Morocco
Meknes
Moulay Ismail's imperial capital, with Volubilis on the doorstep
Meknes is the imperial city Sultan Moulay Ismail built as his capital in the late seventeenth century, ringed by kilometres of ochre ramparts and entered through Bab Mansour, one of the grandest gates in Morocco. Behind it lie a compact, unhurried medina, vast royal granaries and stables, and the sultan's own tomb. The Roman ruins of Volubilis sit just to the north, and the plain around the city is the heart of Moroccan wine and olive country.
Suggested stay
1–2 days
Language
Arabic, French
Currency
MAD
Timezone
UTC+1
Why you'll love Meknes
Bab Mansour The monumental gate of green tile and carved stone that faces the main square is one of the most celebrated in Morocco.
Imperial scale Granaries, stables, a great reservoir and walls within walls show how big Moulay Ismail built.
Easier medina The souks are smaller and calmer than in Fes, and much easier to wander without a guide.
Volubilis The best-preserved Roman site in Morocco, with floor mosaics still in place, is a short trip away.
Best time to visit
Sep-Jun
16-30° days
33.898° N, 5.532° W
UTC+1 · Africa/Casablanca
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Weather & when to go to Meknes
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Sep-Jun
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Meknes
There is no bad season on the weather record. July and August are the hottest months on the inland plain, and the open ruins at Volubilis have almost no shade, so go early in the day then.
Top things to do in Meknes
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Bab Mansour - the imperial gate on El Hedim
history culture arts 👍 PopularCompleted after Moulay Ismail's death, the great gate is covered in green and black zellij tile and carved stucco, framed by columns said to have been carried from Volubilis. It is best seen in late afternoon light from the square in front.
-
Place El Hedim - the evening square
culture arts food 👍 PopularThe big square between the medina and the imperial city fills at dusk with storytellers, musicians, snail-soup stalls and families. A covered food market on its edge sells olives, spices and dried fruit.
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Heri es-Souani - Moulay Ismail's granaries and stables
history ⭐ Highly recommendedCavernous vaulted storehouses built to feed the city through a siege, with the ruined royal stables beside them. Next door, the Agdal Basin is a vast reservoir that once watered the palace gardens.
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Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail - the sultan's tomb
history culture arts 👍 PopularA run of tiled courtyards leads to the sultan's resting place, one of the few active shrines in Morocco where non-Muslims may enter the outer rooms. Dress modestly and keep to the visitor area.
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Bou Inania Madrasa - Merinid carving
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedA fourteenth-century Quranic school in the medina with a courtyard of carved cedar, stucco and zellij, and students' cells upstairs. Climb to the roof for a view over the green-tiled rooftops and minarets.
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Habs Qara - the underground vaults
historyA maze of dim subterranean chambers under the imperial city, long told as the prison where Moulay Ismail held captives. Historians think it was more likely a storehouse, but the legend makes the visit.
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Meknes wine country - tasting on the Saiss plain
foodThe plain south of the city produces most of Morocco's wine, and several estates such as Chateau Roslane open their cellars for tastings and lunch. Most visits need a car or a driver.
Best areas to stay in Meknes
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Medina
First-time visitors $$Riads and souks behind El Hedim
Explore hotels in Medina →
Ville Nouvelle (Hamria)
Rail travellers $French-built new town with cafes
Explore hotels in Ville Nouvelle (Hamria) →
Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Volubilis early risers $$Hillside holy town above Volubilis
Explore hotels in Moulay Idriss Zerhoun →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Meknes
Getting to & around Meknes
Getting there
Most visitors arrive by train on the line linking Fes with Rabat, Casablanca and Tangier. Fes-Saiss is the nearest airport.
Flight
Fes-Saiss Airport (FEZ)
Fes-Saiss lies southwest of Fes, roughly an hour's drive east of Meknes. Most arrivals take a taxi or a pre-booked transfer straight to Meknes.
Train
Meknes Al Amir Abdelkader station
Trains from Fes take under an hour, with direct services from Rabat and Casablanca. Both Meknes stations are in the new town, a short taxi ride from the medina.
Coach
CTM station
CTM and other coach companies connect Meknes with Fes, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Tangier and the Middle Atlas.
Getting around
Walk
The medina, El Hedim and the imperial monuments are walkable, though the granaries are a long stroll south through the walls.
Free
Petit taxi
Small metered taxis shuttle between the stations, the new town and the medina gates.
TBC
Caleche
Horse-drawn carriages wait by El Hedim for loops of the imperial city's walls and gates. Agree the route and time first.
TBC
Grand taxi
Shared long-distance taxis leave for Moulay Idriss and nearby towns once full.
TBC
Day trips from Meknes
Volubilis
Half dayRoman ruins
The UNESCO-listed ruins of a Roman provincial town, with a triumphal arch, a basilica, olive presses and remarkable floor mosaics left where they were laid. It sits in open olive country with views up to Moulay Idriss.
Getting there
car | tour
About 40 min north by grand taxi, car or tour
Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Half dayHoly hill town
Morocco's holiest town, built over two hills around the shrine of Idriss I, founder of the first Moroccan dynasty. Non-Muslims cannot enter the shrine, but the lookouts over the whitewashed town are the reason to come.
Getting there
car
About 40 min north by grand taxi or car, usually paired with Volubilis
Fes
Full dayMedieval medina city
The vast, car-free medina of Fes el-Bali, with its tanneries, madrasas and craft quarters. A day only scratches the surface, but it is an easy rail hop.
Getting there
train
Under 1 hr east by train
Ifrane and Azrou
Full dayMiddle Atlas cedar forest
Ifrane is an Alpine-style resort town of pitched roofs, and the cedar forest near Azrou is home to troops of Barbary macaques.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1-1.5 hr southeast by car or tour
A little history of Meknes
The plain around Meknes was settled long before the city. Volubilis to the north was a Roman provincial town, and in the eighth century Idriss I arrived there to found the first Moroccan dynasty. Meknes itself takes its name from the Meknassa Berbers, who settled here in the tenth century, and it grew under the Almoravids and Merinids, who left the Bou Inania Madrasa.
The city's great moment came in 1672, when Sultan Moulay Ismail made it his capital. Over a reign of more than half a century he raised palaces, granaries, stables and kilometres of walls with forced labour, and he was compared in Europe to his contemporary Louis XIV. After his death the capital moved on, and the 1755 earthquake damaged much of what he built. Under the French protectorate a new town rose across the valley, and the historic city was listed by UNESCO in 1996.
Volubilis flourishes as a Roman provincial town
Idriss I arrives at Volubilis and founds the Idrisid dynasty
The Meknassa Berbers settle the site and give the city its name
The Merinids build the Bou Inania Madrasa
Moulay Ismail becomes sultan and makes Meknes his capital
Moulay Ismail dies and is buried in his mausoleum in the imperial city
The Lisbon earthquake badly damages the imperial buildings
The French protectorate begins, and a new town is later built across the valley
The historic city of Meknes is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / E
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+212
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Morocco eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Meknes
▸ When is the best time to visit Meknes?
Most of the year works. September to June has comfortable sightseeing weather, with cool, sometimes damp winters. July and August are the hottest months, so plan early starts, especially for Volubilis.
▸ Is Meknes worth visiting if I am already going to Fes?
Yes. Meknes has a different character: a planned imperial capital rather than a medieval maze, with a calmer medina and less hassle. Many travellers base themselves in one city and day-trip to the other, but a night in Meknes makes Volubilis easier.
▸ How do I get from Meknes to Volubilis?
Take a grand taxi or hire a driver for the round trip, usually combined with Moulay Idriss. Tours also run from Meknes and Fes. Go early, because the site is exposed and there is little shade.
▸ Can non-Muslims visit the mosques and shrines in Meknes?
Most active mosques and shrines are closed to non-Muslims. The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is the notable exception, where visitors may enter the outer courtyards. The Bou Inania Madrasa is also open to all.
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