Beware of people at the train/bus station (even the bus driver), which introduce you to their "cousins" or "brothers" from a Western country. The "cousin" or "brother" will claim to come to Fes to purchase carpets and sell them in the West for several times their purchase price. This is part of a complex scam as such people are actually employed by the carpet company. The pushy carpet sellers will offer mint tea and then ask for your credit card. Carpet companies involved in this scam are Dar Hannan and Dar Essaad in the Fes Medina.
For a North American traveller, Fez requires a real change of outlook or it will be a very high-stress trip! Shopkeepers and guides are very assertive and you will have to get used to saying "no" a lot. On the other hand, they can be genuinely warm and friendly even while trying to sell you something, an idea that is pretty alien to North Americans where it is assumed that a business relationship is the opposite of sincerity!
Non-Muslims are not allowed to visit mosques, although they can visit the medersas (religious schools).
Bargaining is a way of life that has survived for centuries, and shows no sign of changing. Moroccans even bargain among each other for everything except perhaps their utilities. Don't believe anyone (and you will hear it all the time) who tells you prices are being "regulated". Every other souk claims to be a "Government Regulated Co-op".
There is a single, genuine government-regulated fixed price shop in the Ville Nouvelle where all prices are posted, the goods are of decent (if not amazing) quality, and the single bored cashier will just stare incredulously at you if you attempt to bargain with him. Ask any hotel manager or petit taxi driver to take you to the "Artisana." All products sold in Artisanas come directly from the artists who made the products.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Fez
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Fez - updated May 2024
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Fez Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
