Fes, Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat were each Morocco's capital at a different time, and each feels different today. What sets them apart, how long each needs, and how to string them together, with or without the Sahara.
Morocco has had four capitals that history now calls the imperial cities: Fes, Marrakech, Meknes and Rabat. Each was the seat of power at a different time, under a different dynasty, and they are not interchangeable. Fes is dense and medieval, Marrakech loud and open, Meknes one sultan's project at a walkable scale, Rabat calm on the Atlantic.
Most trips see two or three of them. Seeing all four is mostly a question of route.
The four at a glance
| City | Capital when | UNESCO listing | What it feels like | Time to give it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fes | Founded in 789; capital several times, the last until 1912 | Medina of Fez, 1981 | The deepest medina: around nine thousand lanes, no cars | A full guided day |
| Marrakech | Founded around 1070 as the Almoravid capital; capital again under the Almohads and the Saadians | Medina of Marrakesh, 1985 | Open and loud, with the great square at its centre | One to two days |
| Meknes | Capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail, 1672–1727 | Historic City of Meknes, 1996 | One ruler's imperial city: gates, granaries, walls | Half a day |
| Rabat | Almohad naval base from 1170; seat of the protectorate from 1912, capital since independence in 1956 | Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City, 2012 | Quiet and administrative, on the Atlantic | One full day |
The Roman city of Volubilis, listed by UNESCO in 1997, sits between Meknes and Fes and is on most routes that link them. It belongs in the same story: in 809 Idris II moved his capital from Walili, the Arabic name for Volubilis, to Fes.
How they differ
Fes is the one people mean when they say medieval. Fes el-Bali is one of the largest and oldest car-free urban areas in the world, and its souks are still laid out by trade. The Chouara tanneries, the Al-Qarawiyyin and the Medersa Bou Inania are the landmarks, but the lanes between them are the point. It is also the hardest of the four to see alone. Our Fes medina guide covers what to see.
Marrakech is the most familiar of the four. The Koutoubia, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and Djemaa el-Fna make a first day; the palaces and the craft souks make a second. It is also the base for the High Atlas and the desert, which is why most trips start or end here. See the Marrakech medina guide.
Meknes was built up by Moulay Ismail during his 55-year reign: Bab Mansour, the royal granaries of Heri es-Souani, and the walls and stables of a court that moved on after his death. Half a day covers it, and Volubilis and the holy town of Moulay Idriss are within forty minutes. Our Meknes and Moulay Idriss guide has the detail.
Rabat is the capital most visitors drive past. The Kasbah of the Udayas above the river mouth, the Hassan Tower with the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the Chellah fill one full day, with almost no crowds. See our Rabat guide.
The route problem
Rabat sits on the Atlantic, with Meknes and Fes inland to the east of it. Marrakech is far to the south, and the Erg Chebbi dunes are south-east of Fes, across the Atlas. Any trip that sees all four cities either runs one way down the country or comes back along its own road.
That leaves three good shapes.
One way, north to south, with the Sahara: 5 days
This is our Casablanca to Marrakech tour. It starts where most long-haul flights land and ends where most people fly home.
| Day | Route | Distance | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casablanca → Rabat → Volubilis → Meknes → Fes | ≈370 km | about 6 h, across three stops |
| 2 | Fes, a full guided day in the medina | none | none |
| 3 | Fes → Ifrane → Midelt → Erfoud → Erg Chebbi | ≈460 km | about 7½ h, the longest day |
| 4 | Erg Chebbi → Todra Gorge → Dades | ≈280 km | about 4½ h |
| 5 | Dades → Ouarzazate → Aït Ben Haddou → Marrakech | ≈330 km | about 5½ h |
The Fes day sits between the two longest drives on purpose: you sleep two nights in the same riad and walk instead of ride. The trade-off is that Rabat and Meknes are stops on day 1 rather than nights. From €825 per person for two. It works best with an open-jaw ticket; see fly into Casablanca, out of Marrakech.
A loop from Marrakech, all four cities, no desert: 5 days
Our 5-day imperial cities tour starts and ends in Marrakech and gives Meknes, Fes and Rabat a night each. Day 1 runs north-east to Midelt (≈410 km). Day 2 is Volubilis in the morning and Meknes in the afternoon, with the night there (≈300 km). Day 3 is a full guided day in Fes. Day 4 goes west to Rabat (≈200 km), and day 5 runs down the coast past Casablanca to Marrakech (≈240 km). Riads, breakfast and the entrance fees are included. From €575 per person for two. The same circuit starts from Agadir as a 6-day tour.
Two cities and the north: 4 days
If Chefchaouen matters more than Rabat, the 4-day Chefchaouen tour goes Marrakech to Fes, gives Fes a full day, stops at Volubilis and Meknes, and ends in the blue town with a day to walk it. From €570 per person for two.
With more time
Ten days lets you loop through the Sahara and the cities without a single rushed day; our 10-day itinerary lays it out day by day. If you are still deciding on length, start with how many days you need in Morocco.
When a guide is worth it
- Fes: always. The medina does not reveal its logic in an afternoon. Every one of our tours that reaches Fes includes a full day with a licensed Fes guide.
- Marrakech: on a first visit. The souks are laid out by trade and the buildings that matter look like blank walls from the lane. Our medina cultural tour is a private four-hour walk with your own guide, from €41 per person for two, and leaves the afternoon for going back alone.
- Meknes: optional. The main sights are close together and half a day on your own works.
Whichever city, book the guide through your riad or a tour operator, never an approach in the street.
👉 See the 5-day Casablanca to Marrakech route: three imperial cities, a night in the dunes, and Marrakech at the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four imperial cities of Morocco?
How many days do you need to see the imperial cities?
Should I travel north to south or south to north?
If I only have time for one imperial city, which should it be?
Do I need a guide in the medinas?
Are the imperial cities UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
Trips that go here
Guided by the team who wrote this guide.
Casablanca to Marrakech — 5-Day Imperial Cities & Sahara
- Hassan Tower and the Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat
- Volubilis — Roman mosaics still in the ground where they were laid
- Bab Mansour and the imperial granaries at Meknes
€470 / person for 6+
Marrakech — All 4 Imperial Cities — 5-Day Grand Tour
- All 4 Imperial Cities: Marrakech, Meknes, Fes, Rabat
- Volubilis Roman ruins (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Hassan Tower in Rabat
€339 / person for 6+
Marrakech to Chefchaouen — 4-Day Blue City Tour
- Chefchaouen — the Blue City of the Rif Mountains
- Fes el-Bali UNESCO medina and Chouara Tanneries
- Cedar Forest of Azrou and wild Barbary macaques
€350 / person for 6+
Marrakech Medina — Cultural Tour
- Djemaa El-Fna square at its most vibrant
- Leather tanneries viewed from a private rooftop
- Ben Youssef Madrasa — 16th-century Islamic college
€31 / person for 6+