The words ‘Morocco’ and ‘calm’ are rarely ever uttered in the same sentence.
Marrakech brings to mind sensory overload: street vendors shouting, the smell of cooked meats and spices intermingling, motorbikes zooming through metre-wide alleyways at 30mph. The city is Morocco’s main tourist hub, and it’s easy to see why.
With such sights as the famous Jema’a el-Fna, the market and medina and even the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, there’s lots to do and see (and, indeed, eat).
When I spent months living and travelling in Morocco, I visited the city several times. It’s an overwhelming, chaotic and impossibly fun place – there’s a never-ending maze of nooks and crannies to explore.
Marrakech is not for everyone. But soon, it might see a different city take its spotlight as Morocco’s crowning jewel – and it’s a far cry from the noisy city of snake charmers.
All eyes are set to be on Rabat in the year to come.
Listed as one of the top 10 trending destinations in Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Trends Report, the Moroccan capital has seen an 87 per cent surge in searches.
Having lived in the city myself, renting an apartment and exploring what it has to offer, I can confirm the title is well deserved.
Listed as one of the top 10 trending destinations in Skyscanner’s 2026 Travel Trends Report , the Rabat has seen an 87 per cent surge in searches
Having lived in the city myself, renting an apartment and exploring what it has to offer, I can confirm the title is well deserved
When my plane landed at Rabat-Sale airport for the first time, I’ll admit I was skeptical.
Sure, Rabat’s the capital city – but other than that, I hadn’t heard much about it. From a quick Google search I had deciphered it was very much international, a business hub, but there seemed little in the way of fun things to do.
As a twentysomething travel fanatic, I didn’t know what to expect. Would I be bored there? Would it be as full of hustle and bustle as Marrakech and Fes? Would I face the same level of street harassment?
It turned out to be the best decision.
If you see nothing else in Rabat, the city’s Kasbah of the Udayas is enough.
‘You just walk through there, you’ll see,’ were the ominous words the taxi driver said to me the first time I decided to venture into the ancient fortress.
Sounds harmless enough, I thought. I climbed the stairs to a giant entrance – and walked through into what seemed to be a blend of whitewashed Greek village, Arab marketplace, Mediterranean city, and an immaculately maintained doorway.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with other sites in Rabat, it felt like a regal, dramatic palace.
Even the tourist hotspots here are easier and calmer to navigate – and many are impressive both in terms of history, art and pure stature. The Chellah, a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis and ancient archeological site, is imposing and dramatic
And it was so quiet. This sort of untouched paradise feel is very characteristic of Rabat.
From the magical Andalusian Gardens to the boutique restaurants and sleepy squares, it’s easy to navigate the city in peace.
Given ‘overwhelming’ is often a criticism of Morocco, it seems even more poignant that a city like this exists.
Even the tourist hotspots here are easier and calmer to navigate – and many are impressive both in terms of history and pure stature.
The Chellah, a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis and ancient archeological site, is imposing and dramatic, while the Hassan Tower is spacious and religiously significant.
Both, notably, are easy to visit without harassment from street vendors.
I lived in the residential Agdal neighborhood, full of pretty apartment buildings and coffee shops. Some of my favourite places to eat were nearby, or close to the city centre.
Boho Café serves the city’s best breakfast and brunch, and Restaurant Dinarjat and Restaurant Tabib get rave reviews.
I could sit in public places alone without disruption, could wander the markets by myself and even took a solo surfing lesson on the beach
As for the markets – the highlight of many Morocco trips – the medina in Rabat was my favourite in the country by far, having visited all the major cities
And since the city draws in fewer tourists than Marrakech, its focus is on top-notch items for well-to-do travellers, expats and locals. As a result, the quality is great, prices negotiable and the overall experience far calmer
Meanwhile, I greatly enjoyed Boquería Fina. With lunch options starting from 80MAD (£6.50) and cocktails from 90MAD (£7.36), it’s a steal – and don’t expect to spend extortionate prices anywhere in the city.
What Rabat offers in terms of peace and quiet is really rather rare for a capital city. Apart from big roads and traffic – although the driving is nowhere near as bad as in other parts of the country – I found it really easy to blend in and go about my daily life.
I could sit in public places alone without disruption, wander the markets by myself and even took a solo surfing lesson on the beach.
Not once in Rabat was I harassed in the streets. The same can’t be said for Marrakech.
As for the markets – the highlight of many people’s Morocco trips – the medina in Rabat was my favourite in the country by far. The quality of goods was a cut above – you can often see the workshops themselves.
And since the city draws in fewer tourists than Marrakech, its focus is on top-notch items for well-to-do travellers, expats and locals. As a result, the quality is great, prices negotiable and the overall experience far calmer.
I can’t count how many times I walked through the old town without a single, ‘Come and look in my shop!’
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