Two days in Fes, Morocco

Fes Tanneries

Our third stop in Morocco was Fes. It's the third largest city in Morocco, apparently. It also has a large Medina but not as big as Marrakesh and personally I liked it better!

After a quick rooftop breakfast at our hotel (in Marrakesh), we hopped into a cab and headed to the train station. Onboard, we struck up a conversation with a Chinese American traveler—he was super chatty and incredibly friendly. He got off in Casablanca, while we continued the journey to Fes, which took around 8 hours in total.

View from the train

The train ride was eventful. We met a few interesting characters, including someone we’re now pretty sure was trying to scam us. He kept pushing us to hire an "official" tour guide. Luckily, we didn’t fall for it, but the whole interaction felt off. Oh well, at least he provided some entertainment :-) 

Once we arrived in Fes, we grabbed a petit taxi to our Dar—a traditional Moroccan guesthouse, similar to a riad but even more private, with fewer rooms. It was charming and cozy. 

Our room

After checking in, the owner kindly walked us to the Blue Gate, one of the city's most iconic spots, where we had dinner. No alcohol was served, and the food was just okay.

Dinner in Fes, Morocco

We wrapped up the night with a shower and headed to bed, ready to explore more of Fes the next day!

We started the next day with another lovely breakfast on the rooftop—always a great way to begin the morning. 

Breakfast

View from the rooftop

Afterward, we took a cab to the CTM bus station to buy tickets for our trip to the Blue City tomorrow.

Once that was sorted, we headed back by cab to the Blue Gate and wandered through the medina. Since it was Friday, the Islamic holy day, many shops were closed, so the medina had a quieter, more relaxed vibe.

We visited the famous tanneries and stopped by an argan oil cooperative, then eventually made our way out of the medina and found a random rooftop restaurant for lunch. The portions were massive! The food was okay, but honestly, Moroccan cuisine hasn’t really won me over just yet.

After lunch, we began walking back to our Dar… and got completely lost. Luckily, a kind local woman—who didn’t speak any English—noticed and walked with us. Somehow, we ended up emerging onto a familiar street, but from the opposite direction we expected. It felt like we’d stepped through a portal. Pure magic.