A day trip Fez → Meknes & Volubilis: imperial cities and Roman ruins

For an excursion packed with history without hours behind the wheel, the trio of Meknes – Volubilis – Moulay Idriss is hard to beat. Everything lies less than an hour from Fez and can be visited comfortably in a day — with, as a bonus, two UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Meknes, the imperial city

About 60 km from Fez, Meknes was the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail (1672-1727), founder of the Alaouite dynasty, who dreamed of a city to rival Versailles. The historic city of Meknes has been UNESCO-listed since 1996 as a remarkable example of a fortified Maghreb town blending Islamic and European influences, according to the UNESCO listing for Meknes. Highlights include the immense Bab Mansour gate (completed around 1732), the ramparts, the granaries and water basins of Heri es-Souani, the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and El-Hedim square. A fine appetiser for the morning.

Volubilis, the Roman city

Some thirty kilometres north of Meknes, Volubilis is the best-preserved Roman archaeological site in Morocco, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. Once the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania, founded in the 3rd century BC, the city became an important outpost of the Roman Empire, as noted in the UNESCO documentation and the history of the Volubilis site. You wander among columns, a triumphal arch and, above all, superb mosaics preserved in situ — left in their original place within the houses. The late-afternoon light here is magnificent.

Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

Right next door, the white hillside village of Moulay Idriss is one of the country's holy towns. A photo stop and a mint tea on a terrace are enough to soak up its charm.

Tips for the day

• Leave early: you can do Meknes in the morning and Volubilis in the afternoon without rushing.
• Hat, water and good shoes: the Volubilis site is in full sun.
• The road is easy and fast; a comfortable car is more than enough.
• A guide on site at Volubilis brings the ruins to life: well worth it.

Keen to keep exploring? Round it off with the UNESCO-listed medina of Fez or set off on a longer road trip.