Rabat Rabat Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Morocco's capital unfolds along the Atlantic coast where the Bou Regreg river meets the sea, its medina walls rising above fishing boats and surfers. The Kasbah des Oudayas — a 12th-century fortress painted in Mediterranean blues and whites — anchors the old city, while the Hassan Tower stands unfinished since 1199, its minaret a monument to Almohad ambition. Unlike Marrakech's intensity, Rabat moves at a measured pace: government ministries occupy Art Deco buildings in the Ville Nouvelle, diplomats lunch in Agdal, and families stroll the corniche at sunset.

The dining scene draws from both palace traditions and contemporary Moroccan cooking. Expect slow-cooked tagines with preserved lemons and olives, pastilla layered with pigeon and cinnamon, and fresh catch grilled at beachside restaurants in Témara. Evening drinks happen on rooftop terraces overlooking the medina or in the garden bars of Souissi's residential villas. Accommodation ranges from restored riads within the UNESCO-listed medina walls to resort properties along the Rabat-Salé coastline, many featuring hammams and Atlantic views.