March vs October

Best match

Spring beginning — the ideal temperature for medina walking at very reasonable prices.

• ↑March hits the temperature sweet spot for navigating the 9,400 streets of Fez el-Bali: 19.5°C is warm enough to walk without a heavy coat but cool enough to explore the tannery quarter and Al-Qarawiyyin University area without heat stress. The Chouara tannery is most pleasant to visit when temperatures are moderate.
• ↑Rain is still present but sunshine hours are increasing sharply: the afternoon light on the medina's clay-and-cedar architecture is warm and photographically compelling. The terrace view from the Borj Nord (northern fortification) over the medina is stunning in March's clear spring air.

Best match

The autumn sweet spot — ideal temperatures, reasonable prices, and the medina in full swing.

• ↑October is the second-best month (after April) for Fez: 26.4°C allows sustained medina exploration throughout the day without heat management concerns. The Chouara tannery is fully active — the leather-making process using pigeon dung, quicklime, and natural dyes in the stone vats is best observed from the surrounding balconies of the leather shops, and October's cooler air makes the experience significantly more tolerable.
• ↑The autumn light on the earthen medina is extraordinary: the late afternoon sun on the clay facades of the alleyways leading from Bab Bou Jeloud to the Madrasa Bou Inania produces the warm ochre-amber tones that define Fez photography at its best.