Things to do · Meknes
One of Morocco's four imperial cities, Meknes makes a relaxed, uncrowded base for the country's Roman and imperial heartland. The UNESCO-listed ruins of Volubilis and the holy hilltop town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun sit just half an hour north and pair into the region's classic half- or full-day outing, while the great medina of Fes is barely an hour east by train or road. Add the green Zerhoun hills, Morocco's Guerrouane and Meknes wine country, and the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, and a single base opens up far more than its quiet streets suggest. Here are nine excursions you can do and return from in a day, with honest travel times and clear notes on which suit a half-day and which need an early start.
9 experiences
Just 30 km north, about 40 minutes away, Volubilis is Morocco's best-preserved Roman site and a UNESCO World Heritage location. The former provincial capital spreads across an open hillside of olive country, with a triumphal arch, the columns of the Capitol and basilica, and remarkably intact floor mosaics still in place where the villas once stood. An easy half-day, and the single best reason to base yourself in Meknes.
Around 30 km north and a short hop from Volubilis, this whitewashed town spills across two hills around the tomb of Moulay Idriss I, founder of Morocco's first dynasty and one of the country's holiest figures. Steep lanes climb to terrace viewpoints over the green Zerhoun valley, and the round minaret of the Sentissi mosque is unique in Morocco. Combine it with Volubilis for the region's classic half- to full-day outing.
Barely 60 km east, about an hour by train or road, Fes holds the largest living medieval medina in the world. A full day takes in the maze of the old city, the tanneries, the Bou Inania and Al-Attarine medersas and the great Kairaouine mosque and university. The frequent rail link makes this an easy car-free day trip, with the last trains back leaving plenty of time to explore.
The rolling Zerhoun hills around Volubilis and Moulay Idriss are the green, olive-and-vine heartland that fed Roman Volubilis. This is also the centre of the Meknes and Guerrouane wine region, one of Morocco's oldest, with estates such as Les Celliers de Meknes nearby. A gentle half-day of scenic back roads, olive presses and country views, easily tied to the Roman ruins.
If you are based outside the city, Meknes itself is the obvious day out. Sultan Moulay Ismail's 17th-century capital is guarded by the monumental Bab Mansour gate, with the vast Heri es-Souani granaries and royal stables, the Agdal water basin and the sultan's serene mausoleum all within walking distance of the lively El Hedim square. A comfortable half- to full-day on foot.
About an hour and a half south into the Middle Atlas, Ifrane sits at around 1,665 metres and is nicknamed 'Little Switzerland' for its alpine chalets, tidy gardens and famous stone lion. The cool pine air and clean streets feel a world away from the medina, and it pairs naturally with the cedar forests and macaques around nearby Azrou.
Beyond Ifrane, roughly an hour and a half to two hours south, the cedar forests near Azrou shelter Morocco's largest stands of Atlas cedar and troops of wild Barbary macaques that gather near the roads. A scenic Middle Atlas day of mountain air and forest walks, usually combined with Ifrane on the drive up.
Deeper into the Middle Atlas, around two hours south, the highland town of Khenifra and the nearby crater lakes of Aguelmame Sidi Ali and Aguelmame Azigza offer still water ringed by cedar and oak. A long, quiet nature day for those who want lakes, birdlife and high plateaus rather than monuments, so set off early.
Beyond Fes, around an hour and a half east, the small walled town of Sefrou is known for its mixed Muslim and Jewish heritage, its annual Cherry Festival and the nearby Kef el-Moumen waterfalls. With the cave village of Bhalil close by, it makes a relaxed heritage half-day, best linked with a visit to Fes on the way.
Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun are the classic pairing. Both lie about 30 km north and only minutes apart, so the UNESCO Roman ruins and the whitewashed holy town are easily combined into a single half- or full-day, the headline reason to base yourself in Meknes.
Yes, very easily. Fes is only about 60 km east, roughly an hour by train or road, with frequent rail services between the two cities. You can spend a full day in the great medina and be back in Meknes by evening, making it one of the simplest car-free day trips in Morocco.
Volubilis is about 30 km north of Meknes, around 40 minutes by car or organised tour. It is an easy half-day and is almost always combined with the nearby holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, which sits just a few kilometres away on the road back.
Yes. Meknes is quieter and less crowded than Fes or Marrakech, yet sits at the centre of Morocco's Roman and imperial heartland. Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and the Zerhoun wine country are on its doorstep, Fes is an hour away, and the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou lies within reach for a relaxed, well-placed base.
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