Best for: History enthusiasts, first-timers to imperial cities, architecture lovers
Fes
A medieval medina still lived in.
Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Fes el Bali · Photo: William John Gauthier from Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0
Fes vs Meknes
See both. Base yourself in Fes for three to four nights and visit Meknes with Roman Volubilis as a day trip. If you must choose one, choose Fes: it offers more depth and a wider range of places to stay. Choose Meknes on a return trip, when you want a less-touristed imperial city after Fes.
- Written from Fes
- Private or small-group trips
- Quoted for your group
The two sides
Sixty kilometres separate Fes and Meknes on the Moroccan plains, but in terms of tourist traffic they occupy different planets. Fes receives roughly four million visitors a year; Meknes, once the 17th-century capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail who dreamed of rivalling Versailles, receives perhaps a tenth of that. Both carry UNESCO classification (Meknes since 1996), both have sprawling medinas, grand medersa and monuments of Alaouite grandeur — but Meknes lets you experience all of it without the tourist pressure. The city's Bab Mansour is a monumental tiled gateway, and its granaries (the Heri es-Souani), designed to feed 12,000 horses, are a feat of hydraulic engineering that still inspires architects today.
Best for: Travellers seeking less-touristed Morocco; day-trippers from Fes
Meknes
The forgotten imperial capital — granaries, stables and vast Bab Mansour.
Chouara tannery, Fes.
Chouara tannery, FesSide by side, one question at a time
What shapes a trip, with Fes and Meknes answered together.
Tourist pressure
Fes. High — 4 million visitors/year; souk guides and touts persistent
Meknes. Low — one of Morocco's most under-visited imperial cities
Medina scale
Fes. Enormous — Fes el-Bali is a maze; days to explore fully
Meknes. Manageable — smaller medina walkable without a guide in 3–4 hours
Iconic monument
Fes. Chouara tannery; Bou Inania Medersa; Al-Qarawiyyin (founded 859)
Meknes. Bab Mansour gate; Heri es-Souani granaries; Moulay Ismail Mausoleum
Accommodation
Fes. Wide range: medina riads, boutique hotels, international chains
Meknes. Few luxury options; mostly mid-range riads and hotels — often better value
Day trip from one to other
Fes. Meknes is 60 km / 1 hour from Fes — an easy day trip
Meknes. Fes is 60 km from Meknes — ideal as a base for a day in Fes
Volubilis access
Fes. 30 km from Fes; easily combined with a Meknes day trip
Meknes. Volubilis Roman ruins are only 30 km from Meknes — the natural pairing
Cuisine
Fes. Fassi cuisine is known for its subtlety — bastilla, seffa, mrouzia
Meknes. Local meknassi dishes include briouat (pastry cigars) and mechoui (whole roast lamb)
Airport
Fes. Fes–Saïss Airport (FEZ): several European direct routes
Meknes. No dedicated airport; uses Fes (FEZ) 60 km away or Casablanca (CMN) 200 km
Meknes.
MeknesWhich to choose
Do not choose between them — do both. Fes deserves three to four nights as your base; a day trip to Meknes and Volubilis is one of the best day excursions in Morocco. If forced to choose, Fes offers more depth and a greater range of accommodation. But if you have already visited Fes and are looking for a less-touristed imperial experience on a return trip, Meknes gives you Bab Mansour and the Heri es-Souani granaries with far fewer visitors.
Other choices people weigh
More side-by-side comparisons, written from Fes.
Marrakech or Fes?Both are UNESCO-listed imperial cities brimming with medinas, souks and centuries of Moroccan history — but they attract very different travellers.Read the comparison
Chefchaouen or Fes?Chefchaouen and Fes are the two most visited cities of northern Morocco — one an intimate Rif mountain village famous for its blue-washed walls, the other a large imperial city with a medieval medina still lived in.Read the comparison
Fes or Tangier?Fes is Morocco's spiritual and intellectual heartland with a car-free medina; Tangier is a restless port city where Europe meets Africa, reborn as one of the country's most dynamic urban destinations.Read the comparison
One day or Two days?Fes can be tackled in a single packed day or unfolded over two — one races the headline sights of the medina, the other reaches the quarters, the second imperial medina and a day trip beyond the walls.Read the comparison
Fes or Rabat?Two of Morocco's four imperial cities, both UNESCO-listed and roughly two and a half hours apart by train — but Fes is the great medieval medina of craft and learning, while Rabat is the calm, green administrative capital on the Atlantic.Read the comparison
Merzouga or Zagora?Both Merzouga and Zagora offer Saharan dune experiences, camel rides and stargazing camps — but they differ significantly in scale, remoteness and what a visit looks like.Read the comparisonFes or Meknes: your questions
The questions people ask us most before they plan a trip.
How far is Meknes from Fes?
Meknes is approximately 60 km from Fes — about 1 hour by car or a 45-minute train journey on the Casablanca–Fes line. Trains run frequently throughout the day.
Is Meknes worth visiting from Fes?
Absolutely. Meknes is arguably Morocco's most underrated imperial city. Its Bab Mansour gate, the Heri es-Souani granaries and the medina can be covered in a full day trip from Fes, and combining it with Volubilis (30 km north of Meknes) makes one of the best day excursions in the country.
What is Meknes famous for?
Meknes is famous for the monuments of Sultan Moulay Ismail, who ruled 1672–1727 and made it his imperial capital to rival Versailles. Key sights include Bab Mansour, the Heri es-Souani granaries, the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, and the medina's Medersa Bou Inania (not to be confused with the Fes one).
Can I see Fes and Meknes in two days?
Two days is tight for Fes alone — four days is a better minimum. You can add Meknes and Volubilis as a combined day trip from Fes. Alternatively, base one night in Meknes to experience the city when day-trippers have left.
Is Meknes cheaper than Fes?
Yes, generally. Meknes has fewer tourist-facing businesses, which keeps riad and restaurant prices lower. Eating in Meknes's medina restaurants typically costs 30–50% less than equivalent venues in Fes.
Tell us your dates. We'll plan the trip with you.
- Tell us what drew you in. Your dates, who is travelling and what you want to see.
- A person reads it. We write a day-by-day plan for your group, private or small-group.
- You change anything. Then we confirm the guides, drivers and riads.