Meknes Travel Guide: The Quiet Imperial City and Volubilis

Meknes is the least visited of Morocco’s four imperial cities, and the most relaxed. It was the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who filled it with gates, walls, palaces and granaries on a huge scale in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This Meknes travel guide covers the city’s main sights and the easy trip to the Roman ruins of Volubilis.

Meknes at a Glance

Best for: imperial history, Roman ruins and a medina without pressure.
How long: one day for the city, a second for Volubilis and Moulay Idriss.
Best time: March to May and September to November.
Good to know: it is under an hour from Fes by train, so it also works as a day trip.

What to See in Meknes

Bab Mansour and Place el-Hedim

Bab Mansour, completed in 1732, is often called the most beautiful gate in Morocco. Its facade is covered in green and white zellige, framed by marble columns taken from older sites. It faces Place el-Hedim, the large square between the medina and the imperial city, which fills in the evening with food stalls, families and street entertainers.

The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail

The tomb of the sultan who built imperial Meknes is one of the few active religious sites in Morocco that non-Muslims may enter. A sequence of quiet courtyards leads to a richly decorated antechamber; the tomb chamber itself is viewed from the doorway. Dress modestly.

Heri es-Souani and the Agdal Basin

About two kilometers from the center, these vast vaulted halls were built to store grain for the city and the royal cavalry. Row after row of stone arches, partly roofless, give a strong sense of the sultan’s ambitions. Next to them, a large rectangular reservoir once supplied the palaces and gardens.

The Medina

The old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, lies behind Place el-Hedim. Its souks are compact and largely aimed at local shoppers. Look for the 14th-century Bou Inania Madrasa, whose roof terrace overlooks the green-tiled roofs of the Great Mosque, and for the covered food market beside the square, with its pyramids of olives and spices.

Several monuments in Meknes have been under restoration in recent years, and some have been closed or covered in scaffolding at times. Ask locally which sites are open before planning your route.

Volubilis and Moulay Idriss

Volubilis, about 30 kilometers north, is the best-preserved Roman site in Morocco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set among wheat fields and olive groves, it has a triumphal arch, the columns of a basilica and a remarkable series of floor mosaics still in their original houses. There is very little shade: go early or late, and bring water and a hat.

Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, a few kilometers away, is a whitewashed town spread over two hills around the tomb of the founder of Morocco’s first Islamic dynasty. It is an important place of pilgrimage. Non-Muslims cannot enter the shrine, but the lanes and viewpoints above the town are well worth the climb.

The two sites are easily combined in half a day by grand taxi or private driver from Meknes. Agree on the price and waiting time before you leave.

Where to Stay and Eat

Riads in the medina, close to Place el-Hedim, are the most atmospheric choice and are generally cheaper than their equivalents in Fes or Marrakech. The Ville Nouvelle, across the river valley, has modern hotels near the train stations.

Meknes sits in one of Morocco’s main farming regions, known for olives and for the country’s best-known vineyards. Food is good and inexpensive: tagines, grilled meats and seasonal produce in simple restaurants around the square and in the medina.

Getting There and Around

Meknes is on the main rail line between Fes and Rabat, with frequent trains in both directions and onward services to Casablanca. There are two stations; the smaller one, Meknes Al Amir, is closer to the center of the new town.

Light-blue petits taxis connect the new town with the medina. The imperial city is walkable, though the granaries are far enough to justify a taxi or a horse-drawn carriage.