Meknes

Meknes is the easiest imperial city to reach from Fes, sitting roughly 60 km west in Morocco's Fès-Meknès region. The ONCF train from Fes station takes about 40 to 50 minutes and runs roughly hourly for 20 to 40 MAD, which makes it the recommended mode; shared grand taxis cover the same route for 25 to 40 MAD per seat but leave only when full. Meknes was made a capital by Sultan Moulay Ismail in the late 17th century, and the legacy is a city of enormous walls, ceremonial gates and storage complexes that feels far calmer than the Fes medina. The centrepiece is Bab Mansour, a richly tiled gateway facing Place el-Hedim, the open square that separates the old medina from the imperial quarter. The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, one of the few religious sites in Morocco that non-Muslim visitors may enter, lies a short walk away and has a modest entrance fee. Further south, the Heri es-Souani granaries and stables show the scale of the sultan's ambitions, with long vaulted bays built to store grain and house horses. Back near Place el-Hedim, the covered souks of the Meknes medina sell textiles, olives, spices and metalwork at lower-pressure prices than Fes. A workable day starts with a morning train, a petit taxi to Bab Mansour, and the mausoleum before midday. Lunch fits naturally around Place el-Hedim, where cafés and small restaurants serve tagines, grilled brochettes and fresh juice for roughly 60 to 120 MAD. The afternoon suits a slow walk through the medina souks and a taxi to the Heri es-Souani granaries, then an evening train back to Fes. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) offer comfortable walking temperatures, while midsummer afternoons are hot and many visitors rest in the shade of the square. Arriving by about 9:30 gives time to see the main sites without rushing, and checking the last train time before the afternoon is wise. Total spending per person is typically 100 to 160 MAD for transport and local taxis, plus entrances and food.