🇲🇦 Morocco

10 best places in Rabat

Rabat is Morocco's elegant, unhurried capital on the Atlantic coast, where Roman ruins, a royal palace and a whitewashed kasbah sit alongside broad, European-style boulevards.

Sight

Kasbah des Oudayas

The blue-and-white lanes of a 12th-century fortified kasbah overlooking the Bou Regreg estuary.

Sight

Tour Hassan et Mausolée Mohammed V

An unfinished 12th-century minaret beside the mausoleum of Morocco's kings, the city's defining landmark.

Sight

Chellah

The ruins of Roman Sala and a medieval Marinid necropolis, overgrown with gardens and favoured by storks.

Museum

Musée Mohammed VI d'Art Moderne et Contemporain

Morocco's leading modern art museum, showcasing Moroccan and international artists.

District

Médina de Rabat

A compact old medina of craft shops, carpets and street cafés, calmer than Fez or Marrakech.

Market

Rue des Consuls

The medina's main shopping street for carpets, leather, ceramics and antiques.

Park

Jardins des Oudayas

An Andalusian garden inside the kasbah, planted with orange trees and overlooking the Atlantic.

Sight

Plage de Rabat

The city beach at the river mouth, popular with surfers and families on weekends.

Café

Café Maure

A traditional Moroccan café serving mint tea on a terrace inside the Kasbah des Oudayas, overlooking the ocean.

Restaurant

Dinarjat

A Moroccan restaurant in a restored riad in the old medina, with live music.

FAQ

Is Rabat worth visiting?

Rabat is a calm capital without the hard sell of Marrakech: the Kasbah of the Udayas above the ocean, the ruins of Chellah, an easygoing medina and a strong modern art museum. One or two days is enough, and it pairs well with Casablanca or a trip north. If Moroccan tourist pressure has worn you down, it is a relief.

Best time to visit Morocco?

Spring and autumn, so March to May and September to November. The Atlantic keeps Rabat cooler than Marrakech or Fes in summer. Winter is cool and damp rather than cold.

How do you get around Morocco?

ONCF trains connect the main cities well, including the high-speed line to Tangier and Casablanca. Rabat has a tram linking the centre with Sale across the river. City taxis are cheap, but agree on the meter or the fare before you get in.

Can you move to Morocco?

Many people arrive visa-free as tourists and then apply for a residence card through work, marriage, study or proven income. There is no dedicated digital nomad or investor programme like in the Gulf, and the paperwork can be slow. Rules and processing times change, so check with the local prefecture and your consulate.