Morocco's largest city and economic capital is a study in contrasts: a colossal oceanfront mosque, France-era Mauresque architecture and a buzzing Atlantic corniche. One well-planned day covers the essentials. Here is a practical one-day Casablanca itinerary.
The best of Casablanca
Morning — Hassan II Mosque
Morning. Start at the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest in the world, rising on a platform partly over the Atlantic with a 210-metre minaret. It is one of the few mosques in Morocco non-Muslims can enter, by guided tour; check the morning tour times and go early.
Late morning — Old Medina & United Nations Square
Morning. Walk the compact old medina near the port, then out to Place des Nations Unies, the bustling square linking the medina to the modern downtown — a good place to feel the city's everyday energy.
Midday — Mauresque downtown & Place Mohammed V
Midday. Explore the 1920s–30s Art Deco and Mauresque architecture around Place Mohammed V, with its grand public buildings and fountain — the legacy of Casablanca's protectorate-era building boom.
Afternoon — Quartier Habous (New Medina)
Afternoon. Visit the Habous quarter, a 1930s reinterpretation of a traditional medina with arcaded lanes, olive and book stalls and Moroccan craft shops — calmer and more orderly than an old medina, and good for souvenirs.
Late afternoon — The Corniche & Ain Diab
Afternoon. Head to the Ain Diab corniche along the Atlantic for sea air, cafes and a view back to the mosque on its point — the city's favourite seaside promenade.
Evening — Rick's Café & seafood
Evening. Round off with dinner — fresh Atlantic seafood is the local strength — or a drink at Rick's Café, a faithful re-creation of the bar from the 1942 film, a fun nod to the city's cinematic namesake.