The Fez region is home to many treasures. Fez itself is Morocco’s oldest and most awe-inspiring medieval centre, and within an hour and a half lie the interesting and surprising Middle Atlas Mountains, the former capital city Meknes, and the southernmost ruins of the Roman empire at Volubilis. In the region you find vineyards, mountain lakes, Barbary apes and hundreds of years of crumbling and fascinating history.  

We describe Fez as “the connoisseur’s choice” of city. The ancient medina surpasses all other in the Kingdom in terms of its riches, its culture, its geography, and the overall medieval experience. The medina lies on a hill side and from most rooftops you’re offered an extraordinary panorama, with centuries of history laid out before your eyes. It’s worth getting up at  dawn to hear the call to prayer from the (literally) hundreds of mosques, to get a truly unique experience. At street level the assault on the senses is intense and constant as one wanders the labyrinth of alleyways, some of which are less than a metre wide. If you are looking for the ultimate culture-shock, Fez is the place for you. 

The terrain to the south of Fez is somewhat surprising, and not what many would expect of Morocco. The towns of Ifrane and Azrou lie on the doorstep of the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas Mountains. This low altitude, sparsely-populated range of mountains has a lonely mystique to it and makes an interesting day trip from Fez. The forests are home to families of Barbary apes – which are very commonly-sighted – and the towns of Sefrou and Immouzer have an old-world charm, with a proliferation of pitched-roof dwellings that hark back to the French Protectorate period. 

Meknes was once a very important city in Morocco and is one of the country’s ex-capitals. The city is rich in monuments and hence merits a half day wandering with a guide and vehicle (note that the sites are very spread out). The mix of sights is rather eclectic in nature from a clutch of palaces to an immense granary and an underground prison. It makes a good place to combine with a visit to Volubilis and the mountainside shrine village of Moulay Idriss, either en route between Rabat and Fez or as a day trip from Fez. 

Volubilis is a Roman ruins site that dates back to the 3rd century BC, situated on fertile plains to the north of Meknes. Although it was thought to have been largely destroyed by an earthquake in the mid 18th century, the ruins are still substantial enough to make an interesting visit, especially in spring time when the plains are a green tapestry of crops and violet “Volubilis” wildflowers. Guided visits are offered on site and we can organise for you to combine your visit with lunch in a very special private house in the holy mountain village of Moulay Idriss.