Fes Luxury Riads, Palaces and the World's Great Medina

Founded in the 9th century, Fes was for centuries one of the great cities of learning in the Islamic world. Its University of al-Qarawiyyin is often described as the oldest continuously operating university, and its madrasas, with carved cedar and zellige tilework, are among the finest buildings in North Africa. The medina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of some 9,000 lanes where no cars can enter and artisans still work as their families have for generations.

For many travelers Fes is the most moving stop on a Morocco luxury vacation: quieter and more traditional than Marrakech, and full of discoveries for those who explore with a good private guide. Read more on the city's past in Morocco: History and Culture.

Fly Royal Air Maroc nonstop from New York JFK, Washington, Miami or Los Angeles to Casablanca, then connect to Fes by air or travel by rail in about three and a half hours via Rabat. A private car from Tangier takes around four hours, often with a stop in Chefchaouen. Fes-Saïss airport receives private aircraft; see arriving privately. Porters with carts meet guests at the medina gates, since cars cannot enter.

The imperial city of Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis, both UNESCO sites, are an easy day trip. The cedar forests of Ifrane and the Middle Atlas are an hour south, and the road through the Atlas Mountains leads to the dunes of Merzouga in about eight hours.