Meknes and Volubilis: A Perfect Day Trip from Fes

Meknes is the imperial city most travellers skip and it is their loss. Add the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy hilltop town of Moulay Idriss and you have one of the best one-day excursions in Morocco.

Getting There

From Fes, Meknes is 60 km west — a 50-minute drive or a 35-minute train ride. Volubilis sits another 30 km north of Meknes; you need a taxi or hired car for that leg.

Volubilis (Morning)

Start at Volubilis at opening time (8:30 a.m.) before the heat. The site is the best-preserved Roman city in Morocco — mosaic floors of Orpheus and Diana still in situ, a triumphal arch, an olive press. Allow 90 minutes. Entry 70 MAD.

Moulay Idriss Zerhoun (Late Morning)

A 10-minute drive from Volubilis takes you to Moulay Idriss, the whitewashed hill town founded by Morocco's first Islamic ruler. Non-Muslims cannot enter the shrine but the panorama from the upper terrace over the cascading rooftops is exceptional. Lunch on a rooftop café — kefta tagine and mint tea, 80 MAD.

Meknes (Afternoon)

Drive back to Meknes for the afternoon. Hit three things: Bab Mansour (the most ornamental gate in Morocco), the Royal Stables / granaries of Moulay Ismail (a vast 17th-century structure once stabling 12,000 horses), and Place el-Hedim for early-evening people-watching.

Logistics

A private driver for the full day from Fes is 700–1,000 MAD. Organised group tours run 300–500 MAD per person. Train + taxis is workable but eats time.