A hammam is Morocco's steam bath: a set of warm and hot rooms where you sweat, are scrubbed with black soap and a coarse glove, and rinse off with buckets of water. In Casablanca you can do it three ways: at a neighbourhood hammam with the locals, at a spa hammam such as the ones under the Hassan II Mosque esplanade or Hammam Ziani, or privately in a hotel spa booked for just you. This guide covers how a visit works, what to bring, the etiquette, and where to go.
A hammam in Casablanca, step by step
What happens in a hammam
How it works. You undress in a changing room, then move through rooms of rising heat. In the warm room you sit and sweat; in the hot room you spread black soap (savon beldi) on your skin, wait a few minutes, then scrub it off with a kessa, a coarse glove that lifts away a surprising amount of dead skin. You finish with buckets of warm and cool water and a rest with mint tea. In a spa hammam an attendant does the scrub for you.
Public, spa or private
Choosing. A neighbourhood hammam is the everyday version: cheap, local and run in French and Arabic, with little explanation for first-timers. A spa hammam is built for visitors, with an attendant, set packages and often a massage. A private hammam is a spa hammam booked for you alone, or for a couple or family, so nobody else is in the room. For a first visit, a spa or private hammam is the easier start.
The Hassan II Mosque hammams
Heritage. Under the esplanade of the Hassan II Mosque there are two traditional hammams, one for women and one for men, each of about 3,000 m², plus a health bath with a heated seawater pool. They opened to the public in August 2019, run by the mosque's foundation with the French spa group Deep Nature (le360, 7 Aug 2019). In 2019 entry to the traditional hammam started at about 50 dirhams. After the Covid closure they reopened at the end of June 2020 (Bladi, 1 Jul 2020). We have no newer confirmation of their hours or prices, so check before you go.
Hammam Ziani
Spa hammam. A Casablanca spa hammam sold by tour platforms such as Civitatis, with separate areas for men and women. One guide lists it as open daily from about 7:00 to 21:30 (Arrival Guides); we have not confirmed this, so check the hours directly. Packages pair the scrub with a massage.
Men and women
Etiquette. Hammams are single-sex. Some have separate men's and women's sections; others run women's and men's hours in the same rooms. Couples who want to go together need a private hammam in a hotel spa. In a women's hammam the atmosphere is often social and chatty; in both, people keep to themselves and nobody stares.
What to wear
Etiquette. Nobody is fully naked. Men keep on swim shorts or underwear. Women usually wear bikini bottoms or underwear; tops are optional in a women's hammam, and nobody minds either way. Spa hammams often give you disposable underwear. Bring a change of underwear for afterwards.
What to bring
Practical. For a neighbourhood hammam, bring flip-flops, a towel, shampoo, a change of underwear, and your own black soap and kessa (both sold in any local shop and in the souk). A spa hammam provides all of this. Leave jewellery and valuables at your hotel.
Tipping the attendant
Practical. In a neighbourhood hammam the person who scrubs you (a kessal for men, a kessala for women) is usually paid separately, in cash. In a spa hammam the scrub is part of the package and a tip is welcome but not expected. Ask at the desk if you are not sure.
Who should skip the hot room
Health. The hot room is very hot and humid. If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or high blood pressure, or have just had a long flight and little sleep, take it slowly or ask for a gentler session, and drink water before and after. If in doubt, ask your doctor first.
A private hammam with your day
Booking. If you want a hammam but not a public one, we can book a private session in a Casablanca hotel spa and fit it into a city tour or a long layover, with your driver taking you there and back. We confirm the spa, the time and the price in writing before you book.
Want a private hammam?
We book a private session in a Casablanca hotel spa for you, your partner or your group, and fit it into a city tour or a long layover, with your driver there and back. You get the spa, the time and a fixed price in writing within 24 hours.