Why would you spend just 24 hours in Casablanca, Morocco? Maybe you are landing here but quickly heading out for a tour of the country. Or maybe, like me, you’re transiting on a flight and decide to take advantage of a long layover. Whatever the reason, it’s a perfect amount of time to see the highlights of this famous city. This post will show you some of the things to do in Casablanca in one day.
Morocco is one of my favourite places on Earth. I’ve biked the Atlas Mountains, gotten lost in the souks of Fez, stargazed in the Sahara, and done absolutely nothing in Essaouira for three days straight.
But Casablanca? I’d always skipped it. The city of Hollywood myth has a reputation for being all business, nothing like the glamourous movies or lively Marrakesh. But when Royal Air Maroc added Toronto to Casablanca to its flight route I thought, “Now’s my time.” On previous trips to Morocco, I had to transfer in Montreal or Europe — this new flight would be direct from my city. Nice.
Royal Air Maroc also offers a stopover programme — where you can take an extra-long layover to overnight in a city on way to somewhere else, for the same ticket price. When I got an assignment in Tunisia I realized I could add Casablanca en route.
I remembered there’s a famously beautiful mosque there that non-Muslims can enter. I considered how happy I am eating Morocco olives. I booked the layover.
If you’re considering a Casablanca layover — or Royal Air Maroc’s stopover program specifically — here’s what 24 hours actually looks like including where I stayed and ate, my visit to the Hassan II mosque, and how I fit in a luxurious hammam treatment.
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Getting In and Getting Settled
I pre-arranged an airport transfer through my hotel, which I always do when I’m short on time and don’t want my first hour in a city to be an argument about fare. It’s also one of my safety tips for solo women travellers — book it through the hotel, even if it costs a bit more, so you know you’re getting a reputable driver and the hotel knows when to expect you.
My hotel in Casablanca was Art Palace Suites & Spa — a beautiful boutique property with a hammam on site so I could relax with a treatment without wasting travel time. It’s central location meant I could walk to many of the top things to do in my 24 hours in Casablanca. My suite was luxurious and spacious, all majestic purple velvet with a canopy bed. I could easily have stayed in there the entire time and been happy. But I did want to see the sights.
Check availability at Art Palace Suites and Spa in Casablanca
The neighbourhood around the hotel was, I’ll be honest, a bit underwhelming. I wasn’t expecting the sensory chaos of an old medina but … my initially impression what that Casablanca could have been Ottawa. I went looking for quick local food for lunch and came back from a convenience store with chips and a Fanta. Sometimes that’s just how it goes.
24 Hours in Casablanca: Hammam, Views, and a Mosque on the Horizon
The hammam at Art Palace required no advance booking, which I appreciated since I didn’t want to be tied down to a specific time in case of flight delay. You take your chances with this approach, but I lucked out and was able to arrange a treatment upon my arrival.
As soon as I entered the clean tiled treatment room, I felt my whole body relax. The marble slab. The brass pots full of black soap. I was very ready to be scrubbed. (Read my full post about a what to expect at a traditional Morocco hammam.) My attendant was excellent and an hour later I emerged fresh and ready for the night. Honestly, any chance to have a hammam in Morocco, take it.
For dinner I wanted a view. One popular choice is along the corniche, a promenade carved out of cliffs along the North Atlantic Sea. Many bars and restaurants along the waterfront sounded great, and it would be an easy taxi ride arranged by the front desk. I decided instead on Skies 28, a panoramic lounge atop the Kenzi Tower Hotel, just a few minutes’ walk away.
Skies was all dark lighting and quiet luxury.
My Table For One had a sweeping view of the skyline, including the Hassan II Mosque, all lit up. Now I know I’m in Casablanca.
The patatas bravas were stellar. My mocktail was called Lipstick — cranberry and lemon juices, raspberry puree, rose syrup, acqua faba. A live duo played something unidentifiable but pleasant. These are the kinds of moments I relish while travelling solo. Beautiful view, something delicious, time to think and to dream about the next day, safe environment. It was a very good evening.
Touring the Hassan II Mosque
Hassan II Mosque is the reason to stop in Casablanca. I’ll just say that plainly. It is one of the largest mosques in the world — and one of the very few that non-Muslims are permitted to enter. The location is also stunning, overlooking the Atlantic.
I got early to get there for the first tour of the morning. (I had booked one of those free city walking tours that would start after that did not include mosque access, and I really wanted to enter.) Tours run in multiple languages on rotation; I didn’t want to wait for English, so I joined with the French. Bilingualism for the win.
The scale and craftsmanship here is absolutely stunning. The only thing I can compare it to is the Taj Mahal. I don’t say that lightly. Then the interior is something else, even more.
Our tour guide reveals many secrets of the construction as we quietly walk our sock feet across the huge carpet. (They give you a small bag to carry your shoes.) I’m half-listening because there is a sense of wonder just in the looking I don’t want to squash. If you have any interest in architecture at all, you have to go.
Practical notes for visiting Hassan II Mosque
- Access by 45-minute guided tour only.
- Book your tour slot in advance if you can, especially in high season.
- Tours operate Saturday to Thursday at 9am, 10am, 11am, 12 noon, 3pm, and 4pm.
- Friday tours are 9am, 10am, 3pm and 4pm.
- If you are coming during Ramadan, there are very few tours and they can be cancelled for prayers, check in advance.
- Visitors can walk the exterior marble courtyards and sea wall for free at any time without a ticket.
- As with all places of worship, moderate dress is required.
There’s also a traditional hammam on site that you can book separately. I did not know this until I arrived and would definitely have done this. Next time.
Book a skip-the-line advance ticket to Hassan II Mosque or a private day-tour including lunch and hotel pick-up/drop off that includes Hassan II Mosque entrance.
An Afternoon in Casablanca: Wander without a Cause
My walking tour guide cancelled, which turned out fine.
I took myself for a long, slow brunch at La Sqala — an Instagramable café inside an 18th century fortified wall, with a pretty garden courtyard.
Their traditional Moroccan breakfast was aggressively good and ridiculously carbo-loaded. All the breads — flaky Msemmen, rustic Harcha, Beghrir pancakes and Sfinge (donut). Served with butter, jam, honey, tapenade and amlou, a kind of Moroccan homemade Nutella. Fresh fruit. Dried fruit. Scrambled eggs. Yogurt. Olives, of course. Seriously one of the best breakfast I’ve enjoyed anywhere in the world. Yes, this trip was a good idea.
Fully fuelled up, I just started walking.
The Casablanca medina is much smaller than Fez or Marrakesh, which is fine because I wasn’t really planning to shop but of course had to look at the local souvenirs. I stumbled into what I can only describe as an impromptu nail salon operating out of the middle of the market in a parkette — plastic chairs, no signage, fully operational. I respect it. If you want to shop a Moroccan market, but don’t love the hustle, Casablanca is a calmer place to do that.
On the way back to my hotel, I passed through Mohammed V Square, a grand French colonial plaza with a fountain surrounded by pigeons, then Arab League Park, spotting skateboarders and admiring sculptures. I had Villa of Arts on my list — a modern art gallery in a 1930s Art Deco building — but they were in between exhibitions. Found instead Sacred Heart Cathedral, a 1930 neo-Gothic church that’s now a cultural space. Bought some trendy clothing at Marwa, a kind of Moroccan H&M. All of this unplanned, just headed in the direction of my hotel.
Heading Home
Date and banana smoothie to-go from juice bar near hotel. Taxi to the airport. Straightforward. Done.
If You’re Considering the Royal Air Maroc Stopover
The program works similarly to Icelandair’s or Turkish Airline’s stopover, but they don’t promote it in the same way. There’s no “stopover” page or button on their website, and they don’t offer free hotels or any perks. So you’ll have to look for one of the connecting flights that have an overnight in Casablanca. It’s kind of DIY but it works. See the Royal Air Maroc website for flight options.
When booking a connecting flight through Casablanca, you can opt to extend your layover into an overnight or multi-day stay without significant extra cost on the flight itself. You’ll need to sort your own accommodation, but that’s the whole fun of it.
Important: any checked luggage gets automatically forwarded to your next flight, you do not pick it up in Casablanca. So you need to pack a carry-on for the overnight stay.
I found 24 hours in Casablanca enough time to see the incredible mosque, eat well, and get a feel for the city. Well most of it. I’d wanted to see the olive market. I ran out of time. There will be a next time.
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