3 Things Worth Doing in Casablanca, Morocco

Here’s the truth. It can be confirmed by travelers and local Moroccans alike. As amazing as Morocco is for tourism and exploration, Casablanca is NOT a tourist city. It is literally the industrial capital of Morocco. As a result, it has not been developed for tourism despite its interesting history.

From a visitor’s perspective, the city can be explored in under a day and offers little in the in comparison to the marvelous things to discover elsewhere in the country.

However, Casablanca does have convenient flights to get into Morocco, so if you happen to find yourself there, here are the 3 things actually worth doing in in the city. (Note: 2 of these are food related).

Also, at the end of this post are recommendations for lodging and local tour operator contacts.

Eternal Escapades - Casablanca, Morocco: 3 Things Worth Doing

Watch this video on YouTube

1. Hassan II Mosque

Architectural Glory

The architectural marvel that is the Hassan II Mosque is by far the centerpiece of Casablanca. It is undoubtedly the most amazing structure in the whole city. Despite its traditional design, this mosque is actually quite young.

It was commissioned in 1986 by King Mohammed V, and was completed just over 7 years later in 1993. It is the largest mosque in Africa to date, and the 5th largest in the world. If there is only one thing on your to-do list in Casablanca, this should be it.

Furthermore, you are not required to be Muslim in order to visit this mosque, which is not the case in a lot of the other mosques of Morocco.

Build and Design

The phenomenal design of Hassan II Mosque includes gorgeous mosaics, as well as floors and columns constructed of stone and marble. It is impossible to miss how intricate the work was on this incredible structure. The hand carved and painted wood ceilings were striking features.

Also, intricate stucco (sculpted plaster) moldings adorned the halls and arches both inside and outside. The interior feels almost overwhelmingly large as you imagine how many people fit inside. It sits facing the Atlantic Ocean which only adds to the majesty of this intricately designed sanctuary.

Visiting Info

The amazing Hassan II Mosque is open to public visits as part of an hour long guided tour. Tours are available roughly every hour (except for during prayer times). However you should check the official schedule to confirm before visiting.

The cost of an adult ticket is 120 Dirham (roughly $12 US) – and worth every penny to see the inside. Honestly, the tour guides are so full of information that it’s a shame not to take advantage of their knowledge.

2. Rick's Cafe

Food & Ambiance

If you’ve seen the movie Casablanca, then you’re no stranger to Rick’s Cafe. Fun fact – it exists and it’s exquisite. The food is quite good in fact, an upscale fusion of western and Moroccan dishes. Furthermore, the ambiance is absolutely wonderful.

Despite being smaller than the “real” Rick’s Cafe, this rendition of the classic movie’s stage is set inside of a beautiful Riad. It looks basic from the outside, however walking through the front door is like walking into 1945.

The ground floor of Rick’s Cafe is in a beautiful indoor courtyard, complete with a bar and the iconic grand piano played by Sam. On the upper floor there is balcony seating and a room that is a recreation of Rick’s office. There’s even a roulette table in the middle of it to round out the experience.

Most ironically, this wonderful restaurant is owned by an American ex-Pat named Kathy Kriger. Isn’t that fitting?

Making Friends

Rick’s is popular among travelers, so it is also a place great for meeting people and congregating. It started as random banter among several tables. The next thing I knew, I was chatting it up with a super cool solo traveler named Tural. He was originally from Azerbaijan but living in London, and was in Morocco for work.

As if it were kismet, we happened to be staying in the same hotel. We became insta-friends, bantering about everything and nothing as if we had known one another for years. As a result, we proceeded to spend the rest of the day enjoying each other’s company.

It turned out to be very unfortunate that we both were leaving Casablanca the next morning. However, without Rick’s we probably wouldn’t have met at all, so the association will always be sweet for me.

Staff & Visiting

The overall experience at Rick’s Cafe was infinitely amplified by the quality of their wait staff. The guys working there were phenomenal – dressed in clean cut suits and adorable fez hats. Robert and Abdurakhman in particular made the experience, with their big smiles, fun personalities, and attentive natures.

Given that Rick’s is basically the second most popular place to visit in Casablanca, is advisable to make reservations for Rick’s Cafe. Lunch service was busy, so I can only imagine what dinner looks like. The dress code for lunch is laxer than dinner, so be advised when visiting that this is a classy joint.

Truthfully, it just adds to the appeal. This was undoubtedly one of the most memorable restaurant visits I have ever had.

3. La Bodega Restaurant

Weekend Nightlife

Isn’t it ironic that the most fun thing to do for nightlife in Casablanca actually isn’t Moroccan? La Bodega is a Spanish tapas themed restaurant that serves fantastic food, and on weekends has a live Spanish band performing.

They also have a club type area downstairs, but truthfully that’s not my scene. Tural went to eat there with me, and we ended up getting a heck of a lot more than just dinner. For a minute this place makes you forget you’re in Morocco, but in a really great way.

Live Band Saturdays

As part of the weekend experience at La Bodega, we got to see a Venezuelan band called Vene Son Trio perform. They were awesome! At first we sat down and were a little disappointed that we were sitting so close to the speakers. Boy were we wrong. A couple of sangrias and a range of Spanish music later, they had us dancing on the bar stools before the night was through.

They played a wide range of Spanish music covers, from Despacito to Suavemente, bachata to salsa, and even some reggaeton to mix it up. By the time they were ready to pack up, we were crying for encores. They turned what would have been a perfectly uneventful evening in Casablanca into one of the most memorable nights ever.

Tapas, Tapas, Tapas

The food was fantastic at La Bodega, but you’ll have to go on a little bit of faith unless you speak French. There’s no English menu. Still, Google translate and the waiters did an an adequate job explaining our options.

We chose the tapas mix plate because, who doesn’t love options? They had a meat option and a seafood one in terms of mixed plates. If the seafood is anything like the meat one, I highly recommend it. It was the perfect variety of Moroccan inspired Spanish Tapas.

If I had to tell you now what I ate, it would be impossible. However all of it was amazingly flavorful and I would definitely eat it again.

Helpful Tips

Honest and Dependable

Just to give you an idea of the quality of people Omar and Yousef were, I’ll start by telling you that I was willing to pay them for a tour in Casablanca. Despite this, Omar talked me out of it. He could have easily taken money from me as a tourist and taken me to the 3 places named above.

Instead, he chose to be honest and tell me it wasn’t worth it to do a tour in Casablanca. Furthermore, he planned out a 6 day private guided itinerary for me around my existing reservations. As a result, it maximized how much I would get to see in my short time in Morocco.

Great Tour Organizers

Usually, organized tours are not my cup of tea. When planning this trip, most of the research I was coming up with included some form of group organized tour. Not my first choice because I like to march to the beat of my own drum.

Finally, I solicited some advise from an amazing group of women globetrotters on Facebook called “Girls Love Travel”. A wonderful Dutch lady named Linda raved to me about a small family operated tour company she had used for her trip to Morocco. Going off her advise, I reached out to Omar from Morocco Colorful Tours. It was one of my best decisions to date.

Amazing Value

My hotel pick up was prompt, and Omar was always accessible and very helpful. He and Yousef had wonderful accommodating personalities. They made me feel like I was part of their family from the moment we met.

Compared to others that I reached out to about private drivers, Morocco Colourful Tours quoted me at the lowest of them all. They really are the trifecta of tour operators, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a personalized experience in Morocco.

Where to Stay in Casablanca

Modern City Hotel

My experience at Odyssee Center Hotel was nothing short of phenomenal. If you find yourself needing to spend a night somewhere in Casablanca, this is the perfect spot. The rooms were spotless and tastefully decorated in modern decor.

Also, the onsite bar and restaurant were a convenient place to seek refuge in a city that doesn’t offer much in terms of entertainment. However, these were all secondary compliments to the unparalleled service provided to me by the staff.

Change of plans

Originally, my stay in Casablanca was supposed to be for 3 nights. After speaking with Omar about my itinerary in Morocco, he suggested forgoing a day in Casablanca to visit Chefchaouen instead.

I decided to sacrifice the extra night in Casablanca, knowing fully well that my room was booked with a no-cancellation policy. I decided that the experience of visiting Chefchauen was undoubtedly worth the cost of the lost night. Therefore, I understood that I would be charged for the forfeited night. (Or so I thought).

Above and Beyond

When it came time to check out, the lovely front desk clerk named Imane went out of her way for me. Despite my efforts to assure her that it was my intention to pay for the lost night, she refused to let it go without speaking with her manager. In the end they chose to waive the cancellation cost for me.

The lengths that Imane had gone to on my behalf stunned me, especially given that she did it of her own accord. My feelings of gratitude fell second only to my surprise at what was happening. In all the standards of service I have encountered in my travels, this was undoubtedly the most “above and beyond” thing that has ever happened.

A Personal Touch

In addition to Imane, the rest of the staff including Asmaa, all the wait staff and concierge people who catered to my stay only amplified the experience. On my return to Casablanca a week later, they greeted me by name and asked me how my trip fared. Furthermore, they took the time to have a conversation with me, get to know me a bit and visa versa.

It was undeniably the warmest personalities and biggest smiles I have encountered in my hotel experiences. My ears were bursting from the number of times I was called “ma’am” in 24 hours. I can’t rave about the service offered by Odyssee Center Hotel enough. It absolutely sets the tone for a wonderful trip.