Popular Destinations in Rabat
Kasbah des Oudayas (UNESCO)
Perched on the cliff where the Bou Regreg meets the Atlantic, the UNESCO-listed Kasbah is a blue-and-white-painted Andalusian quarter inside 12th-century Almohad walls. Pause at the Café Maure for mint tea overlooking the river and Salé beyond.
Hassan Tower & Mausoleum of Mohammed V
The unfinished 12th-century minaret of an Almohad mega-mosque stands beside the white-marble mausoleum of Morocco’s first modern king, guarded by mounted Royal Guard. Open to non-Muslims, with intricate cedar ceilings inside the mausoleum.
Chellah Necropolis
Just outside the modern city, Chellah layers a Roman city, a medieval Merinid necropolis, and overgrown gardens into one extraordinary site — minarets nesting storks, Latin inscriptions, and Arabic calligraphy side by side.
Andalusian Gardens & Rabat Beach
Hidden inside the Kasbah walls, the formal Andalusian Gardens are a calm green courtyard of citrus trees and lily ponds. Below, Rabat Beach stretches along the Atlantic — surfable in winter, calmer in summer.
Mohammed VI Tower
The Mohammed VI Tower across the Bou Regreg from central Rabat is Africa’s tallest building — a 250-metre-tall glass-and-steel landmark completed in 2023, with hotels, offices, and an observation deck offering 360-degree views over the capital, Salé, and the Atlantic coast. The river bridges connecting it to the old city are spectacular at night.
Sale Medina
Across the Bou Regreg from Rabat, Salé is the capital’s quieter twin — a walled medina once notorious as a 17th-century corsair port. The Grand Mosque, the Merinid Madrasa, and the artisan souks of Salé give travellers a glimpse of a traditional working medina with almost no tourist crowds.
Mohammed VI Museum of Modern Art
The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI) is Morocco’s flagship modern art museum — a striking purpose-built gallery on Avenue Moulay Hassan showcasing the country’s leading 20th- and 21st-century painters, sculptors, and photographers alongside major international touring exhibitions.
Rabat Zoo
The Rabat Zoological Garden (Jardin Zoologique de Rabat) is one of North Africa’s largest zoos — 50 hectares of spacious enclosures organised by African ecosystem, home to lions, elephants, hippos, primates, and one of the world’s most successful captive populations of the rare Atlas lion. A great half-day family stop.
