Long Weekend in Rabat, Morocco

Day 1 kicked off with an early arrival to Rabat with us landing around 10am. Our driver took us through the winding roads of the old Medina to the unassuming exterior of the Airbnb, just a gate tucked into a slim alleyway peppered with cats. Stepping inside, however, introduced an entirely new world. The Riad immediately opened up into a stunningly ornate courtyard with checkered floors and an open air feeling. The intricate carvings in the ceilings and the carefully woven covers on the sofas radiated luxury.

After exploring the accommodation, we set out into the Medina to find food. Friday is Islam's holy day, so the streets were quiet as we wandered. Eventually, we came upon Chez Lhaja, a local spot willing to sit our huge group of 12. We were served generous portions of beef, chicken, and vegetable couscous accompanied with bread, broth, and couscous. It was later explained to us by our local guides that everyone eats couscous following their prayer on Friday as part of their holy day celebrations. The food was delicious, bursting with spiced flavor in a stunning combination of sweet, aromatic, savory goodness.

On the way back to the Airbnb, we perused the markets and set off to find a grocery store for snacks at home. Unfortunately, the weather on this trip wasn't as kind to us as we hoped as devastating floods and torrential rain were plaguing the regions further north. Luckily, we only had to deal with occasional downpours and overcast skies, which we usually waited out with a cup of typical Moroccan mint tea and almond cookies.

For dinner, we found ourselves on Le Dhow, a restaurant on a pirateship-esque boat on the Bou Regreg river. While the food wasn't spectacular, the live music and incredible atmosphere made this dinner a top highlight for us. The upper decks had a live band performing a mix of moroccan music and top hits, and the bottom deck had a DJ/nightclub vibe going on. The river rocked the boat gently and the lights of the city formed a beautiful backdrop.

On Day 2, we started fresh and early with breakfast at the Riad. Myself and a few others picked up a box of pastries from a bakery called Himmi, along with some fruit and eggs from the market.

We next set out on a walking tour of the city with a local guide named Soufine, who we sourced from freetour.com. Book the tour here: https://www.freetour.com/account/booking/49044-20260206120123-967. He was an amazing guide who grew up in the city. He shared cultural facts, got us local food to try, and told us some of the history of the area. We walked the Medina and he took us over to the Kasbah Oudaya, an ancient area near the sea painted in white and blue and inclusive of the famous Andalusian Gardens. Inside the gardens, our tour ended at a stunning little cafe called Cafe Maure. It sits on a cliff above the sea where locals will jump into the water in the summer. They serve mint tea and an assortment of traditional cookies to enjoy. Cats lounge about on the chairs. It is truly an oasis.

That evening, a few of the girls went to the Hammam Marassa, recommended to us by our guide. We paid approximately $30 for our entry fee, which included everything from towels to shampoo. The entire process was unlike anything I'd done before and certainly a cultural experience. We were asked to come in to the steam area nude, walking past local women washing themselves in the main area. We were then sat on mats and wet with buckets of water before getting covered in an oil mask. It sat for a while and then got scrubbed off with a rough glove. I don't think I've ever seen so much dead skin come off my body. They then shampooed our hair and massaged a mud mask over us. After getting rinsed again, we got another shampoo, washed with oil, and a cold bucket of water right over the head. In all honesty, the experience was overwhelming as we did not speak any French or Arabic and the workers did not speak any English, so every next step was a surprise. However, I would overall recommend going as a cultural experience. Plus, you'll truly be softer than you've ever been before. They even let us keep the scrubbing glove!

That night, we got dinner at a restaurant called Dar el Medina. It was set inside a beautiful Riad and had live traditional music. We ate tagine, a traditional Moroccan dish cooked in a clay pot with vegetables and meat. It was pouring rain that whole night, so we ended up running back to the Airbnb and enjoying an early evening in.

On Day 3, we took a day trip to Casablanca. The famous city sits about an hour away from Rabat via train. I'd highly recommend taking the train over a cab or private transit as it is affordable (45 dirham one-way) and comfortable. The train station is currently under construction as are many parts of Rabat as Morocco will be hosting the 2030 World Cup, so the city is investing heavily in modernization and infrastructure. It was still a fairly nice station though inclusive of cafes for a quick bite before your journey.

Unfortunately, we misread the signage in the train station and caught the wrong train. On the outskirts of Casablanca, we hopped off and caught the local tram to where we were meant to meet our guide for a food tour. Thankfully, he was kind about our error and helpful in providing instructions for getting to the meeting point.

The food tour we took in Casablanca was booked through withlocals.com. Book the tour here: https://www.withlocals.com/experience/the-10-tastings-of-casablanca-bbd79821/. Our guide, Youssef, was amazing. He was born and raised in the city and was incredibly knowledgeable about the range of questions we asked him, from history to customs and culture. The tour included 7 stops with a variety of adventurous foods. We kicked off with what may have been the freshest oysters I've ever tried. Next, we had Khlii (Khlea) and eggs, a traditional breakfast dish of eggs, cured meat, olives, and bread, with a side of mint tea. That was washed down with a fruit juice of our choosing. At our next stop, things got interesting. We were set up in plastic chairs on the side of a busy road at a local hot spot. We began with tagines of chicken, lamb, and vegetable, served with bread. Then came the cow foot, a jiggly stewed dish that I was a bit too apprehensive to try. The cow head was served next - the meet was incredibly tender, but a bit too fatty for my taste. Finally, we got cow udder. While the flavor was alright, the texture was thick and spongey. The next stop was a food cart piled high with garlic and snails. They are sourced from the forests, cooked in a flavorful broth, and eaten by using a toothpick to pull the snail out of the shell. I expected something similar to escargot and was surprised to find that the snail really just looked like a snail. It was a hard mental barrier to get over, and despite the decent flavor, I could only get myself to eat one. Thankfully, our final stop was a pastry store, and we were sent off with a heavy load of desserts to sample at home.

After the food tour, we made our way to the Hassan II Mosque, the biggest mosque in Africa and the only one in Morocco that non-Muslims can enter. Unfortunately, our timing was off and the mosque was closed to visitors for the evening prayer. However, it was still worth a visit as the exterior courtyards offered impressive architecture.

That night, we cooked dinner in our Airbnb and enjoyed a cosy night in while the rain continued outside.

Our final day in Rabat was short and sweet. We began the morning with a lovely brunch at MAEYA before grabbing our last souvenirs from the souk in the Medina. I personally took home heaps of the mint tea Morocco is famous for, along with a new coin pouch and a gorgeously painted tile. My friends brought home a variety of other goods, from purses and scarfs to spices and pastries. We were sad to say goodbye to our stunning Riad and the lively city. I have no doubt all of us will be back in Morocco at some point to further explore everything the wonderful and welcoming country has to offer.