What is Fes like in June?

June is the threshold of summer in Fes, and the heat arrives in earnest. Highs of 31 to 34°C are normal, and because Fes sits inland in a basin, the city holds the warmth — the stone walls of the medina radiate heat well into the evening. Mornings and nights are still comfortable, which is exactly how I tell guests to plan: be out early in the cool, retreat to a shaded riad courtyard or a long lunch in the worst of the afternoon, and come alive again as the city cools toward dusk.

Early June can still catch the tail end of the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in some years, so it is worth checking dates — a June visit might still let you fold in a concert or two. Beyond that, the medina is in full summer swing: the artisan quarters busy, the rooftops glorious in the long evening light, and the bougainvillea spilling over the riad walls. The surrounding countryside has turned from spring green to summer gold, with the wheat harvest under way across the Saiss plain.

Crowds ease slightly from the April–May peak as the heat deters some travellers, and prices can soften a touch outside festival dates. That makes June a reasonable compromise for people who want fewer crowds and do not mind warm weather. Day trips work well if you choose cooler ground — the cedar forests and lakes of the Middle Atlas around Azrou and Ifrane are noticeably fresher than the city and make a lovely escape from the heat.

Pack for summer: light, loose, breathable clothing, a hat, strong sunscreen, and a refillable water bottle you keep topped up. Choose a riad with a plunge pool or a genuinely shaded courtyard. With sensible timing — early and late activity, slow middays — June is very manageable, and the long, warm evenings on a Fes rooftop are one of the season’s great pleasures.