Capturing the Essence: 12 Best Photo Spots in Fes, Morocco
Fes, the second largest city in Morocco, known as the religion, culture and art capital for the country over a thousand years, offered such multifaceted experience. From the UNESCO-listed labyrinthine medina, bustling souks, to the ancient architecture, every corner of Fes could be a photographer's delight. If you're looking to capture the soul of this enchanting city through your lens, here's a guide to the best photo spots in Fes, and its nearby area.
Fes sunrise
1. Volubilis (Day 5)
We arrived in Fes on day 5 of our Morocco trip, and week 21 of our family trip, after spending four days in Tangier and Chefchaouen. On our way to Fes, we made a detour to Volubilis.
Volubilis, Morocco
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Volubilis is an ancient Roman archaeological site known for its remarkably preserved ruins, including grand arches, intricately detailed mosaics, and well-preserved structures, providing a captivating glimpse into the historical richness of Roman civilization in North Africa.
Volubilis, Morocco
It was a hot day over 80F. We arrived just past noon. There was no shade. We didn’t have lunch or snacks. Our kids were hot and hungry, nor were they into Roman history or ruins. You get the picture.
I wasn’t keen on taking too many photos, whether landscape or portrait, during the mid-day anyway. Several tour bus dumped big group of tourists, so it was hard to get a clean shot without including strangers.
In short, our Volubilis tour was hasty. There was a cafe/restaurant at the site. We took an ice cream break and continued our journey.
Volubilis, Morocco
Photo Tip:
If you have the chance to visit Volubilis in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is not so high, you could capture the unique aspect of Morocco that does not look like Morocco at all.
Similar timing would also work for any medinas, souks in Morocco, where streets are typically narrow and crowded. It’s easier to take photos when there were less crowd, less contrast on the buildings.
However, in real practice, Morocco towns do not start their day until at least 9am or even later. So if you want to capture the vibrant energy in the souks and medinas, you can’t go too early.
In case you are not familiar with the definition of medina, souk, riad and other Morocco terms, see my post 17-Day Road Trip Itinerary In Morocco - Part 1: Tangier, Chefchaouen
Volubilis, Morocco
Orion nearly lost his 8th pair of sun-glasses in Volubilis. (By the way he left a trace of lost sunglasses in Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Italy, Turkey, Montenegro and Romania). To our surprise, we found it this time. But it cost us extra time.
With multiple stops for sightseeing, food, and rest on the way, we spent nearly 8 hours from Chefchaouen to Fes.
Volubilis, Morocco
Logistical Tip
The drive from Chefchaouen to Fes takes about 3.5 hours. We spent 3 hours to drive to Volubilis, and another 1.5 hours to Fes.
If you fly to Fes, you could easily take a day tour to Volubilis, and/or Meknes. We skipped the latter, as Meknes from our research seemed to be similar to Fes, but a lot smaller on scale.
Our rule of thumb when traveling with kids: whatever the drive time estimated by google map, double that and you’ll get actual travel time on the road. Therefore, we typically budget our daily drive distance no more than 3-4 hours by google map, as that translates into 6-8 actual hours on the road.
Fes (Day 5-8)
We spent a total of 4 nights in Fes, partly because of its size, its historical and cultural significance, partly because we wanted to slow down our pace.
Fes in sunrise
Upon arrival, we signed up a private tour guide through Riad Batchisarai, our accommodation in Fes. It turned out to be a great decision.
Even we had visited two other Morocco towns prior, and mentally prepared for how much we’d see and learn about Fes, we were still overwhelmed. Without our tour guide on day 6 (the second day we arrived), we would have easily got lost in the maze of Fes medina, or didn’t even know where to start. On day 7 and 8, we tried to revisit some places the tour guide showed us, and still couldn’t locate them.
Here are some unique photo subjects and locations in Fes that you might not want to miss.
2. Fes El Bali - Fes medina
The Fes medina, called Fes El Bali, is considered one of the most extensive and best conserved historic towns of the Arab-Muslim world.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the largest car-free urban area in the world, covering 540 acres. Compared to Fes medina, the Tangier and Chefchaouen medinas we visited were tiny.
Fes medina during sunset
We walked through Fes medina everyday during our visit. Even on the last day, we still had to heavily rely on phone GPS to navigate us through the labyrinth of narrow alleys that could go any direction, as none of us could confidently remember even the last turn to the riad.
Logistical Tip
If you decide to walk around Fes Medina without a tour guide, make sure to have phone reception and a reliable GPS app. Imagine the moment you enter the medina, you are entering a maze.
We used iPhone and AT&T international package ($10/day). I bought a Europe SIM card in Germany in the first week of our travel, and used dual SIM cards in the first 2-3 months, but didn’t find it to be super useful. AT&T seemed to work in all the countries we have traveled, including Albania, when my German SIM card didn’t work. Even in countries both SIMs worked, sometimes I still found AT&T worked better. So eventually I gave up the German SIM card.
Google map was my go to navigation app. It worked in all the countries, although sometimes locals (eg. in Romania) advised us to use Waze over Google map or Apple map. There were occasional mistakes, but most time it worked pretty well.
Last but not least, don’t rely on your memory to navigate the Fes medina. You’ll thank me for that.
Fes medina was my most photographed subject and location in Fes. There were places we walked by multiple times, and I repeatedly photographed, but I still wouldn’t be able to tell their relative locations to each other.
3. Ceramics Factory
Our tour guide introduced us a ceramic pottery manufacturer outside the medina. Among all the arts and craftsman workshops we visited that day, this was our favorite.
We visited multiple workshops featuring artisans with different skills in the process to produce the ceramic products. Our kids interacted with the factory representative asking questions, and paying attention to the workers.
In the showroom, we also learned the unique style and culture each design and pattern represents.
It was very tempting, but we didn’t buy any souvenirs after the factory tour. It was so much more meaningful to collect memory than things.
4. Fes Souk
Most of the following workshops we visited in Fes souk feature traditional Fes art craftsmanship, which is renowned for its intricate and colorful designs, often showcasing geometric patterns, Arabic calligraphy, Berber symbols.
👉 Leather tanneries
Fes is famous for its traditional leather tanneries, where workers use ancient methods to process and dye leather.
The Chouara Tannery, dating back to the 11th century, is a major attraction where visitors can witness this traditional craftsmanship.
The tannery had strong smells. Before going to the terrace to see it, we were offered to smell mint, something I never knew could mitigate the attack from strong or unfriendly smells.
👉 Ornate metalwork
Skilled artisans forge and embellish copper, brass, and silver, often with design blueprint only in their head, creating a stunning array of traditional Moroccan lanterns, trays, teapots and decorative items.
👉 Finely woven carpets
Skilled artisans employ traditional techniques to weave intricate patterns and vibrant colors, creating carpets that reflect rich cultural heritage and meticulous attention to detail.
👉 Spice markets
I was less interested in the spice than the diverse arrangement or display of the spice. Sometimes spices were piled up in triangles with clean edges, sometimes in bags perfectly organized. They were the perfect subjects for photo lovers.
👉 Textile
Skilled artisans weave textiles with traditional techniques, producing a kaleidoscope of vivid patterns and textures that embody Fes’ cultural richness and artistic heritage.
While we enjoyed learning the culture and history about various arts and craftsmanship from experts during our guided tour, most of these workshops were very salesy in the end.
We did revisit the metal craftsman store the following day and bought a traditional Moroccan teapot for my husband’s birthday. Out of a long journey of more than 20 weeks, this was the only souvenir we acquired.
👉Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts and Crafts
We bypassed this on our guided tour and visited the museum on our own. Without experts and sales talk this time, we felt more relaxed to learn things on our own. On the other hand, our study could be superficial.
The museum with its wooden facade, traditional motifs, and a rooftop terrace could offer interesting photo opportunities both as subject and vantage point.
However, at the time of our visit, the lobby was full and seemed to host an event. Our kids were hungry and kept whining. So I took few photos and had to rush for family lunch break.
5. Borj Nord
A historic fortress and watchtower that dates back to the 16th century. Perched on a hill outside Fes medina, it offers panoramic views of the ancient city of Fes and its surrounding landscapes.
Borj Nord in sunset
golden hour sunset hike at Borj Nord, Fes Morocco
We went there the first time by car with our tour guide, and the second time by walk.
Although google map showed 28 minutes walk from our riad, our riad manager pointed us a short cut that took much less time. The only trick was crossing the road, or Morocco freeway, before climbing up to Borj Nord.
Photo Tip
For best photo result, go to Borj Nord during sunset (or sunrise). See comparison of midday shot (above) and sunset shots (below).
For shots taken from the same spot, compare the golden hour photo (below left) to blue hour one (below right). Both give you softer light than during the day, with warm tone during the golden hour and cool tone during the blue hour.
If you are a beginner amateur photographer, golden hours might be your sweet spot time slot. The light is friendly for both landscape and portrait photography. You usually have to use tripod or avoid handheld camera position for landscape photos in blue hour. You want to avoid candid photos of running kids or street photography during the blue hour. If you’d like to learn more, check out my free video training on candid travel photos.
Mid-day photo in strong sunlight is too harsh. But if you have no choice about the travel time, you can still take good photos with the right angle and composition. It’s suboptimal but doable.
6. Cafe Clock
This was a random find. We visited the cafe with the same name in Chefchaouen, and was intrigued when we ran into another Cafe Clock in Fes.
It turned out to be a great place to photograph Fes medina from high above, within the medina.
It even allowed me to photograph Bou Inania Madrasa, a landmark we saw often.
7. Bou Inania Madrasa
Bou Inania Madrasa is an architectural masterpiece renowned for its Islamic geometric patterns, stunning tilework, and serene courtyard. It’s not only one of the most important religious institutions of Fes and Morocco, but also a remarkable cultural and historical site.
We didn’t visit inside but this piece of landmark could be seen from Cafe Clock (below left), a colorful street in the medina (below middle) and the rooftop of our riad (below right).
8. Zawiya of Moulay Idris II
A significant religious and historical site in Fes, Morocco. A zawiya is an Islamic religious school, and this particular zawiya is dedicated to Moulay Idris II, credited with founding the city of Fes. Its minaret is the tallest in Fez medina, and is one of the most visible and easily identifiable buildings on the Fes Medina skyline.
Zawiya of Moulay Idris II seen from Riad Batchisarai during sunrise
You can also find it in my photos taken from Borj Nord above. Here’s another one taken from the roof of Chouara Tannery.
9. University Kairaouine
Founded in 859 AD, the University Kairaouine (also known as University of Al Quaraouiyine) in Fes is recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously operating educational institution in the world.
Unfortunately, it was closed due to renovation. We could only take a quick peep from its front gate (below left).
Its minaret is also one of the prominent landmarks in Fes and can be easily found from the Fes skyline (below right)
10. Riad Batchisarai
Similar to Tangier, I spent most of my sunrises and sunsets on the rooftop of our riad. It was less fancy and stylish than Dar 35 in Tangier but offered me great vantage point to enjoy the landscape and Fes skyline.
Although the foreground was not so clean, I still enjoyed the colors, and the most densely packed cityscape I’ve ever seen and captured.
Fes in sunrise, from rooftop of Riad Batchisarai
Logistical Tip
When I booked our dars and riads in Morocco, mostly through airbnb or bookings.com, my key criteria was if the location got a high score in the review.
A great location is essential to improve your chances to get great photos. Either it has a great view, or can save you time to access to major landmarks or point of interests.
I would sometimes even look at the map and figure out the distance (eg. walk or drive time) between the accommodation and my most anticipated photo locations. Check listing photos and sense what kind of view or surroundings I’ll get. If necessary, I would pay premium for the location.
11. City Gates
Fes has 14 city gates, according to our tour guide. While the Blue Gate is most well known, each of Fes’ city gates contributes to the historical and architectural richness of the city.
While there was a lot to see in the medina within the gates, it was worthwhile to walk outside and see Fes from a different perspective.
We walked in and out of several gates, checking out Fes medina from different directions. This provided us opportunities to discover off the beaten paths beyond tourist hot spots commonly mentioned online or by a tour guide.
Sometimes my favorite photos were taken at unknown places. This could be great, as you want to be you but not everyone else. You want to capture something unique, and not repeat those from others.
12. Fes Royal Palace
Also known as Dar al-Makhzen, Fes Royal Palace is a majestic architectural complex, featuring intricate golden gates and ornate tiles, serving as an official residence for the King of Morocco during royal visits and ceremonies. It’s located outside Fes medina and takes less than 15 minutes by car.
Fes is a photographer's dream, a city where every corner tells a story of centuries past. As you explore these best photo spots, remember to engage with the locals, immerse yourself in the culture, and let the unique charm of Fes unfold through your lens. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or a casual traveler with a camera, Fes offers an endless array of visual treasures waiting to be captured and shared.
Coming up next, Sahara Dunes and our journey through the desert, possibly our favorite part of our Morocco trip.
Click here to see the route map of our entire 17-day Morocco road trip.
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