Fez Morocco holiday

posted 4th September 2026 by Danica Wilson in Destinations

Fez, Morocco

the city that gives Morocco its soul

Some destinations round out a journey. Fez redefines it.

As Morocco’s oldest imperial city, Fez carries over a thousand years of history inside its walls. Its medina weaves together Arab, Amazigh, Andalusian and Jewish heritage, visible in every doorway, madrasa and workshop you pass; you really do feel it. It’s a Fez feeling and it gives me tingles down my spine just thinking about our time there over the years.

Now from first-hand experience, we know that Fez isn’t somewhere you just tick off a list. This one you enter intentionally, with fascination to explore, and you’ll come back different. We almost bought a Riad; we loved it so much (but of course came back to Australia to have children!)

Why Fez deserves more than a passing stop

So this is just based on how we felt… Walk into the medina, and the modern western world that’s so familiar to you somehow falls away. Narrow lanes open onto hidden courtyards. Fondouks and bakeries sit beside centuries-old madrasas and smell so delicious (taste great too). In small workshops, leather, wood, metal and ceramics are still shaped entirely by hand, the same way they have been for generations. And the donkeys! They push past you and love a pat.

This is why we always recommend at least two nights (ok don’t ask me because I’d say stay for 4 nights!) in Fez. One full day, guided by a local expert, barely scratches the surface of its history and craft. A second evening lets you begin to feel the city’s quieter rhythm, once the crowds of the day have faded and the medina settles into itself and local life unfolds right before your eyes.

I love first thing in the morning, out on the alleyways before other tourists still tucked up in bed, that first call to prayer, the smell of strong coffee and the energy on the streets.

So for clients drawn to culture, architecture, food and craftsmanship, Fez is unmissable. Of course it pairs beautifully with Marrakech too. Where Marrakech brings energy and contemporary flair, Fes offers the roots: the traditions that still shape Morocco today. And don’t miss the creative coastal hub, Essaouira. It’s a historic (ok, very windy) port city that is so famous for its relaxed beach vibe, it’s Insta friendly blue and white medina and the seafood… don’t get me started!

But let’s get back to Fez.

A stay that becomes part of the story

In a city like this one, what matters is where you sleep and where you wander. For us, your sleep should be part of the story… so we gravitate to places like Palais Faraj, a nineteenth-century palace built for the Bensouda family and restored into one of the medina’s most memorable addresses. You see it had a ‘hey day’ and then when Fez lost its status as capital in favour of Casablanca, many of the families departed – some abandoned their immense homes that were becoming too difficult to maintain. This was the case for Bensouda Palace; it was gradually abandoned over the twentieth century until 2000, when it fell into ruins.

Then came along Driss Faceh, a proud Moroccan, the youngest of a family of nine children (and self-made man), and his wife Evelyne (1944 – 2013), and they saved it, renovating and restoring it to its former glory without betraying what it once was.

The palace is beautifully set on the southern edge of the old city, so it’s really easy to reach by car. Once you enter those impressive doors, you’re in another world. Just think of elevated terraces that open up to sweeping views across rooftops, minarets and ancient walls.

There are luxury suites, an impressive hammam and spa, an outdoor swimming pool, restaurants and a bar with perhaps the best views in the house over the entire medina.

After a full day immersed in the maze of the old city, it’s the perfect place to pause and let the day settle.

Meet the masters behind the mosaics

Once you’ve admired the intricate tilework across Fez’s palaces and fountains, the natural next step is to see how it’s made.

Zellige is Morocco’s centuries-old art of hand-cut glazed tile mosaics, and Fez remains its heartland. Master artisans, known as maalems, spend years learning the shapes, colours and geometry required to bring a design to life. Remarkably, they piece each mosaic together face down, building it in reverse from memory before flipping it to reveal the finished pattern.

We can arrange a private visit to a working zellige atelier, where clients meet the artisans, watch local clay transformed into glazed tile, and even try shaping the geometric pieces themselves. It’s a rare, hands-on window into a craft that has shaped Moroccan design for centuries, and one of the most memorable experiences we offer in Fez.