3 days in Casablanca

Day by day

1. Day 1: Hassan II Mosque and Corniche Ain Diab

   Hassan II Mosque, Corniche Ain Diab and Old Medina, then Place Mohammed V in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hassan II Mosque

      Completed in 1993 on land reclaimed from the Atlantic, the Hassan II Mosque has a minaret of about 210 metres and a prayer hall for some 25,000 worshippers, with a sliding roof, carved cedar ceilings, marble and zellij made by thousands of Moroccan craftsmen.

   2. Late morning

      Corniche Ain Diab

      Walk the promenade at sunset, then eat at one of the fish restaurants towards El Hank.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Grilled sardines

      Small grills around the port and Marché Central, and fish restaurants along the Corniche.

   4. Afternoon

      Old Medina

      Casablanca's small walled old town, between the port and Place des Nations Unies, is a working neighbourhood of lanes selling clothes, electronics and household goods rather than a showpiece medina.

   5. Evening

      Place Mohammed V

      Check the Grand Théâtre's programme for concerts and dance during your stay.

2. Day 2: Sqala bastion and Quartier Habous

   Sqala bastion, Quartier Habous and Mahkama du Pacha, then Ain Diab Corniche in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Sqala bastion

      Come for a late breakfast under the bougainvillea before exploring the medina.

   2. Late morning

      Quartier Habous

      The French-planned 'new medina' of the 1930s combines Moroccan forms with ordered streets: arcaded souqs for olives, books, brass, babouches and kaftans, a small mosque and some of the city's best-known traditional pastry shops.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Oualidia oysters

      Seafood counters at Marché Central and Corniche fish restaurants.

   4. Afternoon

      Mahkama du Pacha

      Ask locally or through a guide whether visits are possible on the day; the exterior and Habous streets are worth seeing regardless.

   5. Evening

      Ain Diab Corniche

      Beach clubs, lounges and nightclubs facing the ocean, busiest on Friday and Saturday nights.

3. Day 3: Art Deco downtown and Boulevard Mohammed V and Marché Central

   Art Deco downtown and Boulevard Mohammed V, Marché Central and Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum, then Gauthier and Racine in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Art Deco downtown and Boulevard Mohammed V

      Built mostly between the 1920s and 1950s, central Casablanca's apartment blocks, cinemas and hotels mix Art Deco lines with Moroccan motifs, a style sometimes called Mauresque.

   2. Late morning

      Marché Central

      Come at lunchtime for Oualidia oysters and grilled fish at one of the counters around the market.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Seafood pastilla

      Moroccan restaurants in the centre, Habous and along the Corniche.

   4. Afternoon

      Abderrahman Slaoui Foundation Museum

      A small museum in an Art Deco villa displaying a collector's Moroccan jewellery, Orientalist travel posters, perfume bottles and decorative arts, with a rooftop café.

   5. Evening

      Gauthier and Racine

      Wine bars, cocktail bars and restaurants that stay open late.

Before you go

• Hassan II Mosque: Entry inside is by guided tour only; buy tickets at the site or online, and check tour times before you go, especially on Fridays.

If it rains

• Swap in Museum of Moroccan Judaism (Oasis): Take a taxi and call ahead or check with your hotel, as visiting arrangements can change.
• Swap in Morocco Mall (Ain Diab and the Corniche): Useful with children on a hot or rainy day; combine with a walk along the Corniche.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Centre-Ville keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Ain Diab and the Corniche ($$$) suits beach, nightlife, families and couples. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–15 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Casablanca
• 2 days in Casablanca

Questions travellers ask