§01 The experience
Rabat is the quietest of Morocco’s imperial cities and the easiest to like. It is the seat of government, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and about three hours west of Fez on fast motorway — which makes it a comfortable day rather than an endurance test.
You will see three things that explain the country. The Hassan Tower is the stump of what was meant to be the largest mosque in the world when Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour died in 1199 and work simply stopped; two hundred columns stand in rows with nothing on top of them. Opposite it is the mausoleum of Mohammed V, a small masterpiece of modern Moroccan craftsmanship that you can walk into. And the Chellah is a Roman town that became a Merinid necropolis and is now half garden, with storks nesting on the minarets.
The best hour is in the Kasbah des Oudayas, a walled quarter of blue-and-white lanes above the mouth of the Bou Regreg, with an Andalusian garden, a café on the ramparts and the Atlantic in front of you. Across the river is Salé, older and much less visited.
Private vehicle, your own pace, back in Fez in the evening.
§02 Highlights
- 01The Hassan Tower and its two hundred unfinished columns
- 02The mausoleum of Mohammed V, open to visitors
- 03The Kasbah des Oudayas: blue-and-white lanes above the Atlantic
- 04The Chellah — Roman ruins, Merinid tombs and nesting storks
- 05Andalusian gardens and mint tea on the ramparts
- 06Fast motorway each way, private vehicle all day
§03 Day by day
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07:30
Leave Fez
Riad pickup, then west on the motorway through Meknes and the Gharb plain.
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10:30
Hassan Tower and the mausoleum
The unfinished mosque, then the mausoleum of Mohammed V across the esplanade.
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12:00
Kasbah des Oudayas
Blue-and-white lanes, the Andalusian garden and the view over the river mouth.
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13:30
Lunch by the water
Fish at the harbour, or a terrace in the kasbah.
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15:00
The Chellah
Roman Sala Colonia, Merinid tombs, gardens and storks.
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16:00
Salé or the corniche
A short crossing to old Salé, or the Atlantic front if you would rather see the ocean.
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17:00
Return to Fez
Motorway back, arriving around 20:00.
§04 What the price covers
- Included
- +Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the whole day
- +Riad or hotel pickup and drop-off in Fez
- +Fuel, motorway tolls and parking
- +Planned stops along the route
- +Bottled water
- +Flexible timings — the day is yours
- Not included
- −Lunch and entrance fees (the Chellah is around 70 MAD)
- −Licensed local guide in Rabat — available on request
- −Gratuities
§05 Questions
How long is the drive?
Around three hours each way, almost all of it on motorway. It is the smoothest long drive in the country.
Is a local guide worth it?
For the Chellah and the kasbah, yes. We can arrange a licensed Rabat guide for around 400 MAD for half a day.
Can we add Casablanca?
Not comfortably in the same day. We run Rabat and Casablanca as a separate long day or as an overnight — ask us.
What is open on Fridays?
Everything, though the midday prayer slows the city for an hour. The mausoleum stays open.
Is it good for children?
Yes. The Chellah gardens and the storks tend to win them over, and there is far less walking than in Fez.
Do I pay now?
No. Reserve now and pay your driver on the day.
