# Rabat Morocco's elegant capital blends Islamic, French colonial and Art Deco architecture along the Bou Regreg River, with a peaceful medina and ancient ruins to explore. Perched where the Bou Regreg River meets the Atlantic, Rabat carries itself with a quiet authority that distinguishes it from Morocco's more theatrical cities. The capital feels uncrowded, almost unhurried — a place where diplomatic residencies line wide boulevards and the sound of the mosque drifts across white-stone architecture long enough to leave an impression. ## The Hassan Tower and Chellah At the heart of the city stand the red sandstone columns of the Hassan Tower, the minaret of a 12th-century mosque that was abandoned before completion. The surrounding ruin field stretches wide, its columns casting long afternoon shadows across the marble-clad base where worshippers would once have gathered. The silence here has a weight to it — not melancholy, but contemplative, the kind that settles when a grand ambition has been stopped mid-sentence. Nearby, the Roman ruins of Chellah lie within fortified walls, their columns rising above tangle of orange trees and wild fig. Storks nest on the broken arches in spring. ## The Kasbah of the Udayas Climbing the riverbank to the Kasbah of the Udayas, the medina narrows into whitewashed alleyways washed in cobalt blue — the colour appears on doorways, railings and the occasional potted pelargonium. The kasbah's Andalusian Gardens are terraced behind ancient walls, their hedges clipped geometrically and orange trees heavy with fruit. From the ramparts, the river widens into muddied brown and the opposite bank stretches flat toward the Atlantic. Fishing boats move slowly below. The kasbah is quiet enough that you hear them before you see them. ## The Ville Nouvelle Across the broad Avenue Allal el-Fassi, the French colonial quarter opens with tree-lined boulevards and low-rise buildings in the pale ochres and creams of North African Art Deco. Cafés occupy ground-floor arcades. The rhythm here is different from the medina — more formal, more measured. It is a place walked rather than navigated, where the scale invites slow observation rather than discovery. Rabat rewards those who settle into its pace, who notice the interplay of light on carved plaster, the distant percussion of a hammer on metal from somewhere in the old city below. ## Tours that visit Rabat No tours visit this place just yet. ## Before you book you should know ### Is this trip right for you? Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that. Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in. Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month. How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above. ### Rooms, and travelling on your own Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three: - **Twin share** — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender. - **Travelling as a couple** — one double room. - **Individual room** — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard. ### Accommodation The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip. Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking. ### Passports, visas and insurance Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight. Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport. We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well. ### Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around. What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions. --- Full page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/destination/rabat/