Casablanca and Rabat Day trip including lunch
Overview
This day pairs Morocco's economic capital with its political one, and gives each enough time to make sense. The morning covers Casablanca — inside the Hassan II Mosque, past Rick's Café and the art deco frontages of Place Mohammed V, then through the Habous quarter — before an hour's drive north to Rabat. There the route takes in the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the unfinished Hassan Tower, the ruins and gardens at Chellah and the blue-and-white lanes of the Kasbah des Oudaias. Lunch and mosque entry are included.
Highlights
- Interior visit to the Hassan II Mosque, with the entrance fee included
- Two capitals in one day, with door-to-door transport from central Casablanca
- Chellah, a fortified Roman and Merinid necropolis wrapped in gardens
- The Kasbah des Oudaias and its blue-washed 12th-century lanes
- Lunch included, plus a registered historian guide throughout
Full Description
Hassan II Mosque
Morocco's largest mosque, built out over the Atlantic on the Casablanca shoreline. The guided interior visit takes in the retractable roof and the hand-carved cedar and zellige work.
Duration: 1 hour
Rick's Café
A restored riad built to answer the film that never actually shot here. A quick photo stop for anyone who knows the Bogart and Bergman scenes.
Duration: 10 minutes
Square of Mohammed V
The administrative heart of Casablanca, framed by art deco and Mauresque facades and busy with pigeons. The fountain at its centre is a favourite meeting point.
Duration: 15 minutes
Notre Dame de Lourdes
A mid-century concrete church whose plain shell hides vast stained-glass panels. The light inside is the reason to step through the door.
Duration: 15 minutes
Quartier Habous
The new medina, laid out under the French protectorate to blend Moroccan forms with planned streets. Its arcades hold bookshops, olive stalls and some of the city's best pastry.
Duration: 30 minutes
Marche Central
Casablanca's central market, stacked with fish landed that morning, produce and spice. A short walk through gives a feel for how the city eats.
Duration: 15 minutes
Drive to Rabat
The coastal road north to the capital, covered in an air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi. A useful window to hear how Rabat's story differs from Casablanca's.
Duration: 1 hour
Mausoleum of Mohammad V
Built between 1961 and 1971 and considered a high point of modern Alaouite craftsmanship. White marble, carved cedar and onyx tombs sit beneath a domed ceiling.
Royal Palace of Rabat
The official residence of the King of Morocco, dating from the 1860s. The ceremonial gates and forecourt are viewed from outside.
Hassan Tower
The 44-metre minaret of a mosque begun in the 12th century and never completed. The forest of broken columns around it hints at the scale that was intended.
Bab Chellah
The gate into a walled site holding Roman ruins, a medieval necropolis and overgrown gardens. Storks nest on the minaret above it. Entrance fee is payable locally.
Andalusian Gardens
Formal gardens laid out in the early 20th century, with orange trees, reflecting pools and shaded walks. A quiet counterpoint to the ramparts outside.
Ancient Walls Medina Rabat
The 12th-century sandstone fortifications that still enclose the old town. Their scale explains how the city was defended.
Kasbah des Oudaias
A 12th-century citadel above the river mouth, its narrow lanes painted blue and white. The terrace at the far end looks across to Salé and out to the Atlantic.
Inclusions:
- Registered Historian knowledgeable Tour Guide
- Multilingual chauffeur
- A/C Car or MINIVAN with WiFi and phone charger onboard
- Hotel or port pick-up and drop-off
- Lunch
- Hassan II Mosque entry fee
- Bottled mineral water
Exclusions:
- Chellah entrance fee ($12 per person)
- Gratuities
- Drinks
- Book now, pay later
- Instant confirmation: confirmation email and voucher issued immediately after booking
- The Andalusian Gardens are closed every Tuesday
- Free date change up to 12 hours prior to departure time
- No cancellation fee if cancelled 24 hours or more before the scheduled pick-up
- 100% cancellation fee within 24 hours
- Full refund provided if a cruise ship does not dock
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
- No refund for cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time.
- Changes requested less than 24 hours before the start time cannot be accepted.
- Times are local. Experiences cancelled for poor weather are refunded in full or rescheduled.