Fès-Meknès is a region of north-central Morocco that holds two of the country's four imperial cities: Fès, home to the world's largest living medieval medina and the oldest university in continuous operation, and Meknès, the 17th-century capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Between and around them lie the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the holy hilltop town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun, the cedar forests and lakes of the Middle Atlas around Ifrane and Azrou, and the cherry-growing towns of Sefrou and Bhalil.
Local currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Fès-Meknès.
- Backpacker
- 250-400 MAD ($27-43) - dorm or cheap riad, street food, free sights and shared taxis
- Luxury
- 2,500+ MAD ($269+) - luxury riad or hotel, fine dining, private driver and spa
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Items
- Typical
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Fès-Meknès costs end-to-end.
Items traveller
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Use trains for Fès-Meknès and Fès-Taza trips; they cost less than private transfers and run on time
Book riads directly by email or phone; owners often beat platform prices by 10-15%
Eat where locals eat: sandwiches near Bab Boujloud and Place Baghdadi cost a fraction of terrace-restaurant prices
Use shared grand taxis for day trips to Sefrou, Ifrane and Azrou instead of private cars
Agree petit taxi fares or insist on the meter before getting in
Visit in shoulder season (April to May and October to November) when riad rates fall 20-30%
Carry a refillable bottle and buy large water bottles at supermarkets rather than small ones from tourist stalls
Hire a licensed guide at the Fès tourist office for a fixed rate instead of accepting street offers
Buy crafts at fixed-price cooperatives or after comparing three shops to learn the real price
Avoid the main terrace cafes at Bab Boujloud for meals; walk one street back for half the price
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Wander the lanes of Fès el-Bali, a UNESCO medina, from Bab Boujloud to Bab Rcif
Admire the exterior of Al-Qarawiyyin and Bou Inania and the Bab Boujloud gate
Walk through Jnan Sbil Gardens beside Bab Boujloud
Climb to the Marinid Tombs for sunset views over Fès
Watch the stone tannery vats from a leather-shop terrace (a small tip is expected)
Wander Place El Hedim, Bab Mansour and the Meknès medina
See the Moulay Ismail Mausoleum in Meknès (free for visitors, outside prayer times)
Explore the Cedre Gouraud forest and macaques near Azrou
Walk the Sefrou cascades and the old Jewish quarter (Mellah)
Browse Sefrou's souks and Bhalil's cave houses by day