Things to do in Rabat

Rabat is Morocco's capital, on the Atlantic at the mouth of the Bou Regreg. Salé faces it across the river. Things to do in Rabat run from Roman ruins to a royal mausoleum finished in 1971.

Towers, tombs and a kasbah

• Hassan Tower. The minaret of a mosque begun in the 1190s, meant to be one of the largest in the Muslim world. Work stopped in 1199 when Yaqub al-Mansur died, and the tower stands at 44 m among rows of column stumps.
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V. On the same esplanade, finished in 1971. It holds Mohammed V, Hassan II and Prince Abdallah, with royal guards at the door.
• Kasbah of the Udayas. The 12th-century fortress at the river mouth, with an Andalusian garden laid out in 1915 to 1918.
• Chellah. About 2 km from the centre: Roman Sala Colonia, then a Marinid necropolis with a gate finished in 1339. Storks nest on the minaret and in the trees.
• The medina. Behind the Andalusian wall of the 1600s, built for Moriscos expelled from Spain. On the Rue des Consuls, where foreign diplomats lived until 1912, rbati carpets are auctioned on Thursday mornings.
• The new town. The French made Rabat the capital in 1912, and Henri Prost then planned a new quarter beside the old walls.
• Museums. The Archaeological Museum holds the Roman bronzes from Volubilis, among them Juba II. The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art opened in 2014.

What people book

A city tour covers the tower, mausoleum, kasbah and Chellah in about three hours by car. The Royal Palace, Dar al-Makhzen, is seen from its gates only. Some tours include a guide, others only a driver.

Long private days leave from the hotel in the morning.

• Meknes and Volubilis. About 145 and 170 km out, one eight-hour day.
• Fes. About 200 km, a nine-hour day.
• Marrakech. About 320 km, also nine hours, most of it on the road.
• Chefchaouen. About 245 km, nearly twelve hours.

Practical

• Weather. July and August afternoons average 27 to 28C, and almost no rain falls. January afternoons reach 17C with nights near 7C, and November to January are the wettest months.
• Day-trip heat. Fes afternoons average 35C in July and Marrakech 38C, against 27C in Rabat.
• Trains. Al Boraq stops only at Rabat-Agdal. Rabat-Ville, in the centre, is served by the older trains and by the tram.
• Taxis. Petit taxis are blue, take three passengers and run on the meter.
• Airports. Rabat-Salé, 8 km out, takes European and domestic flights. Long-haul flights land at Casablanca.