Fes on a budget: free viewpoints and sights under 30 MAD
Marinid Tombs at sunset, Jnan Sbil garden, Seffarine square, low-cost medersas: Fes offers a lot without spending much.
- Cost:
- Free to ≈ 20 MAD per visit
The best viewpoints, free
The Marinid Tombs, on the hill north of the medina, offer the finest view over Fes el-Bali, especially late in the afternoon when the light turns the rooftops golden and the call to prayer rises from the city. Walk up from Bab Guissa (about twenty minutes uphill) or take a petit taxi. Borj Nord, right next to it, has a similar view.
On the other side, Borj Sud offers a quieter, often less crowded view.
Inside the medina
Jnan Sbil, between Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, is a large, restored public garden, free to enter and perfect for a breather. Seffarine square, where coppersmiths hammer metal, is free to watch. For the tanneries, leather shop terraces provide the view: entry is free, but a purchase or a small tip is expected. Come in the morning, when the vats are most colourful.
The Bou Inania and Al Attarine medersas can be visited for a modest fee, around 20 MAD. They are among the finest examples of Marinid art in the country.
Eating for less
Fes is one of the best cities in Morocco for eating on the go: bissara (fava bean soup) in the morning, msemen and harcha for breakfast, skewers and kefta sandwiches at lunch, all for a few dozen dirhams. Choose stalls busy with locals: high turnover means fresh food.
In practice
- Marinid Tombs: free, best at sunset.
- Jnan Sbil: free public garden.
- Bou Inania and Al Attarine medersas: ≈ 20 MAD each (indicative).
- Tanneries: come in the morning, small tip expected.
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