Rabat Activities
Meknes and Volubilis day trip from Rabat: Bab Mansour, the royal granaries of Moulay Ismail, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and Moulay Idriss.
Overview
Meknes was the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail at the end of the seventeenth century, and he built it on a giant scale: miles of walls, monumental gates and granaries big enough to feed an army. Thirty kilometres north, Volubilis was a Roman city on the edge of the empire, and its mosaics are still in place on the floors of the houses. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
In Meknes you see Bab Mansour, the most richly decorated gate in Morocco, El Hedim square, the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the immense royal stables and granaries. After lunch you drive to Volubilis to walk with a local guide among its arches and columns, and stop at a viewpoint above Moulay Idriss, the white town on its two hills, before returning to Rabat.
Detailed programme
Morning
You leave Rabat in the morning and drive east across the Saïss plain. In Meknes you begin at Bab Mansour, the great gate of green and black tiles, facing El Hedim square.
Bab Mansour was completed in 1732 and is covered with green and black zellige. Behind it lies the imperial city of Moulay Ismail, a contemporary of Louis XIV.
Late morning
You visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and the immense Heri es-Souani, the royal granaries and stables built to shelter thousands of horses.
The Heri es-Souani granaries had thick walls and water channels under the floor to keep the grain cool. The mausoleum of Moulay Ismail is one of the few holy places in Morocco open to non-Muslims.
Afternoon
Half an hour north, you walk among the remains of the Roman city: the basilica, the Capitol, the triumphal arch and the mosaics of Orpheus and Bacchus.
Volubilis was an important Roman town from the first century and later the first base of Idriss I, founder of the first Moroccan dynasty. Most of its finest mosaics are still in place.
Late afternoon
A viewpoint above Moulay Idriss shows the white holy town spread over two hills, before the drive back to Rabat.
Moulay Idriss is a pilgrimage town built around the tomb of Idriss I. From the viewpoint you see its white houses climbing two hills, with the green roof of the shrine between them.
This is a private experience, so times and stops can be adjusted to your arrival, your pace and the season.
Ask About This ProgrammeThe experience
Why choose this experience
Few day trips cover so much history: an imperial capital of the seventeenth century and a Roman town of the third, half an hour apart.
Why Choose This ExperienceWhat’s included
Not included
Good to know
Location
Frequent questions
About 140 kilometres, roughly an hour and a half by motorway. Volubilis is a further 30 kilometres north.
It is not required, but an official guide at the entrance brings the ruins and the mosaics to life. We can arrange one.
Yes. Fes is an hour from Volubilis, so the day can finish there and continue as a tour of the imperial cities or the desert.
Yes. It is arranged for you and the people you travel with, so the timing and pace are yours.
Send us a message on WhatsApp or by email with your date and the number of people. We reply with availability and the price, and nothing is charged for enquiring.
Yes. It can be booked on its own or added to any of our private tours that pass through Rabat.
What to know before you book your Meknes and Volubilis day trip from Rabat, and what else to do nearby.
Meknes & Volubilis Day Trip from Rabat is one of 6 private Rabat activities on our list. Other Rabat activities include Rabat Guided Tour (5–6 hours), Day Trip to Casablanca (full day), Day Trip to Asilah (full day) and Day Trip to El Jadida (full day).
The best things to do in Rabat start with Hassan Tower (an unfinished minaret of the 12th century), Mausoleum of Mohammed V (white marble and the royal guard) and Kasbah of the Udayas (blue lanes on a rock above the ocean). Other things to do in Rabat include Bab Oudaya, Bab Rouah & the Ramparts and The Bou Regreg; our Rabat travel guide covers each one.
Our Rabat day trips include Day Trip to Casablanca (full day), Day Trip to Asilah (full day), Day Trip to El Jadida (full day) and 2-Day Trip to Fes (2 days / 1 night). Every one of our Rabat day trips is private, so the start time and pace are yours.
