Chefchaouen to Fes via Meknes & Volubilis
5
Details
After breakfast, you will depart Chefchaouen and head south towards Fes. On the way, you will stop to visit the ruins of the Roman outpost of Volubilis.
Before the Romans came, Volubilis was an Amazigh city known as Oulili (pronounced wa-lee-lee) which dates back to the 3rd century B.C. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century and subsequently further damaged by Moulay Ismail’s architects (who used pieces to build the gates of the city of Meknes), it is still “an exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire”, according to the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The city was reclaimed by the local Amazigh tribes around 235 AD and it was near here in the 8th Century that Idriss I established the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Morocco.
After a guided tour of Volubilis, you’ll head to the lesser known imperial city of Meknes. Your visit will begin by entering the old medina through the interesting gate of Bab Mansour. Once inside the medina, you will visit the tomb of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Next you will visit the impressive Agdal reservoir and Heri es-Souani. After exploring Meknes, you’ll make the short drive to Fes where you will stop for the night.
*Meknes is currently undergoing extensive restoration and most of the important sites are closed to the public. It is an interesting city with and unique history, so you can still do a guided tour there (although it will be significantly shorter than normal) OR you can opt to skip this and enjoy the morning in Chefchaouen before transferring to Fes via Volubilis.
Activity Info
Transfer Schedule
Departure Location
Chefchaouen, Morocco
to
Arrival Location
Fes, Morocco