Fez on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Fez works well on a budget if you sleep near Bab Bou Jeloud and eat street food. Plan on about 390 MAD per person per day (bed 180 MAD, food 120 MAD, sights 60 MAD, transport 30 MAD).
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | MAD180 | MAD450 | MAD1,300 |
| Food & drink | MAD120 | MAD300 | MAD600 |
| Sights & tickets | MAD60 | MAD200 | MAD400 |
| Local transport | MAD30 | MAD100 | MAD300 |
| Per person, per day | MAD390 | MAD1,050 | MAD2,600 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Fez day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk Talaa Kebira from Bab Bou Jeloud through the heart of Fes el-Bali
- Watch the coppersmiths at work in Seffarine Square
- Look through the doors of the Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859
- Stroll the Jnan Sbil gardens between the old and new Fez
- See the brass gates of the Royal Palace in Fes el-Jdid
- Watch the sunset over the medina from the hill of the Marinid Tombs
Cheap eats
- Bissara (fava bean soup) for breakfast: a few dirhams
- Sfenj doughnuts: a few dirhams each
- Harira soup: about 10–15 MAD
- Street meal of skewers near Bab Bou Jeloud: about 30–60 MAD
- Tagine in a simple restaurant: about 60–100 MAD
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels and simple riads near Bab Bou Jeloud at the top of the medina, at about 250–500 MAD a night for a room, close to taxis and street food.
Getting around cheaply
Walk inside the medina and use metered petit taxis (10–25 MAD) between quarters. From Fes-Saiss airport, a taxi costs about 150–200 MAD; arriving by ONCF train is often the cheapest way from Casablanca, Rabat or Marrakech. For Volubilis, take the train to Meknes (about 40 minutes) and a grand taxi.
A sample budget day
- Morning: bissara breakfast, then walk Talaa Kebira and visit the Bou Inania Madrasa (about 20–30 MAD)
- Lunch: harira and bread (about 15 MAD)
- Afternoon: Al-Attarine Madrasa (about 20–30 MAD), Seffarine Square and the tannery terraces (tip 10–20 MAD)
- Evening: taxi to the Marinid Tombs for sunset (about 20 MAD each way), then street food near Bab Bou Jeloud (about 40 MAD)
- Total: about 170–210 MAD plus your bed (180 MAD per person), so roughly 350–390 MAD
More ways to save
- Ask your riad for the price of a porter and a taxi in advance so you know the going rate.
- Pick two or three paid monuments rather than buying every ticket; the souks themselves are free.
- Travel in spring or autumn shoulder weeks for good weather without peak prices.
- Carry small change for tips, taxis and street food.
- Drink mint tea where locals sit rather than on rooftop cafes aimed at tourists.
- Book train tickets with ONCF rather than paying for private transfers between cities.
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Common questions
Can you visit Fez on a budget?
Yes. With a simple riad near Bab Bou Jeloud and street food, about 390 MAD per person per day is realistic.
What is the cheapest way to Volubilis?
The train to Meknes (about 40 minutes) and then a grand taxi, instead of a private driver for 700–1,000 MAD.
What can you do for free in Fez?
Walk the souks, see Seffarine Square, the Royal Palace gates, the Jnan Sbil gardens and the sunset from the Marinid Tombs.