Fez · Month comparison
November vs October
October ranks #1 overall vs November at #9. The autumn sweet spot — ideal temperatures, reasonable prices, and the medina in full swing.
November
#9 of 12 months
Best match
Quiet autumn — very pleasant temperatures and the medina returning to local life.
- ↑November is deeply underrated: 19.8°C is ideal for medina walking, rain is mostly brief, and the tourist volume drops significantly from October. The riads are quiet, the souk sellers are not overwhelmed, and the pace of the medina returns to something approaching its genuine daily rhythm.
- ↑The crafts souks are at their most authentic in November: the hammered copper lamps of the Seffarine souq, the hand-knotted carpets of the Rabat-school weavers, and the ceramic tile work of the potters' quarter outside Bab Chems are all best browsed without the April-May pressure of guided tour groups competing for space.
October
#1 of 12 months
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.
| Factor | November | October |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 9 |
| Value score | 8 | 7 |
| Crowd score | 8 | 7 |
| Events score | 4 | 5 |
| Atmosphere | 8 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 19.8°C | 26.4°C |
| Monthly rain | 57mm | 38mm |
| Daily sunshine | 6.5hrs | 7.9hrs |
November trade-offs
- ↓November rain (57mm) is the most significant since March: the medina's lack of formal drainage means heavy rain events create real access difficulties in some of the lower-lying alleyways around the tannery quarter.
- ↓Shorter days reduce the golden-hour light window: sunset in November is before 6pm, and the medina's most atmospheric light comes only in the brief afternoon window before dusk.
October trade-offs
- ↓Rain begins returning: 38mm across the month, mostly in brief early morning or evening showers. The medina streets can become slippery after rain — the ancient cobblestones are polished smooth by centuries of foot traffic.
- ↓October draws international visitors in numbers approaching the April-May peak: the best riads require booking 4–6 weeks ahead, and the most popular sites (Chouara tannery overlook, Madrasa Bou Inania) have groups at peak morning times.
Scores compare months within Fez. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →