10 Things to Do in Meknes, Morocco
Meknes surprised me. It sits between the more famous imperial cities of Fes and Rabat, and it gets a fraction of the attention. That works in your favor. It is calmer than Fes, easier to move around, and full of history from the time when it was the capital of a powerful sultan. Add one of the best Roman sites in the region just down the road, and Meknes turns into an excellent base for a few days. Here is how to spend them.
1. Enter Through Bab Mansour
The grand gate at the edge of the old city is the first thing you notice about Meknes. Bab Mansour stands wide and ornate, covered in green and white tile work that gleams in the afternoon sun. The square in front of it is lively at all hours, with cafes and performers, but it is the gate that holds your attention. I sat on a step across from it and watched the light change across the tiles. It is free to look at and endlessly photographic.
2. Walk the Ramparts and the Heri es-Souani
Meknes is ringed by long walls and gates that stretch for kilometers. Along the main wall you reach the Heri es-Souani, the ruined granary and stables that once held food and thousands of horses for the royal court. The vaulted rooms, now partly open to the sky, have a haunting grandeur. I walked the empty halls and tried to picture them stacked with grain and lit by lanterns. The scale of it, all of it built in a few decades, is hard to grasp until you see it.
3. Visit the Royal Mausoleum
The mausoleum holds the tomb of Moulay Ismail, the sultan who made Meknes his capital. Unlike many holy sites in Morocco, non-Muslims can enter part of the building, past the fountain and courtyards, as long as they are modestly dressed and respectful. The tile work and carved plaster inside are among the best in the country. I went in the morning when the light came through high windows and made the green tiles glow.
4. Wander the Souks of the Old City
Meknes has a proper working medina, and its lanes are busy with daily life rather than crowds of tourists. I followed the smell of spices onto the main market street, then turned down side alleys to the metalworkers and the leather stalls. Prices here run lower than in Fes, and the vendors are less pushy. Get lost on purpose for an hour or two, then sit in a cafe with a mint tea and watch the flow of people around you.
5. Take a Day Trip to Volubilis
About half an hour from Meknes, Volubilis is the most complete Roman site in Morocco and one of the best preserved in North Africa. The old city covers a broad area of streets, baths, and public buildings, with mosaics still in the ground where they were laid nearly two thousand years ago. I wandered the colonnades and the forum in the late afternoon when the site was nearly empty. The setting, with olive groves and a single tall minaret across the valley, is unforgettable.
6. Visit the Holy Town of Moulay Idriss
Across the valley from Volubilis, the white town of Moulay Idriss is a pilgrimage site dedicated to the founder of Morocco’s first great dynasty. It is not somewhere you casually wander indoors, as the inner sanctuary is reserved for Muslims, but the town itself, stacked on two facing hills in pure white and green, is beautiful from the approaches. I spent an evening watching the light on it from the Volubilis side, then drove into its streets to see the houses stacked up the slopes.
7. See the Dar Jamai Museum
Once a wealthy residence, Dar Jamai now holds a museum of Moroccan arts and crafts. The building itself is worth the visit, with carved wood ceilings and tiled courtyards, but the collections draw you in too, from ornate weapons and carpets to musical instruments and traditional clothing. I spent a couple of quiet hours there one hot afternoon. It is a good way to understand the craftsmanship you see all over Morocco, and the garden offers shade.
8. Climb to a Rooftop View
A handful of cafes and riads in the old city have rooftop seating that looks out over the medina toward the walls and the surrounding plain. I picked one near the far edge of the old quarter around sunset. The call to prayer drifted across the rooftops, birds wheeled overhead, and the whole city turned golden. It costs no more than a cup of coffee and gives you the best perspective on how the town is laid out.
9. Eat at a Local Restaurant in the New Town
The new city, called the Ville Nouvelle, holds some of the better local restaurants in Meknes, away from the tourist trade. I ate a slow tagine in a place where the tables were full of families and the waiter took my order in a mix of French and gestures. Lentils, preserved lemons, olives, and bread all came out properly.
10. Spend an Evening in the Square
Place El Hedim, the square in front of Bab Mansour, comes fully alive at night. Storytellers, musicians, food carts, and families all gather there, and the energy is infectious. I ate grilled skewers from a stall, watched a show, and then just walked the perimeter taking it in. Unlike the similar square in Marrakech, the crowd here feels more local and less like a performance staged for visitors. That is a good thing.
Meknes gives you imperial history, Roman ruins, a working medina, and a relaxed rhythm that bigger cities lack. It is easy to reach, easy to walk, and full of places that reward a slow pace. Give it two or three days and use it as a calm base for Volubilis and the surrounding hills, and you will leave wondering why everyone rushes past on the way to Fes.
