← Casablanca International Marathon·3 nights

Rabat and Fez: Capital, Kasbah and Medieval Medina

One night in Rabat for the flat walks and the kasbah, then two nights in a riad in Fez, using the same rail line for both legs.

Duration3 nights
TransitONCF trains, Casablanca to Rabat about 1 hour and Rabat to Fez about 3 hours
DepartsCasablanca Voyageurs

After the Casablanca International Marathon: Rabat and Fez

The Route: Casablanca Voyageurs → Rabat Ville → Fès Ville → Casablanca → Mohammed V Airport Logistics: Three ONCF train legs on one rail corridor, with a change of base halfway. Marathon Month: October Duration: 3 nights

Casablanca Voyageurs ──(1 hr)──> Rabat Ville ──(about 3 hrs)──> Fès Ville
                                                                    │
Mohammed V Airport (CMN) ◄──(about 4 hrs via Casa Voyageurs)───────┘

The Casablanca International Marathon finishes on Sunday beside the Hassan II Mosque. This route spends the first night somewhere easy and the next two somewhere hard. Rabat is flat and calm and takes the edge off Monday. Fez follows on Tuesday, when the legs are in better shape for its slopes.

October in Morocco's north: Rabat is mild, with highs in the mid-20s and cooler evenings off the Atlantic. Fez is warmer in the day and colder at night, with the first autumn showers possible. Pack a layer for the evenings and a light waterproof.

Night One: Rabat

ONCF trains from Casablanca Voyageurs to Rabat Ville take about an hour. The boulevard in front of the station area, Avenue Mohammed V, is flat and lined with cafés, and it is a gentle first walk.

The Kasbah of the Udayas is a twelfth-century fortress above the Bouregreg river, with whitewashed and blue-painted lanes and a flat garden inside; entry to the kasbah is free, and there are cobbles and steps. The Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V stand on a flat, paved plateau a short taxi ride away. Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour began the tower in 1195 and it was never finished.

The Hotel Balima on Avenue Mohammed V is close to the station and the boulevard. Seafood restaurants line the Bouregreg waterfront, and grilled fish is the sensible order.

Nights Two and Three: Fez

On Tuesday take an ONCF train from Rabat to Fès Ville, about three hours. Check the timetable and book a seat in advance on oncf.ma. A petit taxi from the station takes about 15 minutes to Bab Boujloud, the blue gate to Fes el-Bali.

Fes el-Bali was founded in the ninth century and has no cars inside it. It is also all slope, and the streets are cobbled and narrow. Walk downhill from Bab Boujloud along Talaa Kebira, then take a taxi back from the lower gates rather than climbing. The Bou Inania Madrasa has carved cedar and tilework from the fourteenth century, and the Chouara Tannery is a set of stone vats viewed from leather-shop terraces; the smell is strong, and the terrace route involves stairs. The Jnan Sbil Gardens outside the walls have level, shaded paths and benches and make a good flat walk.

Palais Amani and Riad Laaroussa are restored riads inside the old city. Ask your riad about luggage carts from the nearest road gate. Try pastilla and the lamb tagines with prunes, and ask your riad whether it serves dinner.

Getting to Mohammed V Airport (CMN)

On the final day, take an ONCF train from Fès Ville to Casablanca Voyageurs, about four hours, then the airport train. Check whether a direct service to the airport runs on your day and allow a full half-day if you have an evening flight. Book a seat in advance.