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Voykit pocket guide · Morocco
Meknes
مكناس
Give Meknes one night as a quieter base for Volubilis and Moulay Idriss; the medina is small and the imperial monuments take half a day.
Meknes is Morocco's fourth imperial city, built by Moulay Ismail in the 17th century, and sits 40 minutes by train from Fes. It sees far fewer tour groups than Fes or Marrakech, and prices are lower. Most travellers use it as a one-night stop to reach the Roman ruins at Volubilis and the pilgrimage town of Moulay Idriss, both about 30 km north.
- Country
- Morocco
- Local name
- مكناس
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (inland heat, 34°C+), Ramadan daytime closures (check dates)Jul–Aug (inland heat, 93°F+), Ramadan daytime closures (check dates)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MAD
- Money
- Currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops take cards; souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget MAD 250–450 excl. bed · Mid MAD 450–900 excl. bed · High MAD 900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi sell tourist SIMs at airports and shops with a passport; 20–50 GB costs about MAD 100–200.
- Emergency
- Police 19 · Gendarmerie 177 · Ambulance and fire 15 · From a mobile 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin plugs; bring an adapter for UK or US devices.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up or leave MAD 2–5.; Restaurant: 5–10%.; Porter or bag carrier: MAD 10–20.; Guide, full day: MAD 100–200.; Desert camp staff and driver: MAD 100–200 per day shared.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; carry water in the south.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets in older cafés and on the road. Carry tissue and MAD 2–5 for attendants.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or mint tea in a café | MAD 8–20 |
| Tagine or couscous in a budget restaurant | MAD 30–60 |
| Set menu on Rue Ghana | MAD 40 |
| Bottle beer in a bar | MAD 15–45 |
| Heri es-Souani entry | MAD 70 |
| Medersa Bou Inania entry | MAD 60 |
| Prison Kara entry | MAD 60 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | MAD 100–200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FEZ · Fes–Saïss Airport
- About 1 h by road; most arrivals use Fes or Casablanca (CMN) then train.
- CMN · Casablanca Mohammed V
- Train to Meknes about 3 h 15 min with a change at Casa-Voyageurs or direct services (check).
Typical fares
- Petit taxi minimum fare
- about MAD 5, +50% after 20:00about MAD 5, +50% after 8:00 PM
- Train Meknes → Fes
- about MAD 20, 40 min
- Train Meknes → Rabat
- about MAD 69, 2 h 15 min
- Grand taxi Meknes → Volubilis
- about MAD 200 each way per car
Get around
Petit taxis (small blue cars) are the practical option: minimum fare about MAD 5, expect a 50% surcharge after 20:00. The ville nouvelle and the medina are both walkable and linked by a bridge over the dry Oued Boufekrane. Local buses are cheap but crowded and hard to navigate without Arabic or French.Petit taxis (small blue cars) are the practical option: minimum fare about MAD 5, expect a 50% surcharge after 8:00 PM. The ville nouvelle and the medina are both walkable and linked by a bridge over the dry Oued Boufekrane. Local buses are cheap but crowded and hard to navigate without Arabic or French.
See and do
Known for
- Bab Mansour gate
- Heri es-Souani granaries and Agdal Basin
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
- Volubilis Roman ruins
- Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Volubilis | Grand taxi from the stand near Gare Meknès-Amir Abdelkader, or a shared tour; about 30 km northGrand taxi from the stand near Gare Meknès-Amir Abdelkader, or a shared tour; about 19 mi north | About 45 min each way |
| Moulay Idriss Zerhoun | Same grand taxi or tour as Volubilis; the two are 5 km apartSame grand taxi or tour as Volubilis; the two are 3.1 mi apart | About 40 min each way |
| Fes | Train from Gare Meknès-Ville, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Ifrane and the Middle Atlas | Bus or grand taxi south via Azrou | About 1.5 h to Ifrane |
Sleep
- Medina (around Place Lahdim)
- Riads and the walkable monuments; quiet at night, narrow lanes.
- Ville Nouvelle / Hamrya
- Hotels, cafés and the main avenue; 10–15 min walk or a short taxi to the medina.
- Near Gare Meknès-Ville
- Convenient for early trains; little else within walking distance.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Peace be upon you | السلام عليكمas-salaam alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much is it? | بشحال هادا؟bechhal hada |
| Too expensive | غالي بزافghali bezzaf |
| Where is the medina? | فين المدينة القديمة؟fin lmedina lqdima |
| No, thank you | لا، شكراla, shukran |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum' and a handshake; hand on heart after; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman first unless she does
- Eating: Right hand, bread as your spoon; avoid: Refusing all food at a home
- Bargaining: Smile, take your time, walk away kindly; avoid: Naming a price you will not pay
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in medinas and villages; avoid: Beachwear away from the beach
- Photos: Ask and accept no; avoid: Photographing women or children without consent
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly indoors in daytime; avoid: Snacking on the street
Scams and watch-outs
- Bab Mansour and Place Lahdim have been closed for reconstruction for years: check locally before you plan around them.
- Dar Jamai Museum and Borj Belkari Museum have been closed for renovation since 2018: check before visiting.
- The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is free but closes to non-Muslim visitors on Fridays.
- Guides and touts are far fewer than in Fes, but agree any grand-taxi fare before you get in.
- Summer afternoons inland are hot; do the granaries and basin in the morning.
Meknes is calmer than Fes or Marrakech and has fewer touts. The real risks are petty theft in the medina at night, unlicensed guides, and heat in July and August: keep valuables out of sight and agree taxi fares first.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Meknes yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bab Mansour gate
- Heri es-Souani granaries and Agdal Basin
- Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
- Volubilis Roman ruins
- Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Commune de Meknes (official): communemeknes.ma/
- ONCF — Moroccan National Railways: www.oncf-voyages.ma/
- Moroccan National Foundation of Museums — Borj Belkari: fnm.ma/musees-en-cours-de-restauration/musee-borj-belkari-meknes/
- Wikivoyage: Meknes, revision 5237006 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237006
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Meknesمكناس
لهاد العنوان عافاك
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Rabat; the US and UK have embassies there, and France and Spain have consulates in Fes and Casablanca (check).
Meknes has no airport; arrive by train from Fes, Rabat or Casablanca.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/meknes). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.