Rabat: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
At the end of the 12th century the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur set out to make Rabat the capital of an empire that reached from Spain to Libya. He walled a huge city, began what was to be one of the largest mosques in the world, and died before it was finished. This walk follows his gates and tower to the older fortress at the river mouth. About three hours on foot; the kasbah lanes are steep in places.
A short history of Rabat
The Phoenicians had already settled on the bank of the Bou Regreg river, and after them the Romans in the town of Sala, whose ruins are today at Chellah. The city itself grew up around a fortress built by the Almohads in the 12th century, and the ruler Yaqub al-Mansur began building a huge mosque there in 1195, but he died in 1199 and the Hassan Tower remains unfinished to this day. In the 17th century Muslims expelled from Spain settled there, and the port became a base for pirates. In 1808 the Mellah, the Jewish quarter, was established. In 1912, at the start of the French protectorate, it was chosen as the capital, and it remained the capital of Morocco after independence in 1956. In 2012 it was declared a World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Rabat
1Hassan TowerThe unfinished minaret and its field of column stumps; free, go early or at sunset
2Mausoleum of Mohammed VRoyal tombs facing the tower; modest dress, mounted guards at the gate
3Kasbah of the UdayasBlue-and-white lanes above the river mouth; ignore self-appointed guides at the gate
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4Udayas Museum
Jewellery and costume in an old palace inside the kasbah
5ChellahRoman ruins and Marinid tombs in a walled garden, with storks on every tower
6Mohammed VI Museum of Modern ArtMorocco's modern painters in a bright new building; an easy hour
7Museum of History and CivilizationsThe Roman bronzes from Volubilis are the highlight
8Bab RouahThe grandest gate of the Almohad wall; small art shows inside
9Royal PalaceYou can see the gate and walls from outside only; guards will turn you back
10St Peter's CathedralArt Deco towers on a square in the French new town
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Rabat →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Rabat:
Free walking tours in Rabat
The Almohad capital
At the end of the 12th century the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur set out to make Rabat the capital of an empire that reached from Spain to Libya. He walled a huge city, began what was to be one of the largest mosques in the world, and died before it was finished. This walk follows his gates and tower to the older fortress at the river mouth. About three hours on foot; the kasbah lanes are steep in places.
- Bab Rouah · The 'Gate of the Winds' is part of the Almohad wall of the 1190s, and its carved arch is the finest of the city's gates. The passage inside turns several times, so that attackers could not ride straight through.
- Hassan Tower · Yaqub al-Mansur began the mosque around 1195, and when he died in 1199 the work stopped. The minaret reached about 44 m, roughly two-thirds of its planned height; inside, a ramp instead of stairs leads to the top. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 brought down most of what remained of the prayer hall.
- Mausoleum of Mohammed V · Mohammed V led Morocco to independence from France in 1956, and he lies here with his sons Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdallah. The mausoleum was designed by the Vietnamese architect Eric Vo Toan and finished in 1971.
- Kasbah of the Udayas · In the 17th century Muslim refugees expelled from Spain made the kasbah the base of a corsair republic. Its ships raided as far as Ireland and Iceland, and Europeans called them the Salé Rovers. The kasbah's name comes from the Udaya, an Arab tribe later garrisoned here by the sultan.
- Udayas Museum · The museum is set in a 17th-century palace of Sultan Moulay Ismail inside the kasbah. Its rooms show the jewellery, embroidered costumes and instruments of urban and Berber Morocco.
- Andalusian Gardens · They look centuries old but were laid out by the French during the Protectorate, in the early 20th century, in the style of Andalusian gardens. Sunken beds of orange trees and roses sit between raised paths.
Corsairs, consuls and the Mellah
Rabat and Salé face each other across the Bou Regreg, and for centuries they were rivals. Between them they sheltered corsairs, the European consuls who bargained with them, and a Jewish quarter that traded with both. This route crosses the medina and the river by the little rowing boats, ending in Salé. About three hours; the boats run all day for a few dirhams.
- The Mellah · In 1808 Sultan Moulay Slimane moved the Jews of Rabat into this walled quarter by the river. At its height thousands lived here; almost all left for Israel, France and Canada after 1948, but the narrow lanes keep their layout.
- Central Market · The covered market of the medina sells the staples of the Rabat table: olives in a dozen colours, preserved lemons, and fresh mint by the bunch for tea.
- Rue des Consuls · Until the French Protectorate in 1912, foreign consuls were required to live on this street, close to the kasbah where the corsairs and their captives were held. Today it is the medina's craft street.
- Bouregreg Marina · Rowing boats have ferried people between Rabat and Salé for centuries, and they still do, just below the kasbah. The marina on the Salé bank is part of a project that has turned the river valley into a new city district.
- Great Mosque of Salé · It is one of the oldest and largest mosques in Morocco, rebuilt by the Almohads in the 12th century.
- Marinid Madrasa of Salé · The Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan built this college in the 1330s for students of the Great Mosque next door. From its roof you can see across the river to the Hassan Tower.
The modern capital
Rabat became Morocco's capital only in 1912, when the French moved the government here from Fez and laid out a garden city beside the old medina. Its broad avenues, museums and palace grounds now form, with the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in 2012. This route links the new town to the Roman and Marinid ruins at Chellah. Half a day, partly by tram or taxi.
- St Peter's Cathedral · Built for the French community in the early 1920s, its two white towers in Art Deco style are a landmark of the new town. Mass is still said here for Rabat's Christians, most of them now from sub-Saharan Africa.
- Mohammed VI Museum of Modern Art · Opened in 2014, it was the first large museum built in Morocco since independence. It shows Moroccan art from the early 20th century to today.
- Museum of History and Civilizations · Its prize pieces are bronzes from Volubilis, the Roman city near Meknes: a bust of King Juba II and a famous bronze dog. Juba ruled Mauretania for Rome and married the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra.
- Royal Palace · Dar al-Makhzen, the main palace of the king, was built in 1864 and stands in a walled precinct with its own mosque.
- Chellah · The Romans built the town of Sala Colonia here; in the 14th century the Marinid sultans made the abandoned site their royal cemetery. Storks nest on every ruin, and a pool inside holds eels that women once fed with eggs, hoping to have children.
- Grand Théâtre de Rabat · The curving white building on the bank of the Bou Regreg was designed by Zaha Hadid's office, one of her last projects. It is the centrepiece of the new cultural district along the river.
Getting to Rabat and getting around
- Rabat-Salé Airport · About 20 minutes from the centre; fewer flights than Casablanca, but far less hassle
- Rabat-Ville Station · The central station on Avenue Mohammed V, walking distance from the medina; trains to Casablanca every half hour or so
- Rabat-Agdal Station · Stop for the Al Boraq high-speed trains to Tangier; book ahead on weekends
Cheap eats in Rabat
Rabat eats quieter and cheaper than Marrakech. Breakfast is msemen or harcha with honey at a café; lunch can be a bowl of harira soup or bissara, a thick fava bean soup with cumin and olive oil, for a few dirhams. Snack bars sell sandwiches of grilled meat and spit-roast chicken, and the cafés on the river serve mint tea with almond pastries.
- Café des Oudayas · Mint tea and almond pastries over the river mouth; tea about 10-15 dirhams
- Snack Ghazaa · Sandwiches and snacks in the medina streets; about 20-40 dirhams
- Chawermatti · Shawarma in bread; about 30-50 dirhams
- Rotisserie Hassan · Spit-roasted chicken with fries; a quarter about 35-50 dirhams
- Majestic · Breakfast café: msemen, eggs and coffee; about 25-45 dirhams
- La Fine Brioche · Pastries and bread; about 5-20 dirhams
- Pesca del Mar · Fried fish to go; about 40-70 dirhams
Museums in Rabat
- Museum of History and Civilizations · Roman bronzes from Volubilis and finds from all of Morocco
- Mohammed VI Museum of Modern Art · Moroccan modern and contemporary art
- Udayas Museum · Jewellery and costume in a royal palace in the kasbah
- Bank Al-Maghrib Museum · Coins of Morocco's dynasties in the central bank; free
- Villa des Arts · Art exhibitions in an Art Deco villa
Nature and day trips near Rabat
- Jardin d'Essais · Shady botanical garden, good for a quiet hour
- Andalusian Gardens · Orange trees inside the kasbah
- Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel · Jungle paths and bridges 20 minutes north
- Rabat Beach · Surf beach under the kasbah
- Plage des Nations · Wide Atlantic beach north of Salé; strong waves
Things to do in Rabat with kids
- National Zoo · Big modern zoo on the edge of the city; Atlas lions
- Bou Regreg rowing boats · Cross the river to Salé in a little boat
- Rabat Beach · Surf lessons for older kids
- Hassan Tower guards · Royal guards on horseback at the mausoleum gate
- Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel · Bridges and bamboo tunnels to explore
Where to eat in Rabat
- Dar Naji · Moroccan classics: tagine, couscous on Friday, pastilla
- El Bahia · Moroccan dishes by the medina wall
- Tajine wa Tanja · Tagines and tanjia, the slow-cooked jar of meat
- Koutoubia · Moroccan restaurant in the centre
- Ty Potes · French crêperie in the centre
- La Matelot · Fish and seafood near the medina
Frequently asked questions about Rabat
What is there to see in Rabat?
The top sights in Rabat are Hassan Tower, Mausoleum of Mohammed V and Kasbah of the Udayas. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Rabat?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Rabat without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Rabat?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Rabat, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Almohad capital.
How do you get to Rabat and get around?
The main ways are Rabat-Salé Airport, Rabat-Ville Station and Rabat-Agdal Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Rabat, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Rabat that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Rabat for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.