The Best Day Trips from Casablanca, Morocco

When visiting Morocco, Casablanca should absolutely be a stop on your itinerary! It also makes a great place to base yourself during your trip to Morocco as, in addition to being a vibrant city, it is a central location for day trips to other cities. Keep reading to discover the best day trips from Casablanca! 

Casablanca is an especially great city to base yourself in during the summer months. Since it’s on the coast, the temperatures will be consistently more comfortable than other nearby cities. While Marrakech will have daytime temperatures over 100 degrees, most often, Casablanca will be in the upper 70s. 

There are many beautiful cities within a few hours drive from Casablanca, so you can easily visit them for a day, and return to Casablanca by evening. 

Day Trips from Casablanca: 

• Rabat (1 hour) 
• El Jadida (1 hour 20 minutes) 
• Marrakesh (2 hours 45 minutes) 
• Fes (3 hours)

More Morocco Guides to Check Out: 

• Insiders’ Casablanca, Morocco Tourism Guide for the Best Trip
• Review Of Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco
• Itinerary for the Perfect 7 Days in Casablanca, Morocco
• The Best Morocco Tips and Travel Advice
• Packing Guide for Morocco in the Summer
• Morocco Female Traveler Lookbook

The Best Day Trips From Casablanca

Rabat

Rabat is the capital of Morocco and is definitely worth a visit! You can check out government buildings, ruins and medinas on your trip. 

Things To Do in Rabat:

• Dar al-Makhzen – the King of Morocco’s palace 
• The Chellah – impressive Muslim and Roman ruins 
• Mohamed V Mausoleum – ornate burial site for members of the royal family 
• Old Medina – souvenirs, street food and local items 

Rabat Facts and Important Information:

• People tend to dress conservatively in Rabat 
  • I recommend covering your shoulders and knees 
• Although Rabat is the capital, it’s a small city so you’ll be able to see the sites in a half day trip 

Guided Tours to Rabat:

• Full-Day Private Tour to Rabat from Casablanca ($) 
• Full-Day Private Tour to Rabat from Casablanca ($$$) 
• You can also ask a taxi driver to take you to Rabat, drive you to the major sites, and bring you back to Casablanca
  • We opted for this option, and it was $180 including tip 

El Jadida

El Jadida is a port city filled with Portuguese style architecture. The town has a relaxed vibe and is a great place to spend a few hours. El Jadida is often bypassed by tourists for other cities such as Fes, Marrakech and Tangiers, but if you have time, it’s a great addition to your itinerary. 

El Jadida Things To Do: 

• Fortress of Mazagan – a former Portuguese fort and UNESCO World Heritage Site 
• Check out Old Market – located near the Fortress of Mazagan this is a great place to shop for souvenirs 
• Portuguese Cisterns – an old warehouse that was converted into a water storage site, the interior is very unique and the circular skylight is especially pretty 
• Visit the religious sites
  • El Jadida Synagogue 
  • Portuguese City Mosque
  • Church of the Assumption
• Visit the beach, Plage d’el jadida – this is a nice place to relax and spend time in the sun
  • It can get very crowded in the summer months 

Guided Tours to El Jadida: 

• Casablanca to El Jadida Full Day Private Tour ($$) 
• Discover El Jadida with Lunch at the Mazagan Resort ($$) 

Marrakech

Marrakech is a beautiful and vibrant city, and it’s one that many travelers choose to visit for many days. While I do recommend spending a few days in Marrakech if you’re visiting Morocco during the more mild months (spring and fall), if you’re visiting in the summer, a day trip may be the perfect amount. This is because during the summer Marrakech is extremely hot (100+ degrees), so a coastal city, like Casablanca will be more comfortable. 

However, even if you’re visiting in the summer, and aren’t a huge fan of the heat, it’s still worth it to visit Marrakech for a day trip – it’s a truly unique and special city. 

Fun Things To Do in Marrakech: 

• Jemaa el-Fnaa Square and Marketplace –the main square in Marrakech with souvenirs, snake charmers and monkeys 
  • This was my least favorite part of Marrakech, but it’s worth quickly seeing 
• Jardin Majorelle-Yves Saint Laurent Mansion – gorgeous botanical and cactus gardens 
• Bahia Palace – an absolutely exquisite 19th century palace 
  • It is a stunning place to explore, definitely spend some time here 
• Old Medina – a great place for souvenirs, local goods and spices 
  • This Old Medina is huge, so it was especially helpful to have a guide 
• The Jewish Museum and Jewish Cemetery – to learn about the Jewish history and culture in Marrakech 
• Camels  – on your way out of Marrakech, back to Casablanca, you may see groups of camels on the side of the road. Often, you can stop to take pictures with these camels, pet them, and even ride them for a small fee
  • I only recommend doing this if the camels look well taken care of 

Guided Day Trips from Casablanca to Marrakech: 

• Day trip from Casablanca to Marrakech ($$) 
• Casablanca to Marrakech Medina Day Trip ($$) 
• From Casablanca: Private Day Tour to Marrakech ($$$) 

Fes

Fes is a beautiful, walled ancient city that is often referred to as being the cultural capital of Morocco. This is a fantastic city to visit to explore the Medina, ancient religious sites and beautiful buildings. Additionally, there are also popular leather tanneries where you can purchase leather goods! 

Fes Attractions and Things To Do:

• Old Medina – a great place for buying pottery, leather goods and other souvenirs 
  • Check out the famous, ornate blue gate at one of the entrances 
• Leather Tanneries – you can visit these tanneries simply to see how the goods are made, or you can also purchase leather souvenirs 
  • The biggest (and oldest) tannery is Chaouwara Tannery
• Jnan sbil Gardens – take a stroll through the picturesque gardens 
• Bou Inania Medersa – a beautiful Islamic school and mosque that can be visited by non-Muslims 
•  Fes el-Jedid – stroll through the old Jewish Quarter 
  • Visit the Ibn Danan Synagogue and learn about Jewish history in the city 

Tours from Casablanca to Fes:

• Day Tour to Fes from Casablanca ($$$) 
• Day Tour from Casablanca to Fes ($$$) 
• Fez Day Trip From Casablanca ($$$) 
• Casablanca Private Full-Day Trip to Fez ($$$) 

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During a trip to Casablanca, I definitely recommend making some time for day tours! There are many to choose from and there are multiple beautiful, historic cities within a few hours drive. 

If you choose to rent a car and explore these cities on your own, they also make great places to spend the night. There are gorgeous riads in each city that make wonderful places to stay! Below are a few recommendations. 

Beautiful Riads for an Overnight Stay

• Riad Amaris – Rabat 
• Riad Sidi Fatah – Rabat 
• Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort – El Jadida 
  • Not a riad, but this property is gorgeous! 
• Dar El Malaika – El Jadida 
• Riad De Vinci & SPA – Marrakech 
• Emberiza Sahari – Marrakech 
• Riad Sidrat Fes – Fes 
• Riad Fes Nass Zmane – Fes 

I hope you found this guide to the best day trips from Casablanca to be helpful! If you have any questions, or any other cities to add to this post, let me know in the comments. 

I also appreciate you sharing this post with someone you know who’s visiting Morocco! 

More posts for planning your trip to Morocco: 

• Review Of Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco
• Casablanca, Morocco Tourism Guide for the Best Trip
• Itinerary for the Perfect 7 Days in Casablanca, Morocco
• The Best Morocco Tips and Travel Advice
• Morocco Female Traveler Lookbook
• What to Wear in Morocco – Cute and Practical Summer Outfit Guide

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♡Maggie

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