White North African city buildings and palms

Classic film · 1942

Casablanca
The real Africa locations

A Morocco location guide to Casablanca, separating the film’s wartime story setting from the California studios where much of the classic was made.

Yes, Casablanca belongs in the sweep—but as a North African city guide, not a safari guide. The film is set in wartime Casablanca, while much of the production was made in California. That distinction makes a Morocco trip more interesting, not less.

Scene by scene

Where the story goes — and where it was filmed

Casablanca

Rick’s Café and the wartime city

In the story Casablanca, Morocco

Actually filmed at The story is Casablanca; many interiors were studio-built

The film’s Casablanca is a compressed, romantic wartime city built around departure, exile, and chance encounters. Rick’s Café is fictional, though modern visitors can find themed recreations and explore the real city’s medina, Art Deco centre, and waterfront.

Visitor note: The famous café is not an original surviving film location.

Morocco

The real North African context

In the story Morocco under the French Protectorate in the film’s era

Actually filmed at A travel context rather than a single set

Casablanca’s real history is richer than the film’s fictional plot. Architecture, port history, migration, and colonial-era memory can be explored with local cultural guides and museums.

Studio Hollywood

The airport and other famous moments

In the story The film’s fictional locations

Actually filmed at Warner Bros. studio and California locations

The production did not travel to Africa for a conventional location shoot. Several iconic environments were created on sound stages or elsewhere in California, which is why a Morocco visit should be framed as a story-setting and cultural trip.

Context

Not every Africa-set film is a safari lead

Casablanca is included because it is one of the most popular films historically associated with Africa, even though it is not about wildlife and was largely made outside Morocco. The honest version of the guide is more useful than pretending the film documents a safari landscape.

North Africa offers its own travel logic: architecture, food, ports, deserts, archaeology, and layered urban history. Those experiences should not be measured against East or Southern African game viewing.

Plan the trip

Plan Casablanca as a city-and-culture trip

Use Casablanca as an entry to Morocco’s architecture and Atlantic culture, then add Rabat, Fez, Marrakech, or a desert route according to your interests. Confirm current entry, transport, and site conditions before travelling.

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Frequently asked

Questions about Casablanca

Is Casablanca set in Africa?

Yes. The story is set in Casablanca, Morocco, during the Second World War.

Was Casablanca filmed in Morocco?

Much of the production was made in California and on studio sets, so the film should not be treated as a record of actual Moroccan filming locations.

Is Casablanca a safari destination?

No. It is a North African city and cultural destination; the film’s setting is about wartime history, migration, and romance rather than wildlife.

Research notes

Sources and caveats

Story settings and production locations are different things. Where a production filmed outside Africa, this guide labels that clearly rather than presenting a stand-in location as the real setting.

Casablanca is copyrighted entertainment content. SafariPicked has no affiliation with its rights holders or production companies. This independent guide is for location, history, and safari-planning context; verify current access rules and travel conditions before visiting.

Casablanca The real Africa locations