Things to Do in Rabat

Details

About each place in Rabat

9 of 15 places have a photo of the place itself so far. The others show none rather than a stand-in.

Kasbah of the Udayas

Kasbah, 1 h, best morning or late afternoon

The citadel on the hill at the mouth of the Bou Regreg, facing Salé across the river and next to the medina. Its white and blue lanes end at a terrace over the estuary and the ocean. It is part of Rabat's UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Near: National Jewellery Museum (10 m), Andalusian Garden of the Udayas (50 m), Bab Oudaya (110 m). Kasbah of the Udayas on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Bab Oudaya

Gate, 10 min, best late afternoon

The monumental gate of the Kasbah of the Udayas, built in the late 12th century and often named as one of the finest gates of Almohad architecture.

Near: National Jewellery Museum (100 m), Kasbah of the Udayas (110 m), Andalusian Garden of the Udayas (140 m). Bab Oudaya on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Andalusian Garden of the Udayas

Garden, 30 min, best morning or afternoon

The Andalusian-style garden inside the Kasbah of the Udayas, beside the old palace that now holds the National Jewellery Museum.

Near: Kasbah of the Udayas (50 m), National Jewellery Museum (50 m), Bab Oudaya (140 m). Back to Rabat list

National Jewellery Museum

Museum, 45 min, best morning or afternoon

Morocco's national museum of jewellery, opened in January 2023 in the former Oudaya Museum inside the Kasbah of the Udayas.

Near: Kasbah of the Udayas (10 m), Andalusian Garden of the Udayas (50 m), Bab Oudaya (100 m). National Jewellery Museum on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Rabat medina

Quarter, 1.5 h, best morning or late afternoon

The old walled town between the Kasbah of the Udayas and the modern centre, part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Rabat since 2012.

Near: Andalusian Garden of the Udayas (480 m). Rabat medina on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Hassan Tower

Monument, 30 min, best late afternoon

The 44-metre minaret of a mosque that the Almohad caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur meant to be the largest in the western Islamic world. Work stopped when he died in 1199, leaving the tower and the beginnings of the walls and columns.

Near: Mausoleum of Mohammed V (180 m). Hassan Tower on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Mausoleum of Mohammed V

Tomb, 30 min, best morning or late afternoon

The tomb of King Mohammed V and his sons, King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah, across the esplanade from the Hassan Tower.

Near: Hassan Tower (180 m). Mausoleum of Mohammed V on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Chellah

Roman site, 1 h, best late afternoon or morning

A walled medieval necropolis on the south bank of the Bou Regreg, built over the Roman colony of Sala. The Phoenicians traded here first, in the first millennium BC.

Chellah on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Bab er-Rouah

Gate, 10 min, any time

The Gate of the Winds, a monumental gate in the Almohad walls of Rabat.

Bab er-Rouah on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Museum of History and Civilizations

Museum, 1 h, best midday or afternoon

Morocco's national archaeology museum, open since 1932 and holding the largest collection of finds from the kingdom. Its best-known piece is a bust of the Amazigh king Juba II.

Near: Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (230 m), St Peter's Cathedral (480 m). Museum of History and Civilizations on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Museum, 1 h, best midday or afternoon

Opened in 2014 as the first large museum Morocco built after independence, showing modern and contemporary Moroccan and international art.

Near: Museum of History and Civilizations (230 m), St Peter's Cathedral (320 m). Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

St Peter's Cathedral

Church, 20 min, best morning or afternoon

Rabat's Art Deco Catholic cathedral on Place du Golan, begun in 1919 to plans by Adrien Laforgue and inaugurated in 1921. Its two towers came in the 1930s.

Near: Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (320 m), Museum of History and Civilizations (480 m). St Peter's Cathedral on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Jardin d'Essais

Garden, 1 h, best morning or late afternoon

A 17-hectare botanical test garden in the Agdal district, created in 1914 to grow trees from around the world, and one of the oldest of its kind.

Jardin d'Essais on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Royal Theatre of Rabat

Theatre, 20 min, best late afternoon or evening

A performing arts centre on the left bank of the Bou Regreg, designed by Zaha Hadid with Zaha Hadid Architects.

Royal Theatre of Rabat on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Great Mosque of Salé

Mosque, 10 min, any time

The main mosque of Salé's old town across the river, and the third largest mosque in Morocco. The building you see comes from the Almohad rebuilding of 1196 and later 18th-century work.

Non-Muslims see the mosque from outside.

Great Mosque of Salé on Wikipedia Back to Rabat list

Questions about visiting Rabat

What is Rabat best known for?

Rabat, Morocco's capital, is known for its monumental heritage, including the Kasbah of the Udayas, Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Chellah necropolis. Much of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What can you see in Rabat in one day?

A full day covers the Kasbah of the Udayas and its Andalusian Gardens, the Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V, the Chellah necropolis and a walk through the medina, finishing along the Bou Regreg marina.

Is Rabat worth visiting?

Yes. As a calm, walkable capital with major historic monuments, Atlantic beaches and a relaxed medina, Rabat offers a rewarding contrast to busier imperial cities and is easily reached by train from Casablanca and Fes.

More on Rabat: the Rabat city guide.

More things to do in Morocco: Things to Do in Marrakech, Things to Do in Fes, Things to Do in Essaouira, Things to Do in Chefchaouen, Things to Do in Ouarzazate, Things to Do in Merzouga, Things to Do in Tangier, Things to Do in Meknes. All cities.