Best Time to Visit Fez: Weather, Festivals and Ramadan

When is the best time to visit Fez?

Go in May or October. Fez then averages highs of about 26°C with six or seven rain days a month, warm enough for rooftop evenings and cool enough for the medina’s steep lanes. April is cooler and showerier, July and August average 35.1°C, and winter brings eight or nine rain days and nights near 4°C.

Fez sits inland, and its year swings between cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The figures on this page are the WMO 1991–2020 normals for Fes from Morocco’s Direction de la Météorologie Nationale, published on the WMO World Weather Information Service.

Two things matter as much as the weather. Fez has a strong festival calendar, from sacred music in June to Sufi culture in October, and the medina’s riads are built around open courtyards that feel very different in January and July. Ramadan, next starting in February 2027 according to the FCDO, changes the rhythm of every day.

Below you will find the monthly numbers, each season’s trade-offs, the festival dates, the FCDO’s current advice and a verdict by traveller type. Pair it with where to stay in Fez and the Fez 3-day itinerary.

What is the weather in Fez month by month?

Average highs rise from 16.0°C in January to 35.1°C in July and August, and lows from 3.7°C to 18.3°C. Rain falls on eight or nine days a month from November to April, between 54 mm and 66 mm, and almost disappears in summer, with 1.1 mm in July. May and October are the balance points.

The table uses the WMO 1991–2020 normals for Fes. Rain days are the average number of days with rain; the verdict column adds the festivals and risks covered further down.

The detail to notice is the gap between day and night. In January a 16.0°C afternoon drops to a 3.7°C night, and in July a 35.1°C afternoon still falls to 17.9°C. That is why a riad that feels perfect at lunchtime can be cold at midnight in winter, and why summer evenings on a roof terrace are the best part of a hot day.

Is spring a good time to visit Fez?

Yes, with an umbrella. March and April average highs of 19.9°C and 22.0°C but still bring nine rain days a month, so the medina’s stone lanes can be slippery. May is the sweet spot, at 26.4°C with six rain days. Spring also suits day trips to Volubilis and Meknes before the summer heat.

Rainfall stays above 54 mm a month until April and drops to 38.2 mm in May (WMO normals). Wet days are best spent indoors: the Batha Museum, reopened in February 2025 as a museum of Islamic arts with a large Andalusian garden, opens 10:00–18:00 and closes on Tuesdays (Fondation Nationale des Musées).

Spring is the best season for the exposed Roman site at Volubilis, which charges foreign adults 100 dirhams on the Ministry of Culture’s official ticket platform. By June the heat makes an early start essential; the Fez 7-day itinerary shows how to combine it with Meknes.

If your spring dates touch late February or March 2027, check whether they fall in Ramadan; the FCDO says the next one starts in February 2027.

How hot is Fez in summer, and what is on?

July and August average 35.1°C, with almost no rain and nights near 18°C. Plan outdoor walking for the early morning and evening and keep 13:00 to 16:00 for the riad. June is festival month: the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music ran 4–7 June 2026, and nearby Sefrou holds a three-day cherry festival each June.

June averages a 31.2°C high and July and August 35.1°C (WMO normals). The medina’s covered lanes give some shade, but the tannery terraces, the Merinid tombs and Fès Jdid’s open squares do not, so do them before 10:00 or after 17:00. The FCDO warns of a risk of wildfires during the summer season.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music’s 2026 programme ran from 4 to 7 June with 18 performances, opening at Bab Al Makina, and sold a full pass at 3,000 dirhams (festival programme). The organisers had not published 2027 dates when we checked on 16 October 2026, so hold refundable rooms if you plan around it.

UNESCO lists the cherry festival in Sefrou on its Representative List of intangible heritage, inscribed in 2012, and describes it as taking place for three days in June each year (UNESCO). Book early if your dates overlap either festival.

Why is October one of the best months for Fez?

Because the heat has broken and the rain has only just returned. October averages a 26.1°C high and seven rain days, after a hot, mostly dry September at 30.3°C. Fez also hosts its Festival of Sufi Culture in October, with the 18th edition running from 17 to 24 October 2026.

September is still summer in the afternoons, with a 30.3°C high and four rain days, but evenings cool quickly. October rainfall rises to 53.9 mm and November to 65.6 mm, the wettest month of the year (WMO normals). Late September and October are the best window for a trip that combines the medina with Volubilis or Chefchaouen.

The Festival de Fès de la Culture Soufie et des Sagesses du Monde lists its 18th edition from 17 to 24 October 2026, under the theme of mystical poetry (festival site). It adds evening concerts and talks to an October stay.

November is mild, at 20.2°C, but it is the first month of the wet season proper. Carry a waterproof and shoes with grip for the medina’s sloping stone lanes.

What is Fez like in winter?

Cool by day, cold at night and often wet. December to February average highs of 16°C to 17°C, lows of 3.7°C to 5.2°C and eight or nine rain days a month. Winter works for museums, hammams and cooking classes, provided your riad is heated. The FCDO warns of flash flooding in the mountains and near rivers in winter.

January is the coldest month, with a 3.7°C average low (WMO normals). Riads are built around open courtyards, so ask before booking whether rooms are heated and whether the courtyard is covered in wet weather; where to stay in Fez has a checklist.

The FCDO says heavy rain can cause flash flooding in some areas, particularly in the mountains or near rivers during the winter months. That matters more for a Middle Atlas or Chefchaouen excursion than for the medina itself; check the forecast and local advice before long road days.

Winter has its advantages. Indoor sights such as the Batha Museum, 10:00–18:00 and closed on Tuesdays (FNM), become the centre of the day, along with cooking classes and hammams. Ramadan starts in February 2027, according to the FCDO, so check how your riad handles meals.

Which festivals and holidays affect a Fez trip?

Ramadan, next starting in February 2027 according to the FCDO, changes opening hours and daily rhythms. The big dates are the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in early June and the Festival of Sufi Culture in October, and Sefrou’s three-day cherry festival falls in June. Book rooms early for festival weeks.

During Ramadan, the FCDO says eating, drinking, swearing, smoking or chewing gum in public in the daytime may cause offence and advises checking the opening hours of shops and restaurants. Evenings become the social heart of the day, which many visitors enjoy; see Ramadan travel planning for the practical side.

Weekly closures matter too. The Batha Museum closes on Tuesdays (FNM), and the Ministry of Culture’s Volubilis page notes free Friday entry for Moroccan nationals (Ministry of Culture). Neither festival had 2027 dates when we checked, so keep festival-week bookings refundable.

What risks should shape your Fez dates?

The FCDO says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Morocco, that petty crime is common in medinas and that people posing as official guides often harass tourists. Seasonal risks are flash floods in winter, wildfires in summer and heat. Earthquakes are a year-round risk; the 2023 quake killed almost 3,000 people.

The FCDO’s Morocco page was updated on 19 August 2026 and was still current on 16 October. Its safety page advises using only guides with an official badge and local-authority permission, warns that many cars booked through ride-sharing apps may be unregulated and unlicensed, and suggests caution with petits taxis late at night.

It also notes that women may receive unwanted attention, especially when travelling alone; our solo female travel in Morocco and what to wear in Morocco guides go further. Protests can occur in large cities, often without warning, so avoid demonstrations.

Check entry rules in our Morocco visa guide, and buy travel insurance when you book rather than when news breaks.

Which months suit which kind of Fez trip?

First-time visitors should aim for May or October. Music lovers want early June or mid-October for the festivals. Day trippers heading to Volubilis or Chefchaouen should prefer April, May, late September and October. Winter suits museum, food and hammam trips if your room is heated, and summer suits only early risers.

Start from the kind of trip rather than the calendar. Weather figures are the WMO 1991–2020 Fes normals; festival dates come from the sacred music and Sufi culture festival sites.

Travellers with limited mobility should weigh the medina’s gradients and wet stone as much as the temperature; a base with road access, compared in where to stay in Fez, helps in both summer and winter.

So when should you go to Fez?

Book May or October if you can choose freely: warm days, cool evenings and few enough showers for long medina walks and a Volubilis day. Choose April or late September as close seconds, early June for the sacred music festival, and winter only with a heated room. Check the FCDO again before you fly.

Our ranking: May and October first; April, early June and late September second; March and November third for rain; July and August fourth for heat; December to February last for cold, wet nights, though they suit indoor-focused trips well.

Then plan the days with the Fez 3-day itinerary or the Fez 7-day itinerary, choose a base in where to stay in Fez, and use things to do in Fez and the Fez destination guide to prioritise.