Casablanca Day Trip from Marrakech with Private Driver
- Duration
- Full Day (approximately 12 hours)
- Tour type
- Private Tours
- Tour category
- Cultural Tours
- Availability
- Every day, all year. For the fullest access to the Hassan II Mosque, Saturday through Thursday is the better window: Friday offers only limited morning slots, and national holidays are best avoided. Weekdays are quieter.
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
- Difficulty
- Easy
Overview
Casablanca in a day, without the train timetable. The Hassan II Mosque out over the water, the 1930s Art Deco quarter, and Mohammed V Square, with your driver waiting throughout.
Tour highlights
- The Art Deco quarter and its 1930s facades
- The Hassan II Mosque, among the largest anywhere and one of the very few in Morocco that non-Muslims may enter
- Mohammed V Square
- The seafront promenade along the Ain Diab Corniche
- Inside the mosque: zellige tilework, carved cedar, marble columns and a roof that opens
- The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
- A minaret of 210 metres rising above the Atlantic
- Traditional souks and markets in the Habous Quarter
- Lunch at Rick's Cafe if you want it
- A private air-conditioned vehicle, plus a licensed local guide once you are in Casablanca
Route at a glance
Full Day (approximately 12 hours) · Marrakech → Casablanca
- Marrakech Starting point
- Casablanca
About this tour
Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city and it sits about 240 km north of Marrakech, which makes it a long but workable day. You leave at 7:00 AM and arrive around 10:00 AM after roughly three hours of motorway across the Gharb plains.
A licensed Casablanca guide meets you there and takes you inside the Hassan II Mosque, then on to the Ain Diab Corniche along the seafront. After that come the Habous Quarter and the Old Medina, then the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, and last the Art Deco streets ringing Mohammed V Square.
Lunch is left to you and is not in the price, with Rick’s Cafe, the seafood places on the Corniche or the Habous among the options. What you pay buys the private air-conditioned vehicle, a driver speaking English and French, the licensed local guide, the motorway tolls, and collection and return at your Marrakech hotel, with drop-off by around 7:00 PM.
Itinerary
Print this itinerary-
Start time 7h00 - 10h00
1. Marrakech Departure
Your driver collects you at your Marrakech accommodation and the day starts.
From 7:00 AM to roughly 10:00, on the road. About 240 kilometres of comfortable motorway driving through the Gharb plains, green farmland and open country either side, with one short stop to stretch your legs and get a drink.
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Start time Around 10:00
2. Hassan II Mosque
Your licensed local guide picks you up in Casablanca and takes you inside for roughly an hour: the zellige tilework, the cedar carving, the marble floors, the roof that retracts and the hammam underneath. The whole platform is built out over the Atlantic. Entry is 130 MAD, about EUR 13, and you pay it there.
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3. Ain Diab Corniche
Ain Diab Corniche. A walk along Casablanca's Atlantic promenade, with the ocean beside you, the sea air, cafes and the noise of the city. From across the water here you get one of the best angles on the mosque's minaret.
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4. Habous Quarter
Habous Quarter. The so-called New Medina, laid out in the 1930s, where French planning meets Moroccan building. Traditional souks, the patisseries the city is known for, olive oil sellers and bookshops. It is calmer and easier to find your way around than the Marrakech medina, and no less Moroccan for it.
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5. Old Medina
Old Medina. Casablanca's original walled quarter, with narrow lanes, ordinary daily life and busy market stalls. It feels quite different from the Habous.
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6. Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. A pass by this striking piece of French colonial Gothic, which now serves as a venue for cultural events.
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7. Art Deco District
Art Deco District. On through one of the biggest concentrations of 1930s Art Deco anywhere outside Europe, with the facades clustered near Mohammed V Square and, just beyond, the Arab League Park.
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8. Free Time & Lunch
Free time, and something to eat. Lunch is yours to choose and is not in the price. You might go to Rick's Cafe for the film connection, eat seafood on the Corniche, or keep it simple in the Habous. Your guide will make suggestions and can book a table.
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9. Return to Marrakech
The three hours home. Back to Marrakech by motorway, with drop-off at your hotel by around 7:00 PM.
What's included
Included
- A private air-conditioned vehicle for the round trip between Marrakech and Casablanca
- A driver who speaks English
- French
- A licensed local guide in Casablanca
- All motorway tolls
- Collection from
- return to your Marrakech hotel
Not included
- Admission to the Hassan II Mosque, 130 MAD or roughly EUR 13, payable at the door
- Food and drink
- Souvenirs and anything else you spend on yourself
- Gratuities for the guide and the driver, entirely at your discretion
What to bring
- Clothing that covers you for the Hassan II Mosque: shoulders and knees covered, no shorts and no sleeveless tops (you take your shoes off inside and bags are provided for them)
- Cash for the mosque admission of 130 MAD, roughly EUR 13, paid on the spot
Good to know
Mosque admission supplement: 130 MAD, roughly EUR 13, per person, paid on site and outside the tour price
Dress code at the mosque: shoulders and knees covered, no shorts and no sleeveless tops. Shoes come off inside and bags are provided
Guided visits inside the mosque run Saturday through Thursday, and the interior tour takes about 1 hour
Driving time is roughly 3 hours in each direction, 240 km, by motorway, with one short comfort stop
Lunch is not covered. A table at Rick's Cafe is worth reserving at weekends, and your guide can arrange it
Minimum age.
Group rates
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 person | €330 per person |
| 2 people | €175 per person |
| 3 people | €145 per person |
| 4 people | €125 per person |
| 5 people | €105 per person |
| 6 people | €99 per person |
| 7-9 people | €93 per person |
| 10-13 people | €90 per person |
| 14-17 people | €80 per person |
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive between Marrakech and Casablanca?
Roughly 3 hours each way, 240 km by motorway, through open countryside with one short break.
Can non-Muslims go inside the Hassan II Mosque?
Yes, and it is one of only a handful in Morocco open that way. Guided visits run Saturday through Thursday. Admission is 130 MAD, roughly EUR 13, paid on site. Dress modestly: shoulders and knees need covering.
Does the price include lunch?
No. You pick where to eat, and the options include Rick's Cafe, seafood on the Corniche or the bakeries in the Habous. Your guide will point you in the right direction.
What should I wear at the mosque?
Modest clothing, shoulders and knees covered. No shorts, no sleeveless tops. Shoes are removed inside and bags are provided for them.
Is Casablanca worth a whole day?
Yes. A licensed guide gets you round the main sights without wasted time, the mosque alone justifies the drive, and you are back in Marrakech for the evening.
Which day of the week is best?
Saturday through Thursday, for full access to the mosque. Friday has only limited morning slots. Steer clear of national holidays, and bear in mind that midweek is quieter.
What is there to see inside the Hassan II Mosque?
Tilework in zellige, cedar carved by hand, columns of marble, a roof that retracts and, underneath it all, the hammam. The 210-metre minaret carries a laser beam aimed towards Mecca. The guided visit runs about 1 hour.
Can we eat at Rick's Cafe?
Yes. It is a working restaurant built on the idea of the 1942 film. It is not part of the price, but your guide can organise it, and weekends need a reservation.
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