Casablanca is one of the largest cities in Morocco and it’s considered by many the business capital of the country. With a buzzling, modern and yet somewhat chaotic atmosphere, it is a city that seems projected toward the future like no other city in Morocco.
Casablanca is not a flashy city and, although its huge dimensions (3,6million people), it’s often skipped by most travelers crossing Morocco.
After all, the city is not touristic as Marrakech, not gorgeous as Fez, not relaxing as Agadir, not exotic as Ouarzazate nor instagrammable as Chefchaouen.
Nevertheless, I will tell you that if you’ve got at least a spare day in your itinerary, you should definitely spend a day in Casablanca and you won’t regret it: behind the modern streets, Casablanca hides indeed a precious history and secret places that, if you’re interested in understanding the history and culture of Morocco, would be truly a pity to skip.
In this article, you find a brief one-day itinerary to help you discovering all highlights the city has to offer in the most efficient way possible! 😀
Let’s dive right in!
HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED TO VISIT CASABLANCA, MOROCCO?
In this post, we present you a one-day itinerary to discover Casablanca, which we believe it’s enough time to see the main hotspots and get a feel of the city.
If you got more time, taking 2-3 days would be ideal to savor the city at a slower pace and write off the list minor attractions too.
If you got even more time, and you would like to breath-in a complete feel of Morocco, you could base yourself in Casablanca too and join a 12 days tour from Casablanca to the nearby desert and cities of Marrakesh, Chefchaouen, Fes, Essaouira and Merzouga.
ONE DAY ITINERARY: THE MAP!
ONE-DAY ITINERARY FOR CASABLANCA:
1. Begin Your Adventure at The Hassan II Mosque
Kickstart your journey in the stunning city of Casablanca at the Hassan II Mosque, a perfect starting point to fall in love with Casablanca.
The Mosque, as the largest in Morocco and between the top20 largest in the world, stands as an emblem of the city’s rich heritage. It’s a gigantic construction, neat, gorgeous!
The structure’s intricate design and grandeur are a testament to the profound architectural prowess of the Moroccans.
This is one of the few mosques in Morocco where access for non-muslim outside prayer times is allowed (although you need to join a guided tour offered in different languages, which costs around 11 Euros).
The visit to the mosque is definitely a worth experience, and it’s a chance to immerse yourself in the spiritual ambiance of the place.
Amount of time for Visiting: 1 Hour
Entrance Price: 11 Euro ca.
2. Immerse in Art and Culture at The Villa Des Arts
After soaking in the spiritual aura of the Hassan II Mosque, delve into the vibrant artistic realm of Casablanca at the Villa Des Arts.
The city, apart from its historical and architectural wonders, is also famous for its burgeoning art scene.
The Villa Des Arts is a tiny hub that showcases a variety of artistic disciplines from painting to sculpture, eloquently telling the story of Moroccan cultural heritage using mostly modern and contemporary art.
It serves as an excellent platform for understanding the modern and traditional Moroccan art scene, even if you’re in the city for just a day.
The entrance to the museum is free, and visiting it is very fast (there are only four exposing rooms). Galleries are temporary, so every time you visit you might find here something different.
Amount of time for Visiting: 30 Minutes
Entrance Price: Free
3. Explore The Quartier des Habous (New Medina)
Steeped in tradition, the Quartier Habous, also known as the New Medina, is a charming blend of Moroccan and French architecture.
Filled with small shops, this is the place to get your hands on some traditional Moroccan goods at local prices.
From local handicrafts to aromatic spices, leather goods to beautiful fabrics and traditional lamps, you will find a broad array of items here.
Amount of time for Visiting: 1 Hour
Entrance Price: Free
4. Taste Moroccan Cuisine at The Marche Central
Food is an integral part of Moroccan culture.
If by just thinking about it you’re getting hungry, you might want to head to the Marché Central for lunch!
As Casablanca’s main market, the Marche Central (“Central Market” in English) is a culinary paradise where you can taste an array of local delights, like tangines, couscous, traditional sweets and, on top of all fresh seafood cooked in front of you.
Walking the market is a mix of smell, colours and emotions. Compared to the one of Marrakesh for sure it’s smaller, but also less touristy and authentic.
Personally, I would suggest you to try the fresh fish: you van buy it and have some of the small restaurants cook it right there for you.
One note to beware of: often servers will bring you salads, bread and complementary dishes, just be aware that they usually are not for free, so be sure to ask how much things cost before accepting them and if you don’t want them, simply decline the offers 😊
Amount of Time for Visiting: 30 minutes, more if you want to have Lunch 😊
5. Embrace History at The Jewish Museum
Dedicate the late afternoon to visit the Jewish Museum, the only one of its kind in the Arab world!
This museum displays religious, ethnographic, and artistic objects that depict the history, religion, traditions, and daily life of Jews living in Morocco: all in all an interesting short visit to get a feel of how the two religions co-exist in the country.
Amount of Time for Visiting: 30 minutes
Entrance Price: 2 Euro ca
6. Relax at Ain Diab Corniche
After having digested your lunch meal, take a stroll along Ain Diab Corniche and feel like you’re in Miami or Los Angeles!
Ain Diab Corniche is a posh stretch of coastline filled with pools, cafes, beaches and palms, facing the Atlantic.
Here you can enjoy a relaxing walk along the beach or indulge in a traditional Moroccan tea at one of the many cafes while watching the sun setting into the ocean ;D
7. Enjoy a Luxurious Dinner at Rick’s Café
The best way to Wrap up your day in Casablanca? Jump back in time and enjoy a sumptuous dinner at Rick’s Café, an upscale and iconic restaurant inspired by the movie “Casablanca.”
This restaurant is a perfect blend of luxury and nostalgia, with its 1940s style decor and live piano music.
It’s probably one of the most touristy restaurants in Casablanca, and prices lean on the high end, but if you’ve seen the movie probably you’ll appreciate this experience a lot.
If you’re not into cinematography, just know that Casablanca’s restaurant scene is enormous and options are truly endless 😊
One-Day Itinerary to Casablanca: Conclusion
And here we come at the end of this article 🙂
In this post, we have seen the best that Casablanca has to offer for a one-day trip.
Of course, the city and its surroundings have much more to unveil, and if you got time I would recommend you to stay longer and eventually join one of the many tours, starting from Casablanca, for exploring the whole region aroud the city.
What do you think about the itinerary? Have you been in Casablanca before? Is there something you think it might fit our one-day itinerary?
Let us know in the comments below! 😀
Hereafter I will leave you also a few articles that you might be also interested to check out:
- 7 World-Class Museums You Never Heard Of
- Destinations of the World: Discover More Cool Destinations!
- Travel Italy: All you Need to Discover the Bel Paese!
Thank you for reading, and see you in the next article!
Travel Glocal: How to Find Truly Local Experiences while Traveling!
On a beach in Brazil, after a football match (2017)As global tourism rises yearly more than before, touristic destinations are increasingly adapting to higher tourism inflows. While this surely made traveling easier and cheaper in the last two decades, in some way it...
15 Curious Fun Facts about Liverpool that will Surprise you!
Liverpool is a lively city and metropolitan borough located on the north-west coast of English and the capital of the English county of Merseyside, which is visited yearly by more than 1 million international tourists and 1,5 domestic visitors annually. A stunning...
10 Reasons why Traveling Europe by TRAIN is Awesome!
Europe is probably the most inter-connected continent in the world: low-cost airlines, long-haul buses, generally well-maintained roads, and of course...trains! The European rail network is extremely vast, as trains have played a major role in developing the whole...
10 Awesome Benefits of Exploring the World with a Travel Buddy
It has been almost 15 years since I discovered how much I LOVE traveling around our gorgeous planet Earth: I love it so much that I also decided to make my mission to work while traveling full-time! During the years, I've been traveling in all kinds of ways (by plane,...
0 Comments