The leather tanneries are the most photographed sight in Fez — and one of the most misunderstood. From above, they're a mosaic of vivid color: saffron yellow, poppy red, indigo blue, and henna orange, all laid out in stone vats that haven't changed since the 11th century. From ground level, they're a sensory assault: the smell of ammonia and pigeon droppings, the sound of workers stomping hides waist-deep in dye, and the relentless hustle of leather-shop touts.
The view you get depends entirely on where you stand. Not all terraces are equal — some give you the classic bird's-eye postcard shot, others put you close enough to see the grain of the leather. And beyond Chouara (the famous one), two smaller tanneries offer views with a fraction of the crowds. This guide covers all nine viewpoints worth your time.
📊 How we built this list
We analyzed 120+ Reddit posts and 400+ comments across r/travel, r/Morocco, r/backpacking, r/solotravel, and r/photography — spanning 2018 to 2026. We cross-referenced with Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor reviews (850+ for Chouara alone), and detailed travel blog accounts. Viewpoints were ranked by how frequently they were recommended by independent travelers, with bonus weight for photographers and repeat visitors who could compare angles.
💰 Free (10–20 MAD tip expected)
📍 Derb Chaouwara #10, Fes el-Bali
📌 Google Maps →
What to expect: The Lonely Planet-recommended viewpoint. You enter through a leather goods shop at door #10 on Derb Chaouwara, climb narrow stairs past bags and jackets on display, and emerge onto a terrace directly above the dye pits. The angle is close and dramatic — you can see individual workers stomping hides in the vats. Mint sprigs are offered at the entrance.
"The N10 shop, which has connections to the best view, led us in to look at bags. Beautiful leather goods, lovely view from above."
— TripAdvisor · Look for shop "No 10" review
"I visited this place, the leather shop gave you mint leaves to chew so the smell of camel pee and bat guano didn't make you hurl. Yes, they really use those substances to tan the leather."
— r/travel · Chouara Tannery thread, Aug 2024
tabiji verdict: The default starting point and still the most popular for good reason. The Lonely Planet endorsement means it's busy — but the view genuinely delivers. You look almost straight down into the vats, close enough to see the workers' technique. The trade-off: you will get a leather sales pitch afterward. A firm "no thank you" or a 10–20 MAD tip gets you out gracefully. Come early morning for the best light and fewer crowds.
💰 Free (10–20 MAD tip expected)
📍 Derb Chaouwara #64, Fes el-Bali
📌 Google Maps →
What to expect: Higher up than Terrace #10, this is where the Instagram panoramic shots come from. You get a wider field of view — the full mosaic of dye pits spread out below you, the medina rooftops receding into the haze, satellite dishes and minarets in every direction. The trade-off is less intimacy with the workers below.
"Ask for Terrace n°64 for one of the best panoramic views from above. The Chouara Tannery in Fez, Morocco, is one of the oldest tanneries in the world."
— Instagram traveler · Chouara Tannery reel, 2025
"This is one of the weirdest, trippiest, slightly unsettling, and downright insane looking photos I've ever seen. It looks damn near fake. It's absolutely amazing."
— r/backpacking · The leather tanneries of Fes, 2,283 upvotes
tabiji verdict: If Terrace #10 is the close-up, Terrace #64 is the wide shot. This is the angle that makes the tannery look like a miniature model — the one that gets 2,000+ upvotes on Reddit because people can't tell if it's real or a painting. Photographers should visit both: #10 for detail and human scale, #64 for the full compositional masterpiece. Ask specifically for #64 — most guides default to #10.
What to expect: One of the oldest and most established viewing terraces, this is the spot that appears in Flickr archives and travel literature going back decades. It offers a slightly different angle from the numbered shops — broader, more like a café terrace than a shop rooftop. Some leather goods are displayed but the sales pressure tends to be lighter here.
"Old Medina – Tannery (La Terrasse Des Tanneurs, Fes) — This tannery is one of the oldest and largest leather tanneries of the Medina. It offers a wide view of the dye pits."
— TripAdvisor · Chouara Tannery review
"La Terrasse des Tanneurs in Fez is a must-see place known for its colorful and fragrant atmosphere. Visitors can find a vast assortment of high-quality leather goods."
— WanderLog · La Terrasse des Tanneurs listing
tabiji verdict: The "named" terrace — as opposed to the numbered shops — and it's been welcoming visitors for decades. The view is comparable to #10 but the experience feels slightly more established and less like you wandered into someone's stockroom. If you only have time for one Chouara viewpoint and don't want the pressure of a hard sell, this is the diplomatic pick.
💰 Free (tip expected)
📍 Eastern buildings surrounding Chouara
📌 Google Maps →
What to expect: The Chouara tannery courtyard is surrounded on all four sides by multi-story buildings. Most visitors end up on the south or west side (where #10 and #64 are). The east side shops are less trafficked and offer a different angle — you see the drying racks where finished leather is laid out in the sun, plus the pigeon tower that produces the ammonia used in processing. Multiple floors give you the choice of close-up or panoramic.
"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."
— Passport and Pixels · Chouara Tannery guide
tabiji verdict: The insider's move. While everyone clusters on the south and west terraces, the east side buildings get a fraction of the foot traffic and arguably a more interesting angle — you see the full production chain from dyeing to drying, plus the pigeon tower that's essential to the whole operation. Ask your guide (or a shopkeeper) specifically about accessing the upper floors on the east side. The leather goods here tend to be slightly cheaper too.
What to expect: Fez's second-largest tannery, west of Chouara. Far fewer tourists, which means less pressure and more time to actually look. The terraces here are accessed through smaller leather workshops — the whole experience feels more authentic and less performative. You may not be allowed as close to the vats, but the photo opportunities are still excellent.
"While Chouara enjoys photographers' attention, Sidi Moussa on the west has far less visitors. Sidi Moussa presents you with a more beautiful photo opportunity, although you may not get close to the vats."
— Orange Wayfarer · How to visit Chouara Tannery, 2024
"Chouara Tannery is the most well known, but there are a bunch with terraces and rooftop views. Most of the tanneries have a number — keep mental note so you remember which ones you've already seen."
— Hole Stories · Visiting the Tanneries in Fez
tabiji verdict: The photographers' secret. Sidi Moussa doesn't have Chouara's scale, but it has something better: peace. You can actually stand on the terrace and compose a shot without elbowing other tourists or being asked to look at jackets. The light conditions are different too — the west-facing orientation means afternoon golden hour hits this tannery beautifully. If you've already done Chouara, Sidi Moussa is the essential second stop.
💰 10–20 MAD (guide tip)
📍 North of Chouara, near Rue Talaa Kbira
📌 Google Maps →
What to expect: The most intimate tannery experience in Fez. Recently renovated with improved working conditions, Ain Azliten sees almost no tourists. A local guide is essential here — you'll walk past a sheepskin tannery and through narrow residential alleys to reach it. You may see workers' living quarters and get closer to the vats than anywhere at Chouara. The language barrier adds to the rawness.
"While Ain Azliten can feel a lot more personal experience, the bright yellow leathers were made exclusively for Moroccan men, I learn. Visitors are not allowed to enter the tannery, unless you convince a guide with a generous tip of dirham."
— Orange Wayfarer · How to visit Chouara Tannery, 2024
"Ain Azliten has recently undergone renovation, drastically improving the working conditions. The dye basins have moved to make space for concrete walls. To reach Ain Azliten, walk along Rue Talaa Kbira, pass through a sheepskin tannery, and proceed towards Ain Azliten."
— Orange Wayfarer · How to visit Chouara Tannery, 2024
tabiji verdict: The hardest viewpoint to reach and the most rewarding for it. Ain Azliten strips away the tourist infrastructure and shows you the tannery as a living workplace, not a photo op. The renovation means conditions are better for workers — which matters — but the raw, human-scale experience is unmatched. You'll need a guide who knows the area. This is for travelers who want to understand, not just photograph.
What to expect: The 14th-century Merinid dynasty ruins sit on a hilltop overlooking the entire medina. From here, you can see the tanneries in context — small colorful patches in a sea of 9,000 ochre alleys, minarets, and rooftops. You won't see individual vats, but the perspective is breathtaking. No shops, no pressure, no smell. Just you and the biggest medieval city in the world.
"Le Peroke Cafe Restaurant offers an incredible view of the Marinid Tombs from its rooftop — the ruins are hauntingly beautiful at dusk."
— Eva Darling · Best Restaurants in Fes guide
"I love Fes, probably my favorite city to holiday to. There's just so much life and hubbub, and around every corner there's an artisan making something."
— r/travel · Fes tannery thread, 770 upvotes
tabiji verdict: The antidote to everything intense about visiting the tanneries up close. From the Marinid Tombs, the tanneries become part of a larger story — Fez as a millennium-old living city. Best at sunset when the light turns the medina golden. Completely free, no hassle, and the walk up the hill (or a quick taxi) rewards you with the single best panoramic view in all of Fez. Combine this with a close-up tannery visit on the same day for the full picture.
💰 500–1,200 MAD/night
📍 Adjacent to Chouara Tannery, Fes el-Bali
📌 Google Maps →
What to expect: Several riads in the streets immediately surrounding Chouara Tannery offer rooftop terraces with direct tannery views. Riad Chouara is the most notable — you can wake up, have breakfast on the roof, and watch the tannery come alive as workers arrive in the morning. The view is yours without time pressure, crowds, or sales pitches. The smell does carry — a trade-off for the location.
"We walked up spiral stairs of a leather shop, that showcased some of the finest craftsmanship. From the top, we had a clear view of the Tannery."
— Orange Wayfarer · How to visit Chouara Tannery, 2024
"This was a highlight of my trip to Morocco! The guides give you a bunch of mint leaves to inhale through due to the strong pungent smell."
— r/travel · Chouara Tannery, 348 upvotes
tabiji verdict: The ultimate move for photography nerds and anyone who wants the tannery experience without the time crunch. Staying at a riad next to Chouara means you get golden hour, blue hour, and everything in between — on your own schedule. Morning light hitting the vats is when the colors are most vivid, and from a riad rooftop you can catch it at 7 AM before any tourists arrive. Fair warning: the smell is real and constant. But honestly, you stop noticing after a day.
💰 Free (exterior) / 20 MAD (museum)
📍 Northern hills above Fes el-Bali
📌 Google Maps →
What to expect: A 16th-century Saadian fortress on the northern ridge above the medina, now housing an arms museum. The exterior ramparts give you a sweeping view of the entire Fes el-Bali, including the tannery district. Like the Marinid Tombs, this is a wide-angle perspective — you can see the tannery's colored patchwork nestled into the medina fabric. Fewer visitors than the tombs and a more structured viewpoint.
tabiji verdict: The history buff's viewpoint. Borj Nord was built by Ahmad al-Mansur in the 1580s to control Fez — today it controls your camera roll. The fortress itself is worth visiting for the arms museum (12,000 weapons from around the world), and the rampart views put the tanneries into the grandest possible context: a thousand-year-old craft inside a thousand-year-old city, seen from a 500-year-old fortress. Walk here from the Marinid Tombs to make it a complete hilltop circuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best viewpoint for the Chouara Tannery in Fez?
Shop #10 on Derb Chaouwara is the Lonely Planet-recommended viewpoint and the most popular — it offers a direct, elevated look down into the dye pits at close range. For a wider panoramic angle, Terrace #64 is higher up and gives you the full bird's-eye view that dominates Instagram. La Terrasse des Tanneurs is the named terrace with a broader perspective and slightly less sales pressure.
Is it free to view the Fez tanneries?
Technically, yes — the viewing terraces are accessed through leather shops that advertise "free viewing." However, you will be guided through the shop and shown products afterward. A tip of 10–20 MAD per person is customary if you don't buy anything. Some shops will claim a government-mandated fee exists — this is not true, but a small tip is fair. Alternatively, hiring a private guide for around 10–20 MAD per person avoids the shop pressure entirely. The Marinid Tombs and Borj Nord views are completely free.
How bad is the smell at the Fez tanneries?
It's strong. The tanning process uses ammonia from pigeon droppings, cow urine, quicklime, and raw animal hides. The smell intensifies in summer heat. Most shops offer sprigs of fresh mint to hold under your nose — take them, they genuinely help. Morning visits tend to be slightly less pungent. From the Marinid Tombs or Borj Nord, you're far enough away that smell isn't a factor. After 20–30 minutes on a terrace, most people report getting used to it.
What is the best time of day to visit the Fez tanneries?
Early morning (8–10 AM) is best for photography — the light hits the dye vats beautifully, workers are most active, and the smell is less intense. Late afternoon (4–5 PM) offers golden light for dramatic photos. Midday in summer is the worst — smell peaks and terraces are brutally hot. The tanneries are active Monday through Saturday; Friday afternoons and Sundays are quiet or closed. Spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) offer the best weather overall.
Are there tannery viewpoints in Fez besides Chouara?
Yes — Fez has three active tanneries. Sidi Moussa (west of Chouara) offers beautiful photo opportunities with far fewer tourists — it's the photographers' secret. Ain Azliten (north, near Talaa Kbira) was recently renovated and provides the most personal, up-close experience. For a distant panoramic that includes the tanneries in context, the Marinid Tombs and Borj Nord fortress offer sweeping views from the surrounding hills — no smell, no crowds, completely free.
