Visiting the Fes Tanneries: What No One Tells You Before You Go

There are few sights in Morocco that stop people in their tracks quite like the Fes tanneries. From the terrace of a leather shop in the heart of the ancient Medina, you look down onto a mosaic of stone vats (saffron yellow, burnt orange, poppy red, and deep indigo) where men stand knee-deep in dye, working hides by hand using methods that have barely changed in a thousand years. It is raw, beautiful, and genuinely unlike anything else you will see on your travels.

The tanneries sit inside Fes el-Bali, the oldest walled quarter of a city that UNESCO has recognized as a World Heritage Site. Getting there involves threading your way through thousands of narrow alleyways, past copper hammerers, spice vendors, and the echo of call to prayer drifting from hundreds of mosques. That journey is part of the experience. So is the smell. So is the noise. And so, if you choose wisely, is the quiet satisfaction of buying a well-crafted leather item from an artisan who actually knows its story.

Planning to explore Fes with a local expert? Discover our guided Fes tours and experience the Medina with someone who knows every alley.

What Are the Fes Tanneries?

The tanneries of Fes are not a museum exhibit. They are working production sites where animal hides; from cows, sheep, goats, and camels, are turned into finished leather using a process that has operated continuously since the medieval period. The entire leather production process comprises manual labor only and involves no modern machinery, and has retained methods unchanged since medieval times.

There are three active tanneries in the city: Chouara (the largest and most famous), Sidi Moussa, and Ain Azliten. Of these, the Chouara tannery in Fes draws the vast majority of visitors, and for good reason; its scale and visual drama are unmatched.

The tanning process itself unfolds in stages. Hides are first soaked in large white vats containing a mixture of water, quicklime, salt, cow urine, and pigeon droppings. The ammonia in this mixture strips the hair and fat from the skin and softens it so the leather can absorb dye. This process takes two to three days and prepares the hides to readily absorb the dyes. They are then soaked in the dyeing solutions, which use natural colorants such as poppy for red, indigo for blue, and henna for orange. After the dyeing, they are dried under the sun.

The economic and cultural weight of this industry is hard to overstate. The three tanneries that are still active currently function as large-scale cooperatives with their own administration and employ more than 300 families. Fes leather has been traded across the Mediterranean for centuries, and the city’s identity remains tightly bound to this craft.

What to Expect When Visiting the Fes Tanneries

Knowing what you are walking into makes the experience far more enjoyable. Here is the honest version.

The smell hits first. You will likely smell the tanneries before you see them. The combination of animal waste, lime, and raw hides creates a sharp, sour odor that intensifies in summer heat. Most shop entrances offer sprigs of fresh mint; take one. It genuinely helps, and it has been a local custom for decades.

The workers are the real story. Once you are on a terrace looking down into the courtyard, resist the temptation to focus only on the colors. Watch the workers. They stand in vats of dye, sometimes waist-deep, massaging hides with their feet to ensure even color distribution. They work under the hot sun, standing waist-deep in dye pots, in tough conditions. A tanner earns approximately 3000 dirhams per month. Understanding this context changes how you look at everything around you.

You access the view through a leather shop. There is no standalone ticket booth. The tannery courtyard is surrounded on all four sides by buildings, most of which contain leather shops. If you want to see the tannery in action, you’ll have to pass through one of the many shops to do so. Shop staff will walk you up to the terrace and will likely show you their products afterward. A simple, polite “no thank you” is enough to move on without purchasing anything.

Shopkeepers are friendly; and persistent. This is Morocco’s commercial culture, not a scam. A firm but warm refusal is always respected. If you feel pressured, a small tip of 10–20 MAD per person is customary if you don’t buy anything, which removes the pressure entirely.

Want to visit without getting lost or ending up in the wrong shop? Join our Fes Medina walking tour for a smooth, well-guided experience.

Best Viewpoints of the Fes Tanneries

The Chouara tannery Fes terraces are the most-photographed viewpoints in all of Morocco; and possibly in North Africa. But not all terraces are equal.

Chouara Tannery terraces (most famous): The shops lining Derb Chaouwara offer multi-level terraces that look directly down onto the dye pits. According to the Lonely Planet guide, door number 10 on this street offers one of the best angles, though neighboring shops provide comparable views. Higher floors give you a wider panorama; lower floors put you closer to the action. Both have value.

Sidi Moussa and Ain Azliten tanneries: These smaller tanneries see a fraction of the tourist traffic and offer a calmer, more authentic atmosphere. The vats are fewer, the workers less aware of cameras, and the surrounding streets less commercialized. If you want to observe the craft without the buzz of tour groups, these are worth seeking out.

Practical tips for the best views:

• Go in the morning. Late morning to early afternoon (roughly 10:30–15:00) is ideal for bright colors and plenty of activity. In summer, go earlier to avoid heat.
• The dye colors are most vivid when freshly applied, so earlier in the day tends to deliver more saturated scenes.
• Ask before taking close-up photos of people; tip if someone poses or assists. Drones are restricted in Morocco without prior authorization.
• Wear closed-toe shoes. Terrace floors can be wet and slippery, and some stairs are genuinely steep.

Smell Hacks (Yes, It’s Real)

Let’s be direct: the smell at the Fes tanneries is significant. It is not pleasant in the conventional sense. But it is manageable, and many visitors find that it fades into the background once they are absorbed in watching the work below.

Here is why it happens. The white vats in the soaking phase contain a mixture of pigeon droppings, cow urine, quicklime, and water. The ammonia released during this process is what strips and softens the hides. There is no way to run this process without the odor; it is inherent to the chemistry involved.

What actually helps:

• Take the mint. Almost every shop entrance near the tanneries offers fresh mint sprigs to visitors. Hold it loosely under your nose; it does not eliminate the smell but makes it far more bearable.
• Visit in cooler weather. The best time to visit the Chouara Tannery is during spring and fall. In the summer, temperatures can be extremely high, making the visit more difficult due to the strong odors. Heat amplifies everything.
• Go early in the morning. The smell is less intense before midday, especially in warmer months. By afternoon, accumulated heat has had hours to work on the vats.
• Adjust your expectations. Visitors who arrive knowing about the smell tend to handle it better than those who are caught off guard. Think of it as part of what makes this experience authentic; the workers live with it daily.

Ethical Tips for Visiting the Fes Tanneries

The tanneries are one of Morocco’s great living heritage sites, which means how you visit genuinely matters.

Respect the workers’ privacy. The men in the vats are doing their jobs, not performing for tourists. Treat them with the same respect you would expect in your own workplace. Staring for extended periods, pointing, or laughing at the conditions is disrespectful.

Approach photography thoughtfully. The view from the terrace is fair game and widely photographed. But zoom shots of individual workers without permission cross into intrusive territory. Always offer a small tip (10–20 MAD) when photographing craftspeople at work. It acknowledges their dignity and is widely appreciated.

Bargain respectfully. Haggling is a normal part of commerce in Moroccan souks; it is not rude to negotiate. But pushing aggressively for rock-bottom prices on handcrafted goods undervalues the work of people earning modest wages. As one responsible travel guide puts it, paying a few extra dirhams rarely hurts you; but it can mean a lot locally.

Support fair-trade operations. Government-run artisan cooperatives (known as ensemble artisanals) are found in several Moroccan cities and sell goods at fixed prices from verified craftspeople. These are excellent alternatives to impulse buys near tourist sites.

Travel responsibly with local guides who understand the community. See our private Morocco tours for itineraries built around ethical, authentic experiences.

Is Visiting the Fes Tanneries Worth It?

The honest answer is yes; with the right expectations.

The people who get the most out of a tannery visit are those who slow down. Watch the process from start to finish. Ask your guide about the dyeing cycle. Notice the hides drying on rooftops across the Medina. Let the scene settle, rather than snapping photos and moving on. Visiting Fes tannery is a journey through time, allowing you to appreciate artisans and their craft, which shape Fes’s identity in the modern world.

Those who are sensitive to strong smells or have mobility limitations should note that terrace access requires climbing narrow stairs, and the odor in summer can be genuinely overwhelming. Visiting in autumn or spring sidesteps both issues.

Practical Tips for First-Time Visitors

Best time to visit Fes: Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most comfortable temperatures for exploring the Medina and the least intense tannery smells. Summer is manageable but demanding. Winter visits are possible and much quieter, though some dye pits operate at reduced capacity.

Getting to the tanneries inside the Medina:

• From Bab Bou Jeloud (the Blue Gate): Allow 25–35 minutes on foot through the Medina’s covered markets; scenic and worth it.
• From Place R’cif: Roughly 10–15 minutes, and the easiest approach for those arriving by taxi.
• Follow signs reading “Tanneries / Cuir” on walls throughout the Medina. A licensed guide (identifiable by an official badge) is the fastest and most enriching option and typically charges 200–400 MAD for a 3–4 hour Medina walk.

What to wear: Modest clothing (covering shoulders and knees shows cultural respect and results in warmer interactions), and closed-toe shoes with grip. Flip-flops are a bad idea near wet terrace stairs.

Entrance expectations: You walk through a leather shop to reach the viewing terrace. There is no official entry fee, but a small tip of 10–20 MAD per person is customary if you don’t buy anything. You are not obligated to purchase anything.

Safety: The Fes Medina is very safe for tourists. The most common “danger” is being steered to a specific shop by an unofficial guide who receives commission. Stick with licensed guides from your riad or a reputable tour operator, and you will have no issues.

FAQ

Is there an entrance fee for the Fes tanneries?

There is no official admission fee. Access to the viewing terraces is through surrounding leather shops, and while entry is technically free, a small tip of 10–20 MAD per person is customary if you do not make a purchase.

How bad is the smell at the Fes tanneries?

It is genuinely strong; a sharp, sour odor from the ammonia-based soaking process. It is most intense in summer heat and during afternoon hours. Visiting in the morning during spring or autumn, and accepting the fresh mint sprigs offered at shop entrances, makes the experience comfortable for most people.

Which tannery is the best in Fes?

The Chouara tannery is the largest, most active, and most visually dramatic. For a quieter, more local atmosphere with fewer crowds, Sidi Moussa and Ain Azliten offer a more understated but equally authentic experience.

Are the Fes tanneries ethical?

The tanneries represent a living cultural tradition that supports hundreds of local families. The ethical considerations for visitors come down to behavior: respecting workers’ privacy, avoiding intrusive photography, shopping thoughtfully rather than impulsively, and bargaining without aggressive pressure. Traveling with a local guide who knows the community is the most straightforward way to ensure your visit supports rather than exploits the people behind this craft.

The Tanneries Stay With You

Long after you leave the Medina, something about the Fes tanneries lingers; not just the smell, but the image of those hands in the dye, the colors against the honey-colored walls, the realization that this is not a reconstruction or a heritage display. It is a real industry, a real livelihood, and one of the most direct connections to medieval craft that exists anywhere in the world.

Visiting with curiosity and respect means you take something genuine home with you. The colors, the craft, the people; they are all part of the same story, one that Fes has been telling for over a thousand years.

Ready to experience Fes beyond the guidebooks? Contact us and let us show you the real Medina; at exactly the right pace.