How to find shop No.10 of Fes Tanneries

The best way to view the Fez tanneries from above is from the terrace of Shop No. 10 in Chouara, and yes—you can do it independently, early, without paying an entry fee, just a small tip at the end if the experience is good.

We visited the Chouara Tannery on our own and secured the famous 270° view from Tannery Fes n.10—no guide, no forced purchases, no entry ticket, just a fair tip for the staff who actually helped.

We followed a simple route, arrived before the tour groups, and ended up staying nearly an hour between terraces, photos, and a quick chat with the crew upstairs.

How to get to the Fez Tanneries balcony at shop no.10?

Straight to the point, this is the guide to keep on your phone while navigating the maze of Fes Medina. We track our GPS to follow the exact route we took to find the shop at No. 10.

Be aware that many claim to be the original No. 10 shop, as it’s popular, and then lure you into a scam that forces you to purchase products. (Save the location: 34°03’58.2″N 4°58’16.2″W)

To find Fez Tannery shop number 10:

• Step 1: Start walking from Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate), taking the right fork (Tala’a Seghira) that heads east downhill. Make a stop in Rainbow Street after 140m on your left, for some ritual photos of Fes.
• Step 2: Continue straight until you reach the Al-Qarawiyyin University area, then navigate toward Place Seffarine (keep the Qarawiyyin Library on your left).
• Step 3: From Place Seffarine, head away from the square, keeping the library on your left. Turn right down Derb Machatine, which becomes Derb Chouara.
• Step 4: The smell will start to be tangy. Walk through the narrow alleys. Many doors will say it’s N.10, but the only it is with a little staircase on the side. This is the most accessible terrace to the tanneries, with a free and unobstructed frontal view.

Walking time: It takes approximately 20 minutes to walk from Bab Boujloud, assuming you go straight down and don’t get lost. Download an offline map because GPS gets sketchy in the narrow medina alleys.

The walk through the Fez Medina

It wasn’t easy to spot the shop, and even though we researched a bit, we were getting lost sometimes. We had to show that we knew where we were going to avoid hassle from improvised guides. You’ll know that they are approaching the tanneries from the smell.

It is tangy, like vinegar, with a slight burn that catches your throat and nostrils. The closer you go, the stronger it is. On the walls, walking down the souk, you’ll find signs and arrows in the direction of the Tannery. Follow them, but cautiously.

There are official signs in French and Arabic, with leads to where to walk down the alleys. Follow them. The shop at No10 is unmissable. There are no other shops with staircases that go up.

There is a metal sign in blue. The shop occupies several blocks along these alleys, but all of them lead to the balcony. This is the exact position to save on your map.

Why No.10 worked

The metal sign for “Tannery Fes n.10” hangs over Derb Chouara, and it leads to a multi-level leather shop with several terraces—north-facing, central, and lower angles—so you aren’t stuck with one view.

That flexibility allowed us to take better photos, achieve better lighting, and avoid the need for elbows. We tipped 20 MAD each (which they refuse at first but then we insisted) after the staff explained the dyeing process and left us alone to shoot; it felt fair and zero pushy.

The raw experience we had was the best. As we seek authentic, meaningful contact with locals, this was one of a kind. We were right into the action, with the best people to tell us generational stories.

Hands on in what the tanneries means for Chouara district and the whole Fes. Actually, the entire leather production in Fes involves over 500 master craftsmen working daily in the city’s 1,200 workshops.

The exact time we visited

In order to replicate our experience, we suggest visiting first thing in the morning. We reached Chouara Tannery around 9:45 a.m., and by 10:30.

The pits were in full swing—roughly 50 workers when we counted—so there was movement, colour, and rhythm without the chaos of peak tour hours. In fact, tours start to appear on the balconies around 10 AM, after a visit to the Fes Madrasa.

Also, consider that to get the best photos, you must visit during the right time of day, when the light is optimal. The Morning shadows and highlights make the dyes pop and keep the smell manageable.

READ ALSO | Most insatgrammable places in Fes

The smell

Talking about the smell, I was expecting more difficulties. I spent about an hour on the balcony without AID or Mint Spring. Yes, it smells strange from “tangy vinegar” to “nose wrinkler.”

After five minutes, we were at the top, and I was okay with it. Well, Ale wasn’t. She kept the menthol inhaler we bought in Thailand at all times, set in the nostrils, though breathing through the mouth helped.

The shop offers mint leaves—a nice gesture, not mandatory, and sometimes earns the kid handing them a tip. The time of day also helped in this way, keeping odours low, as the heat had not yet reached its peak.

If scents become stronger with heat, consider going earlier or coming late in the afternoon for softer light and fewer crowds (fewer workers, too).

How much cost to see the tannery at shop NO.10

We didn’t pay anything to see the tannery from the balcony at shop No. 10. We went to the tannery in Fes, unsure of what our experience could have been. It was actually the best.

The workers at the shop were incredibly welcoming, and it was for no reason. They were not pretending or asking to buy merch. We had great chats with Hassan (in the photo above) and Mohammed. Even when this last showed us the shop, it was for writing a better article.

The deck is a way to attract clients to the leather shop, not to solicit tips or sell tickets. The tanneries are an attraction, not a museum. We did tip them, though, an easy 20 MAD each, for taking the time to give us their input. To be fair, it was one of the kindest interactions we had in our whole trip in Fes.

What we saw from the balcony

The deck at Shop NO.10 is popular for a reason: It has the best view over the tannery of Fes. The layout of the pit is divided into two functional sections: a white courtyard of honeycomb vats for softening and cleaning hides using natural agents such as lime and pigeon droppings.

Then a brown pit. Here is where skins get dyed with natural pigments like paprika, saffron and indigo. You can see a man in action in every process. Watching this strangely choreographed—stirring, lifting, twisting—skin was the part that hit harder than the photos.

We tried to capture the essence of these men, but in the first person, the feeling hit deeply. It’s not staged; it’s work, in tough conditions, and it’s been going on for over 1,000 years. (Fes Tanneries are the oldest in the world and are included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Fes El Bali District).

We had an authentic experience

The visit to shop no.10, and the effort to find it, paid off. We had one of the best experiences in terms of authenticity, as we hope to visit the Fes Tanneries. Upstairs, Mohammed and Hassan, members of the shop team, walked us through the process with the low-pressure honesty we appreciate.

Mohammed’s fathers worked the pits for years; both learned languages in the shop, translating for visitors. It put faces to the place and made us more intentional about tipping fairly and not wasting anyone’s time.

Best photo flow that morning

• Start on the lower terrace for worker faces and pit depth; it gives you texture and hands-in-vat moments.
• Shift to the central balcony for the classic wide composition—the honeycomb pattern frames itself.
• Finish on the north-facing deck to minimise harsh shadows if the sun rises quickly; it helps balance the colours.

We asked before shooting close-ups and kept the camera away from faces unless someone clearly waved “OK.”

Is shop No.64 worth it?

Shop No. 64 offers a tighter north-side angle that some photographers love, but you trade the panoramic view for a more vertical slice of action. Additionally, we discovered that approaches to side terraces can lead to more aggressive sales tactics.

The shop at NO.64 is the one where most groups of tourists go on a tour. We found No. 10 to be closer to our needs and the experience we were seeking. If this is the only stop, that’s fine; if photos are the goal, No. 10 is still the safe bet.

The leather sales room—our frank take

We didn’t buy anything, but we were curious about the products, prices, and the shop. After the balcony, we followed Mohammed upstairs to the jacket floors. It’s a rainbow: walls lined with tailored pieces, a visible tailor room, and space to try things on without someone hovering over your shoulder.

Prices attached to the tanneries tend to be better than those at deep-median shops (we saw roughly a 30% reduction), and you can request alterations, which are done the same day.

As a general tip, when bargaining in Morocco, start your counteroffer at roughly half the price and meet in the middle—about 30% below the initial quote is where deals typically land.

READ ALSO | Is Fez safe for tourists?

If you’d rather do a tour

If you are short on time, we recommend booking a guided tour. Spending a few bucks more ensures a safe visit without the guesswork. We had to research our way around to get to No. 10, using Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube video guides.

Learning from every turn, including mistakes and what to avoid, wasn’t easy, but it’s our job. This tour with a medina circuit includes: Chouara, Al-Attarine Madrasa, and a walk by Karaouiyne University.

Doing it right with a local guide will provide valuable insights and enhance your visit. Doing it by yourself in a short amount of time is possible, but not recommended. The tanneries are monumental, and you need context and peace to appreciate them fully.

Free Balcony Fes Tannery review

We’d do Chouara at Tannery Fes n.10 the same way again: with a light backpack, small bills, and a clear request for “No.10,” and arrive early enough to watch the colours and craft wake up. You’ll leave with the photos you came for—and a better understanding of the hands that make Fez leather famous.