How to visit Chouara Tannery: Fes Tanneries guide

We cracked the code on visiting the famous Fes tannery without getting ripped off or wandering in circles through the medina maze. It wasn’t easy, but we found the famous shop at n.10 with the best balcony view over the tanneries of Fes.

Also, we could have done it without spending a dirham. This is a complete guide to Fes Tanneries. The routes to take, costs, what to expect, bargaining for leather products, and more.

Is it worth visiting Fes Tanneries?

Yes, Fes tanneries are stunning and make for a perfect photo spot in the city. We had fun getting lost in the maze of streets of the old Medina of Fes El Bali.

The experience was one of a kind, just as we had hoped. Actually, it exceeded expectations. The odour is harsh, but not unbearable, as we visited early in the morning. Fes Chouara Tannery is unmissable on every itinerary.

Leather Tanneries Fes Quick Facts

📌 Location GPS: This is the exact location of n.10 Terrace (34°03’58.2″N 4°58’16.2″W)

⏰ Opening hours: 9 AM to 7 PM daily, workers most active 9:30 AM – 2 PM

💰 Real tip range: 20-50 MAD per person for terrace access (ignore quotes over 100 MAD)

👀 Best viewing terraces: Shop No. 10 (metal sign, easiest access) and Shop No. 64 (north view)

🧵 Peak activity: Late morning (10:30-15:00). We counted approximately 50 people working actively around 10:30 AM.

✨ Best Tour of Fes Tannery: This tour includes a view of the Chouara Tannery, Al Attarine Madrasa, Karaouiyne Mosque, and University, as well as a one-hour walk through the Fes Medina. Price: £12 – Check availability!

⚠️ Notice: Although it’s one of the best attractions in Fes, alone worth visiting. However, understand that, people work and make a living in the tanneries, in very poor working conditions. Show respect, greet your host, and leave a tip if your experience is good. Consider buying a leather jacket or bag if you come across a good deal.

What is a tannery?

The operation of processing animal skins to produce clothes and accessories is rooted back centuries. Workers soak, scrape, soften with pigeon droppings and lime, then dye hides in honeycomb pits—exactly the scene you’ve seen in photos, just louder, wetter, and very human when you’re above it.

Fes has some of the oldest, still active, tanneries in the world. In fact, the Old Town of Fes El Bali is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also because of the Tanneries. They have been preserved to preserve historical heritage.

Even today, they still use ancient techniques and traditional methods for tanning and dyeing leather. They actually use pigeon poop for the process. We have seen the cages where they keep the pigeons.

How to get to Fez Tanneries

Chouara Tannery sits inside Fes el Bali, near Place Seffarine—close enough that when you’re within a few lanes, the smell and the touts both find you. We ignored the “best view” promises and followed the posted signs to Derb Chouara.

The easiest spot to access is Tannery Fes n.10, with the metal sign jutting above the alley. Head up, pass the babouche room, and step onto the terrace. That’s it—no mystery tunnel, no secret handshake.

If someone “helps” unasked and then demands money at the top, that’s a classic move here. Smile, say no thanks, and tip only if the person actually provided value or translation. It’s a cooperative ecosystem between shops, touts, and workers, and commissions fly around—arrive solo to keep bargaining power.

Our Experience at Fes Chouara Tannery

Chouara isn’t a museum—this is a living industry. While I was sure of what to expect, what I saw definitely exceeded it. Leather shops ring the pits. We were lucky enough to get the best view from the central balcony, which gave us a pretty 270° on the workers.

The shop at n. 10, which claims to be the official one (and surely it was), has about three levels, offering different views. We did go on all three, experiencing the best. Before entering the balcony, we were led into a series of rooms. The entire building features several rooms, each specialising in the sale of leather products.

Owned by a single person and managed by several shopkeepers. On the highest floors are the leather jackets. Wonderful ones, we had to visit, without any pressure, but for the sake of gaining a deeper understanding. Muhammed, who had been working there for the past five years, was very kind.

He even apologise if he sounded like a salesman. But that he was. His father had actually worked in the wells his entire life. He touched us with the history of the tanneries, the workers, and his own personal story. He did learn a lot, and English was just a byproduct of working in the shop with tourists.

They left us on the balcony to do whatever we wanted. We had over a hundred photos. Ale was quite complaining about the smell; I wasn’t. So definitely it is personal. However, we actually visited early in the day; the smell is strongest as the heat rises. That setup is friendly and keeps the place running, and, honestly, retains freeloaders in check.

Why we chose Chouara Tannery Independently (not a tour)

We skipped the Fes tanneries tours because we wanted a more authentic experience. After all, tours aren’t that expensive, but still, they show you what they want, and often cut short on experiences. Most of the tannery tours in Fes start after 10:00 a.m.

We had already been on the balcony for about 30 minutes when the first tours started showing up on the side deck. Going early means fewer people around and fewer sales pitches.

Also, as we love adventures, it was fun to get around, shop by shop, between a “No, Thank you” and another, to find the one at No.10.

We’d read that No. 64 can be great for the north-side angle, but at 8:45 a.m., the light at Number 10 tannery Fes was spot on. We didn’t expect to have multiple choices in terms of balcony, and the lower terrace delivered pretty good. If you’re into photos, aim for the morning so the colours pop and the shadows don’t eat the highlights.

READ ALSO | Most insatgrammable places in Fes

The famous Fes tannery smell

How bad is the Fez tannery smell? It depends. In our morning, it was noticeable but not gross—earthy, sour, like a cross between a damp barn and vinegar. A lot of vinegar! Breathing through the mouth helped, and after five minutes, the nose stopped complaining.

Ale was constantly with two inhalers in his nostrils. They offer mint leaves to keep under your nose. It helps; we didn’t use it, as I was fine after a few minutes. If you do accept, expect to pay a little tip for that.

We’ve seen people say the early hours can be milder, especially on cooler days, and that matched our experience. By late morning, as the sun hits and the pits get more active, it ramps up.

╰┈➤ READ ALSO | Is Fez worth visiting?

The two sections of the tanneries of Fes

While the pit of the Fes tanneries is one wide, courtyard-style area, there are two specific sections. One next to the other. The white pit and the brown one. The white pit seems immaculate, even though it doesn’t get emptied and cleaned.

This vat is where the hides get softened and deep-cleaned. It’s the first process of the tanneries, when raw leather comes in. The white mixture typically includes pigeon droppings, limestone, cow urine, salt, and water. They produce everything locally, without adding industrial chemicals.

The brown section, next to the white one, is where the leather gets different colours. This is the most photographic section. You’ll see people getting deeper into the water.

Sometimes feet and legs, some other hands to pull it out. Colours are as well natural. The most popular colours are paprika, indigo, and saffron, processed vets.

Best terraces: shop numbers and what to expect

We’ve got our research right before visiting the Tanneries of Fes. There are actually three of them in the city. While one is in disuse, the other is less active. Only one is popular and active for more than 1,000 years: Chouara Tannery.

Several shops claim to offer the best view of the tanneries.

Tannery Fes n.10 (our pick): A metal sign above the doorway on Derb Chouara, a maze-like interior with a babouche room leading to the north terrace. Best overall access and view.

Shop No. 64: Visiting the Fes Tanneries from this shop offers a unique perspective. It’s the side one, with vertical alignment. You’ll lose part of the view, and the process from here. Additionally, consider that visiting this shop alone may make you a target for more aggressive sales tactics.

Alternative unnamed terraces: Several shops along the tannery perimeter offer “free viewing.” Views vary, and some demand purchases before accessing the terrace. Stick with numbered shops for consistency.

We paid 20 MAD per person at No. 10 after viewing and asking questions. The staff explained the dyeing process briefly and didn’t push sales aggressively. Fair trade for access and mini-education.

Chouara Tannery opening hours and best times

While there is no official opening time, it is understood that operations start at 9 AM and end around 5 PM, or when daylight ends. If you are visiting on Friday, expect reduced operations or fewer workers, as it’s prayer time and some shops may close earlier. 

We visited around 9.45, and by 10.30, operations were in full swing. We catch the perfect light, with all workers active (about 50 in total – Official notes claim that there are more than 500 master craftsmen working every day in the city’s 1,200 basins.). The temperature was still optimal, and not too hot, even though I visited the tanneries in July (peak season in Morocco).

Official hours: 9 AM – 7 PM daily, but workers start leaving by 5 PM on most days

Friday considerations: Slower midday due to prayer times, some shops close briefly. Another good time to visit the leather production site in Fes is around 4 PM. Just before the working day shuts off, you’ll find no tour groups at all, and a softer light. While it might be ideal to avoid crowds, there may be fewer workers in the pit.

How to get the best photos of Fes Tanneries

We got some of our best photos from Morocco in Fes, and part of that was while visiting the famous tanneries. Definitely, seeing people in action from the balcony at N. 10 helped to capture epic photos.

We had no restriction in time, position or camera. The workers in the shop (which owns the balcony) were very welcoming, and gave us a lot of tips, introduced us to some pieces of history and even brief personal anecdotes. Yep, we were offered a proper tour for free. We tipped them 40 MAD (20 each). I even have a photo with Hassan.

This is rule No. 1 we learned in Morocco: people are friendly, but you need to go cautiously. Ask before photographing workers up close. It’s not a legend that some even ask for small tips for posed shots.

To be fair, we didn’t feel intimidated; workers in the pit seemed accustomed to cameras and didn’t seem to care about what was happening on the balconies.

The firm movements, gestures and process will blow you away. Colours, fatigue, and raw display are part of what makes the Fes Tanneries one of the best photo settings for enthusiasts.

READ ALSO | Most insatgrammable places in Fes

They sell quality leather products

After about 1 hour on the different balconies, we were ready to hit off. Mohammed asked us if we wanted to see the shop. I was firm in telling him, I am not interested in leather. However, he was so polite to insist, saying I don’t want to sell.

As I was very interested in learning about all aspects of producing and selling leather products in Fes, we went through. The other two floors have steep stairs leading to the top.

A whole shop with a thousand jackets in a rainbow of colours opened up. The surface was 200 square metres, and all the leather jackets on display were on the walls.

In Fes, you will find the highest-quality leather products. Not the fake ones. They go straight from the producer to the shop. Prices in these shops, attached to the tanneries, are about 30% cheaper compared to shops in the medina.

Buying here, you’ll have much more choice, and in some cases an option for alterations. In the shop at No. 10, there was even a tailor’s room. If you are going to buy, don’t fall for the first ask. Let them open bids, go half of the price low, and you’ll surely find a mid-way within about 30% below the asking price. It’s part of the culture here.

Fes Tanneries Tour vs DIY

We visited the Chouara Tannery in Fes independently after being quoted approximately €50 for a guided tour of the city. It sounded very expensive, as we could find it cheaper online through our partner GetYourGuide.

So, we decided to go on our own, against all the odds, and people trying to get us to pay them to show us the balcony. It wasn’t hard for us to find the right deck, but we had to prepare a lot before. We woke up very early that morning and made it with no dramas.

Definitely a tour, with hands-off, will have enhanced the preparation part of the visit. However, we always strive for the most authentic, even if this proves to be very challenging to obtain.

Go on a guided tour if you don’t want to be hassled by street-improvised guides. Actually, planning in advance, you can have the Fes tannery, Medina tour, and Al Attarine Madrasa for just £12. Check availability here.

FAQ: quick answers to common questions