Rabat

Rabat stands where the Bou Regreg River meets the Atlantic Ocean, a UNESCO World Heritage capital that blends 12th-century Almohad fortifications with wide palm-lined boulevards and contemporary cultural institutions. Because it serves as Morocco's administrative and diplomatic seat rather than a mass package resort, its rhythm is noticeably calmer than Marrakech or Fez: you can wander the indigo-and-white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas and the old Medina without persistent touts, then step straight onto a sleek low-floor tram into the Art Deco heart of the Ville Nouvelle.

Across the city, layers of North African history sit in open view, from the unfinished red sandstone minaret of Hassan Tower and the Roman-Merenid ruins of Chellah to the galleries of the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Start with our before-you-go briefing and top things to do in Rabat.

Travellers arrive either via Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA) just north-east of the Bou Regreg estuary or by flying into Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN) and riding the ONCF rail link north into Rabat Ville or Rabat Agdal station. Within Morocco, the Al Boraq high-speed train links Tangier and Casablanca through Rabat Agdal, while the two-line Rabat-Sale tramway and metered blue petit taxis handle urban hops. See how to get to Rabat and around.

Choosing between traditional courtyard architecture and modern convenience is simple here: the Medina and the Kasbah of the Udayas offer intimate restored riads within walking distance of the ocean and riverfront, while the tree-lined avenues of Hassan, Centre Ville and Agdal provide elevator hotels right on the tram network. Compare six bases in where to stay in Rabat.

Walk through the monumental Almohad horseshoe arch of Bab Oudaia into the Kasbah of the Udayas for mint tea overlooking the Bou Regreg estuary, inspect the forest of columns around Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, watch white storks nesting atop the Roman columns and Merenid minarets of Chellah, and pair Rue des Consuls craft workshops with the Archeological Museum and modern art galleries. Full list in things to do in Rabat.

Rabat's kitchen reflects both its imperial court heritage and its Atlantic fishing harbour: slow-braised lamb or chicken tagines perfumed with saffron and preserved lemon, flaky pastilla pies, Friday couscous Tfaya topped with caramelised onions and raisins, and platters of crisp fried sole, sardines and squid along the Bou Regreg marina and ocean cornice. Read where and what to eat in our Ville Nouvelle and food overview.

Founded in the 12th century by the Almohad Caliph Abd al-Mu'min as a fortified monastery-camp (ribat) and expanded by his grandson Yaqub al-Mansur as Ribat al-Fath, the city later welcomed Morisco refugees expelled from 17th-century Spain and became a fiercely independent maritime republic alongside neighbouring Sale before Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah and the 20th-century French Protectorate shaped it into modern Morocco's capital.