03
Casablanca excursions, from one ticket to a whole day
Ranked by one test: does it fit inside your call? October 2026 calls ran from about 8 to 16 hours, so check yours first.
Berth, taxi and entry detail lives on our Casablanca cruise port guide. If your ship also calls at Tangier, our Tangier shore excursion guide covers the other Moroccan call.
For a first look at Casablanca, a half-day city tour that includes the mosque interior is the tidy answer — the city is spread out, and this ties the pieces together.
Holland America lists its Hassan II Mosque & Casablanca Sights tour at about 5 hours, from $109. Stops: the New Medina with a look at the outside of the Royal Palace, the mosque interior, Notre Dame de Lourdes church, a coastal road past the Ain Diab beaches, and free time at United Nations Square.
Shore Excursions Group sells a 5-hour version at $93.99 for adults and $42.99 for children aged 2 to 11. It adds the Habous district, Rick’s Café and the Central Market.
Read the pickup line — the SEG listing says a complimentary shuttle of about 15 to 20 minutes is needed to reach the departure point — and it doesn’t say what admission it covers.
- Time commitment
- About 5 hours on both listings, plus the shuttle on the SEG version.
- Getting there
- From the port. SEG says a shuttle of roughly 15 to 20 minutes gets you to its start.
- Suits
- First-timers, families and couples who want the main sights in one go.
- Ship or independent
- Either. Holland America’s listing is the ship option; SEG is the independent one.
Why it's worth considering
It puts the mosque interior, the medina edge and the seafront in one loop, with a guide handling the traffic.
The independent version is cheaper than the ship’s starting price, going by the two listings.
The catch
Holland America’s listing warns that traffic can cause delays, and rates the tour moderate, not wheelchair accessible.
The mosque closes to visitors during prayers — so the tour is as flexible as its slot, and no more.
Verify before you book
- Whether the mosque ticket is in the price (SEG lists 14 euros payable on the day on its 4-hour tour)
- Your all-aboard time against a 5-hour tour plus the shuttle
If the mosque is your whole reason for landing, you don’t need a package around it — you need a taxi and a ticket.
Non-Muslims enter on a guided tour. The site hassan2mosque.com lists a foreign adult at 140 MAD, students at 70 MAD with ID, children over six at 30 MAD, and under-sixes free. It says tickets are sold in person at the on-site museum office.
The guided interior visit runs about 45 minutes. That site suggests allowing 1½ to 2½ hours in all for queues, security and the grounds.
We found no published walking distance from the terminal. Budget a taxi both ways — and agree the fare before you get in.
- Time commitment
- Roughly 2 hours door to door on the information site’s own advice.
- Getting there
- Taxi from the dock. No official fare is published.
- Suits
- Budget travelers, repeat visitors and anyone who’d rather skip a bus tour.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. Buy the ticket at the mosque.
Why it's worth considering
The unofficial 140 MAD is a fraction of the $93.99 city tour, though it buys the mosque alone.
You pick your own slot instead of a coach’s.
The catch
Tours stop around prayer times, and the information sites we read disagree on Friday schedules.
Neither site is the mosque’s own — prices and slots can differ on the day.
Verify before you book
- That a tour slot is open when you arrive
- The ticket price at the office, in dirhams
Longest day · 10 hours
A full-day Marrakech run from Casablanca
Marrakech is the big temptation here — and the road is the catch. Shore Excursions Group lists the day at 10 hours, with about 3 hours of driving each way.
Stops: Koutoubia Mosque, Jemaa el-Fnaa square, Bahia Palace, Madrassa Ben Youssef, the souks, the Secret Garden and the Menara Gardens. Lunch isn’t included.
Entry to Bahia Palace (10 euros) and Madrassa Ben Youssef (7 euros) is paid on the day. The listing also says a shuttle of about 15 minutes is needed to reach the start.
Add it up. A 10-hour tour doesn’t fit a call of roughly 10 hours, and it needs a margin even on a long one.
- Time commitment
- 10 hours on the listing, before the port shuttle.
- Getting there
- By coach from the departure point. Marrakech is about 250 km from Casablanca, per our map card.
- Suits
- Repeat Morocco visitors, on long calls.
- Ship or independent
- Independent, through Shore Excursions Group. Ask your line whether it sells a version too.
Why it's worth considering
It’s the way on this page to see Marrakech without a hotel night.
The listing says the tour can take a folding stroller, wheelchair or walker.
The catch
If the day is 10 hours, the tour is the whole day. On an independent booking a late bus is your problem, not the ship’s — so ask what the operator does about it.
Roughly 6 hours on a bus for roughly 4 hours in the city — our arithmetic, not the listing’s.
Verify before you book
- Your all-aboard time, and the tour’s return time to the port
- The shuttle to the meeting point, and who runs it
Rabat is the easier big day trip, about 90 km up the coast, per our map card — and the tours run shorter than a Marrakech day.
Shore Excursions Group lists a 6-hour small-group trip at $112.99. Stops: Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the Kasbah of the Udayas.
The listing puts walking at about 2 hours in total. It says it isn’t wheelchair accessible.
It gives no drive time, so ask before you book. The shuttle to the departure point takes about 15 minutes.
- Time commitment
- 6 hours on the SEG listing, plus the shuttle.
- Getting there
- Coach from the port shuttle stop.
- Suits
- Couples, repeat visitors and travelers who like history and quiet streets.
- Ship or independent
- Independent, through Shore Excursions Group.
Why it's worth considering
It fits a mid-length call better than Marrakech and costs less.
The group is small by the listing’s own definition: 2 to 20.
The catch
The listing is not wheelchair accessible, and about 2 hours of walking is the plan.
Two hours of walking is a long stretch in the heat — plan water and a hat.
Verify before you book
- The drive time each way
- Whether site admissions are in the price
Independent travelers can skip the coach — WhatsInPort says the Casa Port train station is a 20-minute walk from the port, or a short taxi (take the taxi in the heat), with trains to Rabat Ville about every 60 minutes taking roughly 75 minutes.
A rail-fan site gives about 55 to 60 minutes — for a faster service from Casa Voyageurs to Rabat Agdal, every 30 to 60 minutes. The two sources describe different trains and stations.
No official ONCF timetable or fare was readable for us, and we won’t quote one. WhatsInPort printed roughly $4 second class and $8 first class one way; treat that as old.
Pad the day. A missed train on the way back can leave you hunting a taxi for roughly 90 km — not a trip to improvise.
- Time commitment
- About 2 to 2½ hours of train time round trip, before sightseeing and station transfers.
- Getting there
- Casa Port station, by foot or taxi. Rabat stations differ by train.
- Suits
- Budget travelers and confident repeat visitors on a long call.
- Ship or independent
- Independent. Check ONCF for how and where to buy tickets.
Why it's worth considering
It’s a low-cost way to Rabat, going by the figures we found, and those look dated.
You choose your own stops, and you aren’t tied to a coach.
The catch
The ship won’t wait for a late train — that risk is yours.
You need a plan from the Rabat station to Hassan Tower and the Kasbah, and we have no sourced fare for that leg.
Verify before you book
- The ONCF timetable on the day, including the last train back
- Which Casablanca station your train leaves from
Free-ish · short call
The old medina and Central Market, by shuttle and on foot
A short call doesn’t need a tour. WhatsInPort puts the medina just back from the waterfront and the Central Market just inland from the port.
Take the shuttle or a dockside taxi to the center. Taxis run near €10 on WhatsInPort’s figure, and the ride back is often cheaper.
WhatsInPort says the medina’s streets are steep and cobbled — so wear shoes you trust.
Pay in dirhams. Cards work at hotels, restaurants and antique shops. Carry cash for the rest.
- Time commitment
- An hour or two covers it.
- Getting there
- Shuttle or taxi from the dock; the walk crosses an industrial port zone.
- Suits
- Short calls, budget days and repeat visitors.
- Ship or independent
- Independent.
Why it's worth considering
No ticket, no schedule, no coach.
It leaves room to add the mosque if the time allows.
The catch
The terminal has few shops — you’re shopping in town, not at the pier.
Steep cobbles are a poor fit for limited mobility.
Verify before you book
- Shuttle timings and the last one back
- Whether shops are open on a holiday or in Ramadan
Splurge · private only
Private day trips and a cooking class
Shore Excursions Group also lists private options out of Casablanca.
A private El Jadida and Azemmour day is listed at 9 hours from $122.99. A private Moroccan cooking class is 5 hours from $258.99. A private Rabat trip is 9 hours from $120.99.
We read just the headline listing for these, not the full pages — so we can’t tell you the stops, the group size or what’s included.
Treat them as a place to start a conversation with Seabound Journeys — not as a recommendation.
- Time commitment
- 5 to 9 hours on the listing.
- Getting there
- Not stated in the headline list.
- Suits
- Families or groups who want their own pace.
- Ship or independent
- Independent, through Shore Excursions Group.
Why it's worth considering
A private vehicle lets you set the pace, if your party is big enough to share the cost.
A 5-hour class fits a mid-length call.
The catch
"From" prices are a starting point, and we didn’t confirm what moves them.
A 9-hour trip eats most of a normal call.
Verify before you book
- The full listing on the SEG page
- Whether the price is for one person or the group
04
Casablanca with the ship or on your own
For the mosque, independent is simple
The ticket is sold in person at the on-site office, per hassan2mosque.com, and a taxi gets you there.
That site is not the mosque’s own — so check the price and the slot on the day.
When the ship tour earns its fare
Holland America lists its city and mosque tour from $109. Shore Excursions Group sells a 5-hour version at $93.99.
Pay for the ship if you want the ship to own the timing. Otherwise the independent listing is cheaper — and the shuttle to its start is the catch.
Where the prices run out
No taxi tariff, shuttle fare or official train fare was readable for us — so we quote no figure.
Ask your line what the shuttle costs and when the last one returns.
How each option compares in Casablanca
| Excursion | Lean ship excursion when… | Independent works when… |
|---|
| Mosque and city tour | You want the ship to own the timing | SEG’s 5-hour listing suits your call |
|---|
| Hassan II Mosque alone | Not needed | You’re happy with a taxi and a ticket |
|---|
| Small-group Rabat | Your line sells one | The 6 hours fit your all-aboard time |
|---|
| Marrakech day | Your line sells one | Your call is long enough for 10 hours |
|---|
| Rabat by train | Not needed | You’re confident with timetables |
|---|
| Medina and market | Not needed | Yes — shuttle or taxi |
|---|
Short answer
For a first visit, take the 5-hour mosque and city tour. Pick Rabat if your call runs long, and Marrakech only when the ship stays well past the tour’s 10 hours plus the shuttle. On a short call, take the shuttle to the medina — and leave it at that.
06
Casablanca port logistics: the terminal, the shuttle and the money
From the terminal into town
The center is roughly 1 km away. A free or nominal shuttle runs, per CruiseMapper and WhatsInPort, and taxis wait at the dock.
Full port detail is on our Casablanca cruise port guide.
- Shuttle fare unconfirmed
- Dockside taxis around €10 on WhatsInPort’s figure
- Casa Port train station a short ride away
Mosque access
Non-Muslim visitors go in with a guide, and the interior closes during the five daily prayers.
Dress covers shoulders and knees, and shoes come off inside.
Money
Leftover dirhams are stuck with you: WhatsInPort says they can’t be exported or changed abroad, so spend them before you sail.
Plastic is fine at hotels, restaurants and antique shops.
Entry and safety
Morocco sits at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, on the US Embassy’s homepage, which gives no issue date.
Confirm visa and passport rules on travel.state.gov, plus your line’s own rule.
