Hassan II Mosque
The great Atlantic landmark of Morocco, with a 210-metre minaret and a prayer hall that seems to float over the ocean. Non-Muslim visitors enter on a guided tour, so book a slot and dress modestly.
Morocco
Casablanca
Casablanca is Morocco's Atlantic metropolis, a city that rewards visitors who look past the film myth.
Its great landmark is the Hassan II Mosque, built partly over the ocean with a minaret of about 210 metres, and around it spread two very different medinas, a downtown of sleek 1930s Art Deco buildings, a seafront Corniche of beach clubs and sunsets, and the old Sqala bastion by the fishing port. This guide books Casablanca properly: the mosque on a timed guided visit, a medina and Habous walk, a food tour and a cooking class, a night tour with a Moroccan dinner and a table at Rick's Cafe, then adds Rabat, the calm capital an hour up the coast, by private day trip or by train. It then matches you to the right hotel, from the oceanfront Four Seasons and the Art Deco boutique Hotel Le Doge to the central Hyatt Regency, the Kenzi Tower and a budget ibis beside Casa Port station.
Don't miss
Hassan II Mosque
The great Atlantic landmark of Morocco, with a 210-metre minaret and a prayer hall that seems to float over the ocean. Non-Muslim visitors enter on a guided tour, so book a slot and dress modestly.
Art Deco Casablanca and Boulevard Mohammed V
Casablanca's downtown is one of the world's great collections of 1930s architecture, an Arab-Deco blend of Parisian lines and Moroccan zellige. Walk Boulevard Mohammed V and Place Mohammed V on foot, free.
Old Medina and the Habous Quarter
Casablanca's two medinas side by side: the small, lived-in old walled town by the port, and the Habous, the 1930s New Medina with arcaded lanes, bookshops and the city's best pastry. A guided half day brings both to life.
Rabat Day Trip from Casablanca
Morocco's calm, elegant capital is an hour up the coast. A private day trip covers the Hassan Tower, the royal mausoleum, the blue-and-white Kasbah of the Udayas and more, with transport and a guide handled.
Things to do in Casablanca
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Old Medina and the Habous Quarter
Casablanca's two medinas side by side: the small, lived-in old walled town by the port, and the Habous, the 1930s New Medina with arcaded lanes, bookshops and the city's best pastry. A guided half day brings both to life.
La Sqala and the Ain Diab Corniche
The Atlantic side of Casablanca: the 18th-century Sqala bastion and its garden restaurant by the old port, then the Corniche, a long seafront promenade of beach clubs, cafes and sunsets toward Ain Diab.
2-3 hoursDetails →
FreeArt Deco Casablanca and Boulevard Mohammed V
Casablanca's downtown is one of the world's great collections of 1930s architecture, an Arab-Deco blend of Parisian lines and Moroccan zellige. Walk Boulevard Mohammed V and Place Mohammed V on foot, free.
1.5-3 hoursDetails →
Rick's Cafe
A film lover's pilgrimage: a Moorish-style piano bar and restaurant by the old medina wall, built to recreate the cafe from the 1942 film. Come for the setting, the live piano and a romantic dinner.
Casablanca Food Tour: Market, Medina and Sqala
A morning of eating your way from Place Mohammed V through the Central Market and the old medina to La Sqala, with seafood, snacks, mint tea and a traditional lunch guided by a local.
Moroccan Cooking Class in Casablanca
Cook tagine and other Moroccan classics with a local host, try on traditional dress and sit down to eat what you made. A hands-on, social way to spend an afternoon.
Rabat Day Trip from Casablanca
Morocco's calm, elegant capital is an hour up the coast. A private day trip covers the Hassan Tower, the royal mausoleum, the blue-and-white Kasbah of the Udayas and more, with transport and a guide handled.
Rabat: Hassan Tower, Mausoleum and Kasbah of the Udayas
The UNESCO-listed heart of Rabat: the unfinished Hassan Tower, Mohammed V's marble mausoleum, the blue-and-white Kasbah of the Udayas and the Roman-era ruins of Chellah. Do it independently by train.
Casablanca City Night Tour with Moroccan Dinner
See Casablanca after dark: the lit minaret, the seafront and the city's evening life, followed by a traditional Moroccan dinner. A comfortable way to spend an evening, with transport handled.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca
Ain Diab Corniche
The city's oceanfront luxury address at Anfa Place on the Corniche, with a large spa, a year-round pool, three restaurants and a lounge, and the Hassan II Mosque minutes away.
Rates on Expedia →Hotel Le Doge
Art Deco White City
A 1930s Art Deco mansion turned Relais and Chateaux boutique hotel in the White City, with just sixteen rooms and suites, a Moroccan restaurant and a small hammam-style spa.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Hyatt Regency Casablanca
Historic centre
A five-star hotel in the historic centre on Place des Nations Unies, where the old medina meets Art Deco facades, with views toward the old medina and the Hassan II Mosque, a French brasserie, a pool and a spa.
Rates on Expedia →
$$Kenzi Tower Hotel
Maarif and Twin Center
A 28-storey landmark in the Twin Center on Boulevard Zerktouni, with 237 rooms and suites, city and sea views, a spa with an indoor pool and a vibrant downtown setting.
Rates on Expedia →
$ibis Casablanca City Center
Casa Port and Old Medina
A simple, central budget base on Rue Sidi Belyout beside Casa Port station, a stone's throw from the old medina and the marina, with 266 air-conditioned rooms and a tram stop nearby.
Rates on Expedia →Casablanca guides
First-Timer's Guide to Casablanca: Mosque, Medina, Art Deco and Rabat
What to book ahead, how to get around, how many days to allow and where the headline sights fit, for a first visit to Morocco's biggest city.
Where to Stay in Casablanca: Corniche, Art Deco Centre or Old Medina
A neighbourhood guide to Casablanca hotels, from the Ain Diab seafront to the Art Deco centre, the Twin Center and the old medina, tied to five hotels we recommend.
