How to avoid scams in the Fez Medina.

The five classics

1. The fake guide. Friendly, fluent, appears at your elbow near a gate: "Where are you going? I show you, no money." There is always money — demanded later, loudly if needed — and the route always passes his cousin's shop. Real guides are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and never recruit in the street.

2. "It's closed." The street you want, the tannery, the madrasa — closed, supposedly, and your new friend knows a better way. It isn't closed. It's the oldest redirect in the Medina, and the "better way" ends at a sales floor.

3. The commission loop. The big one, and the engine behind suspiciously cheap tours. Carpet emporium, argan cooperative, "Berber pharmacy" — presented as culture, functioning as a funnel. The guide earns up to a third of whatever you spend. You sit, mint tea arrives, and the pressure starts — warm, theatrical, and very hard to walk out of.

4. The tannery terrace fee. Viewing Chouara from a terrace is free; the terraces belong to leather shops hoping you'll buy. If someone demands an entry fee in cash, you're on the wrong terrace — or paying an invented one. A sprig of mint against the smell is hospitality, not a contract.

5. The tourist price. Not a scam so much as a sport. Unaccompanied visitors hear opening prices three to five times the local figure. Haggling is expected and good-natured — but you can't haggle well from total ignorance of what things cost.

The rules that defeat all of them

• Never accept unsolicited guiding — a firm "no, thank you" while continuing to walk.
• Treat every "it's closed" as "it's open."
• Before any tour, ask one question: "Are there shopping stops, and do you take commissions?" A transparent operator answers instantly and in writing.
• Buy what you love at a price you're happy with — that's the only "fair price" that matters.
• If pressure starts, stand up, smile, leave. No explanation owed.

The structural fix

Notice what every scheme requires: a visitor who is lost, unaccompanied, and unsure what's normal. A licensed local guide removes all three at once — which is why the hustle simply doesn't approach guided visitors. It's also why we built our whole model on the opposite economics: our guides are paid by you alone, take zero commissions, and make zero unrequested stops. Ask us that question above; you'll get the answer in writing.

See how it works on our private Fez Medina tour — or message us your dates and we'll plan a day with no games in it.