Casablanca: Hassan II Mosque, Medina & Rick’s Café Tour

4.93

(135 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were already standing in front of the Hassan II Mosque when our guide, Samir, handed us our tickets—no waiting around, just straight through those massive doors. I remember the coolness under my feet and the echo of voices bouncing off marble. There was this faint salty breeze from the Atlantic outside—hard to describe but it made everything feel bigger somehow. Samir pointed out details I’d never have noticed (I probably would’ve missed half the tilework). He joked about how he used to sneak in as a kid before all the security—his laugh echoed too.

Afterwards we squeezed into the Old Medina, following Samir through alleys that twisted like they were trying to lose us. The smells changed every few steps—spices, leather, something sweet I couldn’t place. A woman selling mint called out and Samir bought some for us to try; it was so strong it made me sneeze (he found that hilarious). We passed a tiny bookshop where two men argued softly over poetry—I didn’t understand a word but their hands did most of the talking anyway. The city tour kept moving but I wanted to linger there longer.

I’d seen Rick’s Café in photos but sitting there felt oddly familiar—maybe it’s just the piano music or all those movie posters staring back at you. The waiter told us which scenes were actually filmed here (not many, turns out), and poured our tea with a flourish that made me smile. Later in Habous Quarter we stopped for pastries—flaky and warm—and Samir explained why everyone lines up outside that bakery on Fridays. I tried saying “shukran” properly; he laughed and corrected me three times before giving up. Still think about that pastry sometimes.