Many travellers drive past it between Casablanca and Fes. That is a shame: Rabat, Morocco's capital, is clean, airy and pressure-free, with an easy medina and major monuments a few minutes from each other. Since 2012 the city has been a UNESCO World Heritage site under the name "Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage".
The must-sees
- Hassan Tower. The unfinished minaret of a huge mosque begun at the end of the 12th century by the Almohad sultan Yacoub al-Mansour. Work stopped at his death; the tower and a forest of columns remain on the esplanade.
- The Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Facing the tower, it holds the tombs of King Mohammed V and his sons, King Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdallah. The interior, in marble, zellige tilework and carved wood, is one of the richest in the country. Royal guards in ceremonial dress stand at the entrance.
- The Kasbah of the Udayas. The fortress above the mouth of the Bouregreg river, with white-and-blue lanes, an Andalusian garden and a terrace looking over the ocean and across the river to Salé.
- Chellah. A place out of time: the ruins of the ancient town of Sala, then a Merinid necropolis, overgrown with gardens and storks.
- The medina and Rue des Consuls, for rugs, leather and crafts, in a calmer atmosphere than Marrakech or Fes.
- The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, opened in 2014, for 20th and 21st-century Moroccan art.
Rabat in one or two days
In one day: in the morning, the Kasbah of the Udayas and its garden, then the medina; in the afternoon, Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum, and sunset over the Bouregreg.
In two days: add Chellah, the Mohammed VI Museum and the beach below the Udayas, where surf schools take beginners. In the evening, cross to Salé on the tram that links the two cities.
Rabat or Casablanca?
The two cities are only 90 km apart by road and about an hour by train. Casablanca is a business metropolis with the Hassan II Mosque as its headline visit; Rabat is more monumental and more relaxing. With one day only, many travellers stay in Rabat and do Casablanca as a return trip, or the other way round. See also Marrakech vs Casablanca.
Getting to Rabat
- By train from Casablanca, Fes or Tangier; the Al Boraq high-speed train serves Rabat-Agdal station.
- By car: 90 km from Casablanca, 203 km from Fes, by motorway.
- By plane, through Rabat-Salé airport.
Internet in Rabat
Like the rest of the capital, the medina and the kasbah have good mobile coverage. You will mostly use a connection for online train tickets, tram rides, ride-hailing and translation. With an eSIM installed before you leave, you are online as you step off the train or plane; our plans run from 1 day (€6) to 30 days (€79).
See the Morocco eSIM plans and check your phone's compatibility. If you are heading north, read our Chefchaouen guide.