21 Best Things To Do In Rabat – Ultimate City Guide
Thinking of heading to Rabat and want to know what the best things do to there are?
As part of our Moroccan road trip adventure, we needed to drive along the Atlantic Coast up to Tangier. So that we could get the ferry back over to Spain. As it was a long journey we knew we needed to stop on the drive up from Essaouira. After asking around, we decided to take a few day’s break in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. And wow, what a great decision that was! It ended up being one on the best places we visited on our whole trip! Rabat is a surprising “hidden gem” in Morocco and we would have skipped it had our riad hosts in Marrakech not told us that we “had” to stop there. What a great recommendation, because there are some great things to do in Rabat.
Rabat is the capital city of Morocco and is located on the Atlantic Ocean and is a relatively modern city. Especially modern when compared to Fes and Marrakech. However, like these other cities it is UNESCO World Heritage Site with a rich history. The modern elements of the city like the Royal Palace of Rabat, the official residence of the King of Morocco, sit beautifully next to the Medina which is the heart of Rabat. It’s also incredibly green and clean which makes for a change of scene from other cities in Morocco.
We had such a wonderful time there and want to share with all the top things there are to do in Rabat! We tried as many things on our list as possible, and as usual, the ones we’ve tried ourselves have our ⭐T&T⭐ “tried and tested” icon next to them. Heads up – Rabat was in the middle of the biggest dust storm in several years, which is why there’s an odd tinge to our photos!
Best Things To Do In Rabat – City Centre
1. Explore The Tour Hassan And Gardens ⭐T&T⭐
Built in the 12th century, the striking ‘Tour Hassan’ also known as the ‘Tower of Hassan’ as it is also known, was meant to be the largest mosque with the tallest minaret in the world. It was built on the order of the Great Sultan of Mansour, however, the Sultan suddenly died in 1199 and its construction stopped. In looks like it’s a ruined building, however, it is in fact an unfinished and was in 2012 it was given UNESCO World Heritage status.
We found it really interesting to see just how far through the construction it was, and how well maintained the site has been. Behind it are some beautiful gardens called Jardin Tour Hassan that you can enjoy if you need a break from the sun.
This, and the Mohammed V Mausoleum are two of the must-see Rabat attractions! What’s great about them both is that they are free to visit.
2. Take In The Beauty Of The Mohammed V Mausoleum ⭐T&T⭐
Opposite Tour Hassan in the same large square, is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. There is an interesting contrast between the two buildings, as the mausoleum was built following the death of Mohammed V in 1961. Both Hassan II as well as his brother Prince Abdallah are there and is now the future resting place of the royal family. This magnificent building is styles in the 17th century architecture of the Alaouite Dynasty. This is one of the must-see rabat attractions of Rabat, not only does it house the incredible tomb of King Mohammad V, but it is also attached to one of the few mosques in Morocco that tourists are allowed to enter.
The building is incredibly intricate and beautifully designed, it’s well worth having a tour guide as they’ll explain the special meanings behind the design work. It’s open 8am-6pm daily and free to visit.
Our eldest son loved watching the Moroccan guards stand at the entrance to the mausoleum, and later on watching the changing of the guard there as well.
3. Cool Down In The Andalusian Gardens ⭐T&T⭐
On our visit, we rather surprisingly decided that one of the best places we visited were the Andalusian Gardens. They’re located at the entrance of Kasbah des Oudaias towards the right of the main historic gates. The tranquil Andalusian Gardens make for a great stop after you’ve been to the Tour Hassan as there’s plenty of shade under the citrus trees. If, like us, you’ve got kids with you then these beautiful gardens make the perfect place to break up your day with a few games of hide and seek, which our tour guide gamely played along with!
What we also loved was that the gardens are free to visit. You’ll find that the opening times vary as they’re officially open from sunrise to sunset.
4. The Rich History Of The Chellah ⭐T&T⭐
Overlooking the Bou Regreg River on the Rabat city side is Chellah. This incredibly picturesque fort dates back to the Phoenician times in the third century B.C. before the Romans arrived around 40 CE. In the 12th century the Arabs arrived, and then later the Berber rulers called the Almohads used this complex as a royal burial ground.
The site has impressive columns and marble statues from the Roman era as well as all three empires covering the rich history of Rabat. It is also the perfect spot for spotting the famous storks that nest on the tallest structures and migrate to Morocco in the winter. Be sure to listen out for their famous ‘clapping noise’! Chellah is a great place for a picnic on the grass and a stroll amongst history.
During the 1755 earthquake that shook Lisbon a lot of damage occurred at the Chellah, and today it’s very easy to visit the ruins and walk around.
5. Kasbah of the Udayas ⭐T&T⭐
You may have heard of Chefchaouen, Morocco’s very famous blue painted city. However, you might be surprised to hear that Rabat has its own blue city? Chefchaouen was one of our favourite stops in Morocco so we were keen to see Rabats blue city too when we had the chance.
The Kasbah of the Udayas (Kasbah of the Oudaias), is the little blue city that dates to the 12th century. Rabat’s beautiful kasbah (fort) can be found high up above the entrance of the Bou Regreg River. It is an important structure and attraction in Rabat that is really worth exploring. It was originally built as a way to defend the city from invaders or pirates.
When you walk around the kasbah keep an eye out for the huge original door to the city. It’s hard to miss as it’s extremely large!
We spent the afternoon exploring its cobbled walkways with our guide, learning about the local history. This gave us a chance to enjoy seeing some of its many stunning blue doors, just like the one in the photo. We also had a chance to look at the Des Oudeyas (garden). If you have an interest in art and some spare time then you should search out some art at the Musée Des Oudeyas (museum). Whatever you do, you should make sure you visit this authentic gem within Rabat.
6. Head For A Wander Along Rue De Consuls In The Medina ⭐T&T⭐
Rabats Medina is more intimate and smaller than other Moroccan medinas, which makes it a more relaxing and less stressful Medina to explore. The ideal place to start is at the street called Rue De Consuls. This is over the street from the Kasbah and the Oudeyas. In the old medina you can wander the narrow streets at your own pace like we did. There you’ll find the usual selection of all things Moroccan from poufs, to rugs, to ceramics to fabric scarves.
You’ll also find some streets dedicated to food vendors. These are behind the gate called Bab Bouiba. It gets busy at lunchtime as it is a popular spot to head for local food at a great price. After our morning tour, we headed there for lunch and had a fantastic meal in one of the small street side cafes!
7. Look Out For The Famous Street Art ⭐T&T⭐
Before we visited Rabat, several people told us about the fantastic street art scene it has. In fact, it’s such.a key feature of the capital city, is that it has its own festival, called Jidar. We have an incredible app called Street Art Cities. It help you to learn more about each piece of art as we passed them. You’ll have fun, like we did, spotting these brilliant pieces of street art.
8. Mohamed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
The Mohamed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art opened in 2014. The building is stunning and the exhibits inside are as good as some of the larger international art museums around the world. The only problem is that all of the descriptions are in either French or Arabic. This might make it difficult for you to understand the backstory of the pieces. As well as their regular exhibits they also have temporary visiting exhibits which have previously included works of arts by such acclaimed arts as Picasso and Goya.
The museum café makes for a great escape from the business of the rest of the Hassan neighbourhood. Make sure to keep an eye out as you leave for the recently painted ‘Toiles De Rue’ which are two murals on the outside walls of the museum that were painted during the Jidar Street Festival.
The museum opens daily from 10 am-6 pm (it’s closed Tuesdays). Entrance varies between 10DH-40DH.
9. National Zoo of Morocco In Rabat ⭐T&T⭐
If, like us, you’re visiting Rabat with kids then you might decide to spend time at the Rabat Zoo. It will give you a fun way to spend half a day out of the main tourist attractions. You can explore the zoo and meet animals that are native to Morocco as well as the rest of the African continent. There are over 130 different species of animals which makes it worthy of a full day visit. One of the fun things that you can do there is feed some the animals.
If you check online then they update the animals and times on a regular basis. That way you can plan your visit around them – the giraffes and lemurs are great fun! You’ll also find the opening times online as well, these vary depending on the season. And entry is free for under 3 year olds, 50DH for kids and 70DH for adults, they have discounted family packages available too.
10. Relax Or Learn To Surf On The Rabat Beaches ⭐T&T⭐
As we already mentioned, Rabat is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, so yes, of course it has beaches! The two most popular beaches are Skirat and Temara, and they can get quite busy in the summer months. If you are keen surfers and are looking for big waves then head to Plage des Nations because it has some of the best local waves! Please don’t expect beautiful sand beaches because Rabat isn’t famous for its golden beaches.
Top tip: We’d highly recommend bringing a wetsuit with you to Morocco if you’re planning on swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. Especially if you’re travelling with kids who feel the cold more than adults.
11. Visit The Giant Coastal Cemetery In Rabat ⭐T&T⭐
It might sound a bit creepy to suggest visiting Rabat’s giant cemetery. However, it should definitely be included in the sites you visit. Mainly because in the modern world we tend to think of death and beauty as incompatible. However, one look at this beautiful flowery cemetery facing the sea on the outskirts of Rabat could convince you otherwise. There are thousands of gravestones neatly lined up in rows on a hill overlooking the coastline of Rabat.
You can find the cemetery on the coast near the lighthouse and the Kasbah des Oudaias, we stopped there on our way to watch the sunset at the lighthouse.
12. Watch the sunset at the lighthouse ⭐T&T⭐
Both Rabat and its nearby sister city of Salé have stunning coastlines. You should head to them if you want to take a break from the busy city and to breathe in some fresh sea air. Clost to the Kasbah des Oudaias and right by the giant cemetery you’ll find a small lighthouse that you can go near to explore. We thought that it was a particularly beautiful lighthouse, just stood there on it’s own keeping everyone safe! As a family we love nothing more than watching a sunset together, and this is a great spot for a sunset.
Best Things To Do in Salé Near Rabat
13. Take A Ferry Boat Ride To Salé ⭐T&T⭐
On the other side of the water from Rabat over Bou Regreg River lies the distinctive city of Salé. What we found really interesting was how often it was a forgotten place on the tourist map. The fascinating and fun thing to learn about Salé is it has rich history with past of pirating that spans over five centuries starting in the 1600s. Salé was once a safe place and home for the a group of famous pirates called the ‘Salée Rovers’. These pirates ruled the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Mediterranean Sea.
And today, you can still have fun crossing the water, albeit without any pirates. If you head down to the waterfront below the medina, you can take a blue “ferry boat” from Rabat to Salé for a few dirham. It takes about 10 minutes are you are rowed across the river.
14. Explore The Salé Medina ⭐T&T⭐
Salé Medina is not as large or well put together as say Marrakech or, closerby Rabat. However, part of the charm is that offers a genuine and authentic experience of a Moroccan medina. This Medina is a working class one and not polished for tourists. Most people you see will be going around do their usual daily business. Because it’s smaller and less touristy you’ll find the prices in Salé Medina are much better than most other cities. It’s even cheaper than Rabat.
15. Great Mosque of Salé ⭐T&T⭐
The very impressive Salé mosque was originally built during the early 12th century. Interestingly it is third-biggest mosque in Morocco. Since its original construction it’s been regularly destroyed at various times in its local history, and then rebuilt. The last time it was destroyed was 1851 when Salé was bombed by the French armed forces which caused large amounts of damage to both the city and the mosque.
Note: You can only view the mosque externally as it does not allowed non-Muslim visitors.
16. Spend Some Time Exploring The Marina ⭐T&T⭐
The Salé is a great place to head if you’re looking for somewhere outdoors to relax. Perhaps with a drink and some lunch to enjoy the sunshine as there are lots of great eateries there. It’s a fun area to walk around and admire the luxury yachts parked up for the night. This is also where you’ll also find the more exclusive hotels such as Fairmont La Marina Rabat-Salé. We spent an hour exploring the marina when we visited Salé as Carl is a yacht captain and always interested in seeing local marinas. If you’re not looking to stop for food then an hour is probably long enough.
Best Unusual Things To Do In Rabat
17. Play On Electric Cars On The Waterfront ⭐T&T⭐
Ok, so perhaps not your typical tourist attraction. However, if you have kids with you then we can’t recommend this enough for some post tour fun. You’ll need to head down to the waterfront, in front of the Rabat Medina. In the late afternoon you’ll find vendors turning up with an eclectic selection of electric cars. Cars that you (yes big kids are allowed) and young kids can drive around in.
They aren’t expensive. We think they’re a great treat if your kids have been wandering the Kasbah and Medina and need a reward. We’ve found these to be a great way to end the day with our kids. In fact, lots of cities in Morocco seem to have somewhere that offers these electric cars. For around 10DH you’ll get around 10-20 minutes of fun – you’ll need to barter for the better deals!
18. Attend The Mawazine Festival
The annual Mawazine Festival is huge festival that is hosted in Rabat by the Moroccan government. It brings some big name music artists in both national and also international music who go to perform in Rabat. Millions of visitors attend and now it has become one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Previous performers have include Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, as well as Jennifer Lopez .
What’s great is that some of the concerts are free of charge because their aim is to entertain everyone from all socio-economic backgrounds. This is especially the case for people who couldn’t normally afford to watch such expensive performances.
19. Visit Apia An Essential Oil Co-Op
If you enjoy buying quality organic cosmetics and essential oils then we’ve heard that you should head to the co-op of Apia. Apia is the best place for buying gifts. It has two shops in Rabat, you’ll find one is in Agdal whilst the second is in Soussi. The shops stock everything from jam, to olive oil, and honey as well as everything you’ll need cosmetic wise. Prices are great value for the great quality of the products that you’re buying.
We love to buy gifts to take home for friends and this would have made the perfect place to head for some shopping before we left Morocco but we ran out of time.
20. Jidar ‘Toiles De Rue’ Street Art Festival
This unique street art festival, (which translates as ‘canvas of the street’) happens annually for 10 days each April. We’d heard loads about it before we went to Rabat. Once we arrived we made a special point to look out for some of the artworks. When you’re walking or driving around Rabat, you’ll see the huge murals from previous festivals are still displayed. We love looking for street art and so having the art to explore from previous years was a massive hit with us!
The artists arrive into Rabat from the world over to join the festival. During the 10 days of the festival the organisers create a local map which marks out the locations of the current art murals that are being painted. We’ve heard that it’s a great experience to explore the city at this time as you can stop and meet these artists whilst they are in the midst of painting.
21. Agdal Train Station ⭐T&T⭐
Adding a train station to our list is perhaps a little unusual. However, the recently opened Rabat Agdal station is pretty cool a sight to head to in Morocco. It’s a huge, modern three-level structure of stone and glass. What attracts people is that it has lots of shops as well as restaurants for you to enjoy. It’s perfect if you want something more international such as a McDonald’s or Starbucks, need to escape the heat, or just want to head somewhere a little different. This incredible station is where you’d take the TGV or ‘train à grande vitesse’ (bullet train) to either Casablanca in the south or Tangier in the north.
We visited as this is where we met our guide for our walking tour and they started the tour at the station. This was a winner with our eldest as he loves all things trains!
Can you visit Chefchaouen on a day trip from Rabat?
One of our favourite stops on our road trip was the blue city of Chefchaouen. It’s about 4 hours drive from Rabat, so it’s possible to do it in a day trip. However, to really enjoy the city you’d probably want to spend at least two days there.
Final Thoughts On Things To Do In Rabat
We had such a fun time in Rabat, especially considering it was a last minute decision to head there on our way to Tangier. It has so many fun things to do there and is a lot calmer than Marrakech, and more interesting than nearby Casablanca. We’d really recommend adding it to your Morocco itinerary if you have the chance to.
