daytime highs hover around 16 to 17°C — fine for walking when the sun is out — but the nights are cold, dipping to 5 to 7°C and sometimes lower, and rain is frequent. The medina, with its tall walls and shaded alleys, can feel chilly and damp, and the old riads need their heating working hard. This is the quietest, most atmospheric end of the Fes year: misty mornings, woodsmoke in the air, and the great monuments almost to yourself.

It is unmistakably a slow, cultural trip rather than a sun-seeking one, and I think that is exactly its appeal. With the crowds gone, you can stand alone in the courtyards of the Attarine or Bou Inania madrasas, watch the coppersmiths at work in Seffarine without jostling, and linger over mint tea on a rooftop between showers. Plan around the weather: indoor anchors like museums, hammams and cooking classes, with the medina explored in the bright spells. The winter light, when it breaks through, is soft and lovely.

December is also a season of striking contrasts close at hand. The Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou can be under snow, turning a day trip from the medina into a journey from old-city alleys to alpine cedar forest in a couple of hours — a memorable excursion if the roads are clear. Back in the city, the festive end of the month brings a gentle holiday energy, and riad rates are at their lowest of the year, so the best rooms are within reach.

Pack as you would for a cold, wet European city break: a warm coat, layers, a scarf, a rain jacket and waterproof shoes with grip for the slippery cobbles. Confirm your riad has reliable heating before you book. December will not give you reliable sunshine, but for travellers who want Fes calm, affordable, intimate and wrapped in winter atmosphere, it is a quietly rewarding time to come.