4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?

B..
Toronto, Canada
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4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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I'm planning a 3 week stay in Morocco (before heading to Spain and Portugal for 6 weeks) and am trying to figure out my itinerary.

I currently have 4 full days (including nights) scheduled to see Fes, Meknes, Moulay Idriss and Volubilis. From what I understand, I can do Meknes as a day trip from Fes and Moulay Idriss and Volubilis are doable in a day, though I'd have to go to the two places via Meknes.

I'm tempted to stay all 4 nights in Fes and do 2 full days there, 1 day trip to Meknes and another day trip to Moulay Idriss and Volubilis but it seems a bit silly to head out to Meknes twice from Fes - once to Meknes itself and the second time to see Moulay Idriss and Volubilis - instead of just staying 1 night in Meknes. At the same time, I don't like moving hotels for 1 night, which is why I'm hesitant to move to Meknes for one night.

Any suggestions here on whether it's better to stay all 4 nights in Fes and make two different day trips to Meknes and then Moulay Idriss & Volubilis, or should we just pick up and move to Meknes for a night so we can see Meknes on the first day and Moulay Idriss & Volubilis the next day before heading back to Fes?

Thanks in advance!

Spain
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1. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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I think getting a reasonable start in the day, you could do Volubilis, My Idriss and Meknes in one long day trip from Fes, particularly if you have your own transport or hire a driver.

Opinion is divided regarding Meknes...I really don't find it nearly as interesting as Fes to merit spending a night, others are bound to disagree. IMO Fes holds much more for the visitor to absorb, although one of the benefits of staying in Meknes I suppose is that you are less likely to encounter the hassle that seems to be endemic to Fes.

marrakech
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2. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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Hi,

I did a day trip from Fes round all three places and neither felt rushed or that I'd missed anything, in fact we also took in Ifrane on the same trip. Hire a driver to take you for the day. We left at 09.00 and got back to Fes around 17.30.

B..
Toronto, Canada
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3. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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I have a tendency to do a lot in one day when I'm travelling, but since I'll be travelling for 9 weeks on this trip, I want to take it at a slower pace and would prefer to do Meknes in one day and Moulay Idriss/Volubilis as another day. As such, do you think it would be better to stay all 4 nights in Fes or spend 1 of the 4 nights in Meknes instead?

Marrakech, Morocco
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4. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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There is so much to see and do in Fes that I agree with both of the replies above. Meknes is a small and charming Imperial city, with the emphasis on the small, and I am pleased that I spent time there. Moulay Idriss and Volubilis are very worthwhile in terms of their historical significances but all three can easily be explored in the space of one full day trip from Fes. As you say, politikgirl, for a slower pace discover all that Fes has to offer. Again, only an opinion.

B..
Toronto, Canada
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5. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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How many hours would I need to spend in each place in order to see them pretty thoroughly, if I were to do all 3 places in one day trip?

Marrakech, Morocco
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6. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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Again it depends on where your interests lie. I spent only two hours in Meknes, enough to capture some of the flavour of a small Imperial city, but after Fes and Marrakech it was not necessary for me to spend longer. However two hours in Volubilis rushed in - not because the ruins are by any consideration extensive but because I personally find Roman history interesting (and because I read Latin). The day trip itself provides a variety of scenery.

B..
Toronto, Canada
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7. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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I will be doing Meknes after Marrakech and Fes as well, so I will take your point into consideration.

What about Moulay Idriss?

B..
Toronto, Canada
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8. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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Any other opinions?

Castril De La Pena...
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9. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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Depends what you're interested in. Fez is an imperial city, Meknes is an imperial city.

Why not try the Middle Atlas mountains which are to the south of Fez? You could do a day trip to Ifrane (little Switzerland), visit the ski resort of Mischelifen (set in the caldera of an extinct volcano) and see the wild monkeys near Azrou.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1945807

B..
Toronto, Canada
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10. Re: 4 days for Fes/Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis - Stay in Fes?
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I'll be seeing some of the area around Fes on a 5 day tour of the Sahara and surrounding area (Ourzazate, Ait Benhaddou, Dades Valley, Todra Gorge, Skoura, Erg Chebbi, Midelt, Azrou, Ifrane, etc.) that I'll be doing that takes me from Marrakech to Fes, so what interests me around Fes and Meknes is the history of these cities, as well as "city life".

I haven't finalized my itinerary yet so I'm trying to decide if I should spend 4 nights in Fes (spending 2 days in the city, 1 day in Moulay Idriss/Volubilis and 1 day in Meknes), OR 2 nights in Fes (spending 2 days in the city) and 2 nights in Meknes (spending 1 day in Moulay Idriss/Volubilis and 1 day in Meknes), OR if I should cut the entire area down to 3 nights in Fes (2 days in Fes and 1 day in Meknes/Moulay Idriss/Volubilis). All opinions are welcome and appreciated. :)

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