Overview
The 2 Days Tour from Rabat to Fes follows one of Morocco’s great imperial corridors — the ancient road connecting the country’s modern capital with its most important medieval city, passing through two more royal capitals along the way. Rabat, Meknes, and Fes were each at different moments the seat of Moroccan power, and the journey between them is a timeline of the nation’s dynastic history laid out across 300 kilometres of fertile Atlantic hinterland.
Rabat is the often-overlooked jewel of Morocco’s imperial cities — a modern, walkable capital with a magnificent twelfth-century Almohad legacy, including the Hassan Tower (a minaret that was meant to be the tallest in the Islamic world before the sultan who commissioned it died), the Chellah necropolis (where Roman ruins, Merinid tombs, and nesting storks coexist in one extraordinary walled garden), and the Kasbah of the Udayas — a whitewashed Andalusian village perched at the mouth of the Bouregreg river that is arguably the most beautiful neighbourhood in Morocco.
The drive east from Rabat takes about an hour to reach Meknes, the seventeenth-century imperial city built by Sultan Moulay Ismail with an ambition that rivalled contemporary Versailles. His city is enormous — forty kilometres of walls, vast granaries, royal stables for 12,000 horses — yet largely unknown to foreign visitors, making it one of Morocco’s greatest cultural discoveries. The Bab Mansour gate, completed in 1732, is considered the most beautiful gate in North Africa.
Volubilis, thirty kilometres north of Meknes, is the hidden gem of this route — a Roman city of extraordinary completeness with in-situ mosaic floors, a triumphal arch, temples, and the foundations of an entire urban neighbourhood. It sits in a wide, quiet agricultural plain with the mountains of the Rif visible to the north — an idyllic setting for one of the continent’s great archaeological sites.
Arriving in Fes at the end of Day 1 gives you the evening to absorb first impressions of the medina before a guided tour the following day.
Highlights
- Begin in Rabat — the Hassan Tower, Chellah necropolis, and Kasbah of the Udayas
- Drive the imperial corridor east through Morocco’s heartland
- Explore Meknes — the monumental city of Moulay Ismail
- See the Bab Mansour gate — the finest gate in North Africa
- Visit the Heri es-Souani — royal stables and granaries on a Versailles scale
- Discover Volubilis — two hours at Morocco’s finest Roman archaeological site
- See the Triumphal Arch, Basilica, and remarkable in-situ mosaic floors
- Arrive in Fes in the evening — first impressions of the medieval medina
- Optional: guided Fes medina tour on Day 2 (available as an extension)
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Rabat to Fes via Meknes & Volubilis
Begin with a morning tour of Rabat’s highlights: the Hassan Tower and Mohammed V Mausoleum, the Chellah necropolis, and a walk through the Kasbah of the Udayas with its Andalusian garden. Drive east to Meknes (1 hour). Visit Bab Mansour, the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum, and the Heri es-Souani granaries and stables. Lunch in Meknes. Drive to Volubilis (30 minutes). Spend 90 minutes at the Roman site with your guide. Return through Moulay Idriss Zerhoun — a brief stop in Morocco’s holiest hilltop town. Continue to Fes (45 minutes). Arrive in Fes by early evening. Overnight in a medina riad.
Day 2: Fes Arrival & Medina Introduction
Morning at leisure in Fes or a guided introduction walk in the medina. Your driver is available to transfer you to your hotel or onward destination. This day can be extended with a full licensed medina tour — ask us to add it to your booking.
What’s Included
- Private transport Rabat–Meknes–Volubilis–Fes
- Expert English-speaking licensed guide
- Morning guided tour of Rabat highlights
- Entrance fees: Volubilis, Chellah, Moulay Ismail Mausoleum
- Lunch in Meknes
- 1 night in a Fes medina riad (breakfast included)
What’s Not Included
- International flights to and from Morocco
- Travel insurance
- Personal dinners and Day 2 meals
- Tips for guide and driver
- Optional Fes medina guided tour (available to add)
- Visa fees where applicable
- Personal expenses
Travel Tips
This tour is ideal for travellers based in Rabat — business visitors, diplomats, or those spending time in the capital who want to see Fes without the hassle of organising transport. The drive from Rabat to Meknes is on the A2 motorway and is fast and comfortable. Volubilis is exposed to the sun — bring a hat and sunscreen for summer visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can this tour include a full guided Fes medina tour? A: Yes — we can add a licensed medina guide for Day 2 as an extension. Many travellers book this 2-day tour as the first part of a longer Fes stay.
Q: Is there a tour in the reverse direction — Fes to Rabat? A: Yes — the same route works in reverse. Ask us about Fes to Rabat tours.
Q: How much time is spent in Rabat? A: Approximately 2–3 hours covering the main highlights. If you’d like more time in Rabat, we recommend spending a night there — ask about our Rabat city extension.