Fes With Kids - Our Ultimate Family Guide
Is Fes worth visiting?
When we first arrived in Fes, were a little surprised at the sight of the streets surrounding the old medina, being extremely chaotic and run down. We wondered if we’d made a mistake adding this city to our travel list, but we parked up, found our way into the labyrinth of streets making up the old medina, and soon discovered the magic of the place, having our minds completely changed for the better. The further into the heart of the media we wandered, the more the alleyways came to life, filled with colourful stalls selling fabrics, fruits, and ornaments, being sold by such industrious, enthusiastic workers. This place was filled with rustic charm and so much character. It reminded us of how a more traditional Marrakech would have been before all the tourists arrived. We’d recommend staying in Fes for a minimum of 2 nights, but the longer the better.
Food tasting in Fes souk with kids
How many days in Fes?
We’d recommend staying in Fes for a minimum of 2 nights, which is the time scale we had, however, any longer would be an added bonus as there is a fantastic amount to see and do. You need at least a full day to explore Fes old medina, bearing in mind, that you will most likely spend a considerable amount of time wandering through the streets and souks, trying to find your way back to a point of recognition, which may sound quite stressful, but if you can embrace it, it really is half the fun.
Mosque architecture admiring in Fes
Fes Morocco weather / Best time to visit Fes
Weather in Fes lends itself to travel most comfortably with children during the Spring, from March to May, and also in Autumn, from September to October. This will allow you to skip the extremely high temperatures which arrive across the summer, in June, July, and August. There is so much to see outdoors that you’ll want to be comfortable sightseeing, especially if you’re travelling with children. Dodging the sweltering month of August will also help to minimise crowds, as this is the busiest time of year for tourism in Fes.
Also worth noting, is when the holy month of Ramadan falls, as this will affect the opening hours of most restaurants, shops, and attractions, with many shutting altogether. Remember, the specific dates of Ramadan change slightly every year, so make sure to distinguish when they are before planning your trip to Morocco.
Doorway in Fes
How to get around Fes
Like many medinas in Morocco, Fes is a car-free zone, which is probably great news if you’re travelling with children, eliminating that constant worry of keeping them out of harm’s way of any oncoming traffic. We took with us a stroller, which came in use when little legs became tired, however even better than this, we found, was our baby carrier. At times within the alleyways of the medina, we were passed by mules and donkeys, pulling carts and carrying loads, and we always had to remember to get the stroller well out of the way. We found the baby carrier to be far easier to navigate through the streets. Outside of Fes Medina, you will be able to drive and get public buses and taxis to take you around. We found driving to be relatively straightforward, aside from regular traffic jams, lots of horn honking, and having to dodge the occasional stray dog crossing the road.
Rooftops in Fes
Alleyway in Fes old medina
Where to stay in Fes
Although the old medina of Fes may seem too chaotic at a glance to find a quiet abode to stay in, this is actually not true and is actually the place where we’d highly recommend staying. You will be based in the heart of all the action, without having to travel far, and also the design of the riads within the medina are purposefully built with an inwards facing structure around a courtyard, so noise is kept out surprisingly well. There is a great range of accommodations to stay at, varying in price, from budget to luxury. We’d recommend booking a stay at Le Cle De Fes, which is where we based ourselves whilst in Fes. This place is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful accommodations we’ve ever stayed in on all of our travels, with stunning decor, attentive staff, and even a small pool to cool down in and relax around.
Click here to read more about our stay at Le Cle De Fes
Le Cle De Fes
Best restaurants in Fes
Café Clock
This hip quirky place serving a mixture of meat and vegetarian dishes is a very popular place to eat and hang out amongst locals and tourists alike. Make sure you book a table in advance if you would like to eat here on an evening, as it gets fully booked very quickly. This place also offers cooking classes and has its own movie night screening in a room with vintage seats.
The Ruined Garden
Set amidst a crumbling riad, this restaurant offers a unique location to guests and has a wonderful romantic vibe, with grounds full of plants and foliage. They offer delicious meat, vegetarian, and vegan dishes, being mostly a great selection of tapas.
Darori Resto
This place is based within a house in the middle of the Medina and although difficult to find, if you can navigate the labyrinth of streets to get here, you will be rewarded with the most delicious traditional Moroccan food, all freshly prepared and cooked.
Veggie Pause
Offering only vegetarian food, Veggie Pause is a refreshing small restaurant that serves absolutely delicious food, both Moroccan dishes, pasta, and pizza, accompanied by friendly and warm staff.
212pizzeria
If you’re travelling with kids, who have had enough of Moroccan cuisine, we’d recommend a quick pizza from this place. Although only a small eatery, it serves up delicious pizza quickly.
Things to do in Fes
Explore Fes El Bali
Wonder and marvel at the old medina of Fes. Children will find exploring here very exciting, with the mass of colour, sights, and smells, but remember to keep them close at hand. Although this place is the largest car-free urban area in the world, there are donkeys and mules pulling carts, that come ploughing through the alleys and don’t take any prisoners. It’s rather easy to get lost in the labyrinth of streets for new visitors, so our travel tip here is to always have your accommodation name and address or place of interest you aim to get to at hand, in order to ask for directions. Don’t let this put you off though, we actually thoroughly enjoyed getting lost and found fascinating scenes around every corner.
Fes El Bali
Take a private tour
Having a guide to assist you in navigating your way around the old medina can be really useful, and can help to take the pressure off getting to points of interest. We took a 3-hour private tour and it was really interesting to learn more about the city of Fes from a knowledgeable local.
Click here for an example tour.
Visit Chouara Tannery
Probably the most famous sight in Fes is the largest of the leather dying tanneries in the heart of the old medina. Large round stone holes in the ground are filled with colourful dye, which is used to soften and dye animal hide which is submerged in the pots. The kids will be utterly disgusted yet intrigued when they find out the substance in the holes is a mixture of cow urine and pigeon poop! Be one step ahead and make sure if you or the kids are sensitive to smell, bring a nose plug, the smell is strong!
You’ll have to pass through one of the leather shops that surround the tanneries and emerge on their balcony for the best views. Shop owners are fine with this in exchange for a small tip or if you buy something from their establishment. Children will find seeing the process fascinating and it will no doubt spark some interesting conversations on the topic of leather. Our recommendation is don’t hold back explaining to the kids the entire process...what is leather, where it comes from, and how some humans use it, we thought it was an important lesson for our daughter Carmen to learn.
Chouara Tannery
A Medina Photo Scavenger Hunt
Add an extra spark into sightseeing for the kids and create a scavenger photo hunt, which entails hunting through the streets of Fes for specific things as part of a competition. You could have a hit list for example of; red carpet, leather bag, gold watch, Moroccan plate, mule, tagine, Moroccan flag, etc. You could complete it as a whole family, or if confident enough, split off into two teams and compete against each other. Adapt it if you have very young kids, adding in easier sights for them to find!
Fes Old Medina
Haggle for souvenirs
Give the kids some pocket money and set them the challenge of buying a souvenir for the best price possible. Stall owners are used to negotiating for the end price, so help introduce them into the world of haggling. Maybe if there’s more than one child they could compete with one another.
Fes souk stall
Diamant Vert Waterpark
This resort is a great option if visiting with kids, which can be found a few minute’s drive outside the city centre of Fes. They offer a number of different pools along with slides, a playground, and restaurants.
Jnan Sbil Jeloud Gardens
Offering a tranquil break from the medina maze, these relaxing gardens are the perfect place to let the kids off the leash, with lots of space, shaded paths, fountains, and peacocks.
Borj Nord and the Merenid Tombs
Sitting on the hilltop overlooking Fes, with great views of the old media, this area offers an escape to the narrow chaotic streets, and children can run wild! The best route to get there with kids is to jump in a taxi up to Merenid Tombs, explore there, and then walk up to Borj Nor. This fortress is home to a weapons museum, which some kids may find interesting, with the opportunity to see cannons. Don’t go back down the way you came up, instead continue walking down into the medina.
Merenid Tombs
Moroccan cooking class
Learn with your children how to cook traditional Moroccan cuisine, with a local chef/ family. Make the experience really personal by buying all your ingredients fresh from the market and allow your guide to show you how to barter like a true local and prepare the dishes from scratch.
Click here for an example cooking class
Moroccan cooking class
Learn traditional Moroccan crafts
Why not try your dab hand at bookbinding, brass etching, or drawing Islamic geometric patterns (the best bet for children aged 8 and above.)
Moroccan arts and crafts
Visit Rainbow Street
This is the most child-friendly alley in the whole of Fes, where the floor and walls have been painted with an array of vibrant colours and patterns, rugs, and pictures line the walls, and souvenirs are stacked high to buy along the sides. Rainbow Street connects Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira if trying to find it without a guide.
Get a henna tattoo
If your kids are like ours and love a good stick-on children’s tattoo they will no doubt feel super cool getting a natural henna tattoo. It only takes about 30 minutes to dry and lasts for around a week. The designs are intricate and beautiful and will give them an appreciation of Moroccan patterns and the traditional practice of henna.
Click here for an example henna tattoo artist.
Henna tattoo
