Rabat Travel Guide
Morocco is unique country located in the north west of Africa where the Mediterranean and Atlantic meet. The country is full of history and antique architecture that dates back thousands of years; and is a staple in the countries rich culture today. Rabat is one city that really encapsulates this!
There’s many reasons to travel to this beautiful country including the beaches, activities, food and more! The city can be split into two parts- one side of the city is very much full of all the locals with small street and riad stays; and the other is very much city-like. Large architecture and government buildings, with high-end shopping malls and food spots.
When visiting this beautiful city we spent a total of 3 days/2 nights here and probably would recommend an extra day just so you can experience more of the city and the exciting activities here!
- Rabat Travel Guide
- Rabat Travel Guide!
- Our favourite must-needed travel resources
- Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
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Activities in Rabat
As the country is full of history, your trip HAS to include trips to historical spots which have stood for many centuries!
Kasbah Des Oudaias
This castle-like structure was build in the 12th century and was a form of defence from any unexpected ships visiting Rabat. The mosque boasted many cannons and a tall wall to fend off enemies, and created a scary operation for those who manned it.
Within the walls is delicately placed streets where people used to live when the old King designed and erected the mosque. It’s a beautiful spot of history located perfectly by the waterfront offering some amazing views and is a popular spot to visit. Within the walls there were gardens created which offer a great place to soak up the places natural beauty and enjoy the warm weather in Rabat. The buildings inside have been maintained the best they can without removing the authentic history of when it was built them many years ago.
Hassan Tower
This amazing structure was build for in the 12th century which is famously unfinished (known as the unfinished mosque). The Mosque includes a scattering of tall pillars that are placed all around which was meant to hold a roof when the building was fully completed. Due to the King Passing, the mosque completion was stopped and left this mosque and what was the tallest minaret in the world halted for construction.
The Minaret still stands tall today and can be admired from hundreds of feet away as it’s so large! When visiting new countries it’s always good to learn more about the history and this would be a great way to embrace Moroccan culture.
Rabat Old Town
The old town is a beautiful area of Rabat and is full of culture and locals enjoying food, selling their trade and socialising. The best thing to do is wander the tight streets and marvel at the amazing handcrafted products from locals. The streets are perfect to get lost in, and are surrounded by old fashioned Riad buildings that have been standing for centuries.
This is the perfect place to grab a cheap lunch. You have choices of local wraps, pastries, pitas and more with some delicious sweet treats including an infinite selection of Baklava. The locals here are super friendly, and are happy to help guide you in the direction you are going or provide you with the best service.
At the top of the old town is the local graveyard which must span at least a few Kilometres long and is full of gravestones. It’s a strange place to have a graveyard as it is only a stones throw from the beach but it provides a beautiful and harmonic spot to watch the sunset over the water with the graveyard visible.
Day at the beach
Being a coastal capital, it definitely has it’s choice of beaches. The beaches here are a mix between stony or sandy depending on how lucky you are, and is a beautiful way to spend the day. On the beach just across from the Kasbah Des Oudaias is a quaint sandy beach which isn’t too popular, but is perfect to relax at and watch the world go by.
At this beach there are some great activities including jet skiing, surfing and some cool water sports which are offered on the beach front. On this beach there is also restaurant that is a great place to stop and grab some food. As you are on the Atlantic, the water isn’t quite as warm as you’d like so be preparred! Also, the walk to the beach is straight downhill so walking back up will be hilly.
Mausoleum of Mohammad V
This is the burial site of King Mohammad V who died in 1961 and the Mausoleum was build in his honour. This is a cultural site which is open for people to visit and marvel at the beauty of this structure. It is built out of many rare materials, and stands out with it’s white-like colour and perfectly carved patterns.
Standing beside the mausoleum is a white pavilion with a green emerald-like roof. The site is a great place to learn about the culture of Morocco and see some the countries most important sites.
Mohammad VI Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art
This is the perfect spot for any art enthusiasts. Located in the heard of Rabat, is the modern and Contemporary Art which boasts many top artworks of African heritage. These include a selection of paintings and sculptures which will catch anyone’s eye.
The building is rather large and will keep you occupied for at least a few hours.
Explore the Ancient Chellah
This is a must visit in Rabat and really is a timeless historical gem in Rabat. This area is a large part of the roman empire’s surge into north Africa where they set up an impressive home for themselves mirroring what home would look like in 1 BC in Europe. Around the 11th – 14th century, Marinid’s occupied the roman grounds and turned it into a necropolis for its people for their most elite members.
The blend of ancient romans and the Marinid’s has created unique architecture and a place like no other in the world. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and occupies some luscious gardens which is calming. This is a great place to learn more about two civilisations who occupied these same grounds many centuries apart.
Places to stay in Rabat
There’s so many recommendations we could provide but we feel the best way to experience Moroccan culture is by booking a traditional Riad which is dotted throughout Rabat. With this, we would also recommend booking in person as it’s cheaper and Riad’s don’t tend to update their bookings online so even if you do they may not have room (happened to us).
If you don’t feel comfortable booking in person and want the security of booking online, then we would recommend these stays below:
Riad El Bir
This is the hostel Riad we stayed in and is perfectly located in Rabat. You are a 10 minute walk to the beach and the Kasbah Des Oudaias while being perfectly on the old town where you can grab snacks and local foods in seconds!! The owner was super friendly and also provided free wifi for anyone staying. As with most Riad’s they offered free Moroccan tea whenever you would like.
Unfortunately breakfast wasn’t provided but you were so close to food spots it definitely wasn’t a problem!
Riad Lalatiy
This is a top rated Hostel in the centre of the Medina and local to many things to do in Rabat. The Hostel has a shared kitchen if you would like to use it and free WIFI and a balcony to enjoy the busy medina! The rooms are spacious and provide a good place to rest before venturing out for another jam-packed day of activities.
The cost of a room is £22 with a double bed allowing for 2 guests per room. This is a good price for the location and amenities you get with this stay!
Riad Dar Rabiaa
Alternatively, if you want to stay in a hotel, you can! This hotel is central in the Medina and comes with communal seating areas to enjoy and even an indoor swimming pool! So after a long day exploring the vibrant city you can come back and enjoy a dip to relax.
The hotel costs £64 per room (each room is for 2 people) and even includes a hearty breakfast. This hotel is unique as it even offers food and room bundles with an option to stay with breakfast, lunch and dinner for £112 a night or just breakfast and dinner for £85 a night. The hotel is a perfect way to experience a traditional stay in a Riad but to have a good amount of privacy.
Moroccan E-Sim
When visiting Morocco, there’s no better way to keep up with your socials and stay connected than with Airalo. This is a budget Esim provider allowing you to choose your data packages as you travel and you can easily switch between countries on the go. It has an easy to use interface and provides top-ups when you are requiring them. Click here if you are looking to get an Esim today! Find the Morocco eSIM here!
Rabat Travel Guide!
We hope you enjoyed our insight into the beautiful cultural city of Rabat- and if you did be sure to like the post and subscribe for all things travel! Here there is so much to see and do that it will leave you satisfied and wanting to see more. It’s a cultural place to be amazed at with endless activities to enjoy. The food here is spectacular but food recommendations are tough due to it being predominantly street food that we ate.
Please let us know if you would like to see any further details on our trip to Rabat or Morocco and we would love to know your thoughts on travelling the beautiful country.
Be sure to check out our previous blogs on Morocco including Top things to avoid in Morocco and our day trip guide to Meknes and more!! Also, you can follow our travelling journey on our Social media’s which are provided below.
Our favourite must-needed travel resources
Where to Fly
Trip.com – Find amazing flight deals, with over 2 million flight routes, and being one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.
Kiwi – Use Kiwi’s amazing service that is pioneering in the flight space! They use virtual interlining, which means they can provide seamless connecting flights into one single itinerary!
CheapOair – Being one of the fastest growing online travel companies in the US, CheapOair offers great flight deals, hotel rooms, rental cars and more!
Where to Stay
Booking.com – Offering over 28 million accommodations to book, we will always use booking.com! Having a rewards system built in, the more you book, the more perks you get!
HostelWorld – You cannot budget travel without hostel world! Having over 17,000 hostels, boasting over 13 million reviews, hostel world is one our of top websites for budget travel! They are now offering more ways to meet people abroad, with meet ups, group chats and more available!
Vrbo – Find stunning vacation rentals with Vrbo! Offering over 2 million paid listings in 190 countries, find memorable experiences with this accommodation service!
Where to Explore
Viator – A trip advisor company, viator offers over 300,000 experiences over 200 countries, including water sports, walking tours, boat trips, food tastes tours and more! Including activities for many budgets, check out Viator!
Eat With – Experience authentic travel experiences with locals worldwide! Use eat with to book unique and intimate dining experiences, such as dinner parties in big restaurants, big feasts with a local family, cooking classes with a local and more!
Get Your Guide – Book unique (and common too!) experiences and activities worldwide, including skip the line tickets to big attractions worldwide!
Where to get Connected
Airalo – With over one million people using Airalo, it is our go to eSIM provider for our worldwide trips! Having data packs from over 200 countries, find combined area packages and deals to suit your travel style and data needs!
Where to be Protected
ETKA – Every age from 3 to 85 can buy ETKA’s travel insurance, offering multilingual 24/7 chat support, and your insurance policy within 2-3 minutes!
Our Top Traveller’s Essentials
Backpack – Osprey Farpoint 40 – This backpack is a staple amongst many travellers! Being a lot cheaper than the luxury brands, this is a quality backpack from a well known brand. It boasts quality durability, is lightweight with a great framework and is a great option for most people! This backpack has a hip strap to help carry the bag, a breathable harness strap, and comes in multiple colours!
Compression Packing Cubes – Compression cubes are our favourite packing accessory! These cubes are similar to the normal packing cubes, but feature a compression zip, meaning you can compress your clothes down… this makes packing easier, limits the space you are using, and means more room for souvenirs etc!
Powerbank – Don’t lose power when travelling! It isn’t always guaranteed to find charging ports, so we would always suggest carrying a spare power bank, just incase you do run low on power when you need it!
Universal Travel Plug Adapter – Most backpackers/travellers visit multiple countries during one trip. And that means it isn’t guaranteed you will be using the same plug head during each place. A universal plug is great as it lets you switch between each plug head style all in one item! We love ours, it has USB slots meaning multiple items can be charged at once.
Find our full packing list guide here.
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