Fes 1-day itinerary

Start early at the Bou Inania Madrasa, one of the finest examples of Marinid architecture in Morocco. The intricate zellige tilework, carved cedar wood, and stucco plasterwork are staggering in their detail — built in the 1350s and still functioning as a place of worship. From here, plunge into the Fes el-Bali medina, the world's largest car-free urban zone and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. The narrow alleyways twist through 9,000 lanes — donkeys and handcarts are the only transport. Follow the main artery of Talaa Kebira downhill past spice stalls, copperware workshops, and bakeries pulling round loaves from wood-fired ovens.

Navigate to the Chouara Tanneries — Fes's most iconic sight. View the honeycomb of stone dyeing vats from the leather shop terraces above: workers knee-deep in pigeon-dung solutions and vats of saffron yellow, poppy red, indigo blue, and mint green, using methods unchanged since the 11th century. The smell is powerful. Continue to Al-Qarawiyyin University, founded in 859 CE and recognised by UNESCO as the oldest continuously operating educational institution in the world. Non-Muslims cannot enter the prayer hall, but the restored courtyard is visible through the main doors and the surrounding lanes are fascinating.

Return through the medina as the evening call to prayer echoes across the city. Dine at a traditional riad — a restored courtyard house — where multi-course Fassi cuisine is served on low brass tables: harira soup thick with lentils and tomatoes, slow-cooked lamb tagine with prunes and almonds, and flaky pastilla (pigeon or chicken pie dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar), finished with fresh mint tea poured from height. Many riads have rooftop terraces with views across the medina minarets and the hills of the Merenid tombs glowing under floodlights.