Made in the Medina

Step into a world where time flows like honey through ancient streets. Arriving in Fez, you’ll witness a mesmerizing sight – a sprawling medieval city that appears dormant from above, only to burst into vibrant life as you descend into its legendary medina. While Marrakech may be Morocco’s heartbeat, Fez is undeniably its soul, with 200,000 residents weaving through car-free lanes that have remained unchanged for centuries.

Your day’s journey culminates at a magnificent riad where luxury and tradition blend seamlessly. Unwind in this oasis of tranquility, enjoying dinner at your leisure while the evening calls to prayer echo across the city’s thousand minarets.

After breakfast, you’ll begin your day of discovery with your dedicated driver and an expert guide, who will unveil the secrets of Fez, a city where every stone tells a story spanning twelve centuries. While touring on foot, you’ll wind through the world’s largest car-free urban area, where 9,000 narrow streets hold the living history of Islamic craft and commerce.

Your guided expedition delves into magnificent madrasas with their intricate zellij tilework, the iconic Quaraouiyine Mosque and University (the world’s oldest), and the famous leather tanneries where ancient methods persist unchanged. The experience comes alive through your taste buds as you sample your way through the medina’s culinary treasures with our Taste of Fez – from steaming bowls of bessara to honey-dripped pastries and street-side delicacies that locals have savored for generations.

In a city renowned for its textiles, step into the role of artisan yourself during an intimate traditional weaving workshop with a master weaver. Learn the rhythmic art of shuttle weaving, your hands discovering the patterns and techniques passed down through generations of Fassi craftspeople.

As twilight descends, you’ll rest at the riad briefly while the medina transforms for your atmospheric ghost tour. Follow your guide through shadowy lanes on a Ghost Tour of Fez, where whispered legends come alive, discovering the supernatural side of Fez through tales of jinns, ancient prophecies, and mysterious happenings within these medieval walls.

Return to the tranquil embrace of your riad, where the day’s adventures settle into memory, and the peaceful courtyard offers a serene conclusion to your immersive journey through time.

Begin your day savoring a traditional Moroccan breakfast in the peaceful courtyard of your riad, where fresh-baked breads, local honey, and mint tea prepare you for a day of artistic discovery.

Today, you’ll delve into two of Fez’s most celebrated crafts, guided by masters who’ve spent lifetimes perfecting their arts. At a sunlit pottery workshop, feel the cool clay take shape beneath your fingers as you learn the centuries-old techniques of Fassi ceramics. Watch in wonder as your instructor demonstrates the intricate art of painting delicate patterns, before trying your hand at creating your own piece that tells your Morocco story.

In the afternoon, the rhythmic tapping of metalworkers’ tools draws you into the world of bronze craftsmanship. Under the guidance of an expert artisan, learn to etch and emboss your own bronze plate, incorporating traditional geometric patterns that have adorned Moroccan homes for generations. The workshop fills with the subtle gleam of metal as you transform a simple plate into a personal masterpiece, connecting you to an artistic lineage stretching back centuries.

As evening settles over the medina, return to your peaceful riad. Perhaps spend time drawing inspiration from your day’s creations, or simply relax in the rooftop garden, watching the sun paint the ancient city in shades of gold.

As dawn breaks over Fez, your journey begins with the promise of time travel. The morning light filters through the city’s ancient streets as you board your waiting vehicle, the anticipation of discovery hanging in the air like morning mist. The 1.5-hour drive westward is a transition from the living history of Fez to the silent narratives of Volubilis – a landscape where Roman civilization etched its most distant dreams into Moroccan soil.

Volubilis rises from the rolling plains like a memory barely preserved. Founded in the 3rd century BC, this archaeological wonder was once a thriving Roman outpost at the very edge of the empire – a place where civilization met wilderness, where Roman engineering and North African landscape merged into something extraordinary. As you step onto stones that have witnessed two millennia of history, the wind seems to carry whispers of long-forgotten conversations.

Your footsteps trace the paths of merchants, senators, and ordinary citizens who once called this place home. Intricate mosaic floors peek through centuries of dust, telling stories of wealth and daily life. Foundations of homes reveal intimate spaces where families lived, loved, and dreamed. The ruins are not just stones, but a delicate manuscript written by time itself – each crumbling wall, each weathered column a page of human history. Discover the secrets of the past as your expert guide breathes life into these ancient stones, followed by personal time to absorb their timeless magnificence at your own pace.

A short drive transports you to Meknes, a city that breathes the drama of Morocco’s imperial past. Here, the vision of Sultan Moulay Ismail comes to life in monumental structures that speak of power and ambition. The massive Heri es Souani granary and stables stand as a testament to imperial engineering. These immense structures once housed thousands of horses and stored enough grain to feed an entire kingdom. The cool, thick walls whisper stories of strategic brilliance – a place where sustenance and military might were carefully cultivated.

The Prison de Kara offers a stark contrast – a place where the brutal realities of the Barbary Coast came to life. Here, Christian prisoners were once held, their hopes of freedom as confined as the stone walls surrounding them. The prison is a somber reminder of the complex human stories that pulse beneath grand historical narratives.

The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail stands as the culmination of your journey – a place of reverence and architectural beauty. The final resting place of one of Morocco’s most powerful sultans, it embodies the spiritual and political heart of an empire.

As your vehicle winds back towards Fez, the landscape becomes a canvas of memory. The day’s journey has been more than a tour – it has been a dialogue with history, a walking meditation through layers of human experience. The remainder of your day awaits in Fez, but the echoes of Volubilis and Meknes will linger – stones that have witnessed empires, prisoners who dreamed of freedom, rulers who shaped destinies.

Begin your day in the tranquil setting of your riad’s courtyard, where a traditional Moroccan breakfast energizes you for a day of rhythmic discovery and artistic creation.

Step into the workshop of a master drum maker, where the ancient art of crafting percussion instruments comes alive. Learn the secrets of selecting and preparing goatskin, watching as it’s stretched and secured to create the perfect tension for resonant sound. Under expert guidance, fashion your own drum – perhaps a bendir or tar – using techniques passed down through generations of Moroccan musicians. As you complete your instrument, experience the satisfaction of drawing out its first resonant beats.

The afternoon brings you to a wood carver’s sanctuary, where the sweet scent of cedar fills the air. Here, traditional geometric patterns come to life beneath skilled hands. Your master artisan demonstrates the intricate art of Islamic design, teaching you to trace and carve the mesmerizing patterns that have adorned Moroccan architecture for centuries. Feel the smooth wood yield to your tools as you create your own carved piece, each groove and line telling part of your Moroccan story.

Return to your riad as evening approaches, your handcrafted treasures in hand – one to fill your home with the sounds of Morocco, the other to catch light and shadow in carved patterns that echo the medieval city’s artistic soul. These aren’t just souvenirs, but personal creations born from ancient traditions, each carrying a piece of Fez’s artistic heritage.

Savor your final Moroccan morning in the peaceful embrace of your riad. Let the gentle splash of courtyard fountains and the distant call to prayer create the soundtrack for your last breakfast – perhaps a final taste of fresh-baked khobz bread drizzled with golden honey, ripe local fruits, and mint tea poured with traditional flair.

As sunlight plays across intricate tilework and carved cedar beams, take a moment to absorb these final sensations of Morocco – the cedar air, the soft morning light filtering through mashrabiya screens, and the gentle bustle of the ancient medina awakening beyond the riad’s walls.

Your driver awaits to escort you through Fez one last time as you make your way to the airport, passing beneath the city’s grand gates and along ancient walls that have bid farewell to travelers for centuries. Though your Moroccan journey ends here, the memories of starlit desert nights, mountain passages, ancient medinas, and warm Moroccan hospitality will call you back to this enchanting land.