Rabat Travel Guide: What to See in Morocco's Modern Capital

Rabat is Morocco's political capital and its most orderly major city — wider boulevards, less souk chaos than Marrakech or Fes — with three sights worth a half-day stop: the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum, and the Oudaïa Kasbah's blue-and-white streets overlooking the Bou Regreg river.

Hassan Tower and the Mohammed V Mausoleum

The Hassan Tower is an unfinished 12th-century minaret — construction stopped after the death of Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour, leaving 200 sandstone columns standing in rows across the site, evocative in their incompleteness. Directly opposite sits the Mohammed V Mausoleum, the ornate, guarded tomb of the current king's grandfather, and one of the few religious sites in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, at least to view from the balcony level.

The Oudaïa Kasbah

A fortified 12th-century kasbah at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, its narrow lanes are painted in the same blue-and-white palette Chefchaouen is famous for, but with far fewer crowds and a genuine sea view from the ramparts over the Atlantic. The Andalusian Gardens inside are a quiet, shaded spot to pause.

Why Rabat Feels Different

As the seat of government and the royal palace, Rabat has a more formal, orderly character than Morocco's other major cities — fewer persistent vendors, a genuinely walkable old town, and a slower pace that makes it a good first stop straight off a flight into Casablanca before the busier stretches of a trip.

How It Fits an Itinerary

Every one of our tours stops in Rabat on day one or two, right after the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca — a natural, gentle introduction to Morocco before the longer stretches north to Chefchaouen or Tangier, or south toward Fes, as on the 13 day tour's opening days.