Things to do in Rabat

Arribat Center

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.9 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 1.0 km, about 2 min by car

Opened on 20/11/19 in the heart of Agdal, Arribat Center is the CDG group's shopping centre (Foncière Chellah), part of a mixed-use complex with offices, a hotel, a conference centre and an urban park. Its 45,000 m² of leasable space over three levels houses H&M, a Samsung Experience Store and the Megarama multiplex, which has had an IMAX auditorium since December 2025.

Highlights

• Megarama multiplex with a 150-seat IMAX Laser auditorium since 17/12/25
• 1,600 m² two-level H&M store, reopened on 04/09/25
• Mixed-use complex with offices, a hotel, a conference centre and an urban park

Leisure on site: Megarama Rabat

Shops

Fashion: H&M

Electronics: Samsung Experience Store

Mega Mall

Bélère Urban Hotel: 6.1 km, about 8 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 6.4 km, about 8 min by car

Opened in April 2005 on Avenue Mohammed VI in Souissi, Mega Mall was billed at launch as Morocco's largest shopping centre and today gathers around a hundred fashion, beauty, home and dining brands. It stands out for its complete family leisure offer: an ice rink, a 12-lane bowling alley, virtual reality and several children's play areas.

Highlights

• 800 m² ice rink with a skating school and ice karting on Friday nights
• 12 certified bowling lanes, with bumpers for children
• Fashion: Max Mara, Boggi Milano, Lacoste, Diesel, Gérard Darel

Leisure on site: Mega Mall ice rink, Mega Mall bowling alley, Royal Kids, Kid’s Zone, VR Dôme, Palais du Miroir (mirror maze), Art City by Ma Fête, Les Savants Fous

Ryad Square

Bélère Urban Hotel: 8.9 km, about 10 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 8.2 km, about 10 min by car

Opened on 19/04/19 in Hay Riad, Ryad Square is a four-level family shopping centre developed by FC2B, a retail property company backed by the Bricoma group. Designed as a shopping, dining and leisure destination, it notably houses the Royal Kids indoor play park.

Highlights

• Royal Kids indoor play park for children
• 15,000 m² four-level family centre in Hay Riad

Leisure on site: Royal Kids

Le Marché Dar Essalam

Bélère Urban Hotel: 9.3 km, about 13 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 9.6 km, about 13 min by car

Opened on 21/06/25 in Souissi, Le Marché Dar Essalam is a lifestyle destination combining a fresh market, fine groceries, designer boutiques and restaurants, in an architecture inspired by the site's historic orange grove. Billed as the first commercial building in Africa with dual HQE and BREEAM certification, it has housed Rabat's first Pathé cinema since December 2025.

Highlights

• Rabat's first Pathé cinema: four premium auditoriums and VIP lounges
• Fresh market, fine groceries and a Frédéric Cassel pastry shop under one roof
• Africa's first commercial building with dual HQE and BREEAM certification

Leisure on site: Pathé Dar Essalam, Play area, Studio Skult

Sela Park, Témara

Bélère Urban Hotel: 16.3 km, about 20 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 15.3 km, about 19 min by car

Opened on 24/09/20 at the entrance to Témara, Sela Park is a convenience retail park owned by the property company Aradei Capital, which still lists it in its Sela portfolio in 2026. It opened around a Carrefour hypermarket operated by the LabelVie group.

Highlights

• Retail park in Aradei Capital's Sela network, at the entrance to Témara

Avenue Mohammed V

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.5 km, about 1 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.1 km, about 3 min by car

Downtown Rabat's signature boulevard, Avenue Mohammed V is lined with protectorate-era neo-Moorish buildings, cafés, shops, gardens and fountains. It brings together Rabat-Ville station, Parliament, Bank Al-Maghrib and the Central Post Office, and is pleasant to stroll by day or night.

Highlights

• Protectorate-era neo-Moorish architecture
• Cafés, shops and gardens to enjoy by day or night
• Cinéma Renaissance, an Art Deco venue at no. 350

Rue Souika and Souk Es-Sebat

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.3 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.7 km, about 7 min by car

The medina's main shopping axis, Rue Souika continues into Souk Es-Sebat, a covered gallery lined with small shops. It offers djellabas, kaftans, babouches, leather goods and jewellery, as well as street-food stalls and traditional pastry shops.

Highlights

• Djellabas, kaftans and babouches in the heart of the medina
• Covered Souk Es-Sebat: jewellery, leather goods and musical instruments
• Street food: msemen, maakouda, harira and gazelle horns

Agdal, Avenue Fal Ould Oumeir

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.3 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 1.1 km, about 2 min by car

A modern, sought-after district south of downtown, Agdal gathers international fashion brands, cafés and shopping centres, in contrast with the traditional medina. Avenue Fal Ould Oumeir is its main shopping street, in the same district as Arribat Center.

Highlights

• Avenue Fal Ould Oumeir: boutiques, cafés and international brands
• Samsung Store and Starbucks on Avenue Fal Ould Oumeir
• Home to Arribat Center and Rabat-Agdal railway station

Cinéma 7ème Art

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.8 km, about 1 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.4 km, about 4 min by car

A downtown cinema owned by the Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM) on Avenue Allal Ben Abdellah. From 18 to 25/02/25 it hosted the screening series held for the launch of the Moroccan Cinematheque.

Highlights

• Historic downtown cinema owned by the CCM
• Hosted the Moroccan Cinematheque series in February 2025

Megarama Rabat

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.8 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 0.7 km, about 1 min by car

Megarama Maroc's multiplex inside Arribat Center, open since 05/08/19. Since 17/12/25 it has offered its first IMAX auditorium in Rabat, equipped with IMAX with Laser technology.

Highlights

• 150-seat IMAX with Laser auditorium since 17/12/25
• Screenings in French and original versions, including IMAX 3D
• Inside Arribat Center, in Agdal

IZI Morocco escape game at the Oudayas

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.7 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.6 km, about 6 min by car

A self-guided outdoor digital escape game played on a smartphone in the Kasbah of the Udayas, lasting about two hours. Its puzzles draw on the site's history and legends.

Highlights

• Self-guided smartphone game with no fixed schedule
• Puzzles inspired by the history and legends of the Udayas
• Lasts about two hours

El Akkari ice rink

Bélère Urban Hotel: 3.2 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.2 km, about 4 min by car

Billed as Africa's largest ice rink, this seafront multi-sport arena offers 1,738 m² of ice and was inaugurated on 24/01/26 with a Morocco–France friendly match. It is intended for clubs of the Royal Moroccan Ice Hockey Federation; public access had not been confirmed as of summer 2026.

Highlights

• Billed as Africa's largest ice rink, with 1,738 m² of ice
• Inaugurated on 24/01/26 with a Morocco–France hockey match
• On the Rabat seafront, in the El Akkari district

Mega Mall bowling alley

Bélère Urban Hotel: 6.1 km, about 8 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 6.4 km, about 8 min by car

A 12-lane certified bowling centre built by US specialist AMF inside Mega Mall in Souissi. It hosts birthday parties, corporate evenings and tournaments, including the Intercity Strike Cup (January 2025 and February 2026).

Highlights

• 12 certified AMF lanes, with bumpers for children up to age 10
• Birthday packages, corporate evenings and tournaments
• Host of the Intercity Strike Cup in 2025 and 2026

Mega Mall ice rink

Bélère Urban Hotel: 6.1 km, about 8 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 6.4 km, about 8 min by car

Opened with Mega Mall in 2005 as Morocco's first ice rink, it offers an 800 m² ice surface with public sessions seven days a week. A skating school run by qualified coaches welcomes skaters from age 5.

Highlights

• 800 m² ice surface, public sessions seven days a week
• Skating school from age 5 with qualified coaches
• Ice karting on Friday nights

Pathé Dar Essalam

Bélère Urban Hotel: 9.3 km, about 13 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 9.6 km, about 13 min by car

Rabat's first Pathé cinema, opened on 17/12/25 in the west wing of Le Marché Dar Essalam in Souissi. Its four premium auditoriums feature a Samsung Onyx LED screen and Dolby Atmos sound, with VIP lounges.

Highlights

• Four premium auditoriums with VIP lounges
• Samsung Onyx LED screen and Dolby Atmos sound
• Inside Le Marché Dar Essalam, among boutiques and restaurants

Rokya Aquaparc

Bélère Urban Hotel: 20.7 km, about 22 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 22.2 km, about 24 min by car

A family water park on the Meknès road in the commune of Al Arjate (Salé prefecture), about twenty minutes from Rabat. It offers seven pools, slides, water play areas and a VIP area.

Highlights

• Seven pools, slides and water play areas
• VIP area
• About twenty minutes from Rabat

Bab Rouah Gate and Bab Rouah National Gallery

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.4 km, about 1 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 1.4 km, about 2 min by car

A monumental gate in the Almohad ramparts completed in 1197 under Yaqub al-Mansur, Bab Rouah, the “Gate of the Winds”, stands out for its rich carved-stone decoration. Its interior, converted into an art gallery, hosts major exhibitions by established and emerging Moroccan artists.

Highlights

• Almohad decoration: horseshoe arches, inscribed friezes and shebka motifs
• An art gallery set inside the gate
• A venue of the “60 years of painting in Morocco” retrospective, January 2026

Parliament Building

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.8 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.4 km, about 4 min by car

Designed in 1932 as a courthouse by architect Adrien Laforgue, the building now houses Parliament and stands back from Avenue Mohammed V behind a landscaped forecourt. Colonnades, loggias and a marble staircase make it a textbook example of the new town's architecture of power.

Highlights

• Monumental colonnaded façade on the national heritage register
• Marble staircase and pink Taza granite
• Three balconies added at the request of King Hassan II

National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco (BNRM)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.0 km, about 1 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 0.7 km, about 1 min by car

Founded in 1926 as the General Library and Archives, the BNRM collects and preserves the national documentary heritage, manages legal deposit and publishes the national bibliography. Under the Ministry of Culture, it also holds exhibitions and lectures for the public.

Highlights

• Calligraphic mural painted on a façade by Tarek Benaoum in 2017
• Manuscripts, printed works, maps, photographs and sound archives
• Exhibitions and lectures open to the public

St Peter's Cathedral, Rabat

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.3 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.9 km, about 5 min by car

Built from 1919 to plans by Adrien Laforgue and inaugurated in 1921, the Art Deco cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Rabat; its towers were added in the 1930s. A tender for its restoration and heritage enhancement, with a planned twelve-month programme of works, was launched in late 2025 by Rabat Région Aménagements.

Highlights

• Art Deco façade with two towers added in the 1930s
• Seat of the Archdiocese of Rabat, with Mass celebrated daily
• A landmark of Place Al Joulane, in the heart of the new town

Royal Palace (Dar al-Makhzen) and Mechouar Esplanade

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.5 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.5 km, about 5 min by car

The current royal palace replaced, in 1854 under Sultan Moulay Abderrahmane, a palace built around 1785 by Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah. Before its gates lies the Mechouar, a vast garden-lined esplanade that hosts major ceremonies and is home to the Ahl Fes mosque.

Highlights

• Mechouar esplanade, setting for major official ceremonies
• Ahl Fes mosque, the main Friday mosque of the palace district
• The Royal College within the palace complex

Mausoleum of Mohammed V

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.0 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.3 km, about 5 min by car

Built from 1961 to 1971 on the esplanade of the Hassan mosque, the mausoleum holds the tombs of King Mohammed V and his two sons, King Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdallah. Designed by Vietnamese architect Cong Vo Toan, it combines white marble, carved calligraphy and a green-tiled roof.

Highlights

• Tombs of Mohammed V, Hassan II and Prince Moulay Abdallah
• White marble, carved calligraphy and a green-tiled roof
• Traditional crafts with modern materials, by architect Cong Vo Toan

Hassan Tower

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.5 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.7 km, about 5 min by car

The minaret of a mosque commissioned in the late 12th century by the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur, the tower was meant to be the largest in the world; work stopped when the caliph died in 1199. The unfinished minaret and the remains of the prayer hall form, with the Mausoleum of Mohammed V, a major historic ensemble of Rabat.

Highlights

• Unfinished Almohad minaret, an emblem of the capital
• Bases of 348 columns from the never-finished mosque
• Esplanade open to the Bouregreg, facing the Mausoleum of Mohammed V

Rabat Old Medina

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.5 km, about 6 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.6 km, about 8 min by car

Founded in the Almohad era in the 12th century and densified in the 17th century by Andalusian refugees, the medina covers about 91 hectares below the Kasbah of the Udayas. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property “Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage”, inscribed in 2012.

Highlights

• 17th-century Andalusian wall, five metres high and 1400 metres long
• Patio houses with zellige, carved wood and green glazed tiles
• Historic gates: Bab El Had, Bab Laalou, Bab Chellah and Bab El Bahr

Kasbah of the Udayas and Andalusian Garden

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.7 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.6 km, about 6 min by car

Perched on a promontory above the mouth of the Bouregreg, the kasbah was Rabat's first urban core, developed by the Almohads in the 12th century, and the first monument listed as national heritage in Morocco. Its whitewashed lanes lead to the Andalusian-inspired garden, the Café Maure and Semaphore Square facing the ocean.

Highlights

• Bab Oudaya (Bab Lkbir) gate and Al-Atiq, Rabat's first mosque
• Andalusian garden: fountains, flower beds and fruit trees
• Terrace Café Maure overlooking the Bouregreg and Salé's medina

Bab el-Had Gate

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.7 km, about 6 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.2 km, about 8 min by car

Built by the Almohad sultan Yaqub al-Mansur, Bab el-Had, the “Sunday Gate”, takes its name from the weekly market once held outside its walls. Altered early in the Protectorate to ease traffic, it now opens onto the central market and the medina's shopping lanes.

Highlights

• Gate flanked by two projecting towers, originally with a bent entrance
• Direct access to the central market and shopping lanes
• Part of the Almohad ramparts on the World Heritage List

Chellah Archaeological Site

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.8 km, about 7 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.0 km, about 9 min by car

Probably visited by Phoenician navigators, then a Mauretanian city and the Roman colony of Sala, Chellah became a walled Marinid necropolis in the 14th century. Listed as a historic monument in 1920 and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012, it blends ancient ruins, Marinid art and historic gardens.

Winter: 09:00:00–18:00:00; summer: until 20:00:00; Ramadan: 09:00:00–16:00:00

Highlights

• Roman remains of Sala: baths, temples and forum
• Marinid necropolis, including the tomb of Sultan Abu al-Hasan
• Historic garden and a colony of storks nesting on the ruins

Events

• Mawazine – Rhythms of the World festival: June
• Visa For Music: November

Rue des Consuls (Consuls' Street)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.8 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.7 km, about 6 min by car

From the 18th to the early 20th century, this medina thoroughfare was home to the consuls and envoys of several European countries. Lined with shops and fondouks, it now showcases fine craftsmanship: leatherwork, woodwork, silverwork and Rabat carpets.

Highlights

• House of Louis de Chénier, French consul in the 18th century
• Fondouk Ben Aïcha, said to date from the 18th century
• Leads to Bab El Bahr, the old gate of the river port

Mohammed VI Tower

Bélère Urban Hotel: 4.1 km, about 6 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 5.5 km, about 8 min by car

Rising 250 metres over 55 floors, the Mohammed VI Tower stands in Salé, on the right bank of the Bouregreg facing Rabat, and is the tallest building in Morocco. Designed by Rafael de La-Hoz with Hakim Benjelloun and inaugurated in 2026, it combines offices, residences, the Waldorf Astoria hotel, cultural spaces and an observatory open to the public by reservation.

Highlights

• Panoramic observatory at the top, open by reservation
• Cultural space on the 50th floor for exhibitions and events
• Views over Rabat, Salé and the Bouregreg Valley from the top floors

Former Maristan – Dar Al Qadi

Bélère Urban Hotel: 4.7 km, about 6 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 6.2 km, about 8 min by car

Built in the 14th century by the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan and completed by his son Abu Inan, this jewel of Andalusian architecture was a hospital and medical teaching centre, then a fondouk and, in the 18th century, the qadi's residence. Its façade has been listed as national heritage since 1924, and RRPH states that the building now houses the Belghazi Museum of Musical Instruments.

Highlights

• Central patio, galleries, hammam and former Marinid care rooms
• Façade listed as national heritage since 1924
• Belghazi Museum of Musical Instruments, according to RRPH

Great Mosque and Marinid Madrasa of Salé

Bélère Urban Hotel: 5.2 km, about 6 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 6.7 km, about 9 min by car

Rebuilt in 1196 under the Almohad caliph Yaqub al-Mansur, the Great Mosque of Salé is among the largest in Morocco; it was closed for restoration in 2025. The neighbouring madrasa, completed in 1341 under the Marinid sultan Abu al-Hasan, is renowned for its zellige, carved stucco and cedar woodwork.

Highlights

• 14th-century madrasa: zellige, stucco and carved cedar
• Decoration akin to the Nasrid art of the Alhambra
• The imposing minaret of the Almohad Great Mosque

Salé Medina

Bélère Urban Hotel: 5.6 km, about 7 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 7.0 km, about 9 min by car

Facing Rabat on the right bank of the Bouregreg, Salé's old town keeps its ramparts, whose western section was recently restored, and its monumental Bab Lamrissa gate. Its lanes lead to the mausoleums of Sidi Ben Achir and Sidi Abdellah Ben Hassoun, the Great Mosque and the Marinid madrasa.

Highlights

• Bab Lamrissa, a 13th-century Marinid gate linked to an old shipyard
• Sidi Abdellah Ben Hassoun mausoleum, where the Mawlid candles are made
• Fortified esplanade facing the Atlantic, known as the “Esplanade of Tears”

Events

• Candle procession on the eve of the Mawlid (date set by the Hijri calendar)

Museum of History and Civilizations

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.9 km, about 1 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.1 km, about 3 min by car

Successor to the former archaeological museum, whose collections date back to excavations begun in 1915, it reopened under its current name in April 2017 after renovation by the National Museums Foundation. A chronological route leads from prehistory to the Islamic era, via the Phoenician, Mauretanian and Roman periods.

Daily except Tuesday, 10:00:00–18:00:00

Highlights

• Famous bronzes of Juba II, Cato and the ephebes from ancient sites
• Gallery of Roman white-marble and bronze sculptures found in Morocco
• Open-air patio with rock carvings and ancient inscriptions

Villa des Arts of Rabat (Al Mada Foundation)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.9 km, about 1 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.2 km, about 4 min by car

Opened to the public in December 2006, this art centre occupies a group of restored Art Deco villas set in gardens that host open-air exhibitions. Part of the Al Mada Foundation, the Villa des Arts presents Moroccan and African art exhibitions, such as “Yallah' Afrika” in 2025 and “État(s) de passage” in 2026.

Highlights

• Three restored Art Deco villas on a site of about 5,500 m²
• Gardens and paths laid out for open-air exhibitions
• A venue of the “60 years of painting in Morocco” retrospective, January 2026

Barid Al-Maghrib Museum (Postal Museum)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.1 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.6 km, about 4 min by car

Reopened on 21/11/19 after refurbishment, the Barid Al-Maghrib museum occupies a listed building in central Rabat and tells the story of the Moroccan postal service, founded in 1892 under Sultan Moulay Hassan I. Across more than 700 m², its galleries cover the post under the Protectorate, after Independence and today.

Highlights

• More than 600 philatelic items and objects from postal history
• A block reproducing the first six Moroccan stamps, issued in 1912
• Audiovisual and digital kiosks, plus a children's area

Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMVI)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.1 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 1.9 km, about 3 min by car

Opened in 2014 and run by the National Museums Foundation, MMVI is Morocco's first museum devoted entirely to modern and contemporary art to international museum standards. Its collection of more than 500 paintings gathers the great names of Moroccan painting, alongside internationally ambitious temporary exhibitions every year.

Daily except Tuesday, 10:00:00–18:00:00

Highlights

• More than 500 paintings and about ten sculptures in the collection
• Melehi, Gharbaoui, Belkahia, Kacimi, Agueznay: key names in the collection
• Past shows: Picasso, Giacometti, Goya, Delacroix, Cartier-Bresson

National Museum of Photography

Bélère Urban Hotel: 3.1 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.0 km, about 6 min by car

The museum occupies Fort Rottembourg, or Borj El Kebir, a late-19th-century fortification on the Rabat corniche built to house two cannons given to Morocco by Germany. Restored, the fort became in 2020 a museum devoted to photography as an art form, with a mission to promote Morocco's young photographic scene.

Daily except Tuesday, 10:00:00–18:00:00

Highlights

• Fort built from 1888 under German engineer Walter Rottemburg
• Renamed “Fort Hervé” in 1912, restored and opened as a museum in 2020
• On the corniche, between Rabat lighthouse and the former military hospital

Oudayas – National Museum of Adornment

Bélère Urban Hotel: 3.4 km, about 5 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.3 km, about 7 min by car

Housed in the former princely residence of the Kasbah of the Udayas, built between 1672 and 1694 under Sultan Moulay Ismail, the museum opened on 09/01/23 after renovation. Its permanent exhibition is devoted to the Moroccan art of adornment and enriched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI's personal collection of Amazigh jewellery.

Daily except Tuesday, 10:00:00–18:00:00

Highlights

• King Mohammed VI's personal collection of Amazigh jewellery
• A five-section route devoted to Moroccan adornment
• Late-17th-century building in the heart of the Kasbah of the Udayas

Maroc Telecom Museum

Bélère Urban Hotel: 8.0 km, about 10 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 7.4 km, about 9 min by car

Opened in 2001 and housed since 2013 in Maroc Telecom's new headquarters, the museum traces the history of telecommunications in Morocco. Its themed route runs from the first wired lines to the latest equipment, showing how landlines, then mobile and digital technology transformed daily life.

Highlights

• Collection built since the 1980s with pieces from across the Kingdom
• From the first wired lines to modern transmission systems
• Educational workshops and guided tours for schools and universities

Moroccan Football Museum

Bélère Urban Hotel: 12.7 km, about 13 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 14.2 km, about 16 min by car

Inaugurated in March 2024 by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and the National Museums Foundation, the museum occupies the ground floor of the FRMF headquarters in the Maâmora area. Open to the public since 01/02/25, it traces the history of Moroccan football through six themes, from the pioneers to the recent feats of the Atlas Lions.

Saturday and Sunday, 10:00:00–18:00:00

Highlights

• Six themes, from “Enlightened Royal Vision” to “Land of Passion”
• Historic jerseys, trophies, photographs and emblematic objects
• Hall of Fame of players, coaches, referees and officials

Bahnini Hall

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.7 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.3 km, about 4 min by car

A performance hall in central Rabat, Salle Bahnini hosts plays and concerts throughout the year, often in partnership with cultural institutes. It notably serves as a stage for Visa For Music showcases and the Jassad International Festival of Women Stage Directors.

Highlights

• Live Visa For Music showcases every November
• Theatre productions, such as “Crise” staged in September 2026
• Plays from the Jassad International Festival of Women Stage Directors

Events

• Jassad festival of women stage directors: October
• Visa For Music: November

French Institute of Rabat (Institut français)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 0.8 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.4 km, about 4 min by car

The French Institute of Rabat publishes a quarterly cultural programme of cinema, literary talks, exhibitions, live performances and workshops. It has a media library and the Gérard Philipe cinema, and stages many performances in partner venues across Rabat and Salé.

Tuesday to Friday, 09:00:00–13:00:00 and 14:00:00–18:00:00; Saturday, 09:00:00–13:00:00 and 14:00:00–17:00:00

Highlights

• Gérard Philipe cinema at 2, rue Al Yanboua
• The Institute's media library and exhibition room
• Shows co-presented at Salle Bahnini, Shems'y and the Villa des Arts

Cinéma Renaissance – Café La Scène

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.0 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 2.6 km, about 4 min by car

Built in the 1930s as a theatre and turned into a multi-purpose hall from 1946, this Art Deco gem was acquired in 2006 by the HIBA Foundation. Fully refurbished, it combines a screening hall and the La Scène cultural café, hosting debates, meetings, shows and artistic events.

Highlights

• 1930s Art Deco building on the national heritage register
• A screening hall and the La Scène cultural café under one roof
• Live Visa For Music showcases in November

Events

• Visa For Music: November

Mohammed V National Theatre

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.6 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.4 km, about 5 min by car

The first theatre built in Morocco after Independence, it was inaugurated on 14/03/62 by King Hassan II in downtown Rabat, close to the medina and Avenue Mohammed V. A public institution under the authority in charge of culture, it programmes theatre, music and shows and hosts several major festivals every year.

Highlights

• Season opened in September 2026 with the play “Qaïd Al Oued”
• A stage for Mawazine, the Fado Festival and Visa For Music
• Esplanade hosting open-air concerts during Visa For Music

Events

• Mawazine – Rhythms of the World festival: June
• Fado Festival, Rabat stop: September
• Visa For Music: November

Royal Theatre of Rabat (formerly Grand Theatre of Rabat)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 3.5 km, about 5 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.4 km, about 7 min by car

Designed by Zaha Hadid and delivered by the Bouregreg Valley Development Agency, the theatre was officially inaugurated on 29/10/24 and opened to the public on 22/04/26 with a show featuring about a hundred Moroccan artists. It has a main auditorium of more than 1,800 seats, a 250-seat hall and a 7000-seat open-air amphitheatre.

Highlights

• Flowing architecture by Zaha Hadid in the heart of the Bouregreg Valley
• Main hall designed for theatre, dance, opera and symphonic concerts
• 7000-seat open-air amphitheatre for festivals and major events

Shems'y National Circus School

Bélère Urban Hotel: 8.3 km, about 10 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 9.7 km, about 13 min by car

Based in Salé, the Shems'y National Circus School trains young artists and stages live performances under its big tops. With AMESIP, it runs Karacena, the biennial of circus and travelling arts, whose 11th edition took place from 21/08/26 to 31/08/26.

Highlights

• Circus and dance shows under the big top, with the French Institute
• Karacena: circus, dance, music and equestrian arts every two years
• A creative space for the young artists trained at the school

Al Medina Stadium

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.5 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 0.3 km, about 1 min by car

Successor to the 1970s Al Barid stadium and fully rebuilt in the heart of Agdal, Al Medina Stadium (18 000 seats) opened on 13/11/25 and is the home ground of Union Touarga Sport. It hosted four AFCON 2025 matches, including a round-of-16 tie.

Highlights

• Pitch set slightly below ground level for better sightlines
• White roof-and-façade shell with diamond motifs
• In the heart of Agdal, next to the Ibn Yassine sports hall

Events

• AFCON 2025: round of 16 on 04/01/26

Ibn Yassine Sports Hall

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.8 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 0.5 km, about 1 min by car

Built in the early 1970s alongside the former Al Barid stadium, the Ibn Yassine multi-sports hall stands on Rue Al Achaari in the Agdal district. Renovated for the event, it co-hosted the 2024 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations with the Moulay Abdellah sports palace.

Highlights

• Co-host of the 2024 Futsal AFCON
• On Rue Al Achaari, in the heart of Agdal
• Right next to the new Al Medina Stadium

USCM tennis courts

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.0 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 0.8 km, about 2 min by car

The Union Sportive des Cheminots du Maroc club in the Agdal district hosts the Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, a WTA 250 tournament played on outdoor clay. The 24th edition was held there from 18/05 to 23/05/26.

Highlights

• WTA 250 tournament on clay courts
• Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem: 24th edition in 2026
• Courts of the Cheminots club, in Agdal

Events

• Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, WTA 250 on clay: 2026 edition from 18/05/26 to 23/05/26

Moulay El Hassan Stadium

Bélère Urban Hotel: 5.1 km, about 7 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 5.5 km, about 8 min by car

Rebuilt on the historic home ground of FUS Rabat in the Hay Nahda district, Moulay El Hassan Stadium (22 000 seats) opened on 13/11/25. A dedicated football stadium with compact stands, it hosted four AFCON 2025 matches and will stage the final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Highlights

• Glazed terracotta façade with Amazigh-inspired motifs
• No running track: stands right next to the pitch
• Historic home of FUS Rabat

Events

• FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: 2026 edition from 17/10/26 to 07/11/26, final at this stadium

Boubker Ammar Stadium, Salé

Bélère Urban Hotel: 5.9 km, about 6 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 7.4 km, about 8 min by car

Located in the Bettana district of Salé, Boubker Ammar Stadium is the historic ground of Association Sportive de Salé, a club founded in 1928. This modest-sized venue has notably hosted Botola Pro D2 matches.

Highlights

• Historic ground of AS Salé, founded in 1928
• Bettana district, Salé

Moulay Abdellah Arena

Bélère Urban Hotel: 8.3 km, about 11 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 7.3 km, about 10 min by car

The sports palace of the Prince Moulay Abdellah complex, Salle Moulay Abdellah hosts basketball, handball, volleyball and futsal in an arena of about 6 000 seats. Renovated in 2024, it staged the 2024 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations and the very first Women's Futsal Africa Cup of Nations in 2025.

Highlights

• Basketball, handball, volleyball and futsal
• Host of the 2024 Futsal AFCON (11/04–21/04/24)
• First-ever Women's Futsal AFCON (22/04–30/04/25)

Events

• Women’s Futsal AFCON 2025, first edition

Rabat Olympic Stadium

Bélère Urban Hotel: 9.3 km, about 12 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 8.3 km, about 12 min by car

Built in nine months within the Prince Moulay Abdellah complex and opened on 25/05/25, Rabat Olympic Stadium (21 000 seats) combines a World Athletics-certified track with a natural-grass football pitch. Every spring it hosts the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, a Wanda Diamond League stop, as well as major women's football finals.

Highlights

• The only African stop on the Wanda Diamond League circuit
• World Athletics-certified track and crescent-shaped roof
• Women's AFCON 2024 and 2026 finals, U-17 World Cup 2025 final

Events

• Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, Wanda Diamond League: 17th edition on 31/05/26
• Women’s AFCON 2026: final on 16/08/26

Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium

Bélère Urban Hotel: 9.7 km, about 14 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 8.7 km, about 14 min by car

Rebuilt in 24 months on the site of the 1983 stadium and inaugurated on 04/09/25, Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium is the flagship of Moroccan football, with 68 700 seats. It hosted the opening match and the final of AFCON 2025 and is among the venues put forward for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Highlights

• Designed by Populous, with stands set close to a hybrid pitch
• Illuminated façade of 19 200 unique aluminium triangles
• Two-tier south stand for 23 000 fans under a circular roof

Events

• AFCON 2025: opening match on 21/12/25 and final on 18/01/26
• Venue in the Morocco–Spain–Portugal bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup

Nouzhat Hassan Garden

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.5 km, about 3 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.2 km, about 5 min by car

Laid out in 1924 over about 8 hectares between the medina and the new town, the former “Triangle de vue” park is one of Rabat's emblematic historic gardens. Recently refurbished, it offers shaded paths, century-old trees, a pond and a playground.

Highlights

• Century-old trees and shaded paths
• Pond and children's playground
• Historic garden between the medina and the new town

Rabat Botanical Test Garden

Bélère Urban Hotel: 1.5 km, about 2 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 0.2 km, about 1 min by car

Created in 1914 over some 17 hectares and designed by landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, the Botanical Test Garden gathers more than 650 ornamental and fruit species from local, tropical, subtropical and desert origins. Restored under the aegis of the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City”, inscribed in 2012.

Highlights

• More than 650 local, tropical and desert species
• Andalusian garden and Moorish pavilion created with FUNCI
• Part of the UNESCO site “Rabat, Modern Capital”

Atlantic corniche

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.8 km, about 4 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.7 km, about 5 min by car

Redeveloped along a widened coastal road, the Atlantic corniche links Rabat to Harhoura with a seafront promenade lined with landscaped green spaces and footpaths. It has become one of the capital residents' favourite summer escapes.

Highlights

• Seafront promenade facing the Atlantic Ocean
• Landscaped green spaces and footpaths
• Links Rabat to the beaches of Harhoura

Hassan II Park

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.9 km, about 5 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.1 km, about 7 min by car

Inaugurated on 11/11/18 by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Hassan II Park stretches between Place Bab Zaër, Avenue Mohammed VI and Avenue Imam Malik. Clean and well equipped, it combines a musical fountain, an amphitheatre, a climbing wall, skate parks and sports pitches along shaded paths.

Highlights

• Musical fountain and open-air amphitheatre
• 10-metre climbing wall and two skate parks
• Football, basketball and volleyball courts

Bouregreg riverside promenade

Bélère Urban Hotel: 3.6 km, about 5 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.5 km, about 6 min by car

Stretching about two kilometres along the Rabat bank of the estuary, the Bouregreg corniche links the Hassan II bridge to the foot of the Kasbah of the Udayas, facing Salé and its marina. Strollers, anglers and traditional ferry boats bring it to life until sunset, with views of the Hassan Tower, the Mohammed V Mausoleum and the medina walls.

Highlights

• Views of the Kasbah of the Udayas, the Hassan Tower and Salé
• River crossing by traditional rowing boat
• New wooden boardwalk nearing completion (October 2026)

Ibn Sina Forest (“Hilton Forest”)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 4.7 km, about 7 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 4.1 km, about 7 min by car

Officially the Ibn Sina Urban Forest, this woodland of more than 60 hectares of eucalyptus, pine and holm oak is nicknamed the “Hilton Forest” after the former hotel next door. A true green lung of Souissi, it draws walkers, joggers and families every day.

Highlights

• Walking and jogging trails for all levels
• Children's playgrounds, sports pitches and ping-pong tables
• Family picnics in the shade of the pines

Events

• RabatRun: 4th edition on 25/04/26 and 26/04/26

National Zoological Garden

Bélère Urban Hotel: 9.6 km, about 11 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 8.7 km, about 11 min by car

Opened in 2012 near the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex, Rabat Zoo presents some 2 000 animals of about 180 species in vast enclosures recreating the Atlas, the Sahara, the savannah, the equatorial forest and wetlands. It is home to what is described as the world's largest collection of Atlas lions, extinct in the wild.

Highlights

• Atlas lions, Barbary macaques and mouflons
• Educational farm and a vivarium of some 40 reptile species
• Five ecosystems: Atlas, desert, savannah, forest, wetlands

Bouknadel Exotic Gardens

Bélère Urban Hotel: 14.0 km, about 17 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 15.4 km, about 20 min by car

Created around 1951 by horticultural engineer Marcel François and opened to the public in 1961, the Bouknadel Exotic Gardens gather more than 500 plant species over four and a half hectares. Restored by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection between 2003 and 2005, they offer a true botanical world tour, from Polynesia to Japan.

Highlights

• World gardens: Japan, China, Andalusia, Brazil, Polynesia…
• Educational trail, aviary and vivarium
• More than 500 plant species over four and a half hectares

Maâmora Forest

Bélère Urban Hotel: 27.7 km, about 40 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 29.2 km, about 43 min by car

Covering about 132 000 hectares, nearly 70 000 of them cork oak, the Maâmora forest is described as the largest continuous cork-oak forest in the world. Managed by the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF), which runs a regeneration programme there, it welcomes many families at weekends.

Highlights

• Vast cork-oak forest on Salé's doorstep
• Weekend family walks
• Ongoing regeneration (“Forests of Morocco 2020-2030” strategy)

Rabat beach (Oudayas)

Bélère Urban Hotel: 2.9 km, about 5 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 3.8 km, about 6 min by car

Nestled at the mouth of the Bouregreg, below the Kasbah of the Udayas, Rabat Beach has been redeveloped with showers, toilets, cafés and water-sports clubs. Busy on sunny days, it is the capital's meeting point for surfers.

Highlights

• Surf and water-sports clubs
• Views of the Kasbah of the Udayas
• Cafés and light dining along the bay

Contrebandiers beach, Harhoura

Bélère Urban Hotel: 16.7 km, about 17 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 15.8 km, about 16 min by car

On the Harhoura coastline, in the Skhirate-Témara prefecture, Contrebandiers beach received the Blue Flag for the first time in 2026. It extends into Sables d'Or beach, which was awarded the label the same year.

Highlights

• Blue Flag 2026 (first award)
• Continues into Sables d'Or beach

Sables d’Or beach, Harhoura

Bélère Urban Hotel: 17.4 km, about 18 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 16.4 km, about 17 min by car

An extension of Contrebandiers beach, Sables d'Or is a seaside spot popular with Rabat residents and easy to reach by public transport. Awarded the Blue Flag for the first time in 2026, it lies near the small port of Sid El Abed, where fishermen sell their catch every morning.

Highlights

• Blue Flag 2026 (first award)
• Sid El Abed fishing port and catch of the day
• Reachable by public transport from Rabat

Sidi Abed beach, Harhoura

Bélère Urban Hotel: 18.9 km, about 20 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 17.9 km, about 20 min by car

A beach in the seaside town of Harhoura, south of Rabat, Sidi Abed was among the Blue Flag beaches of 2025, a label renewed in 2026. It is part of the string of beaches along the Harhoura coast, between Sables d'Or and Val d'Or.

Highlights

• Blue Flag 2025 and 2026
• On the Harhoura coastline, south of Rabat

Plage des Nations

Bélère Urban Hotel: 22.1 km, about 28 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 23.6 km, about 30 min by car

Some fifteen kilometres north of Rabat, the Plage des Nations unfolds a wide strip of golden sand bordered by dunes. Awarded the Blue Flag in 2025 and 2026, it is known for waves suited to surfing and kitesurfing, but its currents can be strong.

Highlights

• Blue Flag 2025 and 2026
• Surfing and kitesurfing spot
• Wide golden-sand beach bordered by dunes

Skhirat beach

Bélère Urban Hotel: 29.0 km, about 25 min by car
Bélère Arribat City Center: 28.0 km, about 25 min by car

Awarded the Blue Flag for the sixth consecutive year as early as 2012, Skhirat beach was again among the beaches distinguished in 2025, a label renewed in 2026. It has been fitted with toilets, boardwalks, access for people with reduced mobility and lifeguard posts.

Highlights

• Blue Flag, renewed in 2025 and 2026
• Access for people with reduced mobility
• Lifeguard posts