Casablanca·2 days, on foot plus tram and one taxi hop
A two-day itinerary, from the Hassan II Mosque to the Aïn Diab Corniche
The route
8 stops
1
Hassan II Mosque — start the first morning here, ideally on the 9am tour before the coach groups arrive; the interior is guided only and takes about an hour.
2
Casablanca Old Medina and United Nations Square — late morning, walk east from the mosque through the medina lanes and out onto the square where the clock tower stood.
3
La Sqala — lunch inside the 1785 bastion built into the medina ramparts, with cannons still pointing at the Atlantic; it serves from 8am daily.
4
Abderrahman Slaoui Museum — early afternoon in a 1940s Art Deco villa on rue du Parc, with Moroccan gold jewellery, Majorelle paintings and vintage posters; Tuesday to Saturday only.
5
Le Cabestan Ocean View — sunset and dinner on Boulevard de la Corniche beside the El Hank lighthouse; the house dates its origins to 1926 and tables should be reserved.
6
Habous Quarter — day two starts here in the New Medina built in the 1930s: arcaded souk streets, the booksellers on Boulevard Victor Hugo and Pâtisserie Bennis, open since 1930.
7
Mahkama du Pacha — a short walk on in the same quarter, a neo-Moorish courthouse designed by Auguste Cadet with carved cedar ceilings and zellige; it is still a working government building, so most visitors see it from outside.
8
Aïn Diab Corniche — after lunch, ride tram T2 to its Aïn Diab Plage terminus and walk the seafront promenade past the beaches towards the El Hank lighthouse; the Sidi Abderrahmane islet is reached by a causeway bridge built in 2013.
This two-day Casablanca itinerary covers the Hassan II Mosque, the old medina and the Art Deco centre on day one, then the Habous quarter and the Atlantic Corniche on day two. Day one is almost entirely on foot around United Nations Square; day two uses the tram and one taxi hop. The Hassan II Mosque interior is visited on guided tours only, and the Abderrahman Slaoui Museum opens Tuesday to Saturday, so the order matters.
Overview
Day one covers the Hassan II Mosque, the old medina and the Art Deco centre, all within walking distance of United Nations Square.
Day two moves south-west: the 1930s Habous quarter in the morning, then the Atlantic Corniche at Aïn Diab in the afternoon.
Both days end by the ocean, with sunset on the Corniche near the El Hank lighthouse.
Best time
April to June and September to October give mild days for walking the medina and warm evenings on the Corniche.
The Aïn Diab beach clubs run a summer season, so July and August are the liveliest and also the busiest on the Corniche.
Take the first mosque tour of the day, around 9am, before the coach groups arrive.
If your first day falls on a Friday, swap the two days: the mosque only admits visitors after the midday prayer.
Practical tips
Tram lines T1 and T2 cover most of this route; tickets come from machines in every station and transfers between lines are free.
The Abderrahman Slaoui Museum is closed on Sunday and Monday, so plan the downtown day between Tuesday and Saturday.
Inside the Hassan II Mosque, shoulders and knees stay covered and shoes come off before the prayer hall; photography is allowed, video is not.
Reserve tables at La Sqala and Le Cabestan in advance, especially at weekends, and note that parking on the Corniche is hard at peak hours.
How to combine
Rabat is under an hour from Casa Voyageurs by train, which makes an easy third day.
With a spare afternoon, add Morocco Mall and the Sidi Abderrahmane islet at the western end of the Corniche.
Casablanca is the usual start of a southern trip: direct trains from Casa Voyageurs reach Marrakech in about three hours.
FAQs
Two days is enough for Casablanca: one day for the Hassan II Mosque, the old medina and the Art Deco centre, and a second day for the Habous quarter and the Aïn Diab Corniche.
Yes. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is one of the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, and the interior is seen on guided tours only. On Fridays visits resume after the midday prayer, and the outdoor esplanade is open to everyone.
Partly. The old medina, United Nations Square and the Art Deco centre are easily walked in one day. The Habous quarter and the Aïn Diab Corniche are further out, so use tram line T2 or a taxi to reach them.
