Fez
Morocco
Johannesburg
South Africa
Fez
Johannesburg
💰 Budget
🛡️ Safety
Fez
Fez is generally safe for tourists, though the medina can be overwhelming and disorienting. The main annoyances are persistent unofficial guides (faux guides) and aggressive shopkeepers. Violent crime against tourists is very rare, but petty scams are common.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg has a high crime rate and requires genuine caution. Affluent suburbs like Sandton, Rosebank, and Parkhurst are reasonably safe, while parts of the inner city and townships require a guide. Carjacking and mugging are real risks. Most tourist incidents can be avoided with sensible precautions.
⭐ Ratings
🌤️ Weather
Fez
Fez has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The city sits at 410 m elevation in an inland valley, making summers hotter and winters colder than coastal Moroccan cities. Spring and autumn offer the most pleasant temperatures.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg has a subtropical highland climate with warm, rainy summers and dry, cool winters. The altitude moderates temperatures year-round — it rarely gets unbearably hot. Afternoon thunderstorms in summer are dramatic but short-lived.
🚇 Getting Around
Fez
The medina is entirely pedestrian (and donkey). Getting around Fes el-Bali is exclusively on foot. For travel between the medina, Ville Nouvelle (new town), and other areas, petit taxis (red Fiats) are cheap and plentiful.
Walkability: The medina is exclusively pedestrian but extremely uneven — cobblestones, steep stairs, and drainage channels require sturdy shoes. The Ville Nouvelle is walkable and flat with sidewalks. Walking between the medina and Ville Nouvelle takes about 20-30 minutes along Avenue Hassan II.
Johannesburg
Johannesburg is a car-centric city with limited public transit. The Gautrain is excellent but has limited coverage. Uber and Bolt are the lifeline for visitors without cars. The city is very spread out — distances between attractions can be significant.
Walkability: Johannesburg is not a walking city in the traditional sense. Individual pockets like Maboneng, Braamfontein (daytime only), the Rosebank area, and Parkhurst's 4th Avenue are pleasant on foot. But you will need transport between neighborhoods. Always Uber or drive.
The Verdict
Choose Fez if...
you want Morocco's oldest medina — 9,000 alleyways, Chouara tanneries, Al-Qarawiyyin (world's oldest university), and artisan souks without the hustle of Marrakech
Choose Johannesburg if...
you want Apartheid Museum + Constitution Hill, Soweto tours, Maboneng precinct, Vilakazi Street, and the gateway to Kruger National Park safaris
Johannesburg