OZU /MOROCCO /CASABLANCA /GUIDE
Casablanca in a day
7 h route4 stopsBest: The mosque is visit-by-tour only: check the day’s slotsUpdated July 2026
Casablanca isn’t a postcard city and it’s worth knowing before you arrive: it’s Morocco’s economic capital, with four million people working, traffic and grimy buildings. What it has is what nowhere else does: the Hassan II Mosque, the only one in the country non-Muslims may visit, and an Art Deco centre that was France’s architectural laboratory in the 1920s.
A day covers everything worth seeing, in this order: the mosque first thing with a booked slot, the Art Deco centre on foot, the market, and the Atlantic Corniche at sunset. And no, the café from the film doesn’t exist: the whole thing was shot in Hollywood.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
The Hassan II Mosque
The reason to come to Casablanca: the largest mosque in Africa and the only one in Morocco non-Muslims may visit, on guided tours by time slot. It was finished in 1993 and paid for by public subscription. It holds 25,000 people inside and 80,000 on the esplanade.
It’s built partly over the Atlantic, the king wanted the faithful to pray above the water, and has the world’s tallest minaret, 210 metres, with a laser pointing to Mecca. Inside: a glass floor over the sea, a retractable roof, and craftsmanship by 6,000 Moroccan masters.
Check the day’s tour slots before going.
- 02
The art deco centre
In the 1920s and 30s, Casablanca was the laboratory of French architects: here they built the Art Deco and modernism Paris wouldn’t allow them, mixing it with Moroccan motifs. Out of it came a style of its own, mauresque, and a whole city of it.
The walk runs through Place Mohammed V, Boulevard Mohammed V and the streets around them. It’s grimy, peeling and half-abandoned, and that decay is exactly what makes it fascinating.
Look for the Wilaya building, the central market and the old cinemas.
- 03
The Central Market and the old medina
At the Central Market, from 1917, the city does its shopping: Atlantic fish, spices, olives, and stalls that cook on the spot whatever you’ve just picked. It’s the best place to eat in Casablanca and it isn’t a tourist spot.
Next to it is the old medina, far smaller than Marrakech’s and with no monumental interest, but that’s exactly why it’s authentic: nobody offers you anything, nobody touts you, it’s a neighbourhood.
Half an hour is enough and it shows more of Morocco than many souks.
- 04
The Corniche and Aïn Diab
The western seafront, with beach, pools and a row of restaurants and cafés where young Casablanca goes out.
At sunset it fills with families and the mosque’s silhouette sits at the far end, over the water. It’s the day’s logical close and the face of the city nobody expects: people in swimsuits, Atlantic waves and a relaxed mood.
There are licensed bars here too, which are not abundant in Morocco.
Frequently asked
Is Casablanca worth visiting?
One day, yes, above all for the Hassan II Mosque, the only one in Morocco non-Muslims may visit, and for the Art Deco centre. It isn’t a postcard city like Marrakech: it’s the economic capital, with traffic and noise.
Can you go inside the Hassan II Mosque?
Yes, and it’s the only working mosque in Morocco that admits non-Muslims. It’s visited with a guide on tours at set times, so check the day’s schedule before going. It’s the largest mosque in Africa.
Does the café from the film Casablanca exist?
No: the 1942 film was shot entirely in Hollywood studios and never touched Morocco. There’s a venue that recreates it for tourists, but it has no connection to the film.