Is Moulay Idriss worth a stop?

Moulay Idriss is well worth a stop, particularly because it costs you almost nothing to add — it sits barely five kilometres from Volubilis, so it slots straight into the Volubilis–Meknes day. The town is one of the most sacred places in Morocco: it holds the tomb of Moulay Idriss I, the great-great-grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who arrived in the late 8th century, founded the first Moroccan dynasty and effectively brought Islam to the country. For centuries it was so revered that a pilgrimage here was said to substitute for the Hajj for those who couldn't reach Mecca, and it remains a deeply important place of devotion.

Visually it's a stunner. The whitewashed town tumbles across two green hills in a way that's wonderful to photograph, especially from a distance or from one of the viewpoints above the centre — the classic shot is the cascade of white-and-cream houses with the green-tiled roof of the shrine at its heart. Wandering up through the steep, winding lanes from the main square, past tiny shops and locals going about their day, you get an authentic, untouristy feel, since far fewer foreign visitors stay here than pass through Fes or Meknes. It's a place to absorb atmosphere rather than tick off attractions.

There's an important respectful boundary to understand: as the country's holiest town, the shrine and mausoleum of Moulay Idriss are closed to non-Muslims. You can walk the town freely and approach the sacred area, but you won't go inside the tomb complex itself, and there's a clearly marked point beyond which non-Muslims don't pass. It's worth noting too that, until relatively recently, non-Muslims weren't even permitted to stay overnight in Moulay Idriss; that's changed, and there are now a few guesthouses, but the town retains a quiet, devout character, so dress modestly and tread gently, especially around Friday prayers and the summer moussem (religious festival).

For most travellers, an hour or two is the right amount of time — long enough to climb to a viewpoint, wander the lanes, have a mint tea in the square and soak up the setting, without needing to overnight. Combine it with Volubilis next door and Meknes a short drive on, and the three together make a rich, varied day from Fes. If you're the kind of traveller who loves getting off the standard circuit, a night in one of the little guesthouses, with the call to prayer rolling across the hills at dawn, is a memorable and very different experience from the big cities — but as a stop on a busy itinerary, even a short visit is genuinely rewarding.