New Year's Eve in Casablanca: Rooftops and City Hotels

Casablanca is the country's business capital, and its New Year reflects that: no medina courtyards or desert camps, but international hotels, restaurants with set menus, rooftop bars and a seafront that stays lively late.

It is also the most convenient city to be in on that date, for one simple reason: almost every long-haul flight to Morocco lands here.

Where the evening happens

• Large hotels run set menus with live music, usually in the centre or along the Corniche. Booking the hotel often books the evening.

• Rooftop bars and restaurants give views over the city and the ocean. They are seated, reserved and fixed-price on 31 December.

• The Corniche, the seafront strip west of the centre, concentrates restaurants, clubs and beach clubs. It is where the city goes out.

• The centre, around the Art Deco streets, suits a quieter dinner within walking distance of your hotel.

As everywhere in Morocco, alcohol is served only in licensed venues: hotels, licensed restaurants, bars and clubs. Confirm it when you reserve instead of assuming.

Book a table, do not improvise

On 31 December, restaurants and rooftops switch to a fixed menu at a fixed price, with a set seating time. Walking in on the night rarely works, and the best rooftops fill weeks ahead.

Ask what the price covers: whether drinks are included, whether there is a minimum spend, and what time the table is released if you arrive late.

December weather: mild but wet

Casablanca is mild and grey rather than cold. Days average around 19°C and nights drop to roughly 9°C, but December is the wettest month of the year, with rain on around ten days.

Plan for it. A rooftop is a wonderful idea until it rains, so check that the venue has a covered section and heaters, and keep a backup indoors. The wind off the Atlantic makes the seafront feel colder than the thermometer suggests.

Getting around on the night

Taxis are harder to find after midnight and rates rise. Agree the fare before getting in, or ask your hotel to arrange the return. The tramway stops running well before the end of the night, so do not count on it.

If you are combining cities, trains are the simplest link: Rabat is close, and the high-speed line puts Tangier within easy reach. Confirm the timetable for 1 January the day before, since schedules can be reduced.

What to do around the celebration

• The Hassan II Mosque, one of the few in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors on guided tours, is spectacular at the end of the day.

• The Art Deco centre, a walkable architectural circuit through 1920s and 1930s facades.

• The Corniche and Ain Diab, for sea air and long lunches.

• Rabat, an easy day by train, for the Kasbah of the Udayas and a calmer medina.

Our things to do in Morocco hub helps you plan these before you arrive.

1 January in Casablanca

1 January is a public holiday in Morocco. Banks, public offices and some museums close, while cafés, restaurants and the Corniche carry on. Trains and buses run, though with adjusted timetables. Expect a slow, quiet morning in a city that went to bed late.

When to book

Hotel rooms in Casablanca sell out later than in Marrakech, but the good rooftops and hotel dinners go early. Book the room first if you land that day, then the table.

Three checks before paying: what the set menu includes, whether the rate is refundable, and whether the venue has a covered, heated space in case of rain. For how the season compares with the rest of the year, see the best time to visit Morocco.