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.
| Duration | Full Day (approximately 12 hours) |
|---|---|
| Starts from | Marrakech |
| Group size | 14-17 people |
| 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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
Old Medina. Casablanca's original walled quarter, with narrow lanes, ordinary daily life and busy market stalls. It feels quite different from the Habous.
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. A pass by this striking piece of French colonial Gothic, which now serves as a venue for cultural events.
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.
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.
The three hours home. Back to Marrakech by motorway, with drop-off at your hotel by around 7:00 PM.