Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss: A Day Trip from Fez

Meknes

See Bab Mansour, Place el Hedim and Dar Jamai (30 MAD, Wednesday to Monday).

Volubilis

The Roman city of Volubilis is the finest ancient site in Morocco, with mosaics still in place, the Capitol, the basilica and the triumphal arch of Caracalla. Entry is 100 MAD per person. Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon for the best light and cooler air.

Volubilis in more detail

Volubilis began as a Mauretanian town in the 3rd century BC and became one of the most important Roman cities in Africa after the Romans annexed the region in the 1st century AD. At its height it had perhaps 20,000 people, and it lived from olive oil, wheat and trade. The Romans withdrew at the end of the 3rd century, but people lived here for centuries more, and Idris I arrived here in 788 to found the first Moroccan state. In the 18th century an earthquake damaged the site, and Moulay Ismail took much of its stone for Meknes.

• The Arch of Caracalla, built in 217 AD.
• The basilica and the Capitol, with their tall columns.
• The Decumanus Maximus, the main street, lined with houses.
• Mosaics still in place: the House of Orpheus, the Labours of Hercules, Bacchus and the Four Seasons, and the Nereids.
• Olive presses that show how rich the city was from oil.

UNESCO listed Volubilis as a World Heritage site in 1997. Allow about two hours with a guide, and bring a hat and water, because there is little shade.

Meknes, the city of Moulay Ismail

Moulay Ismail ruled Morocco from 1672 to 1727 and made Meknes his capital, with walls more than 40 kilometres long. Beyond Bab Mansour, finished in 1732, you can visit the Heri es Souani granaries and stables, built to store grain and keep thousands of horses, the Agdal basin next to them, and the underground prison of Qara. Place el Hedim is the lively square at the heart of the old city.

Plan it

This day is part of our Imperial Cities route. See also how many days in Morocco and tours and itineraries.

More to see in Meknes

Meknes was the showpiece of Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century, and it is calmer than Fez. Walk from Place el Hedim through Bab Mansour, one of the grandest gates in Morocco, and visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, which non Muslims view from the doorway.

Moulay Idriss

The hill town of Moulay Idriss sits close to Volubilis and is one of the holiest places in Morocco, built around the shrine of Moulay Idriss I, the founder of the first Moroccan state in 788. Non Muslims cannot enter the shrine, but the walk up to the viewpoints above the white houses is lovely, and it makes a good lunch stop between the ruins and Meknes.

A suggested day

• Leave Fez after breakfast and visit Volubilis first, before the midday heat.
• Lunch in Moulay Idriss.
• Spend the afternoon in Meknes, then drive or take the train back to Fez.

With a private driver you avoid waiting for trains and taxis, and you can change the order on the day.