Marrakech, Fes, Rabat, and Meknes make up Morocco's four imperial cities — former capitals of past dynasties — yet Meknes is consistently the one travelers skip. That's largely down to geography: it sits barely an hour from Fes, and most itineraries simply don't budget time for both. It's a shame, because Meknes offers monumental architecture, a UNESCO-listed medina, and one of Morocco's most important archaeological sites nearby, usually without the crowds.
Meknes owes its grandest monuments to Sultan Moulay Ismail, who made it his capital in the late 17th century and set out to build a city that could rival Versailles in scale. He commissioned miles of monumental walls, dozens of gates, vast granaries, and stables built to house thousands of horses. Much of what remains today — oversized even by imperial standards — reflects that one ruler's outsized ambition.
Bab Mansour, the city's grand ceremonial gate, is widely considered one of the most beautiful gates in North Africa, decorated with intricate zellige tilework and marble columns salvaged from the Roman ruins at Volubilis. Just beyond it, Place el-Hedim mirrors Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna on a calmer scale, ringed with cafés overlooking the gate.
The Heri es-Souani granaries and Royal Stables give a real sense of Moulay Ismail's scale of ambition: cavernous vaulted chambers originally built to store grain and house thousands of horses. Nearby, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is one of the few religious sites in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, its courtyards decorated with the same zellige and carved plaster found throughout the city's monuments. The Meknes medina itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is smaller and easier to navigate than Fes's, making it a good option for travelers who want the atmosphere of a historic souk without the intensity.
About 30 km north of Meknes lie the ruins of Volubilis, once a thriving Roman provincial capital and among the best-preserved Roman sites in North Africa. Well-preserved mosaics, columns, and the remains of a triumphal arch sit scattered across open farmland, with views toward the holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun on a nearby hillside. Most visitors combine Volubilis and Meknes in a single day trip from Fes.
Planning your trip? Explore our Fes Medina Travel Guide and our Fes to Merzouga Desert Tours.
If you only have time for one imperial city, Fes has the larger, more atmospheric medina and a wider range of things to do. But if you have even half a day to spare, Meknes and Volubilis together make an excellent, low-effort addition to a Fes-based itinerary, and several travelers who've done both tell us they preferred the calmer pace of Meknes's monuments to the intensity of Fes's souks.
Meknes is about an hour from Fes by road or by Morocco's ONCF train line, making it an easy half-day or full-day excursion. It's also connected by train to Rabat and Casablanca, so travelers coming from the coast can visit en route to Fes rather than needing a dedicated side trip.
Yes, especially if paired with Volubilis. Its monuments — Bab Mansour, the Royal Stables, and the mausoleum — are on a scale that rivals Fes and Marrakech, usually with far fewer visitors.
About 60 km, roughly an hour by car or train, making it an easy day trip or short stopover.
Yes, this is the most common way to see both. A typical day trip from Fes covers Meknes's old city in the morning and Volubilis in the afternoon, often with a stop in Moulay Idriss Zerhoun as well.
The medina and the main monuments around Place el-Hedim are compact and easy to explore on foot, considerably more so than the sprawling medina of Fes.
Meknes is known for its monumental architecture built under Sultan Moulay Ismail, including Bab Mansour gate, the Heri es-Souani granaries and Royal Stables, and its UNESCO-listed medina, as well as its proximity to the Roman ruins of Volubilis.
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