Rabat is Morocco’s political capital, and it offers a noticeably calmer, more orderly counterpart to Casablanca’s commercial energy or Marrakech’s crowded souks. Its skyline is defined by the Hassan Tower, the unfinished minaret of a 12th-century mosque left incomplete after the death of its patron, standing beside the mausoleum of Mohammed V, Morocco’s modern founding king.
The Kasbah of the Udayas, a fortified quarter of blue-and-white houses above the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, is Rabat’s most photogenic corner, while the Chellah — a walled site containing both Roman ruins and a later medieval necropolis — sits just outside the city walls. Rabat’s own Medina, smaller than those of Fes or Marrakech, is easy to cover in a few hours.
Rabat is well connected to Casablanca by Morocco’s high-speed Al Boraq train, a journey of under an hour, which makes it a practical addition to any itinerary that starts or ends near Casablanca’s international airport.