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Voykit pocket guide · Morocco
Casablanca
الدار البيضاء
Give Casablanca one night for the Hassan II Mosque, then take the train on: 2 nights only if you want the Corniche and a day trip to Rabat.
Casablanca is Morocco's business capital and main air hub, not a medina city. The Hassan II Mosque is the one sight that justifies the stop; the old medina is small and the ville nouvelle is traffic-heavy. Most travellers sleep one night near the mosque or the centre, see the mosque on a guided tour, and continue by train to Rabat or Marrakech.
- Country
- Morocco
- Local name
- الدار البيضاء
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (humid), Ramadan daytime hours (check dates)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MAD
- Money
- Currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops take cards; souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget MAD 350–600 excl. bed · Mid MAD 600–1,200 excl. bed · High MAD 1,200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi sell tourist SIMs at airports and shops with a passport; 20–50 GB costs about MAD 100–200.
- Emergency
- Police 19 · Gendarmerie 177 · Ambulance and fire 15 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin plugs; bring an adapter for UK or US devices.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up or leave MAD 2–5.; Restaurant: 5–10%.; Porter or bag carrier: MAD 10–20.; Guide, full day: MAD 100–200.; Desert camp staff and driver: MAD 100–200 per day shared.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; carry water in the south.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets in older cafés and on the road. Carry tissue and MAD 2–5 for attendants.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or mint tea at a café | MAD 10–25 |
| Tagine or couscous in a mid restaurant | MAD 60–120 |
| Street sandwich or msemen | MAD 15–35 |
| Petit taxi, short hop in the centre | MAD 15–30 |
| Tram ride | MAD 6–8 (check) |
| Hassan II Mosque tour | MAD 130 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CMN · Mohammed V International
- Train to Casa Port or Casa Voyageurs, about 45 min; taxis also run to the centre.
Typical fares
- CMN airport → Casa Port, train
- about MAD 70 first class / 50 second, 45 min (check)
- Petit taxi, centre to Corniche
- MAD 30–50 (check)
- Train Casablanca → Rabat
- about MAD 40–60, 1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The tram runs 05:30–22:30 and covers the centre; buy a rechargeable card or pay a small surcharge per ride. Red petit taxis are cheap for short hops — check the meter is running. The Al Bidaoui train links the airport, Casa Port and Casa Voyageurs. Walking works in the centre and the small medina.The tram runs 5:30 AM–10:30 PM and covers the centre; buy a rechargeable card or pay a small surcharge per ride. Red petit taxis are cheap for short hops — check the meter is running. The Al Bidaoui train links the airport, Casa Port and Casa Voyageurs. Walking works in the centre and the small medina.
See and do
Known for
- Hassan II Mosque
- Art Deco ville nouvelle
- Corniche and Ain Diab
- Morocco Mall
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rabat | Train from Casa Port or Casa Voyageurs, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| El Jadida | Train or bus, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Marrakech | Train from Casa Voyageurs, about 2.5–3 h | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Centre / Ville Nouvelle
- Walk to the old medina, the tram and Casa Port station; best for one night with bags.
- Near Hassan II Mosque
- 5–10 min walk to the mosque for the first tour; quieter at night.
- Ain Diab / Corniche
- Beachfront hotels and restaurants; 20–30 min by taxi from the centre.
- Maârif
- Business hotels, cafés and malls; tram and taxi access, less walkable to sights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Peace be upon you | السلام عليكمas-salaam alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much is it? | بشحال؟be-shhal |
| Please use the meter | عافاك خلي الكونتورafak khelli l-compteur |
| Where is the toilet? | فين بيت الراحة؟fin bit ar-rahha |
| No, thank you | لا شكراla shukran |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum' and a handshake; hand on heart after; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman first unless she does
- Eating: Right hand, bread as your spoon; avoid: Refusing all food at a home
- Bargaining: Smile, take your time, walk away kindly; avoid: Naming a price you will not pay
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in medinas and villages; avoid: Beachwear away from the beach
- Photos: Ask and accept no; avoid: Photographing women or children without consent
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly indoors in daytime; avoid: Snacking on the street
Scams and watch-outs
- Petit taxis may not use the meter or may pick up other passengers: agree the fare or insist on the meter.
- The old medina and Derb Ghalef souq have pickpockets and pushy sellers; keep bags in front.
- Unlicensed guides offer to walk you into the Mahkama du Pacha: agree a price first.
- Summer heat and humidity on the Corniche; carry water.
- Some buildings are unfinished or abandoned — avoid unlit side streets at night.
Central Casablanca is busy and generally safe by day; the real risks are taxi meter games, pickpockets in the medina and souq, and unlit streets after dark. Use the meter, keep bags in front, and take a petit taxi after 22:00.Central Casablanca is busy and generally safe by day; the real risks are taxi meter games, pickpockets in the medina and souq, and unlit streets after dark. Use the meter, keep bags in front, and take a petit taxi after 10:00 PM.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Casablanca yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hassan II Mosque
- Art Deco ville nouvelle
- Corniche and Ain Diab
- Morocco Mall
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Casablanca city official site: www.casablancacity.ma/fr
- Hassan II Mosque official site: fmh2.ma/
- Mohammed V Airport official site: www.casablanca-airport.com
- Wikivoyage: Casablanca, revision 5300801 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5300801
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Casablancaالدار البيضاء
لهذا العنوان عافاك
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Several countries keep embassies or consulates in Casablanca and Rabat; check your own country's list before you travel.
Tipping: MAD 10–20 for porters and guides' helpers, 5–10% in restaurants.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/casablanca). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.