“The first thing you notice [in Rabat’s medina] isn’t just what’s here, but also what’s missing,” says Farah Cherif D’Ouezzan, founder and director of Rabat’s Center for Cross-Cultural Learning. “It is almost too quiet, as locals simply go about their day with no grabby shopkeepers, loud moped horns or oppressively crowded alleyways.”
Tourism in Morocco is booming. In 2023 the nation set out on an ambitious goal to double its number of international visitors to 26 million by 2030 when it co-hosts the FIFA World Cup. In 2025, nearly 20 million visitors descended on the North African nation. But while destinations like Marrakesh have seen a 40% year-over-year surge in overnight stays, visitor numbers to Rabat remain relatively flat at just 3%. Despite being Morocco’s political and cultural capital, this fortified Unesco-inscribed city has yet to generate the same buzz. But that may be about to change.
Getty ImagesIn late 2025, Unesco named Rabat its 2026 World Book Capital to honour its long literary heritage. Home to 54 publishing houses, a slew of historic libraries, indie bookshops and one of the largest book fairs on the continent, the city is launching a year-long celebration with book events, writing workshops and reading marathons – giving bookish travellers another reason to visit this calm, off-the-beaten-path capital.
“It has everything you would expect from a capital with modern infrastructure, cleanliness and a rich mix of history,” says Redouane El Mouatasim, Intrepid Travel’s general manager for Morocco. “Investments in public transit, including expanded inner-city trams, taxis and high-speed train access linking Casablanca and Tangier, are also making it easier for travellers to visit.”
D’Ouezzan says Rabat’s languid feel and lack of twisting alleyways or pushy vendors may also appeal to travellers. “You can actually wander the streets without fear of getting lost,” she says. “And even if you do, a quick turn or two and you’re back on track.”
Past meets present
This sense of calm defines Rabat. It started as a ribat (fortified monastery) under the 12th-Century Almohad Empire and later became a centre of Islamic learning. The city’s strategic importance along the Atlantic coast lured the Moriscos (exiled Muslims from Spain) to settle here in the early 17th Century. As skilled artisans, traders and shipbuilders, the Moriscos facilitated trade and diplomacy with Europe and transformed Rabat into a flourishing international city.
Getty ImagesRabat was chosen as Morocco’s capital in 1912 when it was under French colonial rule, and the French set out on an ambitious urban planning programme that differentiates the capital from other Moroccan cities. While preserving the ancient medina, they constructed an entirely new European-style Ville Nouvelle (New City) alongside it, complete with broad tree-lined boulevards, communal gardens and an orderly grid-like system of streets.
