Fes

Currency

The dirham cannot be bought abroad, so change on arrival at a bank or licensed bureau and keep the receipt to change back. The medina runs on cash — the tanneries, the food stalls, the man who guides you out when you are lost — and small notes matter more here than anywhere.

ATMs & cards

Attijariwafa, Banque Populaire and BMCE machines sit at the medina gates rather than inside it, because there is no vehicle access. Every Moroccan machine charges about 25 dirhams a withdrawal. Take out enough at Bab Boujloud before you go in.

Every Moroccan machine charges about 25 dirhams a withdrawal. Take out enough at Bab Boujloud before you walk in, because there are no cars and no banks inside.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Crime against visitors is rare and the medina is safer than it feels when you are lost in it. The hassle is the thing to prepare for: unofficial guides attach themselves at the gates, insist they are taking you to a viewpoint, and expect payment. A firm "la, shukran" and continuing to walk works. Do not follow anyone who says the road ahead is closed — it is not.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies for longer stays — stray dogs and cats are everywhere

Getting treated

Private clinics in Marrakesh and Casablanca are reasonable and inexpensive, and expect cash or an insurance guarantee up front. Public hospitals are basic. Pharmacies are excellent, widespread and can dispense a lot without a prescription.

Do not drink the tap water. Stomach upsets are the most common complaint by a distance.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Fes is where Moroccan cooking is taken most seriously: pastilla, harira, and a tagine cooked slowly rather than assembled for a tour group. Eat where there is no menu in English. The street food around Bab Boujloud is safe and good, and the mint tea is poured from a height for a reason.

Getting around

• Walking — the medina has 9,000 lanes and no cars; a handcart or a donkey is the only freight, and both have right of way
• Petit taxi — red, metered, and only useful outside the walls
• Hire a guide for the first morning — an official one from the tourist office, which costs little and saves hours
• Train — the ONCF line to Casablanca and Marrakech is comfortable and cheap, and the Al Boraq high-speed line reaches Tangier
• Airport: Fès-Saïss is 20 minutes out, with flights from across Europe

Internet speed

Broadband here runs at 46% of the global median of 128 Mbps. Mobile runs at 68% of the global median of 110 Mbps.

Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · measured May 2026

Must-see

Things to do

• Get lost in Fes el-Bali on purpose, then hire a guide and see what you missed
• Look down on the Chouara tannery from a leather shop terrace
• See the courtyard of the Bou Inania madrasa
• Eat pastilla, which is pigeon, cinnamon and sugar and should not work
• Watch the brass beaters in Place Seffarine
• Take the train up to Tangier or across to Marrakech

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Arabic

• Helloمرحبا — MarhabaMAR-ha-ba
• Pleaseمن فضلك — Min fadlakmin FAD-lak
• Thank youشكرا — ShukranSHOOK-ran
• Yes / Noنعم / لا — Na’am / LaNA-am / la
• Excuse meعفوا — AfwanAF-wan
• How much is it?بكم — Bikam?bi-KAM
• The bill, pleaseالحساب — Al-hisabal-hi-SAB
• Welcomeأهلا وسهلا — Ahlan wa sahlanAH-lan wa SAH-lan

Inshallah, meaning God willing, follows nearly any statement about the future and is conversational rather than religious.

Religion

Sunni Muslim

Islam is the state religion and the king holds religious authority. Non-Muslims may not enter most mosques — the Hassan II in Casablanca is the main exception. Ramadan changes opening hours everywhere.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Haggle in the souks — the first price is an opening, and good humour is part of it
• Dress modestly, particularly women and particularly away from tourist areas
• Use the right hand for eating and giving
• Accept mint tea; it is the standard gesture of welcome

Don't

• Do not follow unofficial guides who offer to show you the way in the medina; the help ends in a demand
• Do not photograph people, market stalls or performers without asking — payment will be expected
• Do not enter mosques unless you are Muslim; almost all are closed to visitors
• Do not show public affection, and avoid discussing the monarchy critically