Overview
This is the most history you can see in a single day from Fez, and the three stops fit together as a story: a Roman provincial capital, the town where the first Moroccan dynasty was founded on its doorstep, and the imperial city a later sultan built partly from its stones.
Volubilis
Volubilis was the administrative centre of Roman Mauretania Tingitana, built on an older Amazigh and Carthaginian settlement and abandoned slowly rather than destroyed. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco: you walk the Decumanus Maximus past the Triumphal Arch raised for Caracalla in 217 AD, the basilica and the capitol, the olive presses that made the town rich, and the extraordinary floor mosaics still in place in the open air, including the House of Orpheus, the Labours of Hercules, Dionysus and the Four Seasons, and the Knight. Standing in a Roman dining room with the mosaic underfoot and wheat fields running to the horizon is the kind of thing photographs flatten.
Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Five kilometres away, a white town spills over two hills around the tomb of Moulay Idriss I, the great-grandson of the Prophet who arrived in 788 and founded the Idrisid dynasty, Morocco first Arab-Muslim state. It is among the holiest places in the country. The shrine itself is closed to non-Muslims, but the terraces above give a superb view across the rooftops and the green mountain behind, and the town is a quiet, friendly place for mint tea and nougat.
Meknes
Meknes is the imperial city of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who ruled for 55 years from 1672 and built on a scale that still seems unreasonable. You will see Bab Mansour, probably the most elaborate gate in Morocco, the wide expanse of Place El Hedim, the Heri es-Souani granaries and stables with their vaulted halls built to hold grain and thousands of horses, the Agdal basin, and the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, one of the few religious buildings in Morocco that non-Muslim visitors may enter.
Practical shape of the day
Volubilis is about 80 km from Fez, so this is a comfortable day rather than a marathon: an hour and a quarter out, three stops, and back by early evening. Volubilis has almost no shade, so a hat, sunscreen and water matter from May to September. A licensed site guide at Volubilis is worth taking, since the mosaics mean very little without one.
Highlights
- Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the best-preserved Roman city in Morocco
- Open-air floor mosaics including Orpheus, Dionysus, Hercules and the Four Seasons
- The Triumphal Arch of Caracalla, the basilica, capitol and Roman olive presses
- Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, the holy hill town where the first Moroccan dynasty began
- Bab Mansour and Place El Hedim in imperial Meknes
- The Heri es-Souani granaries and stables of Sultan Moulay Ismail
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup in Fez
Itinerary
- 08:30 - Departure
Pickup at your hotel or riad in Fez and drive west through the Saiss plain.
- 09:45 - Volubilis
The Roman city: arch, basilica, capitol, olive presses and the mosaics, with a site guide on request.
- 12:00 - Moulay Idriss
A stop in the holy town for the rooftop view, mint tea and nougat.
- 13:00 - Lunch
In Moulay Idriss or on the way into Meknes, on your own account.
- 14:30 - Meknes
Bab Mansour, Place El Hedim and the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.
- 16:00 - Heri es-Souani
The imperial granaries, stables and the Agdal basin.
- 17:30 - Return
Back to Fez, arriving early evening.
What's included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver from Fez
- Hotel or riad pickup and drop-off in Fez
- All fuel, tolls and parking
- Licensed local guide at Volubilis and Meknes on request
- Photo stops along the route
- Lunch and drinks
- Entrance fees at Volubilis, the mausoleum and Heri es-Souani
- Local guide fee if requested
- Tips
- Personal purchases
Good to know
Is the price per person?
Yes, from $60 per person. Your total for the group is confirmed in writing before you book.
Is a guide included?
A driver is included. We strongly recommend adding a licensed site guide at Volubilis, because the mosaics and ruins are hard to read without one. Ask us for the current fee.
Can we enter the shrine at Moulay Idriss?
The mausoleum itself is open to Muslims only. Everyone can walk the town and the terraces above it, which is where the view is.
Can we go inside any religious buildings?
Yes, the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail in Meknes is one of the very few in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors.
How hot does Volubilis get?
Very. There is almost no shade. From May to September bring a hat, sunscreen and water, and we will start earlier.
Is there much walking?
Around 2 km on uneven ground at Volubilis and a similar amount in Meknes, all flat to gently sloping.
Do I pay online?
No. Send a request, receive your confirmed price, then pay as agreed.
