Morocco Destination Guide
Rabat
The CapitalThe Imperial City
Nobody Rushes Through
Rabat is Morocco’s political capital and its most underrated city. It has an imperial medina, a Roman and Merinid necropolis, a twelfth century minaret that was meant to be the tallest in the world, and a blue and white kasbah above the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. And almost nobody hassles you in any of them.
The whole city was inscribed by UNESCO in 2012, unusually for both its old town and its twentieth century French planned quarter. It is clean, green, walkable and, by Moroccan standards, remarkably calm.
For travellers, that makes Rabat the gentlest introduction to Morocco there is. If Marrakech has previously felt like too much, start here instead.
Quick Facts
What to See
and Do
Five sights, all within a short walk or a ten minute taxi of each other.
Kasbah of the Udayas
A twelfth century Almohad fort above the river mouth, painted blue and white in the 1930s, with an Andalusian garden and a cafe terrace looking across to Sale.
The Hassan Tower
The minaret of a mosque begun in 1195 that would have been the largest in the world. Work stopped when the sultan died, leaving 44 metres of tower and 200 broken columns.
Chellah
A Roman town reused as a Merinid royal necropolis and then abandoned to fig trees and nesting storks. The most atmospheric ruin in Morocco.
Mohammed VI Museum of Modern Art
The first purpose built modern art museum in Morocco, and the best place in the country to see twentieth century Moroccan painting.
Rue des Consuls
Rabat’s carpet street, historically where foreign consuls were required to live. Calmer prices and far less pressure than the Marrakech souks.
The Andalusian Gardens
Laid out by the French inside the Udayas walls in the early twentieth century, on Andalusian principles, and still the coolest place in Rabat at midday.
How to Make the
Most of Your Time
Rabat is a walking city. Four ways to use a day here.
Chellah at Opening Time
Arrive when it opens and you will have a Roman forum, a Merinid mosque and about forty storks entirely to yourself for the first half hour.
Mint Tea Above the River
The Cafe Maure inside the Udayas gardens looks straight across the Bou Regreg to Sale. Order the tea and the almond pastries and stay an hour.
Cross to Sale
A small boat rows you across the estuary for a few dirhams to a quieter, more traditional medina that sees almost no visitors.
Combine With Volubilis or Meknes
Both are within two hours and pair naturally with Rabat on a route between Casablanca and Fes.
When to Visit
Rabat
Rabat has the gentlest climate of the imperial cities and no really bad season.
March to June. 18 to 25C, Chellah is green and the storks are nesting.
July and August stay near 27C on the coast, far more comfortable than Fes or Marrakech.
September to November. Warm, clear and very quiet once the summer crowds go home.
December to February. Rain and Atlantic wind, temperatures around 12 to 18C, and empty monuments.
Journeys That
Include Rabat
Rabat sits naturally between Casablanca and Fes and features on every imperial cities route we build.
9 DaysImperial Cities of Morocco
Rabat, Meknes, Fes and Marrakech, connecting the four imperial capitals into one journey.
View Journey
12 DaysUltra Luxury Morocco
Palace hotels in Marrakech and Fes, a private kasbah in Skoura and the most exclusive camp in the Sahara.
View Journey
8 DaysSignature Luxury Morocco
Five star riads in Marrakech, a private 4×4 over the Atlas and two nights in a luxury camp in the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
View JourneyThey Travelled With Us
We did a 6 day Trek to Toubkal with Mohamed. That was really great. Mohamed is an excellent guide and he bent over backwards so that everything went well for the whole group of 16 people. I highly recommend.
Many thanks to our wonderful guide Mohamed and all his team for this wonderful week. We will have wonderful memories for a long time thanks to their warm welcome, their dedicated commitment and their kindness.
Mohammed had the talent to make us approach beautiful sites, far from places a little too touristy. He tells us with passion, humor and knowledge about his beautiful country. A true storyteller.
See the Morocco
That Does Not Shout
Rabat pairs beautifully with Fes, Meknes and Volubilis. Tell us your dates and we will build a northern route around it.