Meknes: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
In 1672 Moulay Ismail became sultan and chose Meknes, a modest town, as his capital. For 55 years he built walls, gates, palaces and storehouses on a scale meant to rival Versailles, which he knew through his envoys to Louis XIV. This walk goes from his great gate through the imperial city to the storehouses and the reservoir at its far end. About three hours on foot, mostly flat, with one long dusty stretch between the walls; a taxi can cover the last part.
A short history of Meknes
The Berber Miknasa tribe settled here in the 10th century and gave the city its name. The great turning point came in 1672, when Sultan Moulay Ismail chose it as his capital and over several decades built walls some 40 kilometres long, palaces, stables for thousands of horses and huge granaries. Bab Mansour, the largest of its gates, was completed in 1732, after his death. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 destroyed much of the building work, and the capital moved to other cities. In 1996 the historic city was declared a World Heritage Site, and vineyards and olive groves spread out around it.
The ten best sights in Meknes
1Bab MansourThe grandest gate in Morocco; stand across the square to see the whole tilework
2Mausoleum of Moulay IsmailNon-Muslims may enter the courtyards; modest dress and shoes off inside
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3Dar Jamaï Museum
A palace on Place El Hedim; come for the carved cedar ceilings as much as the exhibits
4Bou Inania MadrasaClimb to the roof for the green tiles of the Grand Mosque next door
5Habs QaraVaulted underground halls; a torch on the phone helps in the corners
6Heri es-SouaniMoulay Ismail's giant storehouses — cool inside even in July
7Grand MosqueClosed to non-Muslims; see its green roof from the madrasa next door
8Old Mellah Jewish CemeteryThe cemetery of the Meknes Jewish community; ask at the gate to be let in
9Bab el-KhemisA tiled gate at the edge of the old Jewish quarter, quieter than Bab Mansour
10VolubilisRoman city 30 minutes north; go early or late, there is no shade
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Meknes →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Meknes:
Free walking tours in Meknes
Moulay Ismail's capital
In 1672 Moulay Ismail became sultan and chose Meknes, a modest town, as his capital. For 55 years he built walls, gates, palaces and storehouses on a scale meant to rival Versailles, which he knew through his envoys to Louis XIV. This walk goes from his great gate through the imperial city to the storehouses and the reservoir at its far end. About three hours on foot, mostly flat, with one long dusty stretch between the walls; a taxi can cover the last part.
- Bab Mansour · The gate was finished in 1732, after Moulay Ismail's death, by his son Moulay Abdallah. It is named after its architect, Mansour el-Aleuj — 'the renegade', a Christian who had converted to Islam.
- Place El Hedim · Hedim means rubble: the sultan had the houses of the old town knocked down to open this space in front of his palace. The square is still the place where all of Meknes meets in the evening.
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail · Moulay Ismail ruled from 1672 to 1727, one of the longest reigns in Moroccan history. His tomb is one of the few royal shrines in the country that non-Muslims may enter, as far as the courtyards before the tomb chamber.
- Habs Qara · Guides tell of Christian captives, taken by corsairs, chained here at night after building the imperial city by day. Historians think the vaults were more likely storerooms — but the captives were real, and their labour built much of what you see.
- Heri es-Souani · The walls are several metres thick and the halls were kept cool by water running under the floor, so grain and fodder could be stored for years in case of siege. Wells with water wheels inside fed the whole complex.
- Agdal Basin · The reservoir was dug to water the palace gardens and to supply the storehouses beside it. Today it is the town's favourite evening walk, with a café on the edge.
Medina and Mellah
Behind Moulay Ismail's gates is an older Meknes of Marinid scholars, merchants and craftsmen. Until the middle of the 20th century it also had one of the largest Jewish communities in Morocco, and many Israeli families trace their roots to its mellah. This walk starts at a 14th-century college, goes through the market lanes and ends at the old Jewish quarter and its cemetery. About two hours; the lanes are narrow and busy, so keep bags in front of you.
- Bou Inania Madrasa · The madrasa was built by the Marinid sultans in the 14th century as a boarding college: the small cells upstairs housed students who came to study law and theology at the Grand Mosque next door.
- Dar Jamaï Museum · The palace belonged to the Jamaï family, who served the sultans of the late 19th century as ministers. Its Andalusian garden and painted cedar rooms show how the elite of the old capital lived.
- Hedim covered market · The olives come from the Saïs plain around the city, one of Morocco's main olive and wine regions. Sellers will let you taste a few varieties before you choose.
- Bab el-Khemis · Khemis means Thursday: the gate is named after the weekly market that was held outside it. It stands at the edge of the area where the mellah grew.
- Bab Mellah · The mellah was the walled Jewish quarter, set next to the sultan's palace under his protection. Its streets still have the houses with balconies facing the street, unlike the inward-looking Muslim houses of the medina.
- Old Mellah Jewish Cemetery · Generations of the Meknes community, rabbis among them, are buried here. Most of the community emigrated in the 1950s and 60s, much of it to Israel, and descendants still come back to visit graves.
Volubilis and the holy hill
Half an hour north of Meknes, on the slopes of Jebel Zerhoun, two places sit within sight of each other: a Roman city that lived on olive oil, and the town where the first Islamic dynasty of Morocco began. Together they tell the story of the land before and after the Arabs. Plan half a day by car; Volubilis is open ground with almost no shade, so go early, carry water and wear a hat. Finish on the terraces of Moulay Idriss for the late-afternoon view.
- Volubilis · Volubilis became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Many of its buildings stood until the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 shook them down, and builders of Meknes had already carried off stone for the imperial city.
- Arch of Caracalla · The arch was put up in 217 AD in honour of the emperor Caracalla, who had given Roman citizenship to free people across the empire. It stands at the end of the main street, the Decumanus Maximus.
- House of Orpheus · The house is named after its mosaic of Orpheus playing the lyre to the animals. Nearby are the stone bases of olive presses: the oil trade is what made the city rich.
- Mosaic of the Labours of Hercules · The floor shows the twelve labours of Hercules in small panels — one of the best-preserved mosaics left in place in North Africa. Most of the site's bronzes went to the museum in Rabat.
- Mausoleum of Moulay Idriss · Idris I, a descendant of the Prophet, reached the area in 788 and founded the first Islamic dynasty of Morocco. Until 2005 non-Muslims were not allowed to stay the night in the town.
- Grand Terrace, Moulay Idriss · The town is built over two hills, Khiber and Tasga, with the shrine in the saddle between them. From the terrace the green roofs of the shrine sit right below you.
Getting to Meknes and getting around
- Fès–Saïss Airport · The nearest airport, about 50 minutes east on the motorway
- Meknès Al Amir Abdelkader Station · The station in the new town, closer to the hotels than the main Meknès station
- Gare Routière Sidi Saïd · Buses and grand taxis to Moulay Idriss and Volubilis leave from around here
Cheap eats in Meknes
Meknes eats from the Saïs plain around it: olives, olive oil, wheat and, unusually for Morocco, wine. Breakfast is bissara, a thick soup of dried fava beans with olive oil and cumin, or msemen pancakes with honey. In the evening Place El Hedim fills with carts of snails in broth, grilled sausages and sweet mint tea. A filling lunch costs well under a hundred dirhams.
- Hedim covered market olives · A bag of olives or preserved lemons, about 10-20 dirhams
- Snail stalls on Place El Hedim · A bowl of snails in spiced broth, about 5-10 dirhams
- Café Berbère · Mint tea on the square, about 8-12 dirhams
- Snack Ba Taib · Sandwiches and grilled meat off the square, about 25-40 dirhams
- Restaurant Baraka · Simple Moroccan lunch, a tagine about 50-70 dirhams
- Bisara · Bean soup with olive oil and bread in the new town, about 10-15 dirhams
Museums in Meknes
- Dar Jamaï Museum · Carved cedar, carpets and pottery in a minister's palace
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail · Tiled courtyards and fountains; modest dress
- Heri es-Souani · Storehouses, wells and the ruined stables; allow an hour
- Bou Inania Madrasa · Zellige, carved plaster and cedar; small entry fee
- Volubilis · Roman city with mosaics in place; half a day with Moulay Idriss
Nature and day trips near Meknes
- Agdal Basin · Evening walk around the royal reservoir
- Lahboul Garden · Old shady park on the medina's edge
- Volubilis viewpoint · The Roman city and the Zerhoun olive slopes in one view
- Bab Rmila viewpoint · Forest viewpoint on Jebel Zerhoun above the plain
- Grand Terrace, Moulay Idriss · Late-afternoon view over the white holy town
Things to do in Meknes with kids
- Place El Hedim at dusk · Storytellers, musicians, snails and balloons
- Aqualand · Water park south of town for the hot months
- Haras de Meknès · Horse stud and riding centre in the south of town
- Heri es-Souani · Echoing halls and ruined stables to run around in
- Agdal Basin · Ice cream and pedal space by the water
Where to eat in Meknes
- Le Collier de la Colombe · Moroccan dinner on a terrace over the valley; evenings only
- Le Riad · Dinner in a restored medina house
- Dar Lalla Khadra · Moroccan cooking in the north of the medina
- Palais Ismailia · Set menus in a palace setting near the mausoleum
- Gambrinus · Old new-town restaurant with Moroccan and French dishes
- Dar Sabrina · Moroccan dinner in the new town
Frequently asked questions about Meknes
What is there to see in Meknes?
The top sights in Meknes are Bab Mansour, Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and Dar Jamaï Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Meknes?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Meknes without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Meknes?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Meknes, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Moulay Ismail's capital.
How do you get to Meknes and get around?
The main ways are Fès–Saïss Airport, Meknès Al Amir Abdelkader Station and Gare Routière Sidi Saïd. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Meknes, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Meknes that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Meknes for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.