Volubilis and Meknes

What it is

Volubilis is a Roman city on top of a gentle hill, among olive groves, about 20 km north of Meknes and 4 km from the holy town of Moulay Idriss. Its origin predates Rome: it was one of the capitals of the kingdom of Mauretania and, after the Roman annexation in the year 44, became a Roman municipality. It is possibly the best-preserved Roman site in this part of North Africa, and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997. It covers about 20 hectares, and only around half has been excavated.

From Fez it is done as a day trip, combined with Meknes, the imperial city of Moulay Ismail.

What you see, step by step

The route goes uphill from the entrance to the upper part of the city:

1. The houses with mosaics. The most striking thing at Volubilis are the mosaics still on the floors of the houses, in the open air, where they were laid: mythological scenes, animals and geometric designs. The houses are organised around an atrium with its pool, the impluvium.
2. The olive presses. All over the city you will see millstones and presses: Volubilis lived on olive oil, like the fields around it today.
3. The forum, the basilica and the Capitol. In the centre, the public square, the 2nd-century basilica, where justice was dispensed, and the Capitoline temple, with its columns standing.
4. The Arch of Caracalla. Raised in the year 217 on the decumanus, the main street. It is the image of Volubilis.
5. The decumanus. Follow the great street from the arch, with large houses on both sides.
6. The baths. Remains of public and private baths.

Allow two to three hours at the site.

Hours and price

Entry costs 100 DH for foreign adults and 50 DH for foreign children aged 7 to 13; 30 and 10 DH for Moroccans and residents, who enter free on Fridays. It is sold at the Ministry of Culture's online ticket office and at the ticket window. The website gives general hours of 9:00 to 17:00; confirm at the entrance what time the last admission is.

There are usually guides at the entrance. Without a guide it is easy to follow with a plan, but a good guide takes you straight to the mosaics and explains each house. Agree the price beforehand.

Getting there from Fez

• By car. A little over an hour, via Meknes and the Moulay Idriss road.
• By train and taxi. Train from Fez to Meknes and, from Meknes, a grand taxi to Volubilis and Moulay Idriss. Agree the wait and the return with the driver.
• With a driver or an excursion. The most comfortable way to do Volubilis, Moulay Idriss and Meknes in a day. Ask at your riad.

If you are doing the full day, start with Volubilis early and leave Meknes for the afternoon.

When to go

In spring, with the fields green and flowers among the ruins, and in autumn. In summer the site has no shade and the hill heats up a lot: go in at nine, when it opens, and bring water, a hat and sun protection. In winter, if it has rained, the ground turns to mud.

With children and accessibility

Children like the animal mosaics and looking for figures on the floor. The ground is uneven stone, with slopes and steps: with a pushchair it is difficult and in a wheelchair only the lower part can be toured. Do not climb on the walls or step on the mosaics.

Moulay Idriss and Meknes

Moulay Idriss, 4 km away, is the village where Idris I, the founder of the dynasty that created Fez, is buried. The shrine is reserved for Muslims, but the white village can be walked around. Meknes, about 20 km away, has the Bab Mansour gate, the medina and Place el-Hedim.

You go back to sleep in Fez: in the medina, Riad Laaroussa or Palais Faraj. If you go by train, the Fez station has trains to Meknes.