Casablanca, Morocco: travel guide
Morocco's largest city and economic capital — Art Deco boulevards, an Atlantic corniche and the colossal Hassan II Mosque rising over the ocean.
- Country
- Morocco
- Currency
- MAD
- Time zone
- Africa/Casablanca
- Nearest airport
- CMN
Top places to visit in Casablanca
Hassan II Mosque
Mosque · about 1.5 h · entry MAD 140
One of the largest mosques in the world, rising on a platform over the Atlantic with a 210m minaret. Non-Muslims enter on guided tours of the breathtaking marble-and-titanium prayer hall.
Old Medina of Casablanca
Heritage · about 1 h
The walled pre-colonial old town near the port — a working, un-touristy warren of lanes, small mosques and markets beside the modern city.
Place Mohammed V
Cultural · about 0.5 h
The grand civic square ringed by Mauresque-Art-Deco public buildings and a musical fountain — the ceremonial heart of colonial-era Casablanca.
Cathedrale du Sacre-Coeur
Church · about 0.5 h · entry MAD 20
A striking whitewashed neo-Gothic former cathedral (1930) now used for exhibitions; you can climb the tower for a view over the city centre.
Quartier Habous (New Medina)
Market · about 1 h
A charming 1930s French-designed "new medina" blending Moroccan arches with orderly streets — olives, pastries, brassware and the best bookshops in the city.
Corniche Ain Diab
Cultural · about 1 h
Casablanca's seafront promenade of beach clubs, cafes and restaurants stretching west from the Hassan II Mosque toward the lighthouse — the city's leisure strip.
Morocco Mall
Market · about 1.5 h
One of Africa's largest shopping malls at the western end of the corniche, with international brands, a musical fountain and a giant aquarium.
Villa des Arts de Casablanca
Museum · about 0.8 h
A restored 1934 Art Deco villa set in a garden, now a free contemporary-art gallery showing Moroccan and international artists.
Mahkama du Pacha
Heritage · about 0.7 h
A 1950s courthouse-and-reception palace in the Habous quarter with over 60 rooms of carved plaster, painted ceilings and zellige — a hidden gem when open to visitors.
Notre-Dame de Lourdes
Church · about 0.3 h
A 1950s modernist church famous for its immense stained-glass walls by Gabriel Loire that flood the concrete interior with colour.
Things to do
- Hassan II Mosque Guided Tour Tour · 1.5 h · from MAD 140 per person
- Casablanca City Highlights Tour Tour · 4 h · from MAD 350 per person
- Casablanca Street Food & Market Tour Culinary · 3 h · from MAD 300 per person
- Art Deco & Mauresque Architecture Walk Tour · 2.5 h · from MAD 200 per person
- Corniche & Ain Diab Beach Club Day Leisure · 4 h · from MAD 250 per person
Day trips and tours
- Casablanca City & Hassan II Mosque Tour 4 h · from MAD 350
Where to stay in Casablanca
- Corniche Ain Diab about MAD 1,200 per night
Seafront strip of resort hotels, beach clubs and restaurants along the Atlantic — best for ocean views.
- Centre-ville about MAD 850 per night
Downtown around Place Mohammed V and the Art Deco quarter — walkable to the medina and tram.
Hotels
- Hyatt Regency Casablanca 5-star · MAD 2,200 to MAD 4,500 per night
- ONOMO Hotel Casablanca City Center 3-star · MAD 750 to MAD 1,200 per night
- Hotel Central Casablanca 2-star · MAD 350 to MAD 600 per night
- Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca 5-star · MAD 3,200 to MAD 7,000 per night
- Movenpick Hotel Casablanca 4-star · MAD 1,200 to MAD 2,000 per night
Where to eat
- Rick's Cafe International, Moroccan · about MAD 350 per person
- La Sqala Moroccan · about MAD 180 per person
- Le Cabestan Seafood, Mediterranean · about MAD 550 per person
- Restaurant du Port de Peche Seafood · about MAD 250 per person
- Al-Mounia Moroccan · about MAD 200 per person
- Ostrea Seafood · about MAD 280 per person
- La Bodega Spanish, Tapas · about MAD 200 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Tram main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Safety and scams to avoid
Unmetered petit-taxi fares
Airport, port & tourist areas
Drivers refuse the meter (compteur) and quote an inflated flat fare, especially to/from the airport or at night.
How to avoid it: Insist on the meter or agree the price before getting in; a metered city ride is usually 10-30 MAD.