How many days in Rabat?

The headline things to do in Rabat

From the Rabat guide — these are the items that anchor a 2-day visit. For the full breakdown, read the Rabat travel guide.

1. Kasbah des Oudayas — Kasbah des Oudayas, northern headland

   The 12th-century fortified citadel above the Atlantic, at the point where the Bou Regreg meets the ocean. Enter through the Bab Oudaia gate — one of the most beautiful Almohad-era portals anywhere — and wander the whitewashed lanes of the residential kasbah within, every doorway painted in the cobalt blue that echoes Chefchaouen. The Andalusian Garden at the far end is small, manicured, and a good place to sit. Free to enter; the adjacent Oudayas Museum (small ethnographic collection) is 20 MAD. The ramparts over the ocean at sunset are the city's single best photograph.

2. Hassan Tower & Mausoleum of Mohammed V — Hassan Tower complex, central waterfront

   An esplanade of 348 columns — all that remains of the 12th-century mosque — topped by the unfinished Hassan Tower stub, faces the elegant marble mausoleum built for King Mohammed V (the sultan who led Morocco to independence in 1956) and his two sons, Kings Hassan II and Moulay Abdellah. Non-Muslims may enter the mausoleum (shoes off) and view the sarcophagi from the overlook gallery. The mounted royal guards on the corners of the esplanade pose for photos without objection. Free, open sunrise to sunset. Dress modestly for the mausoleum.

3. Chellah — Chellah, southeast of centre

   A walled ruin southeast of the medina that layers two civilisations on one site: a Roman city (Sala Colonia, 2nd century BC to 1st century AD) underneath a 14th-century Merinid necropolis, with a Merinid mosque, minaret, and royal tombs picking their way through the Roman foundations. The whole site is overgrown with wildflowers and a population of storks that nest on the medieval ruins — a wonderfully atmospheric place. 70 MAD. Open 9:00 to 18:00. Bring water in summer.

4. Rabat Medina — Medina, central city

   Smaller and notably calmer than the medinas of Fez or Marrakech — a real residential medina rather than a carpet-shop gauntlet. Enter via Bab el-Had and walk through Rue Souika for the traditional shopping spine (leather goods, slippers, spices, embroidered textiles) into the Rue des Consuls, the 18th-century carpet-weavers' street. Prices are 20–30% lower than Marrakech for comparable goods and the salesmanship is meaningfully lower-pressure. The medina walls themselves are Almohad-era (12th century) and largely intact.

5. Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art — Avenue Moulay Hassan, city centre

   Opened in 2014, MMVI is the first major modern-art museum in Morocco and makes a strong case for Rabat as the country's cultural capital. The permanent collection focuses on Moroccan modernism from the 1950s onward (Mohamed Melehi, Farid Belkahia, Chaïbia Talal), and the temporary exhibitions programme has hosted major retrospectives of European and African masters. The building — a postmodern riff on traditional Moroccan forms by Karim Chakor — is itself worth a visit. 20 MAD. Closed Tuesdays.

6. Bouregreg Marina & Grand Theatre of Rabat — Bouregreg Marina, riverfront

   The redeveloped north bank of the Bou Regreg now forms a waterfront promenade with the Zaha Hadid–designed Grand Theatre of Rabat as its centrepiece. Cafés and restaurants line the marina; the opposite bank is the old pirate town of Salé. Small boats cross the river for 2.5 MAD. The theatre's swooping concrete form is remarkable at golden hour and worth the walk even if nothing is programmed inside.

7. Royal Palace & Mechouar — Mechouar, southern city

   The Dar al-Makhzen (Royal Palace) is the working residence of King Mohammed VI when in Rabat, set within a vast walled complex (the Mechouar) that also contains government ministries and the Royal Stables. You cannot enter the palace itself but you can walk and drive through the Mechouar grounds, past the palace gates (photographable from a distance), the Ahl Fas Mosque, and the old royal guard barracks. Entry is free from the Bab Zaers end. Do not photograph the palace gates directly — the guards will intervene politely but firmly.

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