Free Walking Tour for Fes {Plus Tips & Recommendations}

My AMAZING long weekend in Fes, Morocco has truly inspired me to continue my travels through North Africa and I want you to have the same opportunity! Planning a trip is tough. There are so many factors to consider and identifying trusted recommendations is tricky.

That’s why I’ve put together this FREE Weekend Guide to Fez, Morocco for you to take advantage of. This is a ‘turn-key’ solution – i.e. you follow it step-by-step for the ultimate long weekend away on any budget! It’s complete with:

• Flight Recommendations
• Hotel
• FREE Walking Tour/Guide Recommendation
• Spa
• Restaurants
• Costs Calculator

Flights

I stole away from London by taking a Ryanair flight from Stansted Airport in the northern outskirts of London. We flew out Wednesday night and returned late Sunday afternoon. It appears Ryanair only flies to Fez on both those days so feel free to mix and match according to preference.

In November, I booked our flight in February because I waited for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals to hit. If you wait for National Holidays (or big annual sales) to book, you’re more likely to snap up a deal like me. In total, for two people, I paid £115 GBP!!

That’s LESS than I spend on a big night out in London, to be honest. Why party harty, when you can fly away to a far-off land instead?  Below are my actual flights and final total for two people, round trip!

Hotel

I would absolutely recommend staying with Dar 7 Louyat because they made my experience in Fez that much more memorable. I’ve written a more detailed blog post on them – here – but let’s recap. Traveling along as a woman can be daunting.

For this excursion, I traveled with one of my best friends (and bridesmaid!) so I wasn’t too nervous about the experience. The staff and packaged experience at Dar 7 Louyat absolutely made the difference because I had nothing to worry about while I was with them.

Benefits:

• Breakfast was included and contained gluten-free, lactose-free, AND vegetarian options
• An affordable Medina guide who spoke perfect English was provided (if so we desired)
• The riad doubled as a fabulous restaurant so every night, we had dinner at 7 pm in the comfort of our own courtyard (150 MADpp)
• The riad organized hotel/airport transfer with a private taxi service so there was always someone waiting for us
• Located in the heart of the Medina, we were a short 5-minute walk from everything

I‘ve lived abroad for many years and love helping others find work abroad and figure out their “Move Abroad Plan.” Check out my class below to get you started ASAP!

Walking Tour/Guide

For every Medina tour, Thami (Tommy) – our guide – buys 100 pieces of small chocolates for the local children and elderly folk. Everywhere we went, he was being hugged and kissed by the masses. He says that, although he can’t help with money, he can make someone’s day just a little bit sweeter.

His popularity is probably less about the candy and more about the opportunity for people to connect with him – albeit briefly – in a fast-paced world, which typically favors the powerful over the vulnerable. Thami is the heart of the Medina and it was such a privilege to be a guest in his world!

Contact:

Ktiri Thami
212 668 359329
ktirithami@yahoo.fr
Speaks: English, French, Spanish and German

OR if you’re looking to do a walking tour on your own, you can download my Medina walking tour on Google Maps right onto your phone!

Spa

Hammam is very affordable in Fez, but we decided to treat ourselves to an extravagant day filled with spa, hammam, and REALLY intimate body scrubs 😉 We took a 20 MAD cab to the Givenchy Spa for the most intimate spa experience of my life. First, we took a leisurely bath in their jacuzzi pool as we overlooked the Fez skyline.

Then we took a two-hour nap in the privacy of our own jacuzzi room because – why not? We had nowhere to be. There was no wifi in the vicinity. So instead, we read, relaxed, and enjoyed doing absolutely nothing.

We enjoyed:

• Hammam (Turkish Bath on marble tables/tile)
• Body Scrum (they bathe you like a baby)
• Facials
• Massage

I felt completely REBORN after my experience and the estheticians were some of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. They were so delicate with my skin… but not delicate enough where they were doing me a disservice.

Restaurants

To be honest, we only tried two whilst we were in the Medina mostly because we were so tired from touring all over Fes during the day that we just didn’t have the energy to keep wandering about.

Fortunately for us, our riad was also an amazing restaurant so every day we came home to a magnificent meal at the foot of our bedroom.

The commute was a real nightmare 😉 At one point, we were the only ones who were enjoying dinner that night so we had a perfectly quiet and romantic evening between two best friends.

Cost Calculator

It’s technically ‘illegal’ to convert Moroccan Dirham abroad, try to pay for everything as much as possible before you enter the country!

Transport:

• Taxis – 15-40 MAD to get around town
• Airport Transfer – 90/120 per person (depends on the time of night)

Food: Depends on Quality

• Breakfast: 10 – 80 MAD
• Lunch 20: 100 MAD
• Dinner 100: 200 MAD

Souvenirs/Shopping:
* Note: top price reflects quotes that were given to me by vendors, lower price is what you can possibly negotiate down to

• Wallets/Coin Purses: 20 – 60 MAD
• Scarfs: 60 – 120 MAD
• Purses (non-leather): 200 – 600
• Leather bags: 1500 – 3000 MAD
• Leather Jackets: 1500 – 4000 MAD
• Clay/Mosaic Pottery: 200 – upwards

*Note x2 – when we went to a local leather auction, the hides were being sold for 300 MAD per cut of leather (whole lamb). Only locals could participate, no tourists allowed.

That should give you a cost estimation when you factor in the cost of labor, production, etc. Now you’re ready to take the plunge!

Related Posts:

• A List of 19 Women’s Travel Essentials
• Luxury Villa Escape with Dar Zemora
• Be in Heart of the Medina with Riyad El Cadi
• Living Like a Local with Hotel White Lisbon
•  Lisbon, Portugal: Long Weekend Recommendations