Best Things to Do in Rabat

Rabat rewards travellers who pair its 12th- and 14th-century Islamic and Roman monuments with unhurried strolls along the Bou Regreg estuary and the palm-lined avenues of its 20th-century capital quarter. Most sights require little queuing and can be linked on foot or by tram.

1. Wander the indigo-and-white lanes of the Kasbah of the Udayas. Enter through the carved 12th-century Almohad gate of Bab Oudaia, follow Rue Jamaa past whitewashed doorways painted in deep cobalt blue, and stand on the Semaphore platform watching Atlantic rollers crash against the river bar.
2. Sip mint tea above the river at Cafe Maure and the Andalusian Gardens. Descend the southern steps of the Kasbah to a shaded cliffside terrace tiled in geometric zellij for sweet mint tea with Moroccan almond horns (cornes de gazelle), then stroll through sunken orange, lemon and bougainvillea courts.
3. Walk among the columns of Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Inspect the 44-metre red sandstone minaret begun by Almohad Caliph Yaqub al-Mansur in 1195 and peer down from the carved cedar-and-marble gallery into the royal tomb chamber.
4. Explore the Roman forum and Merenid royal tombs at Chellah. Outside the southern Almohad ramparts, ancient Roman Sala Colonia meets a walled 14th-century Merenid necropolis where dozens of white storks build huge twig nests atop broken columns and zellij minarets.
5. Browse carpets, leather and glass along Rue des Consuls. Walk the historic diplomatic street of the Medina, covered by modern reed-style awnings, where foreign envoys lived until 1912 and artisans now sell geometric Rabat wool rugs and leather babouches.
6. Visit the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI). Admire three floors of 20th- and 21st-century Moroccan painting, photography and sculpture by figures such as Chaibia Talal, Farid Belkahia and Hassan Hajjaj.
7. See the Roman bronzes at the Museum of History and Civilisations. A short walk from the MMVI, this archaeological collection displays superb bronze statues of King Juba II and Cato the Younger excavated at Volubilis alongside artefacts from Sala Colonia.
8. Cross the Bou Regreg in a blue wooden rowing boat to Sale. Step down to the jetty below the Kasbah to be rowed across the tidal estuary in minutes, then visit the delicately carved 14th-century Medersa of Abu al-Hasan inside Sale's authentic Medina.
9. Stroll down Avenue Mohammed V and past St Peter's Cathedral. Trace the architectural spine of the French Protectorate quarter, passing Art Deco apartment blocks, the palm-shaded parliament building and the striking white modernist curves of Cathédrale Saint-Pierre.
10. Walk the Atlantic Corniche and Phare de Rabat at sunset. Follow the oceanfront promenade south-west from below the Kasbah cemeteries past rock pools and the striped Rabat Lighthouse as Atlantic spray catches the evening light.