Visiting Fez, Meknes and Volubilis by Car: Advice and Itineraries

Fez el-Bali, the old medina on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is visited on foot: no cars go in. The car comes into its own elsewhere, for Meknes, the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. Here is how to plan your drives and where to park.

AI-generated illustration (Google Gemini)

Published on 13 May 2026

Arriving in Fez and getting on the road
Where to park around the Fez el-Bali medina
Things to do in Fes and its top attractions: Bab Boujloud, Nejjarine Square and the medina on foot
The royal day out: Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Meknes, Morocco: what to see in the imperial city, from Bab Mansour to Sahrij Souani
Which car to rent for the Fez region
Fes to Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier: the long drives from Fez

Arriving in Fez and getting on the road

Fès-Saïss airport is about 15 kilometres from the centre. If you collect your rental car on arrival, you don't have to haggle with a grand taxi outside the terminal.

The road into the Ville Nouvelle is wide and easy, and the Ville Nouvelle itself is simple to drive: broad boulevards, traffic lights, roundabouts. In spring and autumn, book the car early.

Where to park around the Fez el-Bali medina

Don't try to drive into the historic medina: the lanes are too narrow and closed to traffic.

Leave the car in a guarded car park by the medina gates, near Bab Boujloud, the Blue Gate, or near Bab Rcif. You pay the attendant by the day, so ask the price when you arrive. Then walk to your riad with your bags, or ask the riad whether someone can come and carry them.

Things to do in Fes and its top attractions: Bab Boujloud, Nejjarine Square and the medina on foot

What to do in Fes once the car is parked? Go in through Bab Boujloud, the Blue Gate: its tiles are blue on the outside and green on the medina side. It is the starting point of the two main streets of Fez el-Bali, Talaa Kebira and Talaa Seghira, which run down into the heart of the old town.

On the way down you reach Nejjarine Square, the carpenters' square. The Nejjarine Fountain, covered in zellige tiles and stucco under a carved wooden canopy, is one of the most photographed spots in the medina. Next door, the Nejjarine fondouk, a restored former caravanserai, houses a museum of wooden arts and crafts; its terrace looks out over the rooftops.

From there, the Al Quaraouiyine mosque, Seffarine Square, where copper is still hammered, and the Chouara tannery are a few lanes away. Take your time. In the evening, walk back up to Bab Boujloud, its cafés and the car park where the car is waiting.

Keep the car for the next day: Meknes and Volubilis to the west, Ifrane and the cedar forest to the south. In the medina it would be no use to you.

The royal day out: Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun

This one-day loop is where a rental car really pays off. Leave Fez in the morning: Meknes is about 60 kilometres away by motorway. There, see the Bab Mansour gate and the huge granaries of Sultan Moulay Ismail.

From Meknes, a road heads north through the olive groves to the archaeological site of Volubilis, also a World Heritage site. Its Roman mosaics are still in place, and the triumphal arch looks out over the plain. Finish at Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, the holy town clinging to the next hillside, before driving back to Fez at the end of the day.

Leave early: between the drive, Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss, the day fills up. Take water and a hat for Volubilis, an open-air site with very little shade.

Meknes, Morocco: what to see in the imperial city, from Bab Mansour to Sahrij Souani

Meknes, in Morocco, is Moulay Ismail's imperial city and a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the easiest one to visit from Fez: about 60 kilometres, less than an hour's drive. Rent in Fez and do the round trip in a day, adding Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun if you set off early.

The visit centres on El Hedim Square. Across from it stands Bab Mansour, the grandest of the city gates; behind it lie the medina and its souks; further into the imperial city is the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail. Leave the car at the edge of the old town with an attendant and do this part on foot.

Heri es-Souani, the sultan's vast granaries and stables, and the Sahrij Souani basin right beside them are further out, so take the car to get close without crossing the imperial city on foot in full sun. This large tree-lined reservoir once fed the palace gardens; late in the day, Meknes families come here for a stroll.

Which car to rent for the Fez region

The roads between Fez, Meknes, Volubilis and Moulay Idriss are paved and in good condition. A small city car is plenty for this programme.

If you carry on into the Middle Atlas, to Ifrane, Azrou and the cedar forest, a compact car with a bit more power makes the climbs more pleasant, especially when it is loaded.

Fes to Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier: the long drives from Fez

Fes to Marrakech is the longest of these drives: 385 km as the crow flies, and more on the road. The simplest way is motorway all the way, west to Meknes and Rabat, then south via Casablanca to Marrakech. It makes a long day at the wheel, so if you have time, break it with a night in Rabat or Casablanca. Marrakech to Fes follows the same motorways in reverse.

Casablanca to Fez is motorway too: 245 km as the crow flies, along the coast to Rabat, then inland past Meknes. From Rabat, the motorway east to Meknes and Fez is the same road, so Rabat to Fez is simply the second half of that trip, and Fez to Casablanca the whole of it in reverse. These motorways are toll roads: keep cash or a Jawaz badge to hand.

Tangier to Fez can be driven two ways. One option stays on the motorway down the Atlantic side towards Rabat before turning east via Meknes. The other crosses the hills of the pre-Rif on national roads through Ouezzane, which lets you stop in Chefchaouen on the way. Whichever you choose, drive the mountain stretches in daylight.

Frequently asked questions

Is parking by the Fez medina gates safe at night?

The car parks at the medina gates have attendants, but leave no luggage or valuables visible inside the car, day or night. If your riad offers parking or has its own attendant, that is the simplest option.

How long does it take to drive from Fez to Volubilis?

Allow about 95 kilometres via Meknes, so at least an hour and a half of driving without stops.

Can you drive from Fez to the Merzouga desert?

Yes, through the Middle Atlas: Ifrane, Azrou, Midelt, then the Ziz gorges and Errachidia. It is about 460 kilometres, so plan an overnight stop rather than doing it all in one day.

What to do in Fes?

Enter the medina through Bab Boujloud, walk down to Nejjarine Square and its fountain, visit the Nejjarine fondouk, then head to Seffarine Square and the Chouara tannery. The next day, use the car for Meknes, Volubilis or Ifrane.

Which imperial cities of Morocco can you link on a circuit from Fez?

Morocco’s four imperial cities are Fez, Meknes, Rabat and Marrakech. Meknes is a day trip from Fez; for the full circuit, the motorway then links Fez and Meknes to Rabat, and Rabat to Marrakech via Casablanca.

How do you visit Meknes, Morocco, from Fez?

By car, as a day trip: Meknes is about 60 kilometres from Fez, less than an hour's drive. Park at the edge of the Meknes medina for Bab Mansour and El Hedim Square, then take the car on to Sahrij Souani.

Where is the Nejjarine Fountain?

On Nejjarine Square, in the heart of Fez el-Bali, next to the Nejjarine fondouk and its museum of wooden arts. You walk there from Bab Boujloud, where you leave the car.

Fez location: where is Fez, and how far is it from Casablanca and Marrakech?

Fez is inland in the north of Morocco, in the Fès-Meknès region, with Meknes about 60 kilometres away by motorway and the Middle Atlas to the south. As the crow flies, it is 245 km from Casablanca and 385 km from Marrakech. Fès-Saïss airport is about 15 kilometres from the centre.

Casablanca to Fez or Rabat to Fez: is it motorway all the way?

Yes. From Casablanca you follow the motorway to Rabat, then inland past Meknes to Fez; from Rabat it is simply the second half of that route. Both are toll motorways, and Meknes, about 60 kilometres before Fez, makes a natural break, with Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun close by.

How many areas are there in Fez, and what makes each one unique?

Three. Fez el-Bali, the old walled medina on the UNESCO list, is a maze of lanes you can only explore on foot. Fez el-Jdid, the new Fez founded by the Marinids beside it, holds the royal palace and the old Jewish quarter, the mellah. The Ville Nouvelle, the modern town, has broad boulevards and traffic lights, and is the easy part to drive and park in.

Sources

UNESCO — whc.unesco.org

Visit Morocco — visitmorocco.com