1-Day Road Trip Chefchaouen to Casablanca
In November 2022, we made a 16-day Road trip in Morocco going all around and driving over 2 500 km (in a Fiat 500! What an adventure).
Our trip started and ended in Fes, and we made a loop in order to visit this magnificent country. Our itinerary went through the main cities, the Sahara Desert, the seaside and the mountains of Morocco.
We personally rented a car at the airport and did the following: Fes, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, Essaouira, Marrakesh, Imlil, Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Merzouga, Ifrane. However, you don’t need to follow it by the dot, you can use it to make your own plan.
After a nice breakfast in Chefchaouen, enjoying was last time the surrounding mountains, we hit the road down to Rabat where we made a stop to visit a bit the city. Then we followed our road to Casablanca where we spent one night before heading to Essaouira. We opted not to stay too long in Rabat and to skip Casablanca as the true beauty of Morocco is not in its capital nor its business center.
Rabat is Morocco’s capital and stands along the shores of the Bouregreg River and the Atlantic Ocean. It is known for landmarks that speak to its Islamic and French-colonial heritage, including the Kasbah of the Udayas. This Berber-era royal fort is surrounded by formal French-designed gardens and overlooks the ocean. The city’s iconic Hassan Tower, a 12th-century minaret, soars above the ruins of a mosque.
Casablanca is a port city and commercial hub, fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s French colonial legacy is seen in its downtown Mauresque architecture, a blend of Moorish style and European art deco. Standing partly over the water, the enormous Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993, has a 210m minaret topped with lasers directed toward Mecca
In this article, we will tell our story going from Chefchaouen to Casablanca. So, if you too are planning a trip to Morocco, then let ‘s dive in 1-Day Road Trip Chefchaouen to Casablanca.
Table of Contents
Here is our complete video from this trip :
Mapping the day
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Introduction
We again woke up early but didn’t get scared by the prayer call today. We had breakfast which cost 30 dh per person and an extra coffee for 10 dh.
We then checkout and went to our car. But when we were about to leave the guy managing the parking came back. And quickly he started saying that we didn’t pay. We only gave him 30 dh but we stayed longer. When we told him on what we agreed upon arrival, he told us, no no no. It is 30 dh per day. After we insisted that it is not what we agree we started to leave and almost had to pass over him to get out. A good lesson is not to bargain the parking too much when it is 20 dh per day.
The adventure started. In addition, we also got lost getting out of Chefchaouen. Google maps ain’t the best there. But we were finally on our way.
We drove straight 4h to Rabat, the capital city. The road was half mountain road and the half highway. Before Rabat we had to pay 13 dh toll.
Arriving in Rabat was OK. It wasn’t too crowded yet as it was in the afternoon. We parked in an underground parking opposite of the main gate of the old Medina. It was quite empty parking but safe.
It also had toilet that you could use but to do so, we had to ask at the gate. We gave 2 dh tips for the guy there.
Best things to do Rabat
Hassan Tower
After we walked 15min, we reached the Hassan Tower. A beautiful and free entry site. There was a mosque there, but it was never finished.
Hassan Tower is actually the minaret of an incomplete mosque. It was commissioned by Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, the third Caliph of the Almohad Caliphate, near the end of the 12th century. The tower was intended to be the largest minaret in the world, and the mosque, if completed, would have been the largest in the western Muslim world. When al-Mansur died in 1199, construction on the mosque stopped. The minaret was left standing at a height of 44 meters
Mausoleum of Mohammed V
Next to the Hassan Tower is the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. It contains the tombs of the Moroccan king Mohammed V and his two sons, late King Hassan II and Prince Abdallah
Unfortunately, the mausoleum was closed.
Kasbah of the Udayas
On the other side of the Medina was the Udayas district where the Andalusian Garden and the Udayas museum are located. But they were at the moment closed (since 2018)
So, we then walked along the main wall and onto the Kasbah of the Udayas, an old, fortified city on the north of Rabat. It was a beautiful place to hang around and had really nice white building streets. After strolling a while in it, we headed back to the Medina
More things to do in Rabat:
If you plan on staying longer in the city, you could consider :
- Peter’s Cathedral
- Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
- Villa des Arts
- Chellah
- Royal Palace Rabat Morocco
Where to stay in Rabat
Don’t feel like going to Casablanca right away, stay in Rabat:
- (€): Dar Lalzohra
- (€€): Stayhere Rabat
- (€€€) Dar Shâan
Casablanca
Introduction
And once out, we decided to hit the road to Casablanca. We paid the parking 12 dh and left.
Well, now it was more technical. The road was super crowded, and we had to drive the Moroccan style. In the middle of the street between 2 lines, going left right and going first.
It was great to reach to highway. It was more chill to drive there. After another 23 dh toll and 1h20min we arrived. Well it wasn’t that easy either Casablanca. Lots of road construction and super crowded. But so far, no bump on the fiat500.
We paid the apartment 447.26 dh and went grocery to Carrefour express that was right around the corner. It cost 328.43 dh. We paid both by card.
We headed back to our apartment, made dinner, and rested.
Where to stay In casablanca
- (€): Ryad 91
- (€€): StayHere Gauthier
- (€€€): Art Palace Suites & Spa
Map
If you are interested in Casablanca, we added our map with our research on this city:
Itinerary
Day 1:
- Leave Chefchaouen
- Drive to and visit Rabat
- Drive to Casablanca
ضرب الحديد ماحدو سخون Strike the iron while it’s still hot. (Take advantage of the opportunity before it passes you by)
Get our full map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once? With this map, you get all our pins, destinations, things to see, where to eat and sleep, and so much more in one time.
