1-Day Fes to Chefchaouen Road Trip
In November 2022, we made a 16-day Road trip in Morocco going all around and driving over 2 500 km (in a Fiat 500! What an adventure).
Our trip started and ended in Fes, and we made a loop in order to visit this magnificent country. Our itinerary went through the main cities, the Sahara Desert, the seaside and the mountains of Morocco.
We personally rented a car at the airport and did the following: Fes, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, Essaouira, Marrakesh, Imlil, Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Merzouga, Ifrane. However, you don’t need to follow it by the dot, you can use it to make your own plan.
We left Fes in the morning, drove to Meknes, explored it a bit, headed to Volubilis and then to Chefchaouen.
Meknes is a small city, even its old city center wasn’t that big. What we really enjoyed there was the Dar Jamai Museum. It was such a beautiful place. Ideal to enjoy the beautiful of Moroccan architecture without a single person in it. But apart from that, Meknes didn’t have much to offer. So, we quicky headed to Volubilis.
In this article, we will tell our story going from Fes to Chefchaouen. So, if you too are planning a trip to Morocco and to Chefchaouen from Fes, then let ‘s dive in this 1-Day Fes to Chefchaouen Road Trip.
Here is our complete video from this trip :
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
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Introduction
We woke around 7am in Fes and tried to catch sunset but it was a bit late. We then had breakfast and left to the airport to get our rental car as we couldn’t get it the day we arrived.
Once in the airport, we first went to the Tobacco shop and got a sim card for Tina. As I already had orange, she took Maroc telecom. It cost 50 dh for the card and dh for the top up 5gb for 1 months. The ladies there were quite rough on Tina’s phone that they deformed the sim card slot, didn’t notice and had to use my phone to activate the sim. Hahaa, the adventure continues.
it actually took a while to get the car but the guy there was super friendly. And we got a fiat500.
We then drove to Meknes. We took the highway and had to pay 12 dh for the toll. There we parked outside the old city as it was easier for us. It cost us 10 mad for 2h. But we didn’t bother negotiating.
Best things to do Meknes
Bab El Mansour Laalej
We then walk in the Medina. Unfortunately, the main gate was being renovated so we couldn’t enjoy it true beauty. It was originally the main ceremonial entrance to the Kasbah of Sultan Moulay Isma’il, built in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Today it is one of the most famous and admired landmarks in the city
Lahdim Square
We then went across and passed the main square toward the souk. The square was built in the years 1672-1674 after the Sultan, Moulay Ismail, demolished half of the Old city of Meknes for his palace and the square.
Dar Jamai Museum
Our next stop and our top things to do in Meknes is Dar Jamai Museum which displays a number of artifacts and art objects from the city and other regions in Morocco. It is housed in a late 19th-century palace built by the Jama’i family who also built the Jamai Palace in Fes
The museum itself is amazing and we loved the section where we learnt about instrument and music of Morocco.
Madrasa Bou Inania & Medina
We then went through the souk and all the store toward the Madrasa Bou Inania. This part wasn’t that nice actually. It is more of a modern market than an old one.
We stopped at The Bou Inania Madrasa is a historic school of islam that looked beautiful as the building, well-preserved thanks to later restorations, is considered an excellent example of the richly decorated madrasas of the Marinid period But it was closed at that time.
Prison de Kara
To continue, we wanted to explore the Qara Prison or Habs Qara, also known as the Prison of the Christian Slaves. Which is a series of underground vaulted chambers built in the early 18th century in Meknes, Morocco, by order of Sultan Moulay Ismail.
Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
As well as the Mausoleum of Moulay Isma’il is a historic Islamic funerary complex that contains the tomb of Sultan Moulay Isma’il, who ruled Morocco from 1672 until his death in 1727 and is located inside his former Kasbah. It is a major historic and religious site in the city.
But here also we didn’t get any luck and it was closed. It might have been a holiday?
Volubilis
We then decided to leave for Volubilis. As we couldn’t find a nice restaurant in Meknès. We stopped at a bakery and bought some local bread. Cost 1 dh for 1. We got 3 and ate them in the car.
Volubilis wasn’t too far. There also there was a parking fee of 10 dh. Then the entrance fee was 70 dh per person.
It was the best things to do in Meknes. It is a partly excavated Berber-Roman city that may have been the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania, at least from the time of King Juba II. Before Volubilis, the capital of the Kingdom may have been at Gilda.
The ruins were quite nice and big and there were a small restaurant and toilet there.
If you do not have a rental car, you can still do it from Fes. For that the best would be with the Volubilis, Mulay Idris and Meknes Tour
Chefchaouen
Road to Chefchaouen
We then left for Chefchaouen. The road was beautiful. The scenery amazing and changing as we were getting close to the north. Plus, there were lots of olive trees along the way, by opening the window we got some super nice smell of olives. Which was a nice change from the smell of Fes and the busy cities.
Along the road you get to see how people live and lots of donkey. The road was in good condition but slow. A lot of speed change. 80 to 60 to 80 to 60 to 40 and so on. Some parts were also quite damaged but globally fine.
We arrived at 7pm in Chefchaouen. There we parked next to “bab Souk” for 40 mad. (20 per day). There we also learned that Chefchaouen was the smoking capital of Morocco.
The last part before the parking was the most stressful one as there were lots of people of the streets but was globally also fine.
We checked in at Casa La Hiba. We love it there. We even received a small key holder as a welcome gift.
We then went straight to the coffee clock. An amazing looking restaurant with live music. But if you want a terrace seat you must reserve. Well, after we ordered and drunk my mint tea and tina’s one. A table got available on the terrace, and we got to enjoy the live band.
Food was super yummy. We had the Chaouen plate, fried cauliflower, and cheese samosas. It cost 200 mad, we left 20 tips for the service and 20 for the band.
It was around 9pm. We left, bought 2 bottles of 1.5l of water for 6 each and headed to our hotel for the night.
Road Trip Itinerary from Fes to Chefchaouen
Day 1:
- Drive to Meknes
- Explore Meknes
- Drive to Volubilis
- Visit the site
- Drive to Chefchaouen
- Dine out.
ضرب الحديد ماحدو سخون Strike the iron while it’s still hot. (Take advantage of the opportunity before it passes you by)
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