Best Souvenir Destination

Nestled within the rugged terrain of northern Morocco lies the ancient city of Fez, a place where the oldest medina stands. Fez is a tapestry of history, culture, and tradition, offering visitors a captivating journey into the heart of Moroccan heritage. I found it similar in ways to Marrakech where everything is separated by the Medina walls. Fez is known to have one of the biggest Medina where you can enter through the Bab Bou Jeloud gate. It is filled with hundreds of thousands of alleyways, markets, and hidden gems that I would recommend hiring a tour guide for.

Within the Medina, you must visit a leather tannery. Fez is known for having the best leather in the entire country. I toured the infamous Chouara Tannery where they take you through start to finish of creating all leather goods. Hot Tip: bring a scarf to cover your nose because the smell of creating leather through pigeon poop and camel belly can be a piercing stench. Some of the tanneries will give you peppermint to breathe in so the smell doesn't distract you. Don't forget, you can bargain prices for custom goods and have a better chance of getting a lower price if you purchase multiple things. My family and I all got custom leather coats, see pics below.

Must-Do Tours...

For a dose of local craftsmanship, I would recommend taking a quick tour through the Pottery de Fez to bring home some souvenirs. It's so entertaining seeing the ceramic plates, fountains, and so much more from the beginning. Super manual process. Fez also harps on their universities and having one of the biggest female education systems in Africa. You can tour through them as they are located everywhere.

For food recommendations, the menu remains the same as a typical Moroccan dish of tajin, spiced soups, and tapas. Fez has lots of rooftop restaurants (that require hiking up 7 sets of stairs) to look over the entire medina. If you do happen to sit outside for lunch, don't be alarmed when the call to prayer echoes through the entire city. It happens 5 times a day and gets louder and louder. The majority of people living in Morocco are Muslim and pray 5 times a day. Remember that touring mosques are off limits to tourists unless visiting Casa Blanca.

Definitely make sure you add Fez to your list when touring around Morocco to enter the gates of one of the oldest Medinas to get your hands on a custom leather piece or personalized tajin ceramic.

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