Fes Tours:
the Medina on Our Routes

Day 1 — Marrakech, Beni Mellal, Ifrane, Azrou and Fes

An early start from your hotel or riad. The road crosses the landscapes of central Morocco: traditional villages, fertile plains, then the ridges of the Middle Atlas. The first major stop is Beni Mellal, followed by Ifrane, often called Morocco's little Switzerland for its mountain architecture and spotless streets. The road continues to the cedar forests of Azrou, where Barbary macaques live free. After lunch, the mountain landscapes lead on to Fes. Free time on arrival for a first look at the city, then check-in at the hotel or riad.

Day 2 — Fes el-Bali with a licensed guide

After breakfast, a licensed local guide takes you into the Fes medina, a World Heritage site and one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world. The route passes the gates of the royal palace, the Chouara tanneries and their dyeing pits, the madrasas and historical monuments, the artisan and pottery workshops, and finally the souks and centuries-old markets. It is an immersion in craft and daily life as much as a tour of monuments.

Day 3 — Sunrise over the erg, Rissani, then transfer to Fes

Wake before dawn for the sunrise over the dunes, followed by a Berber breakfast outside the camp. Camel ride back to the centre of Merzouga, then the road to Rissani, where the transfer to Fes begins. This final stage is a road journey of about seven to eight hours, in a vehicle separate from the tour's own: it follows the Ziz valley and crosses the Middle Atlas via Midelt and Ifrane, but includes no guided stops. Drop-off at your accommodation in Fes at the end of the day.

Day 1 — Fes to the Merzouga desert

An early pick-up at your accommodation in Fes. The road climbs into the Middle Atlas through Ifrane, nicknamed Morocco's Switzerland, then Azrou, where the cedar forests shelter Barbary macaques. It then drops south through mountain landscapes, valleys and Berber villages, with panoramic stops and lunch in a local restaurant. In the late afternoon the scenery turns to desert: at Merzouga the camel caravan takes you into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset, then on to camp — dinner, music and a night under the stars.

Day 2 — Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes then Fes

The densest day of the circuit, with three imperial cities. In the morning, a panoramic tour of Casablanca: the Boulevard de la Corniche and the Hassan II Mosque, whose interior visit remains optional. Then the road to Rabat, the kingdom's capital, for the royal palace of Dar el-Makhzen, the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Mohammed V mausoleum and the Hassan Tower. Then Meknes, with its ramparts, the Bab el-Mansour gate, the Agdal basin and the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Arrival in Fes in the evening, dinner and overnight there.

Day 3 — Fes, World Heritage

A full day given to Fes, with a local guide: the medina of Fes el-Bali, a World Heritage site, the al-Qarawiyyin university and the historic madrasas, the Chouara tanneries and their traditional dyeing pits, and finally the artisan workshops working in wood, pottery and textiles. Back to the hotel for dinner and the night.

Day 4 — Fes, Ifrane, Middle Atlas and back to Marrakech

After breakfast, departure for Ifrane, nicknamed Morocco's little Switzerland for its mountain architecture and its sometimes snow-covered landscapes. The road then crosses the rural villages of the Middle Atlas, including Khenifra, with a lunch stop along the way, at your own cost. The descent continues through Beni Mellal to Marrakech, where the tour ends.

Day 5 — Sunrise at Merzouga, Ziz valley, Middle Atlas and Fes

From here the circuit turns north. You rise before dawn to watch the sun come up over the dunes, with breakfast at the camp. The road runs up the Ziz valley, through some of the south's most striking palm groves, and on through the Middle Atlas cedar forests. Stops in Berber towns such as Midelt or Azrou come before you reach Fes as the day ends; dinner and breakfast are at the hotel.

Day 6 — Fes, a full guided day

Day 6, the second guided city day, is spent wholly in Fes, the spiritual capital of the country, with a licensed guide. In Fes el-Bali, the World Heritage medieval medina, your route takes in the al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university and the Bou Inania madrasa, looks down on the Chouara tanneries from the terraces and stops at the Nejjarine fountain and its woodwork museum. Crafts and history matter more here than monuments.

Day 7 — Fes, Meknes, Moulay Idriss, Rabat and Casablanca

The loop now swings west, on one of the circuit's long driving days. Crossing Middle Atlas countryside, you reach Meknes for a panoramic tour of the imperial city: Bab el-Mansour, the tomb of Moulay Ismail and the Agdal basin. After passing through the holy village of Moulay Idriss, you go on to Rabat for the Hassan Tower, the mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas. Evening brings you to Casablanca for dinner and the night.

Day 5 — Merzouga to Fes through the Ziz valley

The alarm goes before dawn for sunrise over the dunes, one of the best moments of the ten days. After breakfast you return to the village by camel or 4x4, and the loop turns north for the long run to Fes, broken up by stops: the palm-lined Ziz valley, Midelt for lunch, the Middle Atlas with its cedar forests and mountain lakes, and Ifrane, known as Morocco's little Switzerland. You pull into Fes late in the afternoon for dinner and the first of two nights.

Day 6 — Fes, a full day with a licensed guide

Day 6 belongs to Fes, the world's oldest medieval city still in daily use. A licensed guide leads you through Fes el-Bali, a UNESCO-listed medina of over nine thousand lanes, to al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest university still teaching; the Marinid-era Bou Inania madrasa; the tanneries of Chouara, watched from the terraces above them; and the artisan quarters working metal, wood, pottery and textiles. You return to the hotel during the afternoon, then dinner and a second night in Fes before the loop heads for the Rif.

Day 7 — Fes, Meknes, Volubilis and Chefchaouen

Day 7 runs from Fes into the Rif, with two stops. In the imperial city of Meknes you follow the ramparts past the Bab el-Mansour gate; at Volubilis you pause at the Roman ruins, on the World Heritage list. Then come the mountains and Chefchaouen, the blue pearl: Andalusian architecture and painted lanes to explore, with dinner and the night in town.

Day 6 — Merzouga to Fes through the Ziz valley

Up before dawn for sunrise over Erg Chebbi, then breakfast at the camp and a camel ride back to the village. The road north is full of stops: the Ziz valley and its vast palm grove, Midelt for an optional lunch break, the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, and finally Ifrane, nicknamed Morocco's little Switzerland for its architecture and mountain air. Arrival in Fes in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Fes.

Day 7 — Fes, a full guided day

A full day with a licensed guide in the country's spiritual capital: the medina of Fes el-Bali, a World Heritage site, the al-Qarawiyyin university, the oldest still operating, the Bou Inania madrasa (entry not included) and the artisan quarters, where leather, copper and zellige are worked. Back at the hotel in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Fes.

Day 8 — Fes to Chefchaouen through the Rif

The road crosses the Rif mountains, their rural landscapes and villages. Arrival in Chefchaouen, the blue city, known for its calm and its photogenic lanes. The afternoon is free: wander the painted alleys, visit the Kasbah museum, climb to the Spanish Mosque for sunset, or browse the craft workshops. Dinner and overnight in Chefchaouen.

Day 7 — Merzouga to Fes through the Ziz valley

Day 7 turns the loop north. You rise before dawn to watch the sun come up over the Sahara, and breakfast is taken in the desert before the long drive to Fes. The road follows the palm groves of the Ziz valley, passes through Midelt and crosses the Middle Atlas cedar forests; around Azrou, Barbary macaques are often seen in the trees. You reach Fes in the evening.

Day 8 — Fes, a full guided day

The second guided city day, this time with a licensed guide in Fes el-Bali, Morocco's oldest medina and one of the largest car-free areas in the world. Stops include al-Qarawiyyin, the oldest university still operating; the Bou Inania madrasa, a Marinid building whose entry fee is not included; the dyeing pits of the Chouara tanneries; pottery and zellige workshops; and, to finish, the Andalusian and Jewish quarters.

Day 9 — Fes, Meknes, Volubilis and Chefchaouen

Leaving Fes on Day 9, the road passes Meknes, an imperial city, along its ramparts and the Bab el-Mansour gate, then stops at Volubilis, whose Roman ruins are a World Heritage site. From there it climbs into the Rif to Chefchaouen, the blue pearl, where you explore its painted lanes and Andalusian architecture on foot. Dinner and the next morning's breakfast are at the hotel.

Day 5 — Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Meknes and Fes

Day 5 leaves the Rif for the centre of the country. First comes Volubilis, whose Roman ruins are listed as World Heritage, then Meknes, the imperial city of the Bab el-Mansour gate and Moulay Ismail's mausoleum. The day finishes in Fes, the spiritual and cultural capital, which you explore with a guide tomorrow. You dine and stay the night there.

Day 6 — Fes, a full guided day

Day 6 goes entirely to the Fes medina, a UNESCO site, with a licensed guide: Fes el-Bali and its al-Qarawiyyin university, the madrasa of Bou Inania, the tanneries of Chouara and the craftsmen's quarters. Back at the hotel during the afternoon; dinner and a second night in Fes.

Day 7 — Fes, Ifrane, Middle Atlas and Merzouga

From Fes the circuit swings south: a long drive, broken by several stops. First Ifrane, nicknamed the little Switzerland of Morocco, then the Middle Atlas cedar forests and their scenery, and later wide views over the Ziz valley. The drive ends at Merzouga, on the Sahara's edge, for dinner and the night, in a hotel or at the camp depending on the programme chosen.