I visited this WHS in March 2018. Since the site opens at 08:30 and the morning light is best for photography of the main features and mosaics, I decided to start my day trip early with Volubilis first, Moulay Idriss next and Meknes afterwards. This is a very easy and enjoyable day trip. Even though the sites may not be the very best on the list, together they make one of the best day trips I ever did.

Volubilis is a partly excavated Roman city which is commonly considered also as the ancient capital of the Roman-Berber kingdom of Mauretania. It has all the features and ruins you'd expect in a Roman city and exterior mosaics still in place without any means of protection except a few ropes to prevent tour groups from stepping on the tesserae. The absolute plus point is the beautiful natural setting which the site still enjoys except from the neatly perched town of Moulay Idriss some 3km away.

Arriving by car from Fes, I already saw a road sign displaying Volubilis' inscription on the WH list from some 18km away. There is a marble UNESCO inscription plaque too immediately after the ticket booth where you pay your 10 dirhams for an entrance ticket. There is a small (but ugly!) concrete 'interpretation centre' with a few information boards, capitols, columns, tools, remains and a couple of splendid mosaic fragments. It's amazing to be able to see hints of the beauty of an ancient Roman city in ruins juxtaposed with the ability of modern man to build ugly structures which will clearly not withstand the elements over time!

When approaching the site by car you'll pass by the Tangier Gate but the parking lot and ticket booth are situated towards the southern section. As I walked anticlockwise from the southern section, I headed straight towards the Tangier Gate. From here I could really appreciate the outstanding and impressive view not only of the gate but also of the whole Roman outpost.

Passing through the gate, I walked down the Decumanus Maximus which is the most prestigious thoroughfare in the city linking the Tangier Gate with one of the highlights of Volubilis, the Arch of Caracalla or Triumphal Arch (photo), erected in AD 217. The porticoes lead to the adjoining houses on both sides of the road with some exquisite mosaics especially in the House of Venus, the House of the Rider and the House of the Acrobat. What remains of the basilica are a series of arches and columns where several storks have built their nests. Even if you take lots of photos and take your time to take in the surroundings, it would be rather difficult to spend more than 3 hours here so do combine it with at least a short visit of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun.