Fez · Morocco
January
The medina at its most authentic — cold, quiet, and genuinely medieval.
Best match
#8 of 12 months
There are better months for Fez — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
13.8°C
Low
4.2°C
Rain
68mm
Sun
5.9hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How January scores in Fez
Weather
Good
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Outstanding
Events
Average
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in January
- ↑January is the most local month in Fez: the international tourist volume falls to its minimum, and the 156,000 people who live within the medina walls carry on their medieval-pattern daily life without the summer crowds. Donkeys carrying goods through the Derb El Mitter alleyways, the Al-Attarine souk fulling with morning traders, and the 14th-century Madrasa Bou Inania busy with students — all of it visible without the summer filter of guided tour groups.
- ↑Riad prices are at their annual minimum: the finest riads in the Ziyat and Adoha neighbourhoods of Fez el-Bali are available at rates 40–50% below spring season. The intimacy of a traditional Moroccan courtyard house with a central fountain and orange tree, booked essentially to yourself, is difficult to replicate in April.
- ↑Cold winters produce occasional snow on the surrounding mountains visible from the medina terraces — the 14th-century skyline of minarets and earthen rooftops against winter snowfall is a genuinely rare and extraordinary sight.
What you sacrifice
- ↓January temperatures (13.8°C highs, 4.2°C lows) require real winter clothing: medina walking through narrow shaded alleyways in damp cold demands warm layers. The famous rooftop terraces and outdoor café culture are not viable.
- ↓Some rainfall (68mm) falls across the month, and the uneven medina streets can be slippery in wet conditions. The medina has no storm drainage — heavy rain creates temporary rivers down the alleyways.
How January compares to October (best month)
| Factor | January | October ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 9 |
| Value | 9 | 7 |
| Crowds | 9 | 7 |
January in other destinations
Lisbon (13.6°C)Barcelona (13.2°C)Tokyo (9.8°C)Bali (30.2°C)Santorini (13.4°C)Paris (7°C)New York (3.3°C)Marrakech (17.3°C)Amsterdam (5.6°C)Maldives (30.1°C)Rome (11.6°C)Bangkok (31.1°C)Istanbul (8.7°C)Vienna (3.2°C)Seoul (1.1°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (30.9°C)Kyoto (9.2°C)Phuket (31.5°C)Cape Town (26.1°C)Prague (2°C)Amalfi Coast (12°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (31°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (24°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (24.1°C)Florence (9.2°C)Queenstown (22°C)Madrid (9.4°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (4°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (6°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (18°C)Osaka (9°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (30°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (13°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (26°C)Split (10°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (33°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (4°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (28°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (18°C)Jordan (12°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (19.8°C)Cairo (19.1°C)Kenya (26.8°C)Jaipur (22.2°C)Las Vegas (13.9°C)San Francisco (13.2°C)Madeira (19.5°C)Vancouver (6.9°C)Muscat (26.4°C)Lima (26.2°C)Cinque Terre (11°C)Kotor (10°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (30°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (5.8°C)Penang (31.5°C)Lombok (30.8°C)Cape Verde (26.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (-1°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Fez, not across destinations. Methodology →