Destination of the week: Fez, Morocco

The first stop on any Fez tour should be the Bou Inania medersa, a 14th-Century Islamic college with the most ornate decorative carvings and colourings. You'll see snippets of breathtaking Islamic art all around Fez, but here there are beautiful examples of it in all directions.

Deeper within the Medina is the splendid Kairaouine Mosque. Another Medersa nearby - named el Attarin - is the building to scale for dramatic views of the Mosque and surrounding neighbourhood. For the best on-high view of the city though, head beyond the city walls and scramble up the hill north of the city. Standing near the old tombs perched on the summit here, you'll have dramatic views of the entire Medina. It's a perfect way to get your initial bearings or contemplate the magnitude of the place after you've spent some time in it.

Back in the busy streets, make sure you visit Fez's most photographed and most stinky attraction - the Tanneries (above). In a huge sunken area between the tightly packed buildings are countless vats of dye, bubbling away in an array of different colours. This is where leather and other fabrics are given their hue, treated and hung out to dry, and the chemical stench involved in the process is frightening. You'll be offered a sprig of mint to sniff so that the foul odours don't trouble your tender foreign nostrils.

Morrocco's touts and hustlers are legendary and certainly make their presence felt in Fez. On occasion the hard sell can start to grate, but if you grow tired of it, just respond with a patient smile (or death stare, if that works better for you) and move along.

For Fez first-timers, spending more than one day at a time in the Medina may well prove just too much of a sensory assault, so it's convenient that several nearby towns make ideal day-trips for some relief and space. The most popular option for taking a day away from the mayhem is to head for the ruins of the ancient city of Volubilis, once a key outpost for the Roman Empire and definitely worth a few hours of your time.

Whilst it can't boast a set of remains as extensive or well-preserved as the likes of Pompeii, Volubilis is an impressive site which scores bonus points for its glorious setting, plum in the middle of a tranquil green valley with huge expanses of sunny sky whichever direction you point your camera. Dodge the crowds by visiting either early or late in the day and you should get to enjoy the majesty of the ruins with minimal interference from fellow travellers; take your time as you stroll through its old pathways and you'll conclude that this is a truly special place.

On the way from Volubilis to Fez you'll reach the convenient stopping point of Meknes. This bustling city with vast Medieval walls has a very different vibe, so for those on a flying visit to the country, a stroll round Meknes provides an interesting look at a different city. Super-cheap buses run here from Fez - then take a shared Taxi from Meknes' sprawling bus terminal, for the short onward drive to Volubilis.