§01 The experience
This is the history day. Three sites, all within an hour of Fez, covering seventeen centuries between them.
Volubilis was the westernmost city of the Roman Empire, a provincial capital built on olive oil money, and it is the best preserved Roman site in Morocco. What makes it extraordinary is that the mosaics are still in situ, open to the sky, in the floors of the houses they were made for — Orpheus, Bacchus, the Labours of Hercules. You walk down the paved main street past the basilica, the capitol and the triumphal arch of Caracalla with wheat fields running to the hills behind.
Five kilometres away, Moulay Idriss Zerhoun spills white down two hills around the tomb of the man who founded the first Moroccan dynasty in 788 and brought Islam to the country. It is one of the holiest places in Morocco and was closed to non-Muslims until 2005. You can walk the lanes and look down on the shrine from the terrace.
Then Meknes, the imperial city Sultan Moulay Ismail built in the seventeenth century with a reported 25,000 workers, a wall twenty-five kilometres long and granaries designed to feed twelve thousand horses. The Bab Mansour gate is the finest in Morocco. Back in Fez for dinner.
§02 Highlights
- 01Volubilis — Roman mosaics still in the floors they were made for
- 02The triumphal arch of Caracalla and the Decumanus Maximus
- 03Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, Morocco's holiest small town
- 04Bab Mansour, the finest imperial gate in the country
- 05The Heri es-Souani granaries and the Agdal basin
- 06Three UNESCO-listed sites in a single private day
§03 Day by day
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08:30
Leave Fez
Riad pickup, then west across the olive plain towards Zerhoun.
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09:45
Volubilis
Two hours among the mosaics, the arch and the olive presses, with the hills behind.
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12:00
Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
The white town on two hills, the terrace view over the shrine, and a quiet lane for mint tea.
-
13:15
Lunch
A terrace in Moulay Idriss, or a grill in Meknes.
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14:45
Meknes: the imperial city
Bab Mansour, the mechouar, the Heri es-Souani granaries and the Agdal basin.
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16:30
The Meknes medina
The souk, the Bou Inania medersa and the covered food market, if you still have the legs.
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17:30
Return to Fez
A short drive back, arriving around 18:30.
§04 What the price covers
- Included
- +Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the whole day
- +Riad or hotel pickup and drop-off in Fez
- +Fuel, tolls and parking
- +Planned stops along the route
- +Bottled water
- +Flexible timings — the day is yours
- Not included
- −Lunch and entrance fees (Volubilis is around 70 MAD)
- −Licensed site guide at Volubilis — recommended, around 150 MAD
- −Gratuities
§05 Questions
Is a guide at Volubilis worth it?
Yes, more than anywhere else we go. The mosaics are unlabelled and the site makes far more sense with someone reading it for you. We can book a licensed site guide in advance.
How much walking?
Around two kilometres at Volubilis on uneven stone, and a steep but short climb in Moulay Idriss. Meknes is flat.
Can non-Muslims enter the shrine at Moulay Idriss?
The shrine itself remains closed to non-Muslims, but the town has been open since 2005 and the terrace view over it is excellent.
Is there shade at Volubilis?
Almost none. In summer we start early and bring extra water; a hat is essential.
Can we do just Volubilis and Meknes?
Yes, and it makes for a shorter day. Tell your driver in the morning.
Do I pay now?
No. Reserve now and pay your driver on the day.
