Four hours, ship to ship, and you’ve seen the real Casablanca — not just the postcard version. Morocco Private Trip takes you from grand colonial-era squares to a working souk to the interior of one of the largest mosques on Earth, all timed to get you back to the port on schedule.
Highlights
- Private, licensed English-speaking guide for the full circuit
- Mohammed V Square and the Central Market
- The Habous Quarter — Casablanca’s “new medina,” brass souk, and a 1938 patisserie
- The interior of the Hassan II Mosque, the second-largest mosque in the Islamic world
- The Anfa district, site of the 1943 Casablanca Conference
Your 4 Hours in Casablanca
You’re met at the port and driven first to Mohammed V Square, ringed by the city’s grand administrative buildings and a fountain that puts on water shows set to music. Nearby, behind the French Consulate’s railings, stands the statue of Marshal Lyautey. From there it’s on to the Central Market — fish, flowers, spices, and street musicians — and a stop at the Mahakma Court, a 1952 building with 60 rooms of Hispano-Mauresque decoration that still functions as a courthouse (on Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll see it from the outside only).
Next is the Habous Quarter, Casablanca’s “new medina,” built in the 1920s under the French Protectorate to house people arriving from the countryside, but laid out in the traditional style. Its alleys hold a brass souk where artisans still hammer out trays and teapots by hand, and Patisserie Bennis, open since 1938 and unmarked except for its sign — step inside for the mosaics and the pastries. You’ll pass the exterior of the Royal Palace, then head to the Church of Notre Dame de Lourdes, finished in 1956, notable for its stained glass by the same glassworker who worked on Chartres Cathedral.
From there, the tour continues to Anfa, the hillside district where Casablanca began. Its villas trace the evolution of Moroccan architecture from the 1930s to today, and its real claim to fame is history: this is where Roosevelt and Churchill met in 1943 to plan the Allied landings, and where Roosevelt held a secret meeting with Sultan Mohammed V about Morocco’s future. A stop on the Corniche for refreshments follows, before the highlight of the day: the interior of the Hassan II Mosque, completed in 1993 after seven years of work by 3,300 craftsmen, with a prayer hall built partly over the Atlantic and a 210-metre minaret that’s the tallest religious structure of its kind. The tour wraps up at the busy United Nations Square, with time for shopping before heading back to your ship.
Expect around 1.5 hours of walking over the day, some of it on uneven ground with a few steps here and there. The Mosque’s interior may be closed during religious services.
What’s Included
- Private round-trip transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, port to port
- Medical and accident insurance
- Guided sightseeing with entrance fees, including the interior of the Hassan II Mosque
- An English-speaking licensed national guide
- Light refreshments and bottled water
Not Included
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
What to Bring
- Good trainers
- A hat and pullover (seasonal)
- A day pack
- Hygienic wipes
- Camera, with a Ziploc bag to protect the lens
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
Book This Excursion
Send us your ship and port call time and we’ll confirm your private Casablanca excursion. Reach us on WhatsApp, give us a call, or fill out the quick form below and a local Morocco specialist will get back to you with a quote.