Things to Do in Casablanca

Casablanca city guide

What to see in Casablanca itself

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its business capital. Rather than one sprawling medina, its highlights are spread along the Atlantic shore and a grid of early 20th-century boulevards — most visitors cover them in a day.

The Hassan II Mosque

The one sight nobody should miss. Completed in 1993, the mosque stands partly over the ocean on reclaimed land, and its minaret is among the tallest in the world. It is Morocco's largest mosque and one of the very few in the country that non-Muslim visitors can enter, on guided tours arranged around prayer times. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.

The Corniche and Ain Diab

West of the mosque, the seafront boulevard runs out to Ain Diab, lined with beach clubs, cafés and fish restaurants — the place Casablancans come to walk and watch the sunset.

The old medina

Casablanca's walled medina sits just behind the port. It is compact and far less geared to visitors than the medinas of Fes or Marrakech — more everyday market than monument — which is exactly its appeal. An hour is enough.

The Habous quarter

Built during the French protectorate as a "new medina" in traditional style, the Habous is tidy, calm and good for shopping: olives and spices, Moroccan pastries, bookshops and craft stalls along arcaded streets.

Art Deco downtown and Place Mohammed V

Much of central Casablanca went up in the 1920s and 1930s, and the streets around Boulevard Mohammed V, the Central Market and Place Mohammed V are lined with Art Deco and neo-Moorish façades. Film fans should note that Casablanca (1942) was shot in Hollywood; the local Rick's Café is a later recreation.

How much time does Casablanca deserve?

One full day — or an arrival afternoon plus the next morning — covers the Hassan II Mosque, the Corniche, the Habous and the Art Deco centre. Stay longer and the city becomes a practical base for private day trips, sleeping in the same hotel each night. Many travellers treat it as the first or last stop of a wider journey; our guide to the top destinations in Morocco helps you plan the rest.

Arriving in Casablanca

Mohammed V International Airport, south of the city, is Morocco's main international gateway, so for many visitors Casablanca is where the trip begins. Our drivers can meet you on arrival — the 9-day private tour from Casablanca, for example, starts with an airport pick-up and a stop at the Hassan II Mosque.

Our excursions

The day trips we run from Casablanca

All three are private, with your own air-conditioned vehicle, an English, French or Spanish-speaking driver, hotel pick-up and drop-off in Casablanca, fuel and tolls, and a licensed local guide at the destination. We usually leave at 8:00 am and return in the evening. Lunches, drinks, entrance fees and tips are extra; prices are quoted on request.

Rabat — the easiest escape

Rabat is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours up the coast by motorway. On our Rabat day trip from Casablanca you visit the 12th-century Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, walk through the Kasbah of the Oudayas above the river mouth and explore the old medina. Because the drive is short, we can pair it with Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque on the same day, or add the Chellah ruins in Rabat.

Marrakech — the red city in a day

Marrakech is about 2.5 to 3 hours south by motorway. Our Marrakech day trip from Casablanca includes a guided walk through the medina: the Bahia Palace, the lanes around the Koutoubia mosque, the spice souks and Jemaa el-Fna square, with time for lunch before the drive home. If one day feels too rushed, the 2-day Casablanca to Marrakech tour adds a night in a riad.

Fes — a long but rewarding day

Fes is the furthest, at roughly 3.5 hours each way, so expect a long day. On the Fes day trip from Casablanca your guide leads you to the Nejjarine fountain, the Moulay Idriss mausoleum, the Attarine madrasa, the Chouara tanneries and the Karaouine mosque. We can add a stop in Meknes or at the Roman ruins of Volubilis, or turn the day into an overnight in Fes.

Going further: the Sahara

The Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga are too far for a day trip — the route crosses the Middle Atlas via Fes and takes at least two days of driving. For the desert, see our multi-day Sahara tours from Casablanca, which run from 5 to 14 days with a camel trek and a night in a desert camp.