2-day itinerary

A Weekend of Food in Fes — Two Days in the Medina

Two days is enough to taste the essentials of Fassi cooking, from bissara at the blue gate to pastilla in a courtyard riad. This weekend plan keeps you inside the old medina where the best eating lives.

City: Fes
Length: 2 days
Style: Day-by-day eating plan

The plan, day by day

Follow it in order, morning to night — each day builds on the last.

Saturday — Down Talaa Kebira to the Tanneries

1

Morning

Breakfast on bissara and fresh khobz near Bab Bou Jeloud, then walk down Talaa Kebira into Fes el-Bali.
2

Late morning

Browse the Attarine spice souk and taste dried fruit and nuts along the way.
3

Lunch

Sit down to a kefta-and-egg tagine at a family restaurant in the R'cif quarter.
4

Afternoon

See the Chouara tannery from a leather-shop terrace and refresh with mint tea and ghriba biscuits.
5

Evening

Dinner of chicken pastilla and a lamb tagine with prunes at a restored medina riad.

Sunday — Cooking, Sweets and a Farewell Couscous

1

Morning

Join a cooking class that starts with a market walk through the R'cif food souk.
2

Midday

Cook and eat your own tagine and salads on the riad terrace.
3

Afternoon

Taste Fassi sweets — sellou, chebakia and almond briouats — near the Nejjarine fountain.
4

Late afternoon

Pick up saffron, amlou and preserved lemons to take home.
5

Evening

End with a slow couscous dinner at a traditional restaurant in the medina.

Practical tips

Front-load Saturday with the tanneries and long walk while you're fresh; Sunday is gentler.
Ask your riad or class host to walk you to Bab Bou Jeloud so you learn the way back.
Fassi sweets are richer and more numerous than in most Moroccan cities — save room for them.
Save the couscous for Sunday to match the traditional weekend family meal timing.
To arrange a guided food walk with a local host, message WhatsApp wa.me/212701664704, call +212 701 664 704, or email info@serenitymoroccotours.com.

Frequently asked questions

Is a weekend enough for Fes food?

For the medina highlights, yes — bissara, tagine, pastilla, a cooking class and sweets all fit in two days. A third day lets you add the Mellah, gardens and a hilltop sunset.

Where should I stay for a food-focused weekend in Fes?

Inside Fes el-Bali, the old medina, ideally near Bab Bou Jeloud or the R'cif area. Everything on this plan is then walkable and you're steps from the best food.

What is bissara?

Bissara is a thick, comforting soup of dried fava beans (or split peas) finished with olive oil, cumin and a pinch of chilli. In Fes it's a classic cheap breakfast, especially in cooler months.

Make it happen

Turn the plan into a trip — find where to eat, book a hands-on experience, or join a guided food walk.

Where to eat Food experiences Food tours Cooking classes