Art Naji — Local services in Fez

This was a wonderful experience. When we arrived, someone met us in the parking lot and introduced themselves. She proceeded to start a really nice tour of the facility, unsolicited. She spoke English very well as well as French and Arabic. Not too detailed, not too general, not too short, not too long, and very pleasant. We learned a lot about the history and process of Zellige.

Many of the artisans we interacted with were the distant ancestors of the people who built the riad we were staying in while in Fez, using, basically, the same tools and methods. The riad is a 600 year old palace called the Riad Al Bartal (separate review). It was humbling to return to the riad after our tour. The history and ancestral legacy of fine craftsmanship became very real.

Clearly, our tour guide meeting us as we get out of the car in the parking lot, is their model to have you end up in the retail store after the tour in which you WILL purchase something. If you don't... well, I can't imagine why not. You can't not. 1000's of handmade, beautiful artworks, and products. Our "tour guide" became our "salesperson" once in the retail shop. No pressure and professional. Stepped up with answers and suggestions when needed and receded when not needed and super professional. Really nice experience. My son and daughter in law ended up ordering a custom piece. Our guide/salesperson assisted with all of the deatils for the order and arranged for the shipping to the states seemlessly. We were out of room in our luggage at this stage of our visit to Morocco so they just piggy backed our purchases in that shipment. All super easy. Oh, the money we spent. I don't regret a penny of it.

In one area where they prepare items for shipping, you'll see huge collections of 1000's of custom pieces carefully crated and being sent to every corner of the planet, from Dubai to New York. You get the sense that you are standing at the center of something very special here.

She also brought us to a small gallery with some of their finest examples of historical artwork. These are not for sale, to my knowledge. In that area, they have a cool Instagram moment staged where you can take a photo showing you and your party immersed in amazing tilework and surrounded by breathtaking beauty. Brilliant marketing.

I would highly recommend you set aside a good chunk of your day (and budget) to visit. You'll want to linger here. There's a really nice shaded seating area where you can just relax and admire the collection of fountains and patio furniture. Occasionally, your "tour guide" might wander over to see if you have any questions but not in a "omg, why are you just sitting here forever? Just buy something and get out" kind of way. More in a genuine "Enjoy your visit and let me know if you have any questions" kind of way. Perfect!

It seems important to note, our guide would not accept a tip. If you've visited Morocco, you get why that's notable (and very much appreciated). That's all I'm saying on that...

Please do not buy from them if they are going to send things by courier to your house. I had a very bad experience, I bought usd $1,250 worth of ceramic pieces plus import taxes from my country and it was the worst money spent. I bought my things on January 15, among the things I chose some glasses that were poorly painted but they promised me that they would make them new with good quality and that is why it was going to take two weeks for production and a month for shipping. I waited a month and a half and nothing arrived, so I contacted them, they told me that they had come out of poor quality and that they had to be remade, I asked for my refund because I had to wait another month and a half at least and I no longer trusted them to do it, but they did not agree to the refund. They promised to speed up the process and send me well-made pieces as soon as possible. I was suspicious because they were going to make the pieces again after a month and a half after my purchase. In fact, they sent me my purchase a week later with express shipping... and surprise... they sent me poor quality glasses, and even a broken piece that broke in their store and they didn't care and so they sent it to me, another plate too It arrived damaged from store or I think they actually changed it to the one I originally chose. I wrote to them again and they only offered an apology and that they would produce those pieces again and send them to me, but they don't say when and I doubt they will. They didn't mind sending me poor quality glasses when they promised otherwise and they didn't mind sending me broken pieces that they broke themselves. Pay a high price for each piece that is really not worth what it costs. If you really like something there, review it carefully and take it with you. I feel like they robbed me, they lied to me and I feel sorry for having spent so much money on this. I knew it was very very expensive but i liked it and i was willing to pay for good quality , but it is not worth it all .The prices are very high as if it were of excellent quality but it is not like that. See other places and compare, don’t waste your money...

If you take the tour, enjoy the sights but be cautious about buying anything.

Our half-day tour in Fes started off well, with an interesting and insightful guide who showed us around the city. However, without realizing it, we were handed off to a different guide partway through, which was a bit confusing.

The tour itself remained enjoyable, but things took a turn when we were taken to a store afterward. Although the prices were displayed, we weren't aware that they were negotiable. The guide assured us we’d get a "good price," and we were captivated by the presentation and stories about the products. Feeling pressured and followed around, we ended up buying several items, only to later realize the quality was far below what we had seen and expected.

In hindsight, we should have done more research and approached the situation with more caution. The city itself was fascinating, but unfortunately, the shopping experience left us feeling ripped off and...