Fes

The Idrisids founded Fes at the end of the 8th century, and for centuries it was Morocco's capital of learning and trade. Its medina, Fes el Bali and Fes Jdid, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1981 and is the largest car-free urban area in the world.

At its heart stands Al-Qarawiyyin, founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 and counted among the oldest working universities in the world, surrounded by Marinid madrasas such as Bou Inania and Al-Attarine with their carved plaster, cedar and zellige. At the Chouara tannery hides are still dyed in stone vats as they have been for centuries.

The lanes of Fes are narrow and branching, so we arrange your visit with a licensed Arabic-speaking guide. From Fes there are short trips to imperial Meknes and the Roman site of Volubilis, and Chefchaouen lies about three and a half hours to the north.