Things to do
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Andalusian Gardens
Orange trees, roses and bitter citrus fill a sunken garden laid out inside the kasbah walls below the old palace. Shaded paths and benches make it the quiet corner of the Udayas. Entry is free from the lower gate, and a terrace cafe at the far end looks across the river to Sale.
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Chellah
Storks nest on the minaret and broken walls of this walled necropolis, where Marinid tombs stand above the excavated streets of the Roman town of Sala. Paths wind through gardens down to an old pool known for its eels. Entry is ticketed, the site lies a short taxi ride south of the centre, and late afternoon light suits the ruins.
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Hassan Tower
Unfinished since the twelfth century, the red sandstone minaret rises 44 metres over a field of broken columns where a vast mosque was planned and never completed. The esplanade is open and free, with mounted royal guards at the gates. It shares the platform with the royal mausoleum, so the two make a single visit.
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Kasbah of the Udayas
Blue and white lanes climb inside the walls of this twelfth century fortress at the mouth of the Bou Regreg, ending at a platform over the river and the Atlantic. Entry through the carved Bab Oudaya gate is free and open through the day. Young men offering to guide wait by the gate, and they are not needed, since the lanes are short and lead back to the same few exits.
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Mausoleum of Mohammed V
White marble walls under a green tiled roof enclose the tombs of King Mohammed V and his sons, King Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdallah. Non-Muslim visitors may enter and look down on the tombs from a gallery, while guards in ceremonial dress stand at the doors. Entry is free, modest dress is expected, and a Quran reciter is often seated below.
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Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Moroccan painting and sculpture from the twentieth century onward fill the permanent galleries, with temporary exhibitions of international work in the rooms around them. Opened in 2014 on Avenue Mohammed V, near Rabat Ville station, the ticketed building is compact and takes about an hour, a good pairing with the walk down to the Hassan Tower.
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Museum of History and Civilizations
Bronzes and mosaics from Volubilis and other Roman sites of the north fill the main gallery, with prehistoric finds from Moroccan caves in the rooms beside it. A bronze dog and a youth crowned with ivy are the pieces to find. Small and ticketed, it suits an hour on the way between the centre and Chellah.
