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Early September was the wrong time to go there (my mistake) - far too hot to be enjoyable. Getting around in the Medina was very difficult and sometimes frustrating. There one can easily fall into the trap of being accosted by self-styled guides who will take you to various shops and ask you for money at the end. Perhaps for an older traveller it would have been better to lodge outside the Medina and visit it from there with an official tour. On the positive side, some of the sites were very beautiful and the people mostly very friendly and helpful.

The medina is a Unesco protected cultural heritage. Too bad the only thing you can see, apart from some (mostly closed) gates, is old narrow streets and shops. Locals prey on tourists in order to squeeze them dry :) In Rabat or Salé you can get a more authentic sense of a medina without the commercial pressure.

There were a lot of artisans which was nice. We were often set upon by people trying to take us somewhere and wanting money, even when we said no they wouldn’t leave us alone. After a time we didn’t stop anywhere which really was a shame. The amount of garbage was also quite distressing and took away from some of the sights. We took a tour to the middle Atlas Mountains which was really lovely. The food was good everywhere we ate in the Medina.

The issue was that I booked accommodation in the old medina which is a labyrinth. This leaves tourists being constantly harassed by locals trying to scam money from them or deliberately deceiving them about closed streets, etc. Skip Fez and go to Marrakech and Essouira. So much better without all the hassles:)

Loved the beautiful artisanal crafts and decor everywhere. Love this place for its connection to history. What I didn’t like was how the people living in the medina would lie about roads being closed, keep trying to befriend you in a fake way do they can lead you anywhere then fight about tips. I also really disliked the obscene tourist pricing in the markets. Artisans and shop kerpers mark up items 4, 5 or more times what the price of the item should be. A lot of deception and trickery when selling.

Same as marrakesh but not as exhausting. Same tip culture! Really off putting for those who do not come from this tipping culture. Would skip Fes if I was doing the trip again… I would have stayed in Ifrane instead.