What is Fes like in March?

March is the month Fes shrugs off winter, and it is one of my favourites. Daytime highs of 20 to 21°C make the long, layered medina walks genuinely comfortable, while the nights are merely cool rather than cold. The countryside is at its greenest after the winter rains — the Saiss plain is a sheet of green wheat, the olive groves shine, and the Middle Atlas foothills are scattered with wildflowers. After the grey of January and February, the city feels like it has exhaled.

There is still a chance of rain, especially early in the month, so I would not promise unbroken sunshine. But the showers are usually short, and a damp morning often gives way to a brilliant, washed-clean afternoon. This is excellent walking and photography weather: the light is kind, the heat is not a factor, and you can spend a full day on your feet exploring the Andalous quarter, the old gates and the artisan souks without wilting.

Crowds are building but have not yet peaked — March sits in that sweet spot where the medina is lively and the riads are busy enough to feel alive, yet you are not queuing at the famous madrasas or fighting for tannery viewpoints. Prices are still on the gentle side of the year. It is also a wonderful time for day trips: Sefrou and Bhalil, the cedar forests and macaques near Azrou, or Volubilis and Meknes, all glorious under spring skies.

Pack for variety — a light jacket and a warm layer for evenings, plus comfortable walking shoes and something for the odd shower. March rewards an active itinerary: a couple of full days in the medina, a cooking class, and an Atlas or Roman-ruins excursion. If you want the classic Fes experience with kind weather, green landscapes and pre-peak crowds, March is hard to beat.