Morocco
Casablanca
Morocco's modern face: an ocean-edge mosque, a downtown of Art Deco facades and a city that works rather than performs.
Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and its business capital, a sprawling Atlantic port that most travellers pass through and few linger in. It rewards a day or two more than its reputation suggests. The Hassan II Mosque rises from the ocean edge with one of the tallest minarets in the world, the downtown holds one of Africa's richest collections of early 20th-century Art Deco and Mauresque buildings, and the seafront Corniche at Ain Diab is where the city comes to walk, swim and eat.
Suggested stay
1–2 days
Language
Arabic, French
Currency
MAD
Timezone
UTC+1
Why you'll love Casablanca
Hassan II Mosque a vast prayer hall and towering minaret set on the rocks above the Atlantic, open to non-Muslims on guided tours
Art Deco downtown whole streets of 1920s-1950s facades with carved plaster, ironwork and Moroccan motifs, built under the French protectorate
The Corniche a long ocean promenade with beach clubs, surf and sunset crowds at Ain Diab
Real city life a working Moroccan metropolis with little performance for visitors, and some of the country's best seafood
Best time to visit
all year
18-27° days
33.594° N, 7.620° W
UTC+1 · Africa/Casablanca
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Weather & when to go to Casablanca
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best all year
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Casablanca
No bad season: the Atlantic keeps winters mild and summers rarely harsh. The local quirk is the sea itself, which brings grey, humid mornings and coastal haze in summer, and the Corniche beaches get packed on summer weekends.
Top things to do in Casablanca
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Hassan II Mosque - tour the ocean-edge prayer hall
culture arts 👍 PopularCompleted in 1993 and built partly over the sea, it is one of the largest mosques in the world and one of the few in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter. Guided tours take in the carved cedar ceilings, zellige tilework and the ablution halls below.
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Boulevard Mohammed V - walk the Art Deco downtown
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedThe central boulevards and side streets around the Marche Central and Place Mohammed V are lined with protectorate-era buildings mixing Art Deco lines with Moroccan carving and tile. Look up: the best detail is on the upper floors.
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Quartier Habous - the planned new medina
culture arts shopping 👍 PopularBuilt by the French in the 1920s and 30s as a model Moroccan quarter, the Habous has arcaded lanes, olive and spice stalls, pastry shops and bookbinders, with the walls of the Royal Palace next door. Calmer and easier to wander than the old medina.
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Ain Diab Corniche - promenade, beaches and sunset
food nightlife music 👍 PopularThe city's seafront runs west from the mosque past beach clubs, cafes and surf schools. At its far end the shrine of Sidi Abderrahmane sits on a rock that can be reached on foot only at low tide.
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Marche Central - seafood from the stalls
food ⭐ Highly recommendedThe covered central market downtown is a showcase of the Atlantic catch, with fish, shellfish and sea urchins on ice. Small grills around the edge will cook what you choose on the spot.
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Museum of Moroccan Judaism - centuries of Jewish Morocco
history culture artsA small museum in the Oasis district on the Jewish communities of Morocco, with ritual objects, costumes, photographs and reconstructed synagogue interiors. Often described as the only museum of Judaism in the Arab world.
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Old Medina and the Sqala - the pre-protectorate town
historyThe compact old walled town behind the port is a working neighbourhood rather than a showpiece, but its lanes lead to the Sqala, an 18th-century bastion with old cannons on the ramparts facing the harbour.
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Rick's Cafe - the film's bar, recreated
food culture artsThe 1942 film was shot entirely in Hollywood, but this restaurant in a restored mansion by the old medina walls recreates its piano bar, arches and white-jacketed style. A pilgrimage for fans, best booked ahead for dinner.
Best areas to stay in Casablanca
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Centre-ville
First-time visitors $$Art Deco boulevards, stations and old hotels
Explore hotels in Centre-ville →
Gauthier
Food lovers $$Leafy streets, cafes and restaurants
Explore hotels in Gauthier →
Maarif
Shopping and business $$Busy shopping district and towers
Explore hotels in Maarif →
Ain Diab
Beach and nightlife $$$Seafront hotels, beach clubs and nightlife
Explore hotels in Ain Diab →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Casablanca
Getting to & around Casablanca
Getting there
Fly into Mohammed V International, south of the city, then take the airport train or a taxi into the centre
Flight
Mohammed V International Airport (CMN)
Trains run from the terminal to Casa Voyageurs and Casa Port in roughly 40 minutes; taxis take about the same, longer in traffic.
Train
Casa Voyageurs
The Al Boraq high-speed line runs from Tangier via Rabat, and regular trains link Marrakesh, Fes and Meknes
Coach
CTM and other coach companies connect Casablanca with cities across Morocco
Cruise
Port of Casablanca
Cruise ships call at the port beside the old medina, a short ride from the mosque
Getting around
Tram
Modern tram lines link downtown, Casa Voyageurs station, Maarif and the Ain Diab seafront
TBC
Petit taxi
Red city taxis are everywhere; insist on the meter, and expect to share with other passengers
TBC
Walk
Downtown, the Marche Central and the old medina are walkable; the city as a whole is too spread out
Free
Day trips from Casablanca
Rabat
Full dayCapital city
Morocco's capital up the coast is calmer and greener than Casablanca, with the clifftop Kasbah of the Udayas, the unfinished Hassan Tower beside the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and the ruins of Chellah.
Getting there
train
About 1 hr by train
El Jadida and Azemmour
Full dayPortuguese fortress town
El Jadida's walled Portuguese City of Mazagan is a UNESCO site with a vaulted underground cistern. Azemmour, on the way, is a quiet whitewashed medina above the Oum Er-Rbia river.
Getting there
train | car
About 1.5 hr by train or car
Mohammedia
Half dayBeach town
A port and resort town just up the coast, with wide sandy beaches and a seafront promenade that fill with families from Casablanca at weekends.
Getting there
train | car
About 30 min by train or car
A little history of Casablanca
Before Casablanca there was Anfa, a Berber port on this stretch of coast. The Portuguese destroyed it in the 15th century, later occupied the site, and the name Casa Branca, the white house, stuck. After the great earthquake of 1755 left it in ruins, Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah rebuilt the town as Dar al-Beida, and European merchants soon followed for its grain and wool trade.
The modern city was made under the French protectorate from 1912. Planners laid out a new port and broad boulevards, and architects filled them with Art Deco and Mauresque buildings. In 1943 Churchill and Roosevelt met at the Anfa Conference here. After independence in 1956 Casablanca grew into Morocco's economic capital, and in 1993 the Hassan II Mosque gave it a landmark of its own.
Portuguese forces destroy the port of Anfa
The Lisbon earthquake devastates the town
Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah rebuilds it as Dar al-Beida
French forces bombard and land in the city
The French protectorate begins, followed by the new port and planned city
Allied troops land on the Moroccan coast in Operation Torch
Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Anfa Conference
Morocco regains independence
The Hassan II Mosque is completed
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / E
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+212
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Morocco eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Casablanca
▸ When is the best time to visit Casablanca?
Any time of year. The Atlantic keeps temperatures mild in every season, winter brings some rain but rarely cold, and summer is warm rather than hot, though mornings are often grey and humid. Summer weekends are the busiest on the Corniche.
▸ Is Casablanca worth visiting?
For a day or two, yes. It lacks the medina drama of Fes or Marrakesh, but the Hassan II Mosque is one of Morocco's great sights, the Art Deco downtown is unique in the country, and the seafood and seafront give a real feel for modern Moroccan city life.
▸ Can non-Muslims visit the Hassan II Mosque?
Yes, on guided tours that run several times a day outside prayer times, with fewer on Fridays. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and expect to remove your shoes inside.
▸ Was the film Casablanca shot in Casablanca?
No. The 1942 film was made entirely on Hollywood sets, and the real city looks nothing like it. Rick's Cafe near the old medina is a later recreation built for fans of the film.
▸ How do I get from the airport to the city centre?
The airport train runs from below the terminal to Casa Voyageurs and Casa Port in roughly 40 minutes. Taxis from the rank outside take about the same, longer at rush hour; agree the trip before setting off.
▸ Can you swim at Casablanca's beaches?
Yes, along the Corniche at Ain Diab, but the Atlantic is cool and the currents can be strong, so swim only where others do. Many visitors use the beach clubs, which have pools as well as sea access.
More in Morocco
Agadir
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Morocco's breeziest medina: a walled Atlantic port of blue boats, sea ramparts and a bay full of kites.
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The great medieval city of the Maghreb, still living inside its walls and still closed to cars.
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