last edited Dec 11, 2019
What to See in Rabat
Contributionsversion #1created Dec 11, 2019Latest contributions in this guideContributors to this guide
Location
Overview
The Rabat-Salé conurbation can be explored in a day. If you have time, given the proximity, you can also use your stop in Rabat to make a day trip to Casablanca, though it’s not a major tourist destination.
Districts
Sites, Monuments and Architectural Ensembles
Since 2012, the "Modern and Historic City of Rabat" has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The following are included in this designation: the New Town dating from the French Protectorate, the medina, the Almohad ramparts and gates, the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Mosque/Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Chellah Necropolis, the Jardin d’Essais, and the Habous district of Diour Jamaâ.
Museums
Parks and Gardens
In the Surrounding Area
Beyond Salé, which faces Rabat and is "inseparable" from it, a few other places to discover within a hundred-kilometre radius:
- Casablanca (90 km):
- Mehdia (35 km):
- Sidi Boughaba Lake Reserve (30 km):
Worth a look / Other
Kasbah of the Oudaias
★★ Overlooking the medina, the lively kasbah is worth exploring at leisure. Its main gate is a fine example of 12th-century stone carving. The…
Mohammed V Mausoleum
★★ Uniformed cavalrymen stand guard at the entrance to the site, which includes the mausoleum itself (also housing the remains of Hassan II)…
Chellah Necropolis
★★ This Marinid necropolis was built in the 14th century on the site of an ancient city that was first Phoenician, then Carthaginian, and…
Hassan Tower
★★ The structure stands next to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Hassan Mosque was a 12th-century project by Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour that…
Casablanca
★ It's the country's largest city and economic capital. Almost all its buildings date from the 20th century, and its new districts, with…
Rabat Green Belt
★ This is a vast protected woodland on the southern outskirts of Rabat.
Trial Botanical Garden
★ A large park in the heart of the city, split in two by Avenue de la Victoire.
Rabat Medina
★ Unlike the labyrinths of other cities, Rabat’s old town features a grid of straight streets where it’s impossible to get lost…
Mehdia
★ This coastal town near Kenitra is popular for surfing as well as the nearby Sidi Boughaba Lake Park.
Archaeological Museum of Rabat
★ This museum, located in the new city, showcases remnants of Moroccan history. Its most prized collection features ancient bronzes…
Oudaias Museum
★ Also known as the National Jewellery Museum. Under the shade of the Andalusian Garden, in the Kasbah of the Oudaias, a 17th-century…
Ibn Sina Park
★ Next to the Hilton hotel, this is one of the main parks in Rabat, with its pine and eucalyptus plantations.
Sidi Boughaba Lake Reserve
★ Right next to Mehdia, this coastal forest park is home to colonies of rare birds.